How do you get to the Pinnacles from Perth?
200km northAn afternoon drive, because the limestone is best at sunset.
About 200km north of Perth, two and a half hours each way, on sealed road. The Pinnacles are thousands of limestone spires standing in yellow sand in Nambung National Park, and the thing worth knowing is the timing: most trips leave Perth after midday, because the spires cast their long shadows at sunset and the stargazing afterwards is the other half of the trip. From $169, with a picnic dinner and a glass of wine in the desert included.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
The Pinnacles are the easiest thing to tick off near Perth, and the one most people get the timing wrong on. Go in the afternoon, not the morning.
The practical bits
- Around 200km north of Perthnear Cervantes, on sealed road the whole way. A normal hire car will do it.
- Nambung National Park entry is includedon the trips here.
- Afternoon is the point.The limestone throws long shadows at sunset, and the sky this far from the city is worth staying for.
- Lancelin is on the waythe biggest sand dunes in Western Australia, and where the sandboarding happens.
The three day trips
| Trip | What you get | Group | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Pinnacles & Star Gazing Tour | — | Max 21 | $169 |
| 1 Day Pinnacles Sunset, Stargazing, Sandboarding | — | Max 21 | $229 |
| 1 Day Pinnacles & Sandboarding Tour | — | 6 to 50 guests | $265 |
All three pick up from Perth and include park entry. The first two leave in the afternoon for the sunset; the wildlife one runs through the day.
Which of the three
- Sunset and stargazing, $169the simplest and cheapest. A picnic dinner at the Pinnacles with a glass of local wine, and wifi on the coach.
- Sunset, stargazing and sandboarding, $229adds the Lancelin dunes with board hire, and a barbecue dinner in the desert. The minibus can drive into the heart of the Pinnacles rather than stopping at the edge.
- Pinnacles and sandboarding with wildlife, $265starts at Caversham Wildlife Park with koalas, wombats and hand-feeding kangaroos, then the dunes, then fish and chips at Cervantes. This is the one for families.
One thing to check before booking
On the wildlife trip, the 4WD section over the Lancelin dunes cannot be joined by pregnant women, anyone with back problems or children under four. The rest of the day is unaffected, but it is worth knowing before you book for a group.
Seeing it on the way north instead
If you are heading up the coast anyway, the Pinnacles are the first stop on almost every west coast trip — Perth to Exmouth, Perth to Broome and the long run to Darwin all include Nambung National Park with entry covered. You would not then need a day trip at all.
7 Day Perth to Exmouth & Returnfrom $16997 days, 6 nightsHostel / Dorm Share7 days — Perth to Exmouth and backView trip
6 Day Perth to Exmouthfrom $14496 days, 5 nightsHostels / Hotels6 days — Perth to Exmouth, one wayView trip
10 Day West Coast and Karijinifrom $279910 days, 9 nightsCamping and Hostels10 days — the west coast plus KarijiniView trip
10 Day Perth to Broome from $290510 days, 9 nightsCamping and Hostels10 days — Perth all the way to BroomeView tripWhen to go
Any month. This is a desert day trip and it runs year round. August to October adds wildflowers across the sandplain, which is a genuinely different trip — Western Australia's wildflower season is the largest display of its kind anywhere.
Where this comes from. What each trip includes, group sizes, restrictions, departure times and prices are that trip's own details as held on its page here, and prices update on their own. Distances are road distances from Perth to Cervantes.