Table of Contents

Quick facts

Name: Perth
Founded: 1829
Population: 1.8 million
Area: 6,418 km²
Known as: Capital of Western Australia, ‘City of Light’

All the way in 1829, British settlers established a free settler colony as part of the Swan River Colony. They named it “Perth” after the city of Perth in Scotland, the hometown of Sir George Murray, the British Colonial Secretary at that time.

Perth is a beautiful city, that somehow has a small-town feel. It has several beautiful parks, amazing white sand beaches and nearby islands, the outback around the corner, together with forests and caves. They call it the most isolated city in the world as the nearest city is few thousand kilometers away, but you don’t feel it when you are there, where locals are friendly and laid back.

It is a paradise for people who love outdoors, but also want to enjoy all the perks of living in the city, because the outdoors is half an hour away. It is also a city with highest number of restaurants per capita, which somehow doesn’t make sense with outdoors part, but this information looks important 😊. Perth is also the 2nd windiest city in the world (there must be some kind of competition going around), which makes it perfect for windsurfing, kitesurfing or whatever it is done when it is windy.

All in all, it is well worth visiting Perth when you are in Australia and enjoy being ‘isolated’ for a while.

Main attractions in Perth

There are plenty of attractions in Perth, both inside the city and in immediate surroundings. We are listing here only top 20-25 of them.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden. This massive Park is a blend of grassy parks, natural bushland and botanical garden on Mount Eliza overseeing Perth. It is also filled with various memorials. Swan Valley. This Western Australia’s oldest wine region is just 25 minutes away from Perth, running alongside Swan River. Fremantle Prison. Former prison, now world heritage site showcasing prison life. Featuring cellblocks, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, and tunnels.

The Bell Tower. Also known as The Swan Bells, this is set of 18 bells hanging in a specially built 82.5-metre-high copper and glass campanile. Featuring city and area views and interactive bell playing experience. Perth Zoo. Located in South Perth, this Zoo is a large 41-acre zoological park. The zoo opened first in 1898 and is home to 1,258 animals from 164 species and a large botanical collection.

AQWA The Aquarium Of Western Australia. Multi-level aquarium featuring a walk-through underwater tunnel and interactive touch pool. Founded in 1988. Offers more than 40 stunning exhibits including one of the largest living coral reefs in the world and Australia’s largest single aquarium.

Fremantle Markets. Historic Victorian marketplace dating from 1897 in Fremantle and featuinf over 150 stalls. Penguin Island. Accessible by road or a ferry, this natural reserve of penguins and pelicans I one of the main wildlife attractions in Perth.

Adventure World. Built on an old limestone quarry at Bibra Lake, 20 km from Perth city center, this sizable theme park features many rides and a roller coaster. Yanchep National Park. Located north of Perth, this park is mostly bushland and wetland and is a home to western gray kangaroos and rich birdlife. Trails include a raised boardwalk among trees inhabited by koalas.

Whiteman Park. A 4,000-hectare bushland area located north of Perth, in the suburb of Whiteman in the Swan Valley, is a unique recreation and conservation reserve and a major tourist destination. Cottesloe Beach. One of the most magnificent beaches of Perth which stretches over 1,6 km.

Cottesloe is one of the most popular beaches of Western Australia, particularly for water sports, such as diving, surfing and snorkeling, with its bright white sand and blue waters. Round House. The first permanent building built in the Swan River Colony. Built in late 1830 and opened in 1831, it is the oldest building still standing in Western Australia.

Caversham Wildlife Park. Wildlife reserve just outside of Perth. It’s a family-run wildlife park featuring around 200 native species, offering farm shows and close animal encounters. The Perth Mint. Manufacture and distribution of platinum, silver and gold coins for collectors and customers worldwide. It is responsible for 10 percent of the global production.

Elizabeth Quay. New and dynamic suburb in Perth on the banks of Swan River. Very popular with locals and tourists alike, featuring many shops and eateries.

Crown Perth. A resort and a casino located near the Swan River in Burswood. Apart from casino, ther is a conference center with meeting rooms, a theatre and two ballrooms, 32 restaurants and bars, a nightclub and entertainment areas.

John Forrest National Park. A national park in the Darling Scarp, 24 km east of Perth. Declared as a national park in November 1900, it was the first national park in Western Australia and the second in Australia (after Royal National Park). Art Gallery of WA. The Art Gallery of Western Australia is a public State art gallery which is part of the Perth Cultural Centre. Very diverse collections of modern art.

Araluen Botanic Park. Perth’s majestic garden in the Perth Hills. Araluen Botanic Park is located just 35km from the Perth CBD in Roleystone. Each season offers a unique display of exotic and native species of plant. Mundy Regional Park. This park stretches from the coastal plain to the top of the Darling Scarp to Lesmurdie Falls.

Named after a leader of the Beelu Aboriginal people at the time of European settlement. State War Memorial. Located on the top of Kings Park and Botanic Garden escarpment, this War Memorial overlooks the city of Perth with views of the Swan and Canning Rivers and the Darling Ranges. It was originally unveiled in memory of the fallen of World War One.

From other attractions in Perth and its surroundings, we also recommend: Shoalwater Islands Marine Park, Scarborough Beach, Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, Lake Monger, Mundaring Weir, Heirisson Island and Lake Leschenaultia.

Top things to do in Perth

Perth is large city with many attractions to offer. We listed about 25 of them above. As with many cities in Australia, many exciting attractions are located outside of cities, such as national parks and nature trails and wild life reservations.

If you are adventurous, we recommend to take one of those tours and explore surroundings of Perth.

Enjoy!

Read more: Tours from and within Perth

Festivals and events in Perth

Perth is packed with events and festivals throughout the year. Here are some highlights:

Perth Cup, Ascot Racecourse (January), Fringe Festival and Perth Festival (February/March), Crab Fest, Mandurah (March), Perth Comedy Festival (April), Supercars Championship (May), WA Day Festival (June), Perth Craft Beer Festival and Twilight Market (August), Kings Park Festival (September), Swan Valley Mudfest (October), The Color Run (November).

Read more: Festivals and events in Perth

Interesting facts about Perth

Here are some interesting facts about this amazing city:

Perth has nine Sister Cities – from Texas, through Greece to Japan.
Perth has the largest production of gold in the world.
Perth is closer to Bali in Indonesia (three hour flight) than to Canberra, Australia (four hour flight).

Read more interesting facts about Perth

Best time for flights to Perth

The peak season for flights to Perth is January, February and March. The low season for purchasing tickets is June, July and August.

Perth is served by Perth Airport (PER). Direct flights to Perth are offered by 20 airlines.

Top hotel offers for Perth

These are current top hotel offers for Perth. The list is updated automatically when page is refreshed.

Safe travels!

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