Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the state of Western Australia.
It is the fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.2 million in the city and 2.3 million within Greater Perth as of 2023. The world's most isolated major city by certain criteria, Perth is part of the South West Land Division of Western Australia, with most of Perth's metropolitan area on the Swan Coastal Plain between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp. The city has expanded outward from the original British settlements on the Swan River, upon which its central business district and port of Fremantle are situated.
Getting to Perth
All scheduled international and domestic flights arrive and depart from
- 01Perth Airport
The airport has four terminals, which for ground transport purposes can be regarded as two precincts.
Worth seeing
Top sights in and around the city are: The renovated WA Museum, the Art Gallery of WA and PICA, and the Perth Mint — see city centre page. Kings Park and Botanic Gardens — see city centre page Fremantle Prison, Maritime Museum and Shipwrecks gallery — see Fremantle page Outside of the metropolitan area are some unspoilt national parks, unpopulated coasts and other interesting locations.
Things to do
Cycle. Perth has excellent bike paths and fantastic weather almost all year round which makes it perfect for cycling. The paths that follow the Swan River are very scenic and mostly flat. You can take your own bike or hire a bicycle from one of the bike hire providers located near the Swan River.
Where to eat
One of Perth's drawbacks is that its people have not embraced late night dining. Very few places will serve food after 10PM, even on Friday or Saturday nights. Most restaurants in Perth do not cater for vegetarians or vegans, and if they do - the range is extremely limited. If you are looking for a place that embraces vegetarian food, Fremantle is great. There is an extensive array of restaurants in Northbridge.
Getting around Perth the local way
- Get aroundA paper ticket purchasable from ticket machines at train stations and ferry jetties, and from bus drivers.
- Get aroundA ferry service operates between Elizabeth Quay in the city and Mends Street Jetty in South Perth.
- Get aroundElizabeth Quay train station is adjacent to the ferry terminal.
- Get aroundLocal Bicycle Routes (a series of on-road routes and some suburban off-road sections that run through parks).
- Go nextIt's a favourite place for day trips and overnight getaways from Perth, and once the home of Bushranger Moondyne Joe.
From Wikivoyage: Perth, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.