Step outside the familiar on this week-long trip through Perth (Boorloo) and the Coral Coast in Western Australia. After discovering the cultural wonders of the capital, set off on a road trip full of awe-inspiring wildlife and natural adventures. But this is no ordinary drive. Journey through charming coastal towns, 400-million-year-old rock formations, and two World Heritage Areas, Shark Bay (Gathaagudu), and Ningaloo Reef (Nyinggulu). You’ll connect with the outdoors along the way, swimming with gentle whale sharks, stargazing in Nambung National Park, and snorkeling with the world’s oldest living fossils.
Itinerary / 7 Days
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Tunnels tour with Fremantle Prison
Courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
Day 1:Discover History and Culture in Fremantle
Fly into Perth, Western Australia’s capital, and your entryway to adventure. Your home for the night is QT Perth, a boutique hotel with its own rooftop bar. Nestled in the heart of the city, it’s a short walk from bustling neighborhoods like the Elizabeth Quay (Gumap) waterside development and Yagan Square.
Once you’ve settled in, board a Swan River cruise from Perth to Fremantle (Walyalup), a spirited port city known for its Victorian architecture and maritime history. Glide along the sparkling water as you pass Perth’s urban skyline, yacht clubs, and the stunning cliff faces of Black Wall Reach.
After disembarking, have lunch at Fremantle Markets, one of the town’s most important landmarks. Built in 1897, the building is on Western Australia’s Register of Heritage Places. It houses an array of independent vendors offering global food options like Brazilian barbeque and bánh mì, as well as artisan products.
Next, drop by Fremantle Prison, Western Australia’s only UNESCO World Heritage-listed building. Constructed by convicts in the 1850s, it was decommissioned as a maximum-security jail in 1991. Pick from fascinating guided tours that detail the prison’s colorful past; daring travelers can opt for the Tunnels Tour, which takes you more than 60 feet below the surface to explore a maze of tunnels by foot and boat. Return to Perth for dinner at 6Head, a steakhouse featuring fine cuts of local beef, live music, and inspiring views of Elizabeth Quay.
Once you’ve settled in, board a Swan River cruise from Perth to Fremantle (Walyalup), a spirited port city known for its Victorian architecture and maritime history. Glide along the sparkling water as you pass Perth’s urban skyline, yacht clubs, and the stunning cliff faces of Black Wall Reach.
After disembarking, have lunch at Fremantle Markets, one of the town’s most important landmarks. Built in 1897, the building is on Western Australia’s Register of Heritage Places. It houses an array of independent vendors offering global food options like Brazilian barbeque and bánh mì, as well as artisan products.
Next, drop by Fremantle Prison, Western Australia’s only UNESCO World Heritage-listed building. Constructed by convicts in the 1850s, it was decommissioned as a maximum-security jail in 1991. Pick from fascinating guided tours that detail the prison’s colorful past; daring travelers can opt for the Tunnels Tour, which takes you more than 60 feet below the surface to explore a maze of tunnels by foot and boat. Return to Perth for dinner at 6Head, a steakhouse featuring fine cuts of local beef, live music, and inspiring views of Elizabeth Quay.
Night sky at the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park
Courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
Day 2:The Coral Coast Highway and Stargazing at the Pinnacles
Wake up for a rooftop tour of Optus Stadium, a sports and entertainment venue with soaring views over the Swan River (Derbarl Yerrigan), Perth to the west, and the foothills to the east. Choose from the Halo Roof Climb, a jaw-dropping, 360-degree walk around the roof, and the thrilling Vertigo Rooftop Experience, which challenges guests to hang by a harness more than 130 feet above the city.
When you get your feet back on the ground, it’s time to hop in a rental car and set off on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip along Western Australia’s Coral Coast Highway. Drive two hours to Nambung National Park, where thousands of towering limestone pillars known as the Pinnacles rise from the sand. Thought to have been created millions of years ago from eroded seashells, this ancient landscape resembles something out of science fiction. Break for a freshly caught lunch of buttered Western Rock Lobster at the nearby Lobster Shack.
Check into Pinnacles Edge Resort, a short walk from Cervantes Beach, where you’ll spend the evening. Fully rested, join Lumineer Adventure Tours for their Pinnacles Sunset Dinner Stargazing tour. Listen to Dreamtime stories by an Aboriginal guide and use the latest astronomy equipment to gaze at the ethereal beauty of the planets and moon in the park’s inky night sky. While you wait for nature’s show to start, savor a traditional Australian barbeque made from local produce with a glass of Swan Valley wine.
