Visiting Perth with kids
Perth with kids is wide open: Kings Park above the city, a zoo across the river, the museum in the cultural centre and Fremantle's beaches and markets down the line. Each plan sticks to one side of the river or one strip of coast.
Pick a day
Each plan is five or six stops in a sensible order, with the photo, price, ages and hours pulled from the listing itself. Mix and match: a rainy-day stop fits any day.
Your first day
Your first day in Perth with kids
A first day in Perth with kids: Kings Park, Matilda Bay Reserve, Perth Zoo and the gallery and museum in the Perth Cultural Centre.
5 stops · starts at Kings Park and Botanic Garden
A rainy day
A rainy day in Perth with kids
A rainy day in Perth with kids: WA Museum Boola Bardip, the Art Gallery of WA, Cubetown, Adrenaline Vault and Zone Bowling Morley.
5 stops · starts at WA Museum Boola Bardip
A beach day
A beach day in Perth with kids
A beach day in Perth with kids: Leighton, North Cottesloe and Cottesloe beaches, Russell Brown Adventure Park and Fremantle Leisure Centre.
5 stops · starts at Leighton Beach
A free day out
A free day out in Perth with kids
A free day in Perth with kids: Kings Park, Matilda Bay Reserve, Museum of Perth and the Old Central Fire Station Heritage Centre.
4 stops · starts at Old Central Fire Station Heritage Centre
With toddlers
Perth with toddlers and under-5s
Perth with toddlers: Hyde Park, Beatty Park Leisure Centre, Perth Zoo and Lollipop's Playland in Bayswater, with prices from the listings.
4 stops · starts at Hyde Park
With teenagers
Perth with teenagers
Perth with teenagers: Escape This in Northbridge, Zeroverse VR, Adrenaline Vault climbing in Belmont and Zone Bowling in Cannington.
5 stops · starts at Perth Cultural Centre
Perth with kids at a glance
| Best for | Beach-and-outdoors families; easy with toddlers, generous with teens |
|---|---|
| How long | 4 to 5 days (beach day, Kings Park and museum day, Fremantle day, Rottnest day, zoo or wildlife day) |
| Best time | March to May for calm, warm beach weather; spring for wildflowers; summer is hot but the mornings are perfect |
| Budget tip | Beaches, Kings Park, the river, the free galleries and the shipwrecks museum are free; Rottnest and the zoo are the paid days |
| Rainy day backup | The state museum, Scitech, the aquarium and the Fremantle museums; winter rain comes in fronts with sun between |
| Getting around | Trains to Fremantle and the northern beaches; the ferry to Rottnest; a car for the wildlife park, the hills and the south |
When to go: seasons and busy times in Perth
The next school holidays run 18 Dec 2026 to 31 Jan 2027 (WA Department of Education); that is when the big-name places are busiest and accommodation costs most.
| Season | Months | Best for | How busy | Parent tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Dec–Feb | Patrolled beaches in the morning, Kings Park at dusk, splash parks | Busy | The sea breeze arrives after lunch and the beaches turn choppy. Swim early, siesta, then a park in the evening. |
| Autumn | Mar–May | Beaches still warm, river foreshore walks, the hills | Steady | Still, warm and calm. The best beach weather of the year and far fewer people. |
| Winter | Jun–Aug | Bush walks, waterfalls in the hills after rain, free museums | Quiet | Wet fronts come and go. Between them the days are mild and the playgrounds are yours. |
| Spring | Sep–Nov | Wildflowers in Kings Park and the hills, river walks, first swims | Steady | September is wildflower month and worth the drive. The beaches warm up by November. |
Worth the trip: what families rate highest in Perth
-
Kings Park and Botanic Garden Perth
Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Fraser Avenue, Perth, is a large inner-city park with bushland walk trails, the Western Australian Botanic Garden, cafés and several…
★ 4.8 (27,779)
-
Fremantle Markets Fremantle
Fremantle Markets has run in its heritage hall on South Terrace since 1897 and has more than 170 traders selling street food, fresh produce, fashion, art, gifts and…
★ 4.4 (17,830)
-
Hillarys Boat Harbour Hillarys
Hillarys Boat Harbour is a marina in Perth's northern suburbs, managed by the WA Department of Transport, that combines boat facilities with shops, cafes, restaurants…
★ 4.5 (11,938)
-
Lost Reality Escape Rooms Victoria Park Victoria Park
Lost Reality is an escape room business with a venue at 295 Albany Highway, Victoria Park, plus venues in Cannington and Belmont.
★ 5.0 (4,642)
-
Caversham Wildlife Park Whiteman
Caversham Wildlife Park is a family-owned native wildlife park at The Village inside Whiteman Park, 233B Drumpellier Drive, Whiteman.
★ 4.6 (8,984)
-
Perth Zoo South Perth
Perth Zoo is the state's zoo at 20 Labouchere Road, South Perth, just across the river from the city.
★ 4.4 (11,416)
-
ESCAPE THIS - Northbridge Northbridge
Escape This Northbridge, at 48 Lake Street, Northbridge, is an escape room venue where groups have 60 minutes to solve puzzles and escape a themed room.
★ 4.9 (4,269)
-
Hyde Park Perth
Hyde Park is a City of Vincent heritage-listed park bounded by Vincent, Glendower, Throssell and William Streets.
All-abilities · ★ 4.7 (4,685)
The free days
Six free places parents rate highest. All free things to do in Perth.
