24 hours in Perth & Fremantle - The Ultimate Itinerary!

Got 24 hours in Perth, Western Australia and looking for things to do? Often the forgotten part, yet it is the largest state in Australia, Western Australia (WA) takes up almost a third of this giant country.

WA boasts some of the world’s finest beaches, and they are seldom busy which makes it even better! It is a fabulous state with its capital, Perth, the most isolated yet sunniest capital in the world!

Perth is a rather small city, and in 24 hours you can easily see all the main sights plus there is plenty of things to do with kids here in Perth – read on to find out what to do with 24 hours in Perth & Fremantle!

24 HOURS IN PERTH & FREMANTLE ITINERARY

King’s Park

King’s Park is a must-see on any Perth itinerary, both at day and night as it offers great views of the city. By the World War II memorial you get the best view of the skyline.

As with many Australian cities, there are free BBQ facilities in this park, which is something that I love about Aus; everyone can get together and enjoy a good ole ‘shrimp on the barbie!’.

Lots of people come up here, have a picnic and enjoy the sunshine, but please remember suncream is so important in Australia, don’t forget it!

Across The Swan River from King’s Park in South Perth you’ll find Perth Zoo – one of the top zoos in Australia!

There are free Perth city walking tours that last 90 minutes, running at 11am Monday – Saturday, however Perth is a very compact city, so it is easy to explore on your own if this time is not convenient or you’d rather do it independently.

Make sure to check out London Court, a beautiful shopping street in the CBD that takes you back to Olde London and the times of Shakespeare.

Stirling Gardens nearby is a nice place to rest your legs for a bit and watch the world go by.

Taking a walk along the Swan River, which runs through Perth, is always a relaxing way to spend an hour or two.

You can even pop over to Heirisson Island, an island in the middle of the Swan River. You’ll get to see wild kangaroos on Heirisson Island, and they are not phased by humans so you can get very close to them!

Perth’s Beaches:

Perth’s beaches are something special. The great thing about Perth’s beaches is that they are all west facing so they all have incredible sunsets. Every time I see a sunset in WA, it is simply stunning as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean.

The city has 19 white sandy beaches, with Cottesloe being the most popular, and the local’s favourite beach. Head to the cafe La barchetta for breakfast on the terrace overlooking Cottesloe beach.

Bring a sweater as the terrace is in the shade so it can get quite cool. It tends to get quite packed so head there early if possible. We were lucky to get a great table with an amazing view of the beach, and the breakfast was just out of this world.

One thing I love about Australia is that all the food is so yummy and super healthy!! Plenty of gluten-free options available, which is brilliant. Everyone is health-conscious out here which is great as it makes you want to be healthy too!

Another popular beach is Scarborough beach, a few miles north of Cottesloe. It recently underwent a makeover and it is looking really great, there is a huge skatepark, plus a big outdoor pool just next to the beach for serious swimmers.

24 HOURS IN PERTH & FREMANTLE ITINERARY

Fremantle

Fremantle is a great place to visit from Perth – it’s just a 30 minute train ride and there are so many places to see in Fremantle, from the famous Fremantle Prison to The Containbow, to the Cappuccino Strip and the street art.

And not forgetting of course the iconic and world famous Fremantle Market!

Only open on Friday to Sundays, this indoor market dating from 1897 reminds me so much of the amazing markets back home in London. The energy in this place is really special – such a great atmosphere!

You can find literally everything under this roof, from souvenirs to grocery shopping, handmade artwork, international street food (always giving away free tasters I may add!) to lighting, detox teas, massages and SO MUCH MORE!

My favourite stalls are the ones selling the beautiful photos of Western Australia; seeing these places makes me realise how amazingly beautiful, and not touristy, this part of Australia is.

Now if you want to do the trips mentioned below, you can either find a tour online, or my suggestion would be to rent a car – car rental in Australia is surprisingly cheap, and it gives you so much more flexibility than a tour.

DAY TRIPS FROM PERTH IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 24 HOURS

A couple of hours north from Perth is the Pinnacles Desert and Lancelin Sand Dunes! Or if you have 2 days or more in Perth then head over to Rottnest on the ferry and learn how to see the Quokkas at Rottnest Island!

Busselton & Margaret River area

Busselton is a 2-3 hour drive from Perth and has the longest pier in the Southern Hemisphere. The sunset here is simply stunning.

#anotherdayinWA

Meelup Beach

Meelup beach is another beautiful beach in Western Australia. Apparently kangaroos chill on the beach here early in the morning!

Continuing Your Australian Road Trip From Perth

If you plan to do a road trip from Perth, a great one is to up north towards Ningaloo on a Perth to Exmouth road trip.

On the way stop off at Jurien Bay (you can swim with the sea lions in Jurien Bay!), as well as Monkey Mia where wild dolphins come to the shore!

Ningaloo Reef has some of the best marine life experiences in the whole of Australia including whale shark and manta ray swims!

Alternatively you might want to drive up further and do the Perth to Broome drive, to see the camels on the beach in Broome. The road trip from Perth up north is incredibly beautiful.

Or you can go south and do a road trip towards the southwest of WA, hitting up Margaret River (great for surfing), Albany, Bremer Bay (you can see killer whales on boat trips in Bremer Bay!) and Esperance – all of which have spectacular white sandy beaches!