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Boats moored off a white sandy beach with turquoise water near Perth, Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia's Coastal Wonders

Quokkas, cellar doors and the gentle giants of Ningaloo Reef – ten days on Australia’s wild and sunny western edge.

  • 10 Days / 9 Nights
  • From $4,500 USD
  • Whale sharks Mar–Jul
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Tall, straight karri trees in the Boranup Forest near Margaret River
Full plan & description

The other side of Australia

Escape the crowds and explore the raw beauty of Australia's West Coast on this 10-day tour. Start in the vibrant city of Perth and take a ferry to Rottnest Island to meet the famous quokkas. Journey south to the Margaret River region, indulging in world-class wine and gourmet food. Head north to Exmouth to swim with whale sharks (in season) or snorkel the incredible Ningaloo Reef, a vibrant coral reef just steps from the beach.

Western Australia covers about a third of the continent yet is home to only about 3 million people, so beaches here are measured by how few footprints they carry. This trip links the Perth and South West region with the Coral Coast 1,100 km to the north, using one flight to skip two days of driving. Expect five nights near the city and vineyards and three nights beside the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast.

Route map

Four stops, two coasts

Select a stop to read about it.

Stop 1 · Perth · Days 1, 6

A relaxed riverside capital with famously sunny weather. Kings Park, the Swan River and Fremantle’s heritage port are your introduction to the West, and Perth is your base again before flying north.

Stop 2 · Rottnest Island · Day 2

A 30-minute ferry from Fremantle, the car-free island offers bike trails, limestone bays and the quokka – a small marsupial found in the wild in only a few places in WA.

Stop 3 · Margaret River · Days 3–6

Three hours south of Perth: premium wineries, karri forests, limestone caves, surf beaches and Cape Leeuwin, where two oceans meet. Two winery lunches and tasting sessions are included.

Stop 4 · Exmouth & Ningaloo · Days 7–10

A two-hour flight north. Ningaloo is one of the world’s largest fringing reefs, close enough to the shore to snorkel from the beach, and the seasonal home of the whale shark.

Highlights

Quokkas, wine and whale sharks

Quokkas of Rottnest

Around 10,000 quokkas live on Rottnest Island. These cat-sized marsupials are most active in the cooler morning and late afternoon – the best time for that famous “smiling” photo.

Margaret River wine

The region produces only a small share of Australia’s grapes but a large share of its premium wine, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Over 90 cellar doors sit within a short drive.

Whale sharks

The world’s largest fish can grow beyond 12 metres yet feeds on plankton. At Ningaloo you swim alongside them in small groups under strict guidelines that keep the animals undisturbed.

Day by day

Detailed itinerary

Ten days with drive times, meals and overnight stops.

Arrive at Perth Airport and settle into your boutique hotel in the CBD or Northbridge (about 25 minutes by train or taxi). In the late afternoon wander through Kings Park, one of the largest inner-city parks in the world, and cross the glass-and-steel Lotterywest Federation Walkway as the sun sets over the Swan River.

  • Meals: None (arrival day)
  • Overnight: Perth, boutique hotel
  • Travel: Airport to city ~15 km

Take the train to Fremantle (30 minutes) and board the ferry to Rottnest Island – Wadjemup to the Whadjuk Noongar people – a 30-minute crossing. Collect your hire bike and pedal the car-free island: the full loop is about 22 km past more than 60 beaches. Snorkel at The Basin or Parker Point, and meet the island’s famous quokkas. Selfies are fine; touching or feeding them is not, and fines apply. Return to Perth in the evening.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Perth, boutique hotel
  • Travel: Ferry 2 × 30 min, cycling up to 22 km

Head south along the Forrest Highway to Busselton, home of the 1.8 km Busselton Jetty, the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Ride the little train to its end and descend to the Underwater Observatory, eight metres below the surface. Continue to Margaret River for check-in at a boutique property among the vines. The full drive is about 270 km (3 hours).

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Margaret River, boutique hotel
  • Travel: ~270 km, 3 hours

Today is for the grape. Your wine tasting sessions start in the Wilyabrup sub-region, the birthplace of the area’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Between cellar doors, enjoy a long winery lunch matched to local wines. In the afternoon visit a cheese maker and a chocolate factory on the way back to the township.

