A first-timer's guide to the best of Perth

The Western Australia capital is a vibrant, multicultural city that relishes its position as the anchor for the largest state in the country.

The sparkling modern metropolis sits on the traditional Country of the Whadjuk Noongar peoples, with a history that traces a line through tens of thousands of years. Its enviable position on the edge of the Swan River and close to the stunning WA coastline means that its locals have a best-of-all-worlds lifestyle that includes jaunts to beaches the likes of Cottesloe and Bathers, bar-hopping through funky inner-city neighbourhoods, eating at some of the most interesting restaurants in the state, swimming with wild dolphins (and spotting penguins) in its outer suburbs, and heading beyond the city limits on easy day trips to places such as the Swan Valley, home of the state’s oldest wine region. Here, find a taste of the best places to stay, dine and explore in Perth.

Perth skyline, Western Australia — Witness the glittering Perth skyline. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Perth’s unique stays

Warders Hotel

The former residences of the warders of Fremantle Prison, this historic row of limestone cottages have been transformed into a funky boutique hotel that melds the (very) old with the new to pared-back, stylish effect.

The Alex Hotel

Tucked into a side street in Northbridge, the Alex Hotel houses 74 rooms (some with cool bunk beds), bright and breezy communal living spaces, a rooftop wine bar and open-to-all lobby cafe.

Alex Hotel, Perth, WA — The Alex Hotel houses 74 rooms.

Hougoumont Hotel Fremantle

Sitting behind an unassuming frontage, the rooms at Fremantle’s Hougoumont Hotel are constructed from shipping containers that have been styled up with sleek design and luxe touches.

The Melbourne Hotel

This heritage grand hotel has had a contemporary refit, with elegant rooms upstairs and interesting restaurants downstairs.

Grand Orient at Melbourne Hotel, Perth, WA — Visit the Grand Orient at the Melbourne Hotel. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where to eat and drink

Hop between small bars

Perth has become renowned for its small-bar culture in the past few years, with cosy boltholes tucked behind skinny shopfronts and below-ground cellars in the likes of Northbridge, Fremantle, Mount Lawley and the CBD among other locales. The snug spaces might be small in stature but they are big in atmosphere and cool cred, with Mrs Brown’s (housed in a Fremantle Victorian terrace), Mechanics Institute and Joe’s Juice Joint in Northbridge and Bobèche in the city names to know.

Petition

Housed within the labyrinth of the State Buildings, Petition has a welcoming, casual feel, with helpful wait staff and a menu of interesting, flavoursome dishes that are perfect for sharing: we can highly recommend the broccoli and mixed grain salad, Cambray Cheese sheep’s feta and almonds.

Bread in Common

If you make it to Perth and do not make time to head to Fremantle you should hang your head. The food scene there is off the charts, so when a restaurant comes recommended by in-the-know locals you know it is good. Bread in Common , an expansive space with long communal tables and an open kitchen, is considered about everything it does, from its wood-fired, preservative-free bread to its pickling and fermenting and its menu of share plates and minimal-intervention wines.

Long Chim

David Thompson’s brand of spicy, flavour-engulfed Thai has made him internationally famous, and his Perth restaurant Long Chim (also tucked into the State Buildings) is a perennial hit with diners. The colourful space is bustling, noisy and aromatic and the menu is influenced by the market and street food of Bangkok, from mouth-warming curries to unctuous noodles to wok-fresh stir fries.

Hearth

Part of the Ritz-Carlton Perth, Hearth ’s lovely dining room is the backdrop for a menu that celebrates the produce and producers of the state, from the Kimberley to the fringes of the Great Southern region.

Heart, Perth, WA — Hearth’s menu draws from WA’s bounty.

Garum

Celeb chef Guy Grossi has collaborated with The Westin Perth to create Garum , a Roman osteria combining ancient traditional Roman cooking techniques and modern classics. The space is as appetising as the menu of handmade pastas, housed as it is in the historic Hibernian Hall in the city’s east end.

