Western Australia is made for road trips. You get out of Perth's suburbs and within an hour you're somewhere that feels like the edge of the world: white sand beaches, wildflower fields, ancient rock formations. No traffic. No crowds. Just open roads.
© Tourism WA
The tricky part is knowing which drive suits you. Three-day weekend? Week off? Three weeks and a campervan? We've put together the best road trips from Perth, organised by how much time you've got, so you can get planning.
Got a Weekend? The Best Short Drives from Perth (Under 3 Hours)
These trips are the easy ones. Leave Friday afternoon, be home Sunday night, feel like you've actually had a holiday.
Margaret River (3 Hours South)
The classic. Margaret River rewards you fast: you're barely out of Mandurah before the karri trees start closing in and the road gets quieter. The region is most famous for its wineries, but there's just as much reason to go if you don't drink: towering sea cliffs, world-class surf breaks, ancient caves, and some of the best farm produce in the state.
Stay at least two nights. One day for the Cape to Cape Coast, one for the wine trail.
Best time: Year-round, though spring (September–November) is peak wildflower and harvest season.
The Pinnacles (2.5 Hours North)
Three hours from Perth and you're standing in the middle of thousands of limestone spires rising from a desert floor. The Pinnacles Desert at Nambung National Park is one of WA's most photographed landscapes, and it never gets old, particularly at dusk when the rock turns amber.
Combine it with the nearby town of Cervantes for a night's stay, and you've got a proper weekend away.
Best time: June–October for wildflower season and cooler temperatures.
© Tourism WA
Mandurah & the Peel Region (1 Hour South)
The quickest escape on this list. Mandurah's canal system, dolphin cruises, and fresh seafood make it a genuine destination rather than just a stopover, particularly for families. The Peel region surrounding it has quiet estuaries, cycling trails, and caravan parks right on the water. Browse our accommodation in Mandurah here.
Best time: Summer (December–February) for water activities; autumn for quieter beaches.
Got 4–5 Days? The Best Mid-Length Road Trips from Perth
Enough time to get somewhere properly remote and still come back rested.
The Coral Coast (Geraldton to Kalbarri to Monkey Mia: 5 Days)
This is one of WA's great drives. Head north from Perth, stop in Geraldton for a night (the lobster alone is worth it), then continue to Kalbarri where the Murchison River meets the Indian Ocean at some of the most dramatic coastal cliffs in the state. The Kalbarri Skywalk hangs 100 metres above the gorge floor, worth every kilometre you drove to get there.
Continue north to Shark Bay and Monkey Mia, where wild dolphins come into the shallows every morning. It's one of those experiences that genuinely stops you in your tracks.
Distance from Perth: Monkey Mia is about 850km. Allow at least 5 days to do it properly.
Best time: April–October. Wildflower season (August–October) makes this drive extraordinary.
The Golden Outback (Kalgoorlie & Wave Rock: 4–5 Days)
Head east through the Wheatbelt and you quickly realise just how vast this state is. Kalgoorlie, WA's gold rush city, sits 600km east of Perth and is genuinely unlike anywhere else in the country. The Super Pit lookout, the wide main street built to turn a camel train, the history. It's fascinating.
From Kalgoorlie, loop south to Hyden and Wave Rock: a 110-metre-long granite cliff shaped by 2,700 million years of weathering into a perfect breaking wave. The drive between the two is quintessential WA outback red dirt, blue sky, not another car in sight.
Distance from Perth: Kalgoorlie is 600km, Wave Rock 350km. Loop both in one trip.
Best time: March–October. Summers in the Goldfields are genuinely brutal.
The South West Corner (Margaret River to Albany: 5 Days)
The South West is WA's most travelled road trip for good reason. From Margaret River, continue south through Augusta, around Cape Leeuwin where the Indian and Southern oceans meet, then along the south coast through Denmark to Albany.
Albany rewards the extra distance. It's older than Perth, has some of the state's most powerful ANZAC history at the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial, and sits on a harbour flanked by two spectacular national parks. Whale watching from Albany runs June through September.
Distance from Perth: Albany is 420km. With Margaret River included, plan 800km+ return.
Best time: June–September for whale watching; September–November for wildflowers.
© Tourism WA
Got 2 Weeks or More? The Epic WA Road Trips
These are the big ones. The drives people talk about for years.
Perth to Exmouth & Ningaloo Reef (10–14 Days)
Ningaloo Reef is one of the world's few places where whale sharks come close enough to shore to swim alongside. The reef runs 260km along the coast near Exmouth, and unlike the Great Barrier Reef, you can wade straight off the beach into it.
The drive up is part of the experience; stop at the Pinnacles, Monkey Mia, Coral Bay, and Exmouth itself. If you're taking a campervan, Cape Range National Park has some of the most spectacular campsites in Australia. Browse our accommodation in Exmouth and Ningaloo.
Distance from Perth: Exmouth is 1,270km. Allow at least 10 days.
Best time: March–July for whale sharks; April–October for snorkelling.
The Kimberley (Perth to Broome: 3 Weeks)
The Kimberley is WA at its most raw. Broome alone, Cable Beach, the Staircase to the Moon, and the pearling history are worth the trip. But continue into the Kimberley proper, and you'll find Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, the Bungle Bungles, and Horizontal Falls.
This is a serious drive and not one to rush. Roads north of Broome require a 4WD for much of the year. Speak to our team about the right vehicle before you go.
Distance from Perth: Broome is 2,240km. The full Kimberley loop is considerably more.
Best time: April–October. The wet season makes many roads impassable; plan carefully.
© Tourism WA
Ready to Hit the Road?
Whether you're after a quick long weekend or the full WA adventure, there's a drive here for you. Browse car hire and campervan rentals, find accommodation along your route, or call our local team. We've driven these roads ourselves, and we're happy to help you plan.