Perth

Summer (December to February) is hot and dry, with long stretches of sun and little rain. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are mild and the most pleasant times to visit. Winter (June to August) is cooler and brings most of the year's rain.

Plan around Fringe World Festival, held every January and February. It is one of the largest fringe arts festivals in the world, with hundreds of shows staged across the city.

Summer sun is intense and humidity stays low all year. Pack sunscreen and a hat even for a mild-looking day.

Kings Park covers about 400 hectares of bushland and gardens above the Swan River. Walk the treetop Lotterywest Federation Walkway for the best photo of the city, or visit the State War Memorial for panoramic views.

Elizabeth Quay is the city's modern waterfront precinct, built around an artificial inlet on the Swan River. Promenades, public art, and a pedestrian bridge link it to the city center, and ferries leave from here for South Perth.

The 82.5-metre glass and copper spire of Swan Bells holds one of the largest sets of change-ringing bells in the world. Some of the bells were cast for London's St Martin-in-the-Fields church. Climb inside to see and hear them ring.

Perth Mint has struck gold coins and bars since 1899, at the height of Western Australia's gold rush. Its exhibition includes a live gold pour and one of the world's largest gold coins.

WA Museum Boola Bardip tells the story of Western Australia, from Noongar culture and shipwrecks to the state's mining boom. It sits inside a striking modern building in the Perth Cultural Centre.

Cottesloe Beach is Perth's classic sunset beach, with calm turquoise water and a grassy foreshore for picnics.

London Court is a mock-Tudor shopping arcade built in 1937 by a gold-mining magnate, with a clock tower at each end and mechanical figures that strike the hour.

Perth Zoo, across the river in South Perth, is home to native Australian wildlife alongside orangutans, elephants, and other international species.

• Watch an AFL football match at Optus Stadium during the season, roughly March to September.
• Climb Matagarup Bridge to its summit platforms for a view over the Swan River and the city skyline.
• Paddleboard or kayak on the Swan River from one of the foreshore hire spots near the city center.
• Take a sunset cruise on the Swan River, departing from the jetty near Elizabeth Quay.
• Join locals for evening drinks on the sand at Cottesloe or Scarborough Beach as the sun goes down over the Indian Ocean.

Perth's isolation means the wider region rewards a rental car, though several highlights are reachable by public transport. Here are the best days out, ordered from closest to farthest.

• Swan Valley — about 25 minutes by car, Western Australia's oldest wine region, with cellar doors, breweries, and chocolate and cheese producers within walking distance of each other.
• Fremantle — about 30 minutes by train, a historic port city with 19th-century streets, the World Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison, and the weekend Fremantle Markets.
• Rottnest Island — a ferry ride from Fremantle or the city center, this car-free island is known for its quokkas, snorkeling spots, and cycling trails.
• York — about an hour by car, Western Australia's oldest inland town, with an intact 19th-century main street, antique shops, and historic pubs.
• The Pinnacles, in Nambung National Park — about 2.5 hours by car, thousands of limestone pillars rising from yellow desert sand, best seen at sunrise or sunset.

Fremantle makes an easy half-day or full-day trip from Perth, with a distinct character of its own: a working harbour, a 19th-century streetscape, and a lively cafe scene along the so-called "cappuccino strip." It is about 30 minutes from the city center by train.

• By air: Perth Airport receives direct flights from most Australian capitals plus a growing number of routes to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. It is about 12 km from the city center; the Airport Line train reaches the CBD in around 15–20 minutes, and a taxi or rideshare takes about 20–25 minutes depending on traffic.
• By train: Perth is the western end of the transcontinental Indian Pacific from Sydney, a multi-day scenic journey rather than a practical way to arrive. Regional trains such as the Prospector connect Perth to inland Western Australian towns.
• By bus: Long-distance coaches link Perth to regional Western Australia, but the distances to other state capitals are too great for bus travel to be practical.

• Public transit: Transperth runs the bus, train, and ferry network. Tap a contactless bank card or phone directly on board, or use a SmartRider card, for the best fares. Free CAT buses loop the city center and Northbridge at no cost. See Transperth for routes and planning.
• On foot and by bike: The city center is compact and walkable. Flat, well-marked paths run along both banks of the Swan River, and bike hire is available near the foreshore.

• Is a car worth it?: Not for the city center — public transit and walking cover downtown, Kings Park, and Fremantle easily. A car helps for the beaches, Swan Valley, and day trips further afield.
• Driving is on the left — the opposite side to the US and most of continental Europe.
• Parking: Metered street parking and multi-story car parks are available throughout the CBD; pay by ticket machine or parking app.
• Restrictions: Perth has no congestion charge or low-emission zone.

Western Australia's seafood is a highlight of any visit — look for WA rock lobster on menus, and freshly cooked fish and chips at Fremantle's harbour. Perth's small-bar scene, which grew quickly after licensing laws changed in 2006, means many of the best nights out are in tucked-away laneway bars rather than large pubs.

For dinner and drinks, head to Northbridge, Perth's main entertainment district, with restaurants and bars covering many cuisines. In Fremantle, the cafe strip along South Terrace is known locally as the "cappuccino strip."

Perth is a safe city for visitors, with low rates of violent crime. Normal precautions apply around Northbridge late at night, where petty theft and alcohol-related trouble are the most common issues.

The biggest safety factor is the sun. UV levels are extreme for much of the year and summer heat can be intense, so wear sunscreen and a hat and drink plenty of water, even on an overcast day. Ocean beaches can have rip currents — swim at patrolled beaches, between the flags, where possible.

The Whadjuk Noongar people have lived along the Swan River, which they call Derbarl Yerrigan, for tens of thousands of years before European settlement. Perth's Aboriginal name is Boorloo.

The British founded the Swan River Colony in 1829, led by Captain James Stirling, as a free settlement rather than a penal one. Early growth was slow, and the colony began accepting convict labor in 1850. Convicts built many of the city's colonial buildings still standing today, including Perth Town Hall.

Perth's fortunes changed with the Western Australian gold rush of the 1890s, which brought a wave of wealth and grand architecture, including Perth Mint, opened in 1899 to refine the gold flowing in from the eastern goldfields. Twentieth-century mining and energy booms, particularly iron ore and natural gas, built the modern skyline visible from Kings Park today.

Here are the essentials for traveling in Australia: