Perth: Why you should visit one of the most isolated cities in the world

Last Updated on August 26, 2026

Looking at a map of Australia, you can easily see why many people do not have Perth on their itinerary when visiting Down Under. Located just under 4,000 kilometers across the country from Sydney, and stuck way down in the southwestern part of the continent, Perth is famously known as one of the most isolated capital cities of over 1,000,000 people in the entire world. And because the capital of Western Australia is so remote, a lot of people are wondering if there are any reasons to visit Perth.

1,600,000 people happily call Perth home – and yes, there are plenty of reasons to visit Perth and to live in Perth! And those who make the trip there are rewarded with some of Australia’s finest beaches, coffee culture, kangaroos and coastal hiking treks. In this article, I am sharing five reasons why I think Perth is well worth a visit, if you’re traveling Down Under.

The five best reasons to visit Perth

1 The laid-back vibe of the city

Sprawling along the Indian Ocean and centered around the Swan River, Perth is one of the most scenic cities of Australia. With a population of 1.6 million, it is still the fourth largest city in the country, however, the vibe of Perth is much more laid-back than in Sydney or Melbourne. 

Perth is famous for its appreciation of good coffee and is home to hundreds of coffee shops that celebrate the art of making excellent coffee creations. If you’re a coffee lover, here are five coffee shops you have to check out while you’re in Perth: 

• Howard’s Groove
• Micrology
• Dine by Arrival Hall (they also have scrumptious breakfast/ brunch)
• Parkside Coffee
• Telegram Coffee

The city has a number of shopping areas such as Kings Street, London Court and Northbridge, and great markets, ranging from weekend markets to farmers markets. If you’re visiting Perth over a weekend, don’t miss Fremantle Market (over 150 stalls, Friday – Sunday 9am – 6pm), if you’re a foodie, don’t miss the Twilight Hawkers Market on Fridays (4.30-9.30pm). If you enjoy farmers markets, check out Manning Road Farmers Market (Saturdays from 7:30am – noon) and Subi Farmers Market (Saturdays from 8am – noon).

Plus, thanks to its perfect climate it’s the ideal place to check out some of the many nearby beaches (see below). 

Start with a walking tour to get an overview of the city, and get some recommendations for great coffee from the local guides. A cruise on the Swan River is another fantastic way to get a first impression of Perth. 

 

2 Perth has incredible beaches

Perth has undoubtedly some of Australia’s most beautiful beaches, and thanks to its West Coast location, the sunsets here are always magnificent. In fact, if you love sunsets and beaches, you’ve already got two reasons to visit Perth and Western Australia, because the East Coast may have both, but the West Coast is doing them so much better.Cottesloe Beach is the easiest to get to via public transport (take the Fremantle Line to Cottlesloe Station), as is Scarborough Beach (take the Clarkson Line to Glendalough Station and change to the 400 bus there). Swanbourne Beach is the right beach for you if you’re looking to swim naked, being the Perth’s only nude beach.

Shoalwater Marine Park, just one hour south of Perth, is the best place for snorkeling, and in addition to shipwrecks and cavernous reefs, you’ll get to see dolphins, sea lions and penguins here.

If you are looking for a truly unspoiled beach experience, head over to Rottnest Island, 18 kilometers off the coast of Perth and easily accessible by ferry. The tiny island (11 kilometers long, and 4.5 kilometers at its widest point) has some of the most remote and untouched beaches of the continent with crystal clear turquoise water.

The further you go from the ferry terminal, the more deserted the beaches – we recommend you hire a bike for the day (a full loop around the island is 25km) when you get off the ferry. If you want to spend the night here, make sure to book in advance, as accommodation on the island is limited. The adorable quokkas, small animals that live on Rottnest Island, were my main motivation to head over to Western Australia on my trip to Oz.

3 Kangaroos and koalas

If you’re, like me, a wildlife lover, you’ll be happy to hear that if you visit Perth and want to see some Aussie favorites such as kangaroos, wombats and koalas, you’ll have several options:

Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park

In Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park you can see kangaroos in a more natural environment, right in the city! Considering that this is actually a cemetery, some people may find it macabre to go there to spot roos, but the park is actually popular with runners and people in need of a moment of calm. It’s the perfect place to head to for a picnic in the company of some kangaroos – and you’ll see other picnickers there, too. It’s also the cheapest way to see them up, close and personal: it’s completely FREE! You can even get there by public transportation: Take the Joondalup Railway Line towards Clarkson and get off at Whitfords.

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday from 6am to 6pm (gates are locked outside of the opening hours)

Caversham Wildlife Park

You could also head to Caversham Wildlife Park where you can cuddle koalas, meet wombats and feed kangaroos. The park is easily reachable from downtown Perth, admission is AUD32. By car, it’s about half an hour to the park, if you’re using public transportation, it takes about 75 minutes by bus (you’ll have to change buses once, but look up directions from where you’re staying to Caversham Wildlife Park because there are different ways to get there.)