Old Young’s Kitchen

Having opened next door to Old Young’s Distillery, this Swan Valley eatery has proven quite a hit, with chef Rohan Park’s menu of share plates getting big kudos, as has the fresh, contemporary fit-out and long outdoor table sitting pretty under a canopy of dripping vines.

Luxe stays in Perth

COMO The Treasury

The understated sophistication of this property has garnered it multiple awards and many fans over the years. Housed in grand heritage buildings, the interiors by Kerry Hill Architects have a soft, minimalist vibe, with the clean lines made welcoming by the use of tactile natural materials such as leather and blond wood and muted neutral shades. Don’t miss the opportunity to dine at its signature restaurant Wildflower while in residence.

The Westin

The sleek design of The Westin , situated on Hay Street, also has a strong sense of place, with colours reminiscent of the WA landscape and arresting art that captures everything from the state’s swirling, Day-Glo-hued salt lakes to its startling blue waterways. Facilities include a Bodhi day spa, rooftop infinity pool and fitness studio.

The Ritz-Carlton, Perth

Situated on Elizabeth Quay, the Ritz-Carlton Perth is a grand and stylish offering, with its 205 rooms flooded in light through floor-to-ceiling windows, a chic interior style with lots of natural materials at play and top-notch additions including Hearth restaurant at ground level, and the lovely Songbird bar, with its cosy fire pit and outdoor terrace, up high. Also pay attention to the art in the soaring lobby (rendered in 10,000 blocks of Kimberley stone), which tells local and state stories, including a wall piece created from ephemera (old china and the like) found during the construction process.

Perth’s neighbourhoods

Northbridge

Perth’s original hip hood, the inner-city suburb of Northbridge has settled into its status as the go-to place for great coffee, interesting food and late-night drinks. The relaxed vibe on the street is fed by engaged locals, who shop in their favourite boutiques and eat out in local cafes and restaurants with pride. Don’t neglect to wander through dimly lit arcades and down laneways festooned with street art, as there are many hidden gems
to be discovered.

Mount Lawley

There’s much ado about Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley’s main thoroughfare, which has seen new hotspots popping up along its length including The Elford, Bar Rogue, and multi-level, multi-venue The Beaufort. A stone’s throw from the heart of the city, the neighbourhood is the perfect place to head on a Saturday morning for brunch and shopping,
or after dark when the area’s vibrant nightlife kicks into gear.

Join a walking tour

To really get a taste of Perth’s neighbourhoods, join a walking tour. Proud Whadjuk woman Kerry-Ann Winmar, owner of Nyungar Tours, conducts walking tours of Perth city, the ancient Country of the Whadjuk Noongar peoples, sharing traditional stories, imparting wisdom on medicinal plants and bush foods and discovering cultural sites of great significance. Her South Perth Walking Cultural Tour tracks along the south Perth foreshore, overlooking the city skyline and Swan River (known as Derbal Yerrigan in the Nyungar language) and includes interacting with Indigenous artefacts.

Perth’s top spots

Fremantle Prison

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison has a colourful and dramatic history, having been built by convict labour in the 1850s and housing prisoners for 136 years until it was shuttered in 1991. There are a range of tours with knowledgeable guides, including a spooky torchlight tour after dark and one into the labyrinth of tunnels located 20 metres below the prison.

Perth valley views, WA — Verdant views over the Chittering Valley. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Optus Stadium

Named the most beautiful stadium in the world, Perth locals are rightfully proud of Optus Stadium, which is an attraction in its own right with tours and activities on offer that range from delving into the Indigenous history of the area to diving off its roof. theozone.com.au

Kings Park

Beloved by Perth’s inhabitants, Kings Park is a vast patch of nature sitting in the heart of the thriving city. At 400 hectares it is actually 60 hectares larger than New York’s Central Park, which also doesn’t have a botanic garden sitting within it (that’s Western Australian Botanic Garden) or a 750-year- old boab tree.

