Twelve of the bells in Perth’s riverside tower rang over Trafalgar Square before the 14th century; they were shipped here as a bicentenary gift and hung in a copper-and-glass campanile in 2000. That mix of borrowed history and new build is Perth all over, and most of the things to do in Perth cost nothing to see.
Start at Kings Park Before Anything Else
Of all the things to do in Perth, Kings Park comes first because it shows you the whole city from above. At 400.6 hectares it is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world, it draws nearly six million visitors a year, and entry is free around the clock.
Getting there is a 15-minute walk from the centre or a free CAT bus. Free guided walks leave the information centre at 10am and 1pm every day; check the current times. The State Botanic Garden holds more than 1,700 native species, the State War Memorial stands at the top of Fraser Avenue, and the wildflower display runs July to October.
Give it a morning on your first full day; the Kings Park visitor guide picks the walk and the lookout by season.
Elizabeth Quay, the Bell Tower and the River Ferry
The waterfront is the second morning, and it works for every age because the costly part is optional.
- The Bell Tower. An 82.5 m copper and glass campanile opened on 10 December 2000, holding 18 bells, 12 of them from St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Entry is about AUD 18 (around US$13) and includes the sixth-floor observation deck.
- The quay itself. A free water playground with lighting effects, a nature playground and a carousel sit beside the pedestrian bridge, so families can skip the tower and lose nothing.
- The ferry. Transperth’s crossing to South Perth takes about 10 minutes and lands at Mends Street, a walk from Perth Zoo, which has been open since 1898.
Prices in this guide are approximate and were last checked on 5 October 2026.
Elizabeth Quay station is also a corner of the Free Transit Zone, so the whole half-day is walkable from any central hotel. The Elizabeth Quay and river guide adds the upriver and Fremantle cruises.
Northbridge: Free Museums by Day, Food by Night
Cross the railway north of Perth Station and you are in the Perth Cultural Centre within 200 metres. WA Museum Boola Bardip has eight permanent galleries, including Otto the blue whale skeleton; children under 15 are always free and general admission has been free for long stretches, so check the current admission before you assume a price. The Art Gallery of Western Australia and the State Library share the precinct.
By evening the same blocks become the city’s food district. William Street has Perth’s highest concentration of halal restaurants, a short walk from Perth Mosque, built 1905 to 1906.
So treat Northbridge as a two-visit place: museum in the heat of the day, dinner after dark. The Perth travel guide fits both into a first-day plan with Kings Park.
Cottesloe or Scarborough: Pick Your Beach
Perth has 19 white-sand city beaches, and most visitors only have time for one. Choose by transport as much as by sand.
- Cottesloe for the train and the pines. A Fremantle Line train to Cottesloe station then a 600 m to 1 km walk, or a 15-minute drive. It is 1.5 km of sand under Norfolk pines, patrolled on weekends and public holidays from October to April, and every March it hosts the free Sculpture by the Sea for three weeks.
- Scarborough for the free bus. The Surf CAT runs free every 10 minutes, every day of the year, between Stirling Station and the beach, which makes it the easier car-free choice on a weekday.
Fair warning: January brings about 12 days at 32°C or hotter, so go early. The beaches guide compares both by swimming conditions, season and food.
Fremantle Deserves a Full Day
The port town at the river mouth is about 30 minutes from Perth by train, and it holds more listed history than the city itself.
Fremantle Prison is UNESCO World Heritage-listed. The Round House was the Swan River Colony’s first building, and the Western Australian Maritime Museum sits on the harbour. The Fremantle Markets run Friday to Sunday, and the cafes of the Cappuccino Strip line South Terrace between them.
Here’s the thing: Fremantle is also where the 30-minute Rottnest ferries leave, which tempts people to combine the two. Do not. The island takes a full day, and the port is at its best as a slow Saturday with the markets open. The day-trips guide sets both against the Swan Valley and the Pinnacles so you can rank them.
Perth With Kids Is Mostly Free
Perth is one of the easier Australian cities to do with children, because the headline attractions do not charge.
- Free all day. Kings Park’s playgrounds and guided walks, Elizabeth Quay’s water playground and carousel, the museum for under-15s, and Transperth itself every Sunday with a card tap.
- Paid, one a day. Perth Zoo across the 10-minute ferry, AQWA at Hillarys Boat Harbour with its 98 m underwater tunnel, the largest in Australia, or Scitech in West Perth with its planetarium.
- Calendar-dependent. Penguin Island closes early June to 14 September, and Rottnest’s admission fee is about AUD 11 for children aged four to 16 on a day visit.
The Perth-with-kids guide turns this into day plans and explains the FamilyRider ticket, which covers up to seven people for about AUD 7 at set times.
Three Days Is the Minimum
These things to do in Perth fit into three days, but not into two, and the order matters because of transport and heat.
Day one is the centre: Kings Park in the morning, the museum in the heat, Northbridge for dinner. Day two is Rottnest from Fremantle, a full day with the admission fee of about AUD 21.50 per adult on top of the fare. Day three is the Swan Valley, 25 minutes away, or Cottesloe, depending on the month.
The honest answer is that a fourth day for the Pinnacles, 250 km north, is the first thing to add, and a Sunday anywhere in the plan makes transport free. The three-day itinerary times every leg, including the 18-minute airport train.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do Kings Park and Fremantle in the same day?
Yes, but only Kings Park in the morning and a half-day in Fremantle, not a full port day. The park is a 15-minute walk from the centre and the Fremantle train takes about 30 minutes, so lunch on the Cappuccino Strip and the prison are reachable by early afternoon. The markets need a Friday to Sunday.
Is the Elizabeth Quay to South Perth ferry worth it just for the zoo?
Yes, because the crossing is about 10 minutes, covered by any Transperth fare and free on Sundays, and it lands at Mends Street a short walk from the zoo, open since 1898. You also get the skyline from the water, which the bridge does not give you. Buy the zoo ticket separately; check the current price.
What is free to do in Perth on a Sunday?
Almost everything on this page. Transperth is free with a SmartRider or contactless card from first to last service, Kings Park is free daily, Elizabeth Quay’s playground and carousel area is free, and the museum is free for under-15s with adult admission to check. Sunday is the day to ride to Cottesloe or Fremantle.
Which beach is easier without a car?
Scarborough on a weekday, because the Surf CAT runs free every 10 minutes from Stirling Station all year. Cottesloe needs the Fremantle Line and a 600 m to 1 km walk from the station, which is easy but slower with children and bags. Both are patrolled only from October to April.
Are the Kings Park guided walks suitable for children?
The walks are free, leave at 10am and 1pm daily and follow park paths, so school-age children manage them well; check the current times and length at the information centre. With toddlers, skip the walk, use the playgrounds and the lookout, and let the free CAT bus do the climb up from the city.
Booking Your Flight and Stay
Book the room inside the Free Transit Zone and the flight that lands by early afternoon; that alone turns arrival day into Kings Park day.