Opening Hours: 9am to 4.30pm every day of the year (except for Christmas Day). Last entry is at 3.30pm

Perth Zoo

Perth Zoo has a designated Australian Bushwalk Tour where you can wander the paths inside their natural habitat. You can wander on visitors’ paths and get close to native Australian animals such as the dingoes, emus, koala, numbats, quokkas, red kangaroos, short-beaked echidnas, southern hairy-nosed wombats, Tasmanian Devils, and Western grey kangaroos. Admission is AUD34.60 (AU$17.30 for children).

Opening Hours: Perth Zoo is open daily from 9am to 5pm

Heirisson Island

Heirisson Island, a small island in the Swan River, is another must-visit place in Perth, if you’re a nature lover: you’ll see cangaroos here for sure! The small island, located between East Perth and Victoria Park, also offers walking and cycling trails – the main loop is 2.7 miles long. 

4 A city for nature lovers

As you can already tell from all the wildlife that you can see in and around Perth, the city is a nature lovers’ paradise. Perth also has one of the largest city parks in the entire world, Kings Park. Kings Park is larger than New York’s Central Park and has stretches of native bush, a 750-year-old boab tree, and splendid views over the city. There are plenty of walking trails – including some bushland trail that have you forget that you’re actually in a city.

There’s also a Botanic Garden inside Kings Park, featuring over 3,000 species, and the best thing: it’s completely free to visit! Speaking of free: there are also free daily nature walks in Kings Park, led by volunteer rangers. So if you’re interested in learning more about Western Australia’s fauna and flora, definitely join one of these walks. 

Heirisson Island, mentioned above, is also not to be missed on a visit to Perth, as is nearby Point Fraser, which was created as urban wetlands, connected by boardwalks and pathways. 

This interactive map has over 20 parks and green spaces in Perth. Many of the city’s parks offer fantastic city views, and there are a myriad of walking trails and picnic spots to choose from. For the best sunsets in Perth, head to Cottesloe Beach, Kings Park (Mount Eliza Lookout, for example), and Reabold Hill Summit Lookout will make you forget that you’re in a city entirely.

5 The natural attractions around Perth

Perth is surrounded by so many natural attractions that you can spend weeks here hiking, boarding down sand dunes, cycling, or exploring national parks. In fact, the diverse landscapes of Western Australia even made my ultimate Australia bucket list! Some of the places that shouldn’t be missed include the Lancelin sand dunes (about 90 minutes north of Perth), where you can race up and down giant sand dunes in 4WDs, sand boards or motorbikes.

The Pinnacle Desert in Nambung National Park (two hours north of Perth) is one of the most otherworldly places on the planet: a desert filled with eerie limestone bricks sporadically scattered over vast yellow sand dunes. Both places can be combined in a day trip, if you have limited time.

Tip: If you are traveling solo and don’t have a car, or don’t want to rent a car, there’s an organized tour to the Pinnacle Desert from Perth. The tour includes sandboarding, a walk around Hangover Bay, and finally dinner and stargazing in the desert. You’ll get to enjoy a glass of wine from the Margaret River wine region with dinner, and kangaroo sightings are almost always guaranteed on this tour.

Check it out here:

 

The Bibbulmun Track is one of the most beautiful long-distance walks in the world, spanning 1000 km from Perth to Albany. If you don’t want to walk the whole trek, you can opt for a day hike or an overnight hike. People who love multi-day hikes don’t need many other reasons to visit Perth.

If you are into cycling, you shouldn’t miss the Munda Biddi Bike Trail which follows the coast for 332 kilometers from Mundaring (north east of Perth) to Collie in the south.

If you are planning to explore Perth’s foothills, you could also consider staying in Armadale, close to the parks, gardens and local wildlife of the area, yet at the same time still offering enough bars, restaurants and shopping facilities. My top choice for a place to stay here would be the Heritage Country Motel.

How to get to Perth

Since Perth is so far from most other cities people tend to visit in Australia – such as Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane – the easiest way to get to Perth is by plane. Jetstar usually has the cheapest tickets, but Virgin Australia is much nicer and often just a few dollars more – when you factor in charges for luggage, Virgin is usually the better option.

Internationally, Perth is well connected to cities in Asia, but doesn’t have any direct flights to the U.S. There are direct flights to Perth from three European cities: Rome, London and Paris. All other flights usually have a layover in Dubai or Doha.

If you prefer more flexibility, a road trip to Perth is another incredible way to take in Australia’s diverse scenery at your own pace. Having your own car allows you to stop, explore and create your own itinerary along the way. It’s just really really far from the east coast – just under 4,000 kilometer / 2,500 miles. If you’re traveling fast, you can get there in 7 days (sightseeing stops included), but I’d recommend taking your time and planning at least 14 days for this epic journey.

If you are looking to buy a vehicle, you could consider affordable car loan options to help get you on the road to Perth. Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace are the best places to buy used cars or campervans in Australia. 

If you’re looking to rent a car, most major car rental companies, such as Hertz and Budget, offer one-way car hires in Australia.