When you get your feet back on the ground, it’s time to hop in a rental car and set off on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip along Western Australia’s Coral Coast Highway. Drive two hours to Nambung National Park, where thousands of towering limestone pillars known as the Pinnacles rise from the sand. Thought to have been created millions of years ago from eroded seashells, this ancient landscape resembles something out of science fiction. Break for a freshly caught lunch of buttered Western Rock Lobster at the nearby Lobster Shack.
Check into Pinnacles Edge Resort, a short walk from Cervantes Beach, where you’ll spend the evening. Fully rested, join Lumineer Adventure Tours for their Pinnacles Sunset Dinner Stargazing tour. Listen to Dreamtime stories by an Aboriginal guide and use the latest astronomy equipment to gaze at the ethereal beauty of the planets and moon in the park’s inky night sky. While you wait for nature’s show to start, savor a traditional Australian barbeque made from local produce with a glass of Swan Valley wine.
Kalbarri Skywalk
Courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
Day 3:Meet Australian Sea Lions and Kalbarri National Park
Drive to neighboring Jurien Bay, a cheerful seaside town with powder-white sand and a protected marine park. Go snorkeling or diving among underwater caves and coral gardens or join a boat tour to meet Australian sea lions, an endangered species. Make your way to Hutt Lagoon, a 3.5-hour trip. This extraordinary natural wonder gets its bright color from the high salinity of the water, changing from bubblegum pink to red and everything in between, depending on the season and time of day.
Continue driving another 30 minutes to reach Kalbarri National Park, a picturesque paradise containing over 450,000 acres of dramatic rock formations made from 400-million-year-old sandstone and upwards of 1,100 varieties of wildflowers (between July and October). Go hiking or canoeing, drive to the park’s many lookouts, and stroll out onto Kalbarri Skywalk, where two platforms project 82 and 55 feet beyond the rim of Murchison River Gorge.
Kalbarri Edge Resort, within walking distance from the town’s shops, pubs, and Kalbarri Beach, will be your hotel for the night. Dine at Finlay’s, which has been serving fish straight from the local fishing boats for more than 30 years and brews their own craft beer at an onsite microbrewery.
Continue driving another 30 minutes to reach Kalbarri National Park, a picturesque paradise containing over 450,000 acres of dramatic rock formations made from 400-million-year-old sandstone and upwards of 1,100 varieties of wildflowers (between July and October). Go hiking or canoeing, drive to the park’s many lookouts, and stroll out onto Kalbarri Skywalk, where two platforms project 82 and 55 feet beyond the rim of Murchison River Gorge.
Kalbarri Edge Resort, within walking distance from the town’s shops, pubs, and Kalbarri Beach, will be your hotel for the night. Dine at Finlay’s, which has been serving fish straight from the local fishing boats for more than 30 years and brews their own craft beer at an onsite microbrewery.
Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Adventures in Shark Bay
Courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
Day 4:Ancient Nhanda and Malgana Aboriginal Traditions in Shark Bay
Hit the road early for a four-hour drive to Shark Bay, an idyllic slice of coastal Western Australian wilderness with nearly year-round sunshine. There, you’ll immerse yourself in nature and the ancient traditions of the local Nhanda and Malgana Aboriginal people with Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Adventures through bushwalking, kayaking, 4x4, and snorkeling tours.
Afterward, visit Eagle Bluff—a lofty cliff overlooking the Denham Sound—and wander along the boardwalk over the ocean in search of sea eagles and dugongs munching on seagrass. Before leaving town, visit the Shark Bay Discovery Centre to learn more about the region’s history.
Check into RAC Monkey Mia, a beachfront resort with two swimming pools. Enjoy dinner at the onsite Boughshed Restaurant perched over Shark Bay.
Afterward, visit Eagle Bluff—a lofty cliff overlooking the Denham Sound—and wander along the boardwalk over the ocean in search of sea eagles and dugongs munching on seagrass. Before leaving town, visit the Shark Bay Discovery Centre to learn more about the region’s history.
Check into RAC Monkey Mia, a beachfront resort with two swimming pools. Enjoy dinner at the onsite Boughshed Restaurant perched over Shark Bay.
Manta rays along Ningaloo Reef
Courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
Day 5:Snorkel with the World’s Oldest Living Fossils and Manta Rays
Start the day with a scenic helicopter flight to Hamelin Pool, arranged with Coral Coast Helicopter Services. Once you arrive, take in the world’s oldest living fossils, stromatolites, and imagine what the world may have looked like billions of years ago as life first evolved.
