Guildford WA guide: The historical town near Perth you must visit

Explore the carefully preserved buildings and learn the stories of one of Western Australia’s first settlements, 12 kilometres north-east of Perth city.

One of three Swan River Colony towns established in 1829, Guildford WA originally connected Perth to the surrounding agricultural areas by steamboat and ship, playing an important role in the growth of Western Australia’s trade and prosperity.

Today, much of the town’s original 19th and 20th-century architecture remains, lovingly restored to tell the stories of their significant past.

Just a 30-minute drive from the city centre, it’s easy to get to know Guildford (known as Mandoon by the local Whadjuk Noongar people) on your next visit to Perth.

The best things to do in Guildford WA

1. Visit the historical pubs

Beer and wine are in plentiful supply in Guildford, with no less than three grand pubs, each within walking distance of each other.

Settle in for a pint in the historic Rose & Crown Hotel courtyard before ambling onto the spacious beer garden at the Stirling Arms Hotel , which hosts regular live entertainment.

Finish up with a hearty meal of smoked meats at The Guildford Hotel , a refurbished 19th-century landmark.

The Guildford Hotel in Guildford, Perth — Enjoy hearty smoked meats at The Guildford Hotel. (Image: supplied)

2. Follow heritage walking trails

Walk off a large lunch with a short self-guided tour of Guildford. There are four heritage walking trails weaving their way through the streets, each starting and ending at Guildford Courthouse (now the Swan Valley Visitor Centre).

Hop between the likes of the former station master’s cottage, the old agricultural showgrounds and the colonial gaol, reading up on their fascinating pasts via the interpretive panels as you go.

The Guildford Courthouse, now known as Swan Valley Visitor Centre, Guildford, Perth — Begin your explorations at the Swan Valley Visitor Centre, which was once Guildford Courthouse. (Image: supplied)

3. Call into the Swan Valley

Guildford sits on the doorstep of Western Australia’s oldest wine region, the Swan Valley. Take Barker’s Bridge out of town over the Swan River, and in less than five minutes you’ll be sipping on a verdelho in a vineyard.

Winery hop from Caversham to Herne Hill on the Swan Valley Fine Wine Trail , on an organised tour, or follow a different Swan Valley trail to stop by the growers and makers who call the region home.

4. Go shopping

The heritage shopfronts of the James Street strip are treasure troves packed with stories of eras past. The furniture and collectables that line the shelves of Dr Russell’s Imagiarium , Jones of Guildford and George’s Furniture Restoration make unique mementos of your time in Guildford.

For more modern wares, check out The Artists Nook , which showcases stunning Australian-made homewares, jewellery, clothes, artworks and more. If you have a few hours to fill, book yourself in for an art workshop, too.

An antique store on James Street in Guildford, Perth — Discover antique treasures along Guildford’s James Street. (Image: supplied)

Guildford WA’s best restaurants and cafes

1. Willing Coffee

Kickstart the day with a specialty brew at Willing Coffee . Inside, the cafe gives a subtle nod to 1950s design, bringing curved lines, pink marble benchtops and chrome accents into the modern era.

Outside, locals surround the tables while their dogs wait patiently for pats from passersby.

2. Padbury’s Cafe Restaurant

Breakfast at Padbury’s Cafe Restaurant is a must, with diners flocking to the all-day cafe for plate upon plate of their famously fluffy souffle pancakes.

Served with a dollop of meringue, lemon curd, honeycomb and granola, it’s a dish for the serious sweet tooth. Come night, the focus shifts to salads, seafood and other proteins, all plated up in generous portions.

Meringue pancakes, Padbury's, Guildford WA — Try the Meringue Munro Pancakes.

3. Locale Mio

For a warming pizza and homemade pasta feed, there’s nowhere better than the friendly neighbourhood Italian, Locale Mio . Start with a plate of burrata and prosciutto before moving on to a fresh bowl of cavatelli or casarecce.

There are upwards of 20 pizzas on the menu, the 48-hour dough and woodfired oven producing perfectly bubbled and chewy bases.

4. Alfred’s Kitchen

While there are plenty of great places to dine in Guildford, none are more iconic than Alfred’s Kitchen . The late-night diner has been flipping burgers and boiling up pots of their much-loved pea and ham soup since 1946.

Get your hands around an ‘Alfred’s special’ and devour it by the fire pit, or find a seat in the refurbed 1900s-era train carriage.

Alfred's Kitchen, Guildford, Perth — Stop in for some late-night diner meals at Alfred’s Kitchen. (Image: supplied)

Where to stay in Guildford WA

1. Rose & Crown Hotel

Spend a night (or a few more) at WA’s oldest operating hotel, the Rose & Crown Hotel.

Built in 1841, the 28-room lodge shares a large, leafy block with the historic pub, just across the railroad from town.

The Rose & Crown Hotel, Guildford, Perth — The Rose & Crown is WA’s oldest operating hotel. (Image: supplied)

2. Guildford River Retreat

Closer to the banks of the Swan River you’ll find the Guildford River Retreat . Once the home of a local saddler, the 1897 Queen Anne-style home now hosts a six-room boutique BnB.

After a day of antique shopping and winery hopping, share a bottle of Swan Valley chenin blanc on one of the two large, garden-facing terraces. If there’s a chill in the air, make it a bottle of shiraz in the library.

How to get there

Guildford is a 25-minute drive or a 30-minute train ride on the Midland line from Perth. From Perth Airport it’s an even shorter journey, taking just 10 minutes by car.

When to visit

Any time is a good time to visit Guildford, but the heritage buildings are even more beautiful against a backdrop of November’s blooming jacaranda trees.

If you plan your visit for January or February, the nearby vines of the Swan Valley will be ripe with crisp table grapes. Pick your own at Padbury Pickings , or buy bags full from Kato’s 3000 Grapes or the many rustic roadside stalls.

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.

Guildford: The historical town you must visit when in Perth