Perth to Broome Road Trip Recommendations📋

Perth to Broome is roughly a 27 hour drive up the West Coast of Australia, with multiple amazing stops on the way. The easiest way to travel is by driving, you can buy your own vehicle, rent a camper or do relocations, which is what we did. Check out my other blogs, which go into detail about relocating camper vans and our price breakdown of how much it cost us to travel from Perth to Broome. This blog will be my recommended stops on what to see and where to stay for your road trip.

Stop 1: Pinnacles Desert Discovery, Nambung National Park

• Length: 196km / 2 hours 15 minute drive
• Times: 9:30AM - 4:30PM
• Cost: $15 AUD per car entering the desert / $25 upgrade ticket for a 5 day National Park pass

The first stop of your road trip is to Nambung National Park to see The Pinnacles Desert Lookout and its Drive Trail. The Pinnacles are amazing limestone formations in the desert, some ranging over 3.5m high. You can drive around the 4.5km trail and stop at the lookout to see all the different shaped and sized pinnacles. However, if you are relocating a camper, you aren’t allowed to drive on unsealed roads, so you would have to park the camper in the car park and then walk around the pinnacles, to avoid being fined. Annoying, but this is what we did and it was still amazing!

Entry to the National Park costs $15 AUD per car but you do have the choice to upgrade it to $25 AUD to have a 5 day pass which grants you entry to all National Parks apart from two, Tree Top Walk and Monkey Mia. They offer longer passes if you are doing a longer road trip or the option to upgrade your pass along the way if you want to.

Stop 2: Jurien Bay & Green Head

Length: 35km / 30 minute drive

Stop off at Jurien Bay for a break to walk along the gorgeous pier and beach, have something to eat or stay the night depending on your time frame. Jurien Bay has a great camp site but we ended up staying in Green Head as Jurien Bay was fully booked when we went. Either places are gorgeous for your first nights stay.

Night 1: Green Head Caravan Park - £19 a night
Just across from the campsite is a road which leads up to Dynamite Bay, a gorgeous spot to watch the sunset over the beach. If you follow the road around you can do a short coastal walk and stop off at different scenic viewpoints as the sun begins to set.

Stop 3: Geraldton

Length: 165km / 1 hour 50 minutes drive

Stop at Geraldton for a driving break. Walk along the beach to the lighthouse, go to the Cathedral and have a coffee and snack at the cafe before visiting the Sydney Memorial. If you have more time, you could stay a night here to chill and explore some more.

Stop 4: Hutt Lagoon Pink Lake 

Length: 98km / 1 hour 10 minutes drive

Stop off at the incredible Pink Lagoon in Port Gregory, where the waters boast this amazing, bright pink colour caused by the presence of a unique species of algae. It’s a lovely place to stop at, only 40 minutes away from Kalbarri.

Stop 5: Kalbarri National Park (Kalbarri Skyline & Natures Window)

Length: 105km / 1 hour 20 minutes drive

After Pink Lake, drive through Kalbarri National Park to The Kalbarri Skyline and Natures Window. Entry into the National Park without the 5 day pass, is $15 AUD per car. The Kalbarri Skyline is this amazing built up viewing ledge which hangs in mid-air 100m over the gorge. You can walk across these ledges and see the most breathtaking views of the Murchison River and surrounding landscape of Kalbarri National Park. This is also a lovely spot for a break or food where you can soak up the incredible views.

Natures Window is one of West Australia’s most iconic natural attractions, which was formed from layers of sandstone. Only a 4 minute drive from Kalbarri Skyline, it is a 500m walk from the carpark down to these rock formations, one specifically formed as a window, which perfectly frames the Murchison River, hence it’s name.

Follow a set of stairs from the carpark down to a picturesque walking trail. On the walk down you pass multiple viewpoints over the River and Kalbarri National Park to Natures Window, where you are spoilt for instagram worthy snaps.

You have a choice to do a longer hike called The Loop, which starts and ends at Natures Window. It is a 8km walk and can take up to 3 hours to do depending on your fitness level. You see some pretty amazing views of the River and gorge but it is quite challenging and includes steep steps and uneven surfaces. I wouldn’t recommend doing it during a heatwave!!

Stop 6: Kalbarri Anchorage Caravan Park

Length: 36km / 31 minutes drive

Night 2: Kalbarri Anchorage Resort - £22 a night
Spend a night or two in Kalbarri and explore all of Kalbarri National Park if you have time. We ended up having to drive back to Kalbarri to camp because it was getting dark quickly. The campsite here is a gorgeous place, where you can watch the sunset over the beach and pier. The resort has great facilities as well, a swimming pool, hot showers and great kitchen space.

Stop 7: Hamelin Pool Stromatolites

Length: 280km / 2 hours 56 minutes drive

From Kalbarri, drive towards Shark Bay and stop off at Hamelin Pool for a break and to see the Stromatolites. Stromatolites are referred to as ‘living fossils’ and represent life from over 3.5 billion years ago. Sadly, the 200m boardwalk which takes you to the pools has been damaged from a cyclone, which happened a couple years ago. It hasn’t been fixed since, so you can’t walk over it to see the Stromatolites clearly, but from afar they looked pretty cool!

