Experience the absolute best things to do in Broome with this guide to essential tours, experiences, culture, eats, drinks and more.
Proudly positioned on the edge of Western Australia, Broome is one of those places that rewards the journey. A true original, it blends striking natural beauty with a laid-back charm that’s hard to replicate. From cinemas under the stars to creative accommodation experiences that offer outdoor bathtubs and electric bikes for exploring, Broome doesn’t just welcome travellers – it tempts them to linger.
Whether you’re lured by beaches, rust red and aqua vistas or art connected to Kimberley country, Broome has a way of drawing you in.
1. Catch the Staircase to the Moon
Get your camera ready. When the full moon rises over Roebuck Bay’s exposed mudflats, its reflection creates a surreal optical illusion – shimmering ‘stairs’ that seem to lead straight to the moon.
This natural spectacle appears for three nights each month from March to October. For prime viewing, head to the Staircase Markets at Town Beach or sip a mango daiquiri at the dreamy Mangrove Hotel .
2. Visit Matso’s Brewery
Is there anything more refreshing than an ice-cold beer in the tropics? The newly renovated Matso’s Brewery delivers award-winning brews and flavour-packed plates, all with front-row views of Roebuck Bay.
Swing by after a swim at Cable Beach to sample their mango, chilli, and ginger beers – and get a taste of the story behind Australia’s most remote brewery.
3. Find dinosaur prints
Dinosaur junkies, take note – Broome’s coastline is a fossil playground. Along Gantheaume Point and up to James Price Point on the Dampier Peninsula, you’ll find tracks from as many as seven different Cretaceous species, including sauropods, ornithopods and even stegosaurus.
Catch these ancient footprints at low tide around Gantheaume Point, Cable Beach and Reddell Beach. For a closer look, hop on a Broome Adventure Cruises tour – their shallow-landing vessel lets you step straight onto the beach and into prehistory.
4. Take a Pearl Luggers Tour
Broome’s wild past is steeped in tales of luggers, pearl divers – both willing and forced – and the pearl masters who shaped the town’s fortunes.
Dive into this rich legacy on a Pearl Luggers Tour in the heart of Chinatown, where a fully restored lugger sets the scene. The 1.5-hour tour includes a taste of pearl meat – a local delicacy that sells for around $200 per kilo.
5. Enjoy a flick at Sun Pictures
The sun dropping beneath the horizon, the popcorn flowing, your favourite blockbuster about to start – let’s face it, what could be more perfect?
Catching a flick at Sun Pictures (which screened its first movie in 1916) is an experience not easily forgotten. Don’t miss the old projectors in the foyer, the tin roof and the Hollywood sign.
6. Hire a sun lounge at the Beach Hut
Looking for the most relaxing way to enjoy one of Australia’s most stunning beaches? Rock up in your togs and sink into an Italian-made flatbed sun lounge beneath a shady umbrella at the Beach Hut . Feeling a bit more energetic? Hire a SUP board, surfboard or even beach toys for the kids.
7. Stretch at the Buddha Sanctuary
If you’re not relaxed enough already from your day at Cable Beach, let your mind and body be completely at ease at the nearby Buddha Sanctuary .
Home to a three-metre-tall crystal statue, this welcoming haven offers yoga classes, meditation gatherings and energy healing workshops. If you’re not feeling up to a class or workshop, you can simply visit for some quiet time.
8. Peruse the Broome Museum
From pearling history and wartime bombings to the town’s legendary telephone exchange ladies, the Broome Museum is packed with fascinating artefacts, photos and stories.
It’s housed in two of Broome’s oldest buildings – the former Customs House and Sailmaker’s Shed – and run by volunteers. Entry is free for kids under 16, making it a no-brainer for families keen to dig into Broome’s rich (and sometimes wild) past.
9. Join a Willie Creek Pearl Farm Tour
Day tours at Willie Creek offer a fascinating look at modern pearl farming – from shell to showroom. The highlight? A serene boat ride along Willie Creek, where live oysters hang suspended in the turquoise water, quietly doing their thing.
Back on dry land, there’s freshly baked damper to sample and a pearl masterclass to attend – expect to leave with surprising knowledge about oyster spawning and a newfound appreciation for the craftsmanship behind every pearl.
10. Explore the Japanese cemetery
Broome’s Japanese Cemetery is steeped in history, offering a quiet yet powerful window into the lives of the Japanese pearlers who once worked these shores. More than 900 graves are marked by stone obelisks, carved with names, birthplaces, and dates – a testament to lives lived far from home.
Nearby, the Chinese cemetery honours the contributions of Broome’s Chinese community, adding another layer to the town’s multicultural story.
11. Sip gin at Moontide Distillery
There are plenty of pretty spots around Broome, but if you’re after something a bit different (and a bit stronger), Moontide Distillery delivers. Tucked away among mango trees, this local gem is all about small-batch spirits made with native ingredients – think Kakadu plum and white berry bush.
You can peek behind the scenes on a distillery tour, or just pull up for a relaxed tasting with some snacks. No rush, no fuss – just good drinks, done Broome-style.
12. Walk from jetty to jetty
This 3.4km self-guided trail hugs the shoreline of Roebuck Bay, linking two historic jetties and revealing the stories that shaped Broome’s pearling past. Along the way, signposts spotlight the town’s multicultural roots – from pearlers and traders to the communities that built Broome’s character.
Grab a free map from the Visitor Centre , take it at your own pace and let the bay breeze do the rest.
