A Guide to Perth's Best Road Trips

With over 2 million square kilometres of outback landscapes, ancient forests and remote beaches to explore, Western Australia offers endless road trip options.

As an international student in Perth, you’ve got some of the best routes available at your fingertips. To help you make the most of them, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to Perth road trips!

Whether you’re looking for a quick weekend trip or a longer expedition, here’s everything you need to know about driving around this big and beautiful state.

Road safety tips

Western Australia is a huge state and, once you’re outside Perth, you’ll see just how remote it truly is. Because it’s so large, you may need to drive for quite a while before you reach any towns or services. Keep this in mind when planning your journey.

You may encounter wildlife, such as kangaroos, jumping into the road unexpectedly. For this reason, it’s best to avoid driving at night if you can. It’s also not uncommon to be asked to pull over for road trains and other oversized vehicles. It’s safer to be extra cautious around these vehicles and avoid overtaking if you can.

It’s crucial to avoid driving when you’re tired. Ask a friend to take over or simply pull into a rest stop to take a break until you feel more awake. If you need a longer rest, there are plenty of caravan parks along the way where you can stay overnight.

Finding caravan parks, rest stops and visitor information centres in WA

When you arrive in a town, your first stop should always be the visitor information centre. These centres are usually run by local volunteers who can give you advice on local attractions, tours and the best places to stay in the area. Visitor information centres are usually located on the main street of a town and, since many country towns only have one or two streets, they usually aren’t hard to find!

If you’re driving and need to take a rest, keep an eye out for signs of safe stopping places. These rest stops will often have picnic tables, bins and toilets.

While you can find many of these facilities as you go, it’s also a good idea to do a little research before you embark on your road trip. Make use of resources like the WA Main Roads Travel Map to find safe rest stops, and the WA Holiday Guide, Parks WA, WikiCamps and Hipcamp. These handy platforms will help you find the best places to stay in Perth and its surrounding regions.

Things to bring on your road trip

It’s always better to be over-prepared than underprepared on a road trip. Make sure that you pack plenty of food, water, clothing and an extra can of petrol in case you get stuck. A printed road map is also essential. Phone and internet service aren’t always reliable outside the city, so you don’t want to rely solely on technology for directions or information during your trip.

The Best Perth road trips

📍 PERTH TO MARGARET RIVER

You can drive from Perth to Margaret River in just over three hours, making it one of the best road trips to do when you’re short on time. The drive takes you into the beautiful South West region of the state, where you will find famous surf breaks, wineries and farmers’ markets. On the way, make sure that you stop in Busselton. Here you can walk along the world’s second-longest jetty and explore Yallingup’s ancient caves and natural ocean spas.

📍 PERTH TO ALBANY 

Extend your Margaret River road trip by continuing deeper into the South West region on a Perth to Albany road trip. If you’re driving from Margaret River, be sure to explore the beautiful Southern Forests region, known for its abundance of black truffles, breathtaking karri trees and cute country towns. Alternatively, you can take the Albany Highway route from Perth and stop at the Stirling Range National Park for a chance to climb Western Australia’s highest peak, Bluff Knoll.

📍 PERTH TO KALGOORLIE 

History enthusiasts will love learning about the state’s rich mining heritage on this 593-kilometre road trip through the Goldfields region. The drive follows the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail from Mundaring Weir all the way to the mining town of Kalgoorlie. Along the way, you can explore historic townships, see the amazing Silo murals and watch the wildflowers burst into bloom. Once you’ve reached your destination, don’t forget to take a trip to Kalgoorlie’s Super Pit!

📍 PERTH TO CORAL BAY

This iconic Perth road trip should be on every international student’s bucket list. Covering almost 1200 kilometres of coastline, the drive takes you on an adventure through some of WA’s most incredible national parks, outback landscapes and remote beaches. Swim with dolphins in Monkey Mia, marvel at ancient rock formations in the Pinnacles Desert and discover the beautiful underwater world of the Ningaloo Reef - all in one trip!

📍 PERTH TO BROOME 

You will need a couple of weeks to enjoy everything that the Perth to Broome road trip has to offer. For this mega drive, there are two routes that you can take. To get the best of both worlds, many people take one route on the way there and the other route on the way back. If you take the Great Northern Highway, check out the incredible Karijini National Park for spectacular views. Alternatively, you can drive along the Coral Coast up the North West Coastal Highway for an equally stunning journey.

For more road trip information, suggested itineraries, and the best places to stay in Perth and beyond, check out Main Roads, RAC and Perth Is OK!