Stop 8: Shell Beach

Length: 62km / 41 minutes drive

From Hamelin Pool, drive 40 minutes to Shell Beach. As the name implies, it is a beach made up completely of shells. Specialised marine flora line the entrance to the bay, which allows water into the bay but not out again. The evaporation of the trapped bay water creates a salt level two times greater than that of normal seawater. This means that almost nothing can survive here except for Fragum Cockle’s which leave behind these beautiful shells. The lack of marine life here and the white shell beach’s creates a gorgeous clear turquoise water. A lovely spot to stop off for lunch and quick dip.

Stop 9: Ocean Beach Aquarium

Length: 38km / 26 minutes drive
Cost: $32 AUD

If you love all things sea life and interested in learning about Shark Bay and its marine conservation, stop off at Ocean Beach Aquarium. With a nice range of stingrays, sharks and tropical fish, you see and learn about Shark Bay and its marine inhabitants. Compared to aquariums in major cities its nothing mind blowing but the local knowledge of Shark Bay on offer here is worth a visit.

Stop 10: Little Lagoon

Length: 14km / 13 minutes drive

Another gorgeous spot is the Little Lagoon, which is a seawater lake just off the coast of Denham in Shark Bay. Perfect way to spend the afternoon or a full day soaking up the sunshine and swimming in clear shallow pools.

Stop 11: Tasman Holiday Parks, Denham

Length: 6.3km / 8 minutes drive

Night 3: Denham Tasman Holiday Park - £24 a night
Stay in Denham, Shark Bay for the night. Another gorgeous beachfront resort, perfect to watch the sunset.

Stop 12: Monkey Mia Dolphin Conservation Park

Length: 27 km / 20 minutes drive
Cost: $15 AUD per person

Drive to Monkey Mia to watch a dolphin show. Every morning dolphins swim close to the beach so you get the opportunity to see dolphins really up close. The Conservation Park does three feeding shows between 7:45am - 12pm. However, sometimes the dolphins don’t make an appearance until late morning, so make sure to be around the beach in between those times and if you’re lucky you’ll be able to see lots of dolphins and their babies. Entry to the park is $15 AUD per person, as mentioned before this park isn’t included in the National Park pass so you do have to pay!

If you have time, I would recommend staying a night in Monkey Mia so you can chill and see all the sights without rushing. If we had more time, that is what we would have done!

Stop 13: Carnavon

Length: 352km / 3 hours 45 minutes

After Monkey Mia, drive straight to Carnavon to have a break, eat and explore. I personally don’t think there is a lot to do in Carnavon, but if you have more time, I would recommend staying a few hours or even stay the night rather than a quick passing through. However, if you’re tight on time, the pier is a great pit stop!

Stop 14: Quobba Blow Holes

Length: 73km / 50 minutes drive

On the way to Coral Bay, do a quick detour to Quobba Blow Holes. The blow holes are caused by the powerful ocean, which forces water through sea caves and up narrow holes in the rocks causing jets of water to shoot into the air. If you have more time, stop off at the lagoon, just 1km from the Blowholes, where there is a white sandy beach, perfect for a lunch break.

Stop 15: Coral Bay

Length: 263km / 2 hours 45 minutes drive

Drive to Coral Bay, a small town known for backpackers and being an amazing place for snorkelling. Go straight to Coral Bay Beach and spend the afternoon there soaking up the sun and swimming with the amazing fishies! If you have enough time you can go diving or do a boat tour to the best spots.

Night 4: Ningaloo Coral Bay Campsite - £28 a night
I would recommend spending two maybe three nights here if you have enough time! It’s such a small place that everyone goes to the beach, the campsite and then to Bills Bar, making it a great place to meet people.

Stop 16: Yardie Creek, Cape Range National Park

Length: 237km / 2 hours 40 minutes drive

Drive straight to Yardie Creek in the Cape Range National Park. Do the 40-minute Yardie Nature Walk, 1.2km there and back along the cliffs and stop off at the viewpoint overlooking the gorge. If you‘re feeling more adventurous, continue onto the Yardie Gorge Trail, where you can hike to higher viewpoints. If you have more time, join a boat tour and explore the gorge by water.

Stop 17: Osprey Bay, Oyster Stacks & Turqoise Bay, Cape National Park

Length: 30 minutes drive to all three stops

After Yardie Creek, stop off at Osprey Bay for lunch and your first snorkelling & swimming spot. Spend as much time here soaking up the sun or go to Sandy Bay for a more relaxing experience on the beach.

Next, stop off at Oyster Stacks Snorkelling Area where you can explore the shallow coral gardens and swim with the diverse fishes and invertebrates. Oyster Stacks can only be snorkelled during high tide, when there is a lot of water over the reef to protect it, so check beforehand at the Discovery Centre for the best times!