Rockingham

This Perth outer suburb is all about the spectacular allures of its coastline, which looks out to the islands and reefs of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. If the penguins on the aptly named Penguin Island aren’t enough to hook you, swimming with wild dolphins (at a respectful distance and with no actual contact please) from September to early June is sure to do it.

The beaches

When people think of water views in Perth, it is usually the Swan River that springs to mind, but the WA capital actually boasts a total of 19 beaches. While the most famous of these is Cottesloe Beach, do pack your swimmers and head to Leighton Beach, Mettams Pool, Bathers Beach, and City Beach, near to the heart of Perth.

Leighton Beach, Perth, WA — Go to the lovely Leighton Beach.

Perth’s secret gems

Swan Valley wineries

Clocking in at an easy 30-minute drive from the heart of the city, the Swan Valley is the ultimate weekender for Perth locals looking for respite within reach, but its delights sometimes slip under the radar when it comes to out-of-towners. Rookie mistake people. The area is a powerhouse of artisanal makers and doers producing everything from art to chocolates to gin. It is also the state’s oldest wine region, with more than 180 years of winemaking heritage and knowledge sown into its rich soils. And what would an easy-to-access weekend escape/day-trip foodie enclave be without a destination diner or two? Prioritise Mandoon Estate, Funk 2.0 and Stella Winery.

Borrello Cheese, Swan Valley, Perth, WA — Borrello Cheese in the Swan Valley produces Italian-style cheeses.

The Chittering Valley

Bucolic doesn’t even begin to describe the Chittering Valley, with its idyllic rolling green countryside sprinkled with grazing cows and pretty wildflowers. Situated in the northern hills of the Darling Range, less than an hour’s drive from the city, the region boasts vineyards, orchards, farmers’ markets and Australia’s only monastic town, New Norcia, which is definitely worth the side trip.

WA might be enormous, but the right insider knowledge brings its mysteries a whole lot closer.

“Western Australia is a land of record-breakers,” says Carolyn Tipper, a Travel Director working on AAT Kings Western Australia tours. “It has the second-longest fault line, the second-largest meteorite crater, the second-fastest flowing river—it just keeps surprising you. And every area has its charm.”

From tropics to deserts, Australia’s largest state is a land of extremes. You can’t see all of Western Australia in a lifetime, but with the right guide, you can discover its hidden pockets of magic.

Carolyn wishes to reach her guests’ hearts. “I want them to enjoy and be in awe,” she says. “I want them to have the holiday of a lifetime.”

1. Mimbi Caves

You wouldn’t expect a Great Barrier Reef in the outback – but that’s what you’ll find at Mimbi Caves. Once part of a 350-million-year-old reef, these caves hold marine fossils, ancient Indigenous rock art, and Dreamtime stories shared by a Gooniyandi guide.

“That’s when the real connection happens,” says Carolyn, who has taken guests through on the AAT Kings Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour . “When guests connect, not just with the land, but with the people who have called it home for tens of thousands of years.”

Eye-level view of traveller exploring Mimbi Caves. — Walk through ancient limestone passages. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Kalbarri National Park

Nothing prepares you for the Kalbarri Skywalk: a 25-metre platform jutting over Murchison Gorge, 100 metres above the red cliffs and river below. From July to October, join the AAT Kings Untamed Pilbara and West Coast tour to see over 1000 wildflower species paint the park, and listen as an Indigenous guide shares their uses, bush foods and medicine plants.

“I want our guests to have an emotional experience,” says Carolyn. “It’s not just about seeing the land, it’s about stepping into the stories.”

An aerial view of the Kalbarri Skywalk, one of the secret places in Western Australia, with visitors on the edge. — Stand on the Kalbarri Skywalk in Western Australia. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

3. Hamelin Bay Wines

Margaret River isn’t just a top wine region – it’s a winner in every category. Where the Indian and Southern Oceans collide, granite cliffs rise, limestone caves sprawl and Karri forests tower. It almost distracts from the world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Almost.