  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch
  • Overnight: Margaret River, boutique hotel
  • Travel: ~60 km of short hops

Drive Caves Road through the towering Boranup Karri Forest, where trees can reach 60 metres. Stop at Hamelin Bay to watch stingrays glide in the shallows, then continue to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the most south-westerly point of mainland Australia, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet. Optional visit to Lake Cave or Jewel Cave on the way back.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Margaret River, boutique hotel
  • Travel: ~140 km loop

One more chance to sip: a morning tasting and your second winery lunch in the Wallcliffe or Yallingup area, perhaps paired with a walk along the Cape to Cape Track at Injidup. Mid-afternoon, drive back to Perth (around 3 hours) for an early night before the flight north.

  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch
  • Overnight: Perth, boutique hotel
  • Travel: ~270 km, 3 hours

The included flight from Perth to Learmonth (Exmouth’s airport) covers around 1,100 km in about 2 hours. Transfer 37 km to your coastal resort, and as the day cools head up to Vlamingh Head Lighthouse for sunset over the Indian Ocean – in winter you may spot humpback whales from the hill.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Exmouth, coastal resort
  • Travel: Flight ~2 hours + 37 km transfer

Your full-day Ningaloo tour heads beyond the reef, guided by a spotter plane. From roughly mid-March to July the target is the whale shark, the world’s largest fish; from August to October many operators offer humpback whale swims; outside those months the day focuses on coral, manta rays and turtles. Snorkel gear and wetsuits are provided, and you swim in small groups with an in-water guide.

  • Meals: Breakfast, snacks on board
  • Overnight: Exmouth, coastal resort
  • Travel: Boat day, 7–8 hours

Drive into Cape Range National Park (about 60 km) for a drift snorkel at Turquoise Bay, where coral starts a few metres from the sand. Follow the signs: the current can be strong at the end of the drift. In the afternoon walk the Mandu Mandu Gorge trail (3 km return) or look for black-footed rock-wallabies at Yardie Creek.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: Exmouth, coastal resort
  • Travel: ~120 km return

Enjoy a last breakfast by the sea before your transfer to Learmonth and the flight back to Perth, timed to connect with afternoon and evening international departures.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Overnight: —
  • Travel: Flight ~2 hours
From $4,500 USD per person

Twin share, November–February departures.

Get a quote

Prices & what’s covered

SeasonNingaloo focusTwin shareSingle supp.
Nov–FebReef, mantas, turtles$4,500$1,190
Mar–JulWhale sharks$4,850$1,260
Aug–OctHumpback whales$4,690$1,230

Included

  • 9 nights in boutique hotels and coastal resorts
  • Daily breakfast and 2 winery lunches
  • Domestic flight (Perth to Exmouth)
  • Rottnest Island ferry and bike hire
  • Full-day Ningaloo Reef or whale shark swim tour
  • Wine tasting sessions

Not included

  • International flights to and from Perth
  • Travel insurance
  • Car hire or transfers in the South West (add-on)
  • Meals other than those listed
  • Cave entry, national park day passes, tips
Numbat, a small striped marsupial and the animal emblem of Western Australia
By the numbers

Why travellers love the West

  • Perth is one of the sunniest capital cities in Australia, averaging around eight hours of sunshine a day.
  • WA has over 12,000 km of mainland coastline – more than any other Australian state.
  • Ningaloo Coast was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011; its reef runs for roughly 300 km.
  • The karri is one of the tallest hardwood trees on Earth and grows only in the south-west corner of WA.
  • The numbat, pictured, is WA’s animal emblem. It is endangered and shy – seeing one in the wild is a rare treat, mostly in woodland reserves south-east of Perth.
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Whale sharks gather off Ningaloo from roughly mid-March to July. Exact dates vary each year, so we confirm the season with the operator when you book. Humpback whale swims typically run from August to October.

Sightings are very likely in peak season but never guaranteed with wild animals. Many operators offer a free or discounted repeat trip if you do not swim with one; we will tell you the policy of your operator.

Yes. Glass-bottom boat trips at Coral Bay or Exmouth show off the reef without getting wet, and you can stay on deck during the whale shark tour. Rottnest and Margaret River need no swimming at all.

Ground transport is not part of the base price. Most guests rent a car (about 3 hours each way), and we can add a hire car or a private transfer to your booking.

No. Quokkas are a protected species, and touching or feeding them is prohibited with fines applying. You may photograph them from a respectful distance.

Plan your West Coast escape

Whale shark days fill quickly. Tell us your travel month and we will match the Ningaloo experience to the season and hold your places.

Send an inquiry