Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Australia – Perth – Yallingup – Exmouth - Fremantle
100% customisable for you
Your Australian adventure begins today as you head to the airport and board an international flight to Perth. There are several routes to choose from and even a direct flight available, so whether you’d rather get the journey over with in one 17-hour stint or would prefer to stretch your legs somewhere along the way, we can recommend the best option. Either way, the children will be happily occupied with their tailored family fun packs.
You’ll touch down in Perth the next day – the journey may have been long, but the Aussie sunshine will soon make up for it. A driver will be waiting to collect you and transfer you to your central hotel, your home for the next three nights.
Once you’ve dropped your bags and freshened up, we suggest keeping today chilled – perhaps with a stroll up to King's Park, where you can enjoy panoramic views across the city. Later, head back down to the water's edge for dinner, or indulge in some room service back at the ranch.
Hopefully you’ve beaten the jet lag and are ready to explore – today’s yours to discover Perth at your leisure.
The city is an all-round charming place, from the famously friendly locals to the contrasting skyscrapers and Victorian buildings that dot the streets.
After a little scenery? Kings Park and the Botanic Garden sit on a ridge above the city centre. Inside the gardens, the Lotterywest Federation Walkway brings you level with the eucalyptus canopy, and you can look down over the city from the nearby Bell Tower – the views are particularly good at sunset.
If the youngsters would rather have sand between their toes, Cottesloe Beach is the locals' choice (and, in our opinion, one of the best urban beaches in Australia). For something more cultural, the Art Gallery of Western Australia holds an excellent collection of Aboriginal art.
Now you’ve got your bearings, it’s time to get under the skin of Perth with a local. Today, head out with a friendly guide along the Indian Ocean Drive, which hugs the coast and offers wonderful sea views as you make your way towards Nambung National Park. En route, a stop at Yanchep National Park gives you the chance to see koalas, kangaroos and emus in the wild – the children can start getting excited now.
Once you reach Nambung, the star of the show is the Pinnacles Desert: thousands of ancient limestone columns rising from the pale sand, some reaching heights of up to 16ft. Once you’ve been suitably wowed, continue along the coast to Cervantes, where you can enjoy a delicious lunch overlooking the beach.
End the day in a small fishing village renowned for its lobster industry and stunning white sand dunes, where you can watch the sunset while the little ones play.
With a few days in the city under your belt, it’s time to head south to arty Yallingup, a small coastal town famous for its rocky seascapes and epic surf breaks.
This morning, pick up your hire car and hit the road. The drive takes roughly three hours, but if you fancy stretching your legs along the way, stops you might like to consider are Mandurah, a big city with a resident bottlenose dolphin population, Bunbury, a popular surf spot with some lovely cafés or Busselton, home to the southern hemisphere's longest timber jetty.
When you arrive in Yallingup, check into your hotel, where you’ll be resting your head for the next four nights. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing before heading out for dinner – our clued-up Concierge is on-hand to recommend some child-friendly spots.
We’ve left today free for you to spend at your own pace. If you fancy yourself a wine connoisseur, today is the perfect chance to visit the vineyards in nearby Margaret River. Australian wine is some of the best in the world, meaning a wine tasting in one of the country's many wine regions is a must-do for any aspiring sommelier.
Margaret River happens to be one of our favourite spots to sip your way around, thanks to its laid-back vibe and seriously good foodie finds (sure to keep the children happy). To make things as easy as possible, you’ll find the contact details of our top picks in your Dossier.
Today is all about diving into one of the most quintessential Australian pastimes: surfing. This morning, head out for a private lesson with an expert guide. Don’t worry if you’ve never tried it before – you can soak up the knowledge from your pro instructor and watch your tribe conquer their first waves in one of Australia’s most iconic surf spots.
The afternoon is yours to fill however you please. Meelup Beach is just a short drive away and regularly features on lists of Australia’s most beautiful stretches of sand, while Hamelin Bay is worth the trip for the chance to watch eagle rays gliding through the shallow water along the shoreline.
After an action-packed couple of days, we’ve left the last day of your Yallingup stay free for you to hang out as a family.
There are plenty of activities to get stuck into depending on your little ones’ interests and desires. The nearby Ngilgi Cave boasts a walkable limestone cave system, which winds through chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites and helictites. For something more active, head out on a hike from Yallingup to Busselton, threading along coastal trails with plenty of spots to drop down to the beach along the way.
Yallingup Beach itself is one of the best for a lazy morning, with calm waters ideal for a swim (or sandcastle-building session). If you're visiting between June and September, a whale-watching boat trip from Dunsborough could be on the cards: humpback and blue whales pass through the bay during their annual migration, and the sight of these gentle giants is sure to wow adults and children alike.
Pop your suitcases back in the car and make your way back up the coast to Perth this morning, taking a slightly different route that passes Lake Clifton. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to see incredible biogenic and marine rocks and thrombolites, related to some of the oldest lifeforms on earth.
Tonight’s hotel is in the Elizabeth Quay waterfront district. Set right on Swan River, it’s a lively part of the city with an excellent selection of restaurants and bars – ideal for a final taste of Perth before the journey north tomorrow.
Head to Perth Airport this morning and return your rental car before boarding your two-hour flight north to Learmonth, which serves as the gateway to the small coastal town of Exmouth.
When you touch down, pick up your new hire car and make the short half-hour drive into town, where your hotel sits right on the water near the marina. Exmouth is the jumping-off point for the UNESCO-listed Ningaloo Reef, one of the most diverse coral reefs in the world – and, unlike the famous Great Barrier Reef, much of it begins just a few steps from the shore.
After you’ve dropped your bags, spend the rest of the day settling in, taking a dip in the hotel pool or exploring the town.
Rise and shine: you only have two days to properly explore the extraordinary marine world on your doorstep.
On one of the days, we’ve arranged for you to go sea kayaking and snorkelling in the Ningaloo Marine Park. Paddle out over the reef and slip beneath the surface to find 250 species of coral, reef sharks, turtles, manta rays and an astonishing variety of tropical fish.
The rest of your time is yours for the taking. Cape Range National Park, which runs alongside the reef, is equally stunning – the trails that run through its red gorges have sweeping views of the coast, while emus, kangaroos and echidnas make regular appearances. Stargazing here, far from any light pollution, is something quite special.
If the little ones are still raring to go, we can arrange another snorkelling trip, whether you’d rather explore the waters around the Muiron Islands or swim alongside elusive whale sharks.
This morning, return your hire car at Learmonth and fly back to Perth. When you touch down, you’ll be privately transferred for 40 minutes to Fremantle, Perth’s characterful coastal neighbour.
In Fremantle, check into your base for the next two nights, a hotel in easy walking access to everything Fremantle has to offer. The evening is ideal for a slow wander along the waterfront (and a thrilling game of I-Spy), followed by dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants around the old town.
It really has flown by, hasn’t it? Your last day in Oz is yours to explore Fremantle. There’s plenty to see and do: the compact centre is full of well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian buildings, excellent street art, an eclectic weekend market and delicious food and drink.
Travelling with any budding history buffs? Fremantle Prison, a UNESCO World Heritage site, tells the story of life inside one of Australia’s most notorious colonial-era jails. Or, if you simply want to catch the last rays, Bathers Beach and South Beach are both walking distance from the heart of town.
In the evening, wave goodbye to Australia as a private transfer takes you to Perth for your overnight flight home. The journey will take between 17 and 25 hours, depending on whether you stop along the way, and you’ll touch down in the UK the next day, already planning your next family holiday to this beautiful country.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
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