-
Lesmurdie Falls National Park Forrestfield
Lesmurdie Falls Picnic Area is on Falls Road in Mundy Regional Park in the Perth Hills, next to Lesmurdie Falls National Park, and is managed by the WA Department of…
★ 4.7 (2,855)
-
Scarborough Beach Scarborough
Scarborough Beach is the City of Stirling's most popular beach, on The Esplanade at the end of Scarborough Beach Road, with white sand, big waves and lifeguards all…
★ 4.7 (1,717)
-
Manning Park Hamilton Hill
Manning Park is a City of Cockburn park of about 117 hectares north of Azelia Road, Hamilton Hill, and part of Beeliar Regional Park.
★ 4.7 (838)
-
Cottesloe Beach Cottesloe
Cottesloe Beach, known as "Cott", is the Town of Cottesloe's main beach, with clear water, white sand and shady Norfolk Island pines.
Patrolled October – March · All-abilities access · ★ 4.8 (177)
-
Kings Park and Botanic Garden Perth
Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Fraser Avenue, Perth, is a large inner-city park with bushland walk trails, the Western Australian Botanic Garden, cafés and several…
★ 4.8 (27,779)
-
WA Shipwrecks Museum Fremantle
The WA Shipwrecks Museum on Cliff Street, Fremantle, is run by the Western Australian Museum and is housed in the historic Commissariat buildings.
★ 4.7 (2,507)
If it rains
-
Lost Reality Escape Rooms Victoria Park Victoria Park
Lost Reality is an escape room business with a venue at 295 Albany Highway, Victoria Park, plus venues in Cannington and Belmont.
★ 5.0 (4,642)
-
ESCAPE THIS - Northbridge Northbridge
Escape This Northbridge, at 48 Lake Street, Northbridge, is an escape room venue where groups have 60 minutes to solve puzzles and escape a themed room.
★ 4.9 (4,269)
-
Fox in a Box Perth Fremantle
Fox in a Box Perth, at 34 Adelaide Street, Fremantle, runs 60-minute escape rooms where a team solves puzzles and finds clues with help from a Game Master watching on…
★ 5.0 (2,638)
-
LOST REALITY Escape Room Cannington Cannington
Lost Reality Cannington, at Unit 7, 1451 Albany Highway, Cannington, has five private escape rooms where groups have 60 minutes to solve puzzles and escape.
★ 5.0 (2,483)
-
WA Museum Boola Bardip Perth
WA Museum Boola Bardip is the Western Australian Museum's main museum in the Perth Cultural Centre.
Sensory-friendly sessions · ★ 4.5 (5,077)
-
AQWA The Aquarium Of Western Australia Hillarys
AQWA, the Aquarium of Western Australia, is at Hillarys Boat Harbour, 91 Southside Drive, Hillarys.
★ 4.4 (5,931)
Where families stay
Holiday parks and resorts listed on this site, with the pools, playgrounds and jumping pillows that matter to kids.
| Place | Kind | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Crown Towers Perth | Stay | Burswood |
| Karrinyup Waters Resort | Resort / hotel | Gwelup |
| BIG4 Perth Midland Tourist Park | Holiday park | Middle Swan |
| Discovery Parks - Woodman Point | Stay | Coogee |
| Discovery Parks - Perth Airport | Stay | Forrestfield |
Kids eat free in Perth: which night, where
23 pubs, clubs and restaurants in Perth give kids a free meal on set nights, each checked on the venue's own page. The full list is on the kids eat free in Perth page.
| Night | Where | When and who | Deals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | C.Y. O'Connor Village Pub (Piara Waters) Charlie's Paddock (Piara Waters) The Amberton (Eglinton) | All day · dine in All day 3pm-5pm · dine in | 11 |
| Tuesday | The Amberton (Eglinton) Varsity (Cannington, Fremantle, Innaloo, Joondalup, Morley, Nedlands, Northbridge, Waterford, Whitfords) Criniti's Carousel (Cannington) | 3pm-5pm · dine in From 3pm Sunday all day; Mon-Wed 5pm-8pm · with an adult main | 8 |
| Wednesday | The Amberton (Eglinton) Catalano Family Kitchen (Highgate) Criniti's Carousel (Cannington) | 3pm-5pm · dine in 5pm-9pm · 12 and under Sunday all day; Mon-Wed 5pm-8pm · with an adult main | 6 |
| Thursday | The Amberton (Eglinton) The Alcove (Joondalup) The Left Bank (East Fremantle) | 3pm-5pm · dine in 4pm-7pm · 12 and under · with an adult main 5pm-7pm | 3 |
| Saturday | Maylands Golf Course (Maylands) | All day · Under 12 · with an adult main | 1 |
| Sunday | Mt Henry Tavern (Como) The Byford (Byford) The Last Local | Lunch and dinner · with an adult main From 4pm · with an adult main, dine in with $30+ adult spend | 7 |
| Every day | Pancho's Mexican Restaurant (East Victoria Park) Kickin' Inn (Perth CBD, Morley, Whitford) | Mon-Sat 5pm-6pm; all night Sunday All day · 8 and under · dine in | 2 |
Questions parents ask
- Where should a family stay in Perth?
- Scarborough or Hillarys for a beach base with pools and playgrounds; Fremantle for walkable markets, museums and the Rottnest ferry; the city for Kings Park and the river.
- Is Rottnest Island worth a day with kids?
- Yes for 5 and over: bikes, calm bays, quokkas and no cars. Book the ferry early, take a trailer for small kids, and go midweek outside school holidays.
- What about the sea breeze?
- From about noon in summer a strong breeze arrives and the beaches turn choppy. Swim in the morning, do something indoors or shaded after lunch, and go back out in the evening.
- Is Perth good with toddlers?
- Very: calm bay beaches, splash parks, Kings Park's playgrounds and the zoo. Distances are long, so base yourself near the thing you will do most. See the toddler day plan.