When you return, drive 4.5 hours to Coral Bay, which lies steps from UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing reef. Marine adventure is abundant in these turquoise waters. Don your fins and snorkel or dive among kaleidoscopic coral gardens just yards from shore to see elusive marine creatures, like endangered sea turtles and dugongs. The resident population of balletic manta rays (which lack sharp barbs on their tails) are thrilling to watch swoop and leap out of the water during a swim tour. If you’re lucky, you may even see hundreds at a time.
Dry off and have dinner at Bill’s Bar, which serves a wide range of beer and wines in its cheerful beer garden alongside a seasonal menu. Spend the night at Coral Bay Peoples Park, located directly opposite the idyllic waters of Coral Bay, where you can book all sorts of accommodations, from a camping site to an ocean-view penthouse.
When you return, drive 4.5 hours to Coral Bay, which lies steps from UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing reef. Marine adventure is abundant in these turquoise waters. Don your fins and snorkel or dive among kaleidoscopic coral gardens just yards from shore to see elusive marine creatures, like endangered sea turtles and dugongs. The resident population of balletic manta rays (which lack sharp barbs on their tails) are thrilling to watch swoop and leap out of the water during a swim tour. If you’re lucky, you may even see hundreds at a time.
Dry off and have dinner at Bill’s Bar, which serves a wide range of beer and wines in its cheerful beer garden alongside a seasonal menu. Spend the night at Coral Bay Peoples Park, located directly opposite the idyllic waters of Coral Bay, where you can book all sorts of accommodations, from a camping site to an ocean-view penthouse.
Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, near Exmouth
Courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
Day 6:Barefoot Luxury in the Outback and Cape Range National Park
Begin the 2.5-hour trip to Sal Salis, an eco-luxury camp tucked along the sand dunes of Cape Range National Park. Each safari-style glamping tent—equipped with an eco-friendly toilet, hot water shower, and cozy bed—has views of the Indian Ocean, where Ningaloo Reef is right outside your front door. Dedicated guides are on hand to show you around the surrounding, untouched wilderness with inclusive snorkeling, kayaking, and hiking expeditions.
While this region of Western Australia is best known for its marine treasures, the North West Cape also has incredible landscapes in store. Discover why on a tour of Cape Range National Park with Trek Ningaloo. Explore the rugged limestone range and soak up views of the red gorges and pristine ocean beyond while keeping an eye out for iconic Australian wildlife like kangaroos, emus, and echidnas.
Return to Sal Salis for a family-style, chef-prepared meal under the stars and share stories of your day with the other camp guests.
While this region of Western Australia is best known for its marine treasures, the North West Cape also has incredible landscapes in store. Discover why on a tour of Cape Range National Park with Trek Ningaloo. Explore the rugged limestone range and soak up views of the red gorges and pristine ocean beyond while keeping an eye out for iconic Australian wildlife like kangaroos, emus, and echidnas.
Return to Sal Salis for a family-style, chef-prepared meal under the stars and share stories of your day with the other camp guests.
Whale shark swim in Ningaloo Marine Park
Courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
Day 7:Swim with Majestic Whale Sharks and Humpbacks
One species alone draws some travelers to Ningaloo Reef—whale sharks. The largest of all fish, these gentle giants can grow more than 50 feet long and glide slowly through the water as they scoop up krill with their mouths. Swimming with these magnificent whale sharks is an unforgettable experience.
Exmouth Dive and Whale Sharks Ningaloo offers guaranteed whale shark swims daily from March to early August when the spawning coral attracts swarms of plankton. You can also swim with humpback whales during a small-group tour, typically available from June until October. Both encounters are on the animals’ terms and abide by strict guidelines.
In the afternoon, enjoy a paddle or walk up Yardie Creek, known for its spectacular sheer cliffs and the threatened black-flanked rock wallabies. Toast to a memorable trip at Whalebone Brewing Company, which serves craft beer and spirits produced onsite with inventive pizzas. In the morning, fly back to Perth from Learmonth Airport near Exmouth.
Exmouth Dive and Whale Sharks Ningaloo offers guaranteed whale shark swims daily from March to early August when the spawning coral attracts swarms of plankton. You can also swim with humpback whales during a small-group tour, typically available from June until October. Both encounters are on the animals’ terms and abide by strict guidelines.
In the afternoon, enjoy a paddle or walk up Yardie Creek, known for its spectacular sheer cliffs and the threatened black-flanked rock wallabies. Toast to a memorable trip at Whalebone Brewing Company, which serves craft beer and spirits produced onsite with inventive pizzas. In the morning, fly back to Perth from Learmonth Airport near Exmouth.