Out of over 100 cellar doors, AAT Kings pick Hamelin Bay Wines as a favourite. Hosted tastings of small-batch wines on the Western Wonderland tour end with a group meal. The menu shifting with the seasons.

“Get off the beaten track to one of WA’s most relaxed venues for some amazing red and white signature wines,” explains Carolyn, “accompanied with upmarket pub food.”

Spectacular views.

A person raising a glass of Chardonnay against a glowing Western Australia sunset. — Sip world-class wines at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia. (Image: Getty)

4. Wildflower Guided Walk, Kings Park

Western Australia is home to 12,000 native plant species – 3000 bloom in Kings Park’s Botanic Garden. Stroll past Kangaroo Paw, Banksia and blooms from the Goldfields, Stirling Ranges and Kimberley. “The diversity of Western Australia is immense,” says Carolyn, who leads guests through on the South Western Escape tour .

Couple enjoying the view from the Lotterywest Federation walkway at Kings Park and Botanical Garden. — Wander among thousands of native plant species. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

5. Hoochery Distillery

Did you know that between Kununurra and Emma Gorge lies the state’s oldest continuously operating distillery? Well, the oldest legal one. Set on a family farm, Hoochery Distillery was hand-built using materials found on the property, conjuring up award-winning rum from local sugarcane, wet season rainwater and yeast.

Today, visitors can sample a hearty nip of rum, along with whiskies and gins – all crafted using traditional, labour-intensive methods. It’s the ideal way to soak up the ‘spirit’ of the Kimberley on the AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour .

People enjoying a rum tasting at one of the secret places in Western Australia. — Sample award-winning rum. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

6. Geraldton

The wildflowers of the Midwest will make your heart blossom. In Geraldton, the Helen Ansell Art Gallery brings the region’s botanicals to life in vivid colour and intricate detail. In nearby Mullewa, wander bushland trails lined with everlastings and native blooms. Further afield, Coalseam Conservation Park bursts into carpets of pink, white, and yellow each spring. Do it all on the Wildflower Wanderer tour with AAT Kings.

woman walking through Wildflowers, Coalseam Conservation Park — Chase vibrant wildflower trails. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

7. El Questro

Wake up after a night under the stars at Emma Gorge Resort, ready to explore the mighty beauty of the El Questro Wilderness Park. With deep gorges, thermal springs, and cascading waterfalls, time slows here.

Join the AAT Kings’ Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour to drift through Chamberlain Gorge, where sheer sandstone walls glow burnt orange in the sun, archer fish flick at the surface, and rock wallabies peer down from ledges above. Then, step into Zebedee Springs, a secret oasis of warm, crystal-clear pools among prehistoric Livistona palms – a moment of pure, wild stillness.

Emma Gorge Resort at El Questro. — Wake to adventure at Emma Gorge Resort. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Lake Argyle

Once vast cattle country, Lake Argyle now sprawls like an inland sea – Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake, created by the damming of the Ord River. Scattered with over 70 islands, its glassy waters teem with life, like freshwater crocodiles, barramundi, bony bream, sleepy cod and over 240 bird species. That’s nearly a third of Australia’s avian population.

Glide across the lake’s surface on a cruise as part of AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour , where the silence is only broken by the splash of fish and the call of birds. For Carolyn, this place is a perfect example of how WA’s landscapes surprise visitors. “Lake Argyle is a big puddle of water that became a game-changer,” she says. “Seeing it from a boat, coach, and plane is mind-blowing. It puts time, isolation and the sheer scale into perspective.”

Aerial View of Triple J Tours on the Ord River, near Kununurra. — Glide past islands on Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake. (Image: Western Australia)

Discover more of Western Australia’s hidden gems and book your tour at aatkings.com.