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.

This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs. — Adventure starts where the road ends.

1. Discover Broome, and beyond

Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures , screening since 1916.

Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea. — Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters. — Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs. — Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance. — See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia — Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com .

Guildford: The historical town you must visit when in Perth