13. Get snappy at Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park
There’s nothing like standing a few metres from a massive saltwater crocodile – safely, of course. Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park has been thrilling visitors since 1983, when adventurer and conservationist Malcolm Douglas turned a patch of land and a handful of giant crocs into one of Broome’s wildest attractions.
Feeding time is 3pm, when the real action kicks off. You’ll also spot kangaroos, wallabies, snakes, lizards, and plenty of colourful birdlife.
14. Take a camel ride
Camels on a beach shouldn’t make sense, but in Broome, they do. These long-lashed locals have been hauling visitors along Cable Beach for decades, pacing the hard-packed sand like it’s their runway. The camel ride itself is slow, almost meditative, with nothing but the sound of waves, the creak of saddles and the warm sea breeze.
As the sun starts to burn its way into the horizon, painting the sky in deep ochres and blood orange, you’ll realise this isn’t just a photo op – it’s a moment. Fun, iconic and entirely Broome.
15. Explore Chinatown
Broome’s main retail hub, Chinatown, has been the multicultural heart of the town since the 1880s when pearling crews set up camp in corrugated tin sheds and makeshift huts. Today, it’s a compact, walkable district where red latticework, green awnings and tin roofs give the streets a distinctive charm.
Along Dampier Terrace, high-end pearl boutiques showcase locally sourced treasures, while Johnny Chi Lane offers a mix of clothing and jewellery stores, with historical panels on the walls that bring Broome’s rich past to life. For a coffee stop with a relaxed vibe, Green Mango Cafe is a local favourite.
16. Cruise away at sunset
Pindan red cliffs, turquoise sea, and white sand – the Kimberley’s colours come alive from the deck of Willie , one of Australia’s oldest operating pearl luggers. This four-hour sail along Cable Beach is well-run and relaxed, with friendly crew, tasty snacks and a licensed bar for sunset sips.
As Willie glides along the coast and the sails rise, guests can settle in with a drink, take a dip in the boom nets and watch the sky shift through a palette of glowing hues. It’s an easy-going escape with just the right mix of history, scenery and salt air.
17. Visit for Shinju Matsuri
If there’s one festival worth planning a trip around, it’s Shinju Matsuri . Held annually from late August to early September, this vibrant celebration of Broome’s rich and diverse culture spills across town with an eclectic program of events.
Expect long table dinners on Cable Beach, glowing floating lanterns drifting into the night and a glittering opening night ball.
18. Go fishing
From big game to reef and creek fishing, Broome has something for every angler. Keen to hit the water? Local fishing charters will take you out in search of barramundi, threadfin and whatever else is biting.
Prefer to keep your feet on land? Town Beach Jetty on Roebuck Bay is a top spot for families, with shaded areas, rod holders and bait boards ready for action – just add a bit of patience and you might bring dinner home yourself.
19. Explore Reddell Beach
Quiet, striking and blissfully under the radar, Reddell Beach is a local favourite for good reason. Accessed via Car Park 3 along the unsealed Kavite Road, it’s a short descent down rugged sand cliffs to reach the shore.
At the bottom, stunning red rock formations stand like sculptures against the Indian Ocean, where vivid blue water meets rust-red earth – a scene that’s pure Kimberley and far from the crowds.
20. Join a Bart Pigram tour
Well-known Broome local Bart Pigram runs Narlijia Experiences – meaning “true for you" in the Yawuru language. His tours explore the rich cultural landscape of Roebuck Bay, guiding visitors through the mangroves and tidal flats while sharing stories rooted in both Aboriginal and multicultural heritage.
Along the way, guests get a seasonal taste of local bush foods and an insight into Broome’s layered history, from first contact to the pearling era.
21. Relax at Bali Hai
Some hotels are worth visiting for the spa alone – Bali Hai Resort & Spa is one of them. With seven treatment rooms and traditional Balinese massage techniques on offer, it’s a serene retreat where relaxation is the main event.
The setting, with its tropical gardens and tranquil vibes, feels a world away – like slipping into a slice of Indonesian paradise without leaving Australia. Looking for more luxe stays? Find the best Broome hotels here.
22. Visit the Broome Courthouse Markets
Set beneath shady trees in the heritage-listed courthouse gardens, the Broome Courthouse Markets are a local institution. What started over 25 years ago as a handful of stalls has grown into a lively hub of creativity, with up to 115 stalls during the dry season.
Open every Saturday all year and Sundays from April to October, the markets serve up everything from pearl jewellery and Indigenous art to bush foods, tropical plants and the occasional crate of vintage vinyl. It’s part shopping spree, part cultural experience – and the perfect way to spend a lazy Broome morning.
23. Sleepover at the Horizontal Falls
Can’t bear to leave the ‘Horries’? For many Broome visitors, witnessing the tidal waterfalls deep in Talbot Bay, within the Buccaneer Archipelago, is the ultimate Kimberley experience.
Now there’s no need to rush it. Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures has a package that includes an overnight stay aboard the luxurious Jetwave Pearl – giving you more time in one of Australia’s most jaw-dropping spots.
24. Walk, eat and drink with Salty Plum Social
For a deep dive into Broome’s vibrant history, culture and food scene, join a walking tour with Salty Plum Social . Led by long-time locals Chris and Robyn, these tours take you through the heart of Broome’s historic Chinatown and beyond, blending storytelling with a good dose of social fun.
Choose from an evening small bar tour, a big art morning walk, or the Pearling Masters’ Trek, which unpacks the town’s pearling legacy. On Tuesdays, the Wayfarer’s Gourmet Experience at Town Beach serves up a food-focused adventure.
Hungry? Discover the best restaurants to book after a day of exploring