The most popular stop is Turquoise Bay, which is known as one of Western Australia’s best beaches. Spend the whole day here relaxing on the white sandy shore and swimming and snorkelling in one of the most amazing places. You will be amazed and get lost in the beautiful coral, variety of sea life and beauty of Ningaloo Reef. If you’re lucky you can spot some turtles and sharks swimming around.

Stop 18: Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, Exmouth

Length: 44km / 35 minutes drive

Stop off at Vlamingh Head Lighthouse on the way back to Exmouth and watch the sunset. If you’re lucky you might be able to spot whales and dolphins!!

Stop 19: Ningaloo Caravan Park & Holiday Resort, Exmouth

Length: 20 km / 20 minutes drive

Night 5: Ningaloo Caravan Park - £27 a night
I would recommend spending two to three nights in Exmouth if you have time. This will give you enough time to see all the sights within Cape Range National Park, walk and explore the town, pop into the shops and book some experiences. You must go kayaking and do a sunset Whale Watching Tour!

Stop 20: Birds Eye View Ningaloo

Length: 12km / 11 minutes drive
Cost: $440 - £225

You must also book a Birds Eye View 1 hour scenic flight over Ningaloo Reef. This is one of the more expensive activities, but it is totally worth it! You get to see the most incredible views over Ningaloo Reef and Cape Range National Park, specifically Charles Knife Canyon! Get the chance to also see Whale Sharks, Hump Back Whales, Turtles, Sharks, Manta Rays, Dolphins etc from high up, it was an incredible experience. You also get a chance to fly the aircraft, which is daunting but so much fun and don’t worry the pilot is there to help you, if you freak out!

Stop 20: Karijini National Park

Length: 558km / 6 hours 45 minutes drive

Night 6: Campsites within Karijini National Park
Set off early to get to Karijini National Park before dark and stop off at one of the campsites along the way for the night. I would recommend staying in Karijini National Park for a couple of days so you can see all the sights. They are far from each other so it will take the whole day to see them. Apart from the two spots that we went to, I would also recommend going to Hancock Gorge, Handrail Gorge, Knox Gorge, Joffre Gorge & Mount Brice. If we had more time, we would have tried to visit these places too!

Stop 21: Hamersley Gorge, Karijini National Park

Length: 70km / 55 minutes drive

Drive straight to Hamersley Gorge, one of the top sights in Karijini National Park! To get to the gorge you have to drive on unsealed roads, so be aware of this if you are doing a relocation camper. Do a small hike down to the gorge and you will be spoilt of little pools to swim in. To the right you have a big pool, which you can float or swim down and runs in between the gorge. To the right, if you continue hiking up you will find a smaller pool, flowing into a bigger pool. The smaller pool is the iconic place where everyone gets their photos. You can also jump into the smaller pool, but be careful as it can be quite slippery going up!

Stop 22: Fortescue Falls & Fern Pool, Karijini National Park

Length: 113km / 1 hour 25 minutes drive

Next, stop off at Fern Pool. Walk from the car park and onto the viewing ledge to see Fortescue Falls and views of the National Park below. Walk down the stairs until you’re at the base of the falls. Spend some time chilling and swimming here, but be careful as sometimes there are snakes around, not deadly ones though!

To get to Fern Pool continue straight from the bottom of the stairs and follow the trail through the forest until you end up at Fern Pool. Fern Pool is one of the most accessible and picturesque swimming spots. It is a natural spring, with a cascading waterfall surrounded by the National Park. From there follow the 4km trail to Circular Pool and spend the afternoon swimming here or hike the Gorge Rim Walk to see a Birds Eye view of Circular Pool. All these spots are perfect to spend the day and have lunch.

Stop 23: Port Hedland

Length: 336km / 3 hour 40 minutes drive

Drive straight to Port Hedland for a driving break and to explore the town, or for a night depending on your timeframe.

Stop 24: Eighty Mile Beach

Length: 247km / 2 hours 45 minutes drive

Night 7: Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park - £14 a night
Drive straight to Eighty Mile Beach and spend the morning or day there relaxing in the sunshine. Eighty Mile Beach is known for its literal eighty mile beach, which lies half-way between Port Hedland and Broome. Perfect way to spend the last day of your road trip before you head to Broome. Spend the night here as well if you have time and watch the sunset and sunrise over the beach.

Stop 25: Broome

Length: 378km / 4 hours 5 minutes drive

Head straight to Broome and spend a few days here to relax from your road trip up the West Coast. I would recommend spending maybe two to three days, maybe even longer during the season, when it’s the busiest.

Nights 8-10: Roey Backpackers & Party Bar - £13 a night
Stay at Roey Backpackers, which is known for being full of backpackers during the busiest season, so it‘s easy to meet other people! Our first relocation camper ended here, which is why we spent a few days to relax.

For recommendations on Broome, check out my other blog Broome to Darwin Road Trip, on what to do and where to stay!

If you have any questions regarding this blog, let me know! :)