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Is Perth worth visiting?
Yes, as a base rather than a destination. Perth is the most isolated city of its size on earth, and that is the appeal: the Pinnacles Desert is a day away at $169, Margaret River is a day south, and north of it the coast runs 1,250km to Ningaloo with almost nobody on it.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
Perth is closer to Jakarta than to Sydney, which tells you most of what you need to know. People often skip it on a first trip and the ones who do not usually say Western Australia was the best part — because of what is around it rather than what is in it.
Why it is worth going
- The Pinnacles Desert.Thousands of limestone spires standing in yellow sand, two hours north. Best at sunset, and the stargazing afterwards is exceptional because there is no light for a hundred kilometres.
- Margaret Riverthree hours south — wine, cheese, chocolate and surf coast, and the gentlest day trip we sell anywhere.
- The beaches.Perth has genuinely good city beaches, and the sun sets over the water rather than behind you.
- It is the gateway north.Monkey Mia, Ningaloo and Broome all start here, and that coast is the emptiest and most spectacular in the country.
- Wildflowers.Western Australia has the largest bloom on earth, around 12,000 species, and spring near Perth is the peak of it.
The honest version
- The city itself will not fill a week.Two or three days is plenty, and the value is in the day trips.
- Distances are the thing.Exmouth is 1,250km north — that is a six-day trip, not a side trip.
- Summer is hot and bone dryaround 32°C with 10mm of rain a month. Spring is the better bet. Month by month.
- If you only have a fortnight in Australiathe east coast or the Red Centre will give you more. Perth is what you come back for.
What a few days costs
| Trip | Length | What you do | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Pinnacles & Star Gazing Tour | 1 day | **The Pinnacles** at sunset, with stargazing | $169 |
| 1 Day Margaret River, Chocolate, Nougat, Wine and Coastal Tour | 1 day | **Margaret River** — food, wine and coast | $259 |
| 1 Day Pinnacles & Sandboarding Tour | 1 day | The Pinnacles plus sandboarding at Lancelin | $265 |
| 4 Day Perth to Monkey Mia | 4 days, 3 nights | North to **Monkey Mia** and Shark Bay | $1299 |
| 6 Day Perth to Exmouth | 6 days, 5 nights | North to **Ningaloo Reef** and Exmouth | $1449 |
People also ask
- What are the best day trips from Perth?
- How long do you need in Western Australia?
- When is the best time to visit Perth?
- Ningaloo Reef and Monkey Mia — what can you do there?
Not sure which one fits?
Tell us your dates and where you are starting from, and we will point you at the right trip.
Where this comes from. Each operator's own itinerary and inclusions sheet, as held on that trip's page here. Prices are the current from price and update on their own.