Perth Day Trips: 2 Days on a Budget
Two days, two ferries and trains: Rottnest, then Fremantle
Using Perth as a base for two days means picking the two cheapest, highest-payoff trips out: Rottnest Island for the quokkas and beaches, then Fremantle for the prison and markets. Book the Rottnest ferry from Fremantle, not direct from Perth, and this whole two-day run costs under $115 per person before food. Skip the direct-from-Perth ferry option unless a late start forces it; it adds $44 for a longer, less scenic crossing. Staying longer? The 3-day plan adds Swan Valley on the same spine. Splitting time with the city itself instead, Kings Park, the beaches, the Bell Tower, is covered separately in our Perth city guide .
Book these before you go
- Check Rottnest ferry and bike hire on GetYourGuide , the departure that sells out first on summer weekends and school holidays.
- Browse Fremantle Prison tour times on GetYourGuide if you want the True Crime Tour slot locked in before you arrive.
- Check Fremantle hotel rates on Booking.com if you’d rather sleep near the ferry terminal than commute back to Perth CBD both nights.
| Day | Day trip | Travel time from Perth | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Rottnest Island | 30 min ferry from Fremantle | $85.50 return incl. admission |
| Day 2 | Fremantle | 30 min direct train | $3.50-7 transit, $24 optional Prison tour |
Day 1: Rottnest Island, the essential gateway trip
Take the train to Fremantle first ($3.50 Go Anywhere fare, about US$2.45, roughly 30 minutes from Perth Station), then catch the Rottnest Express same-day return ferry from there: $85.50 adult (about US$60), which already includes the $21.50 island admission fee (about US$15) the ferry operator collects at booking. Sailing direct from Elizabeth Quay instead runs $129.50 (about US$91) for a longer 1.5-2 hour crossing, so route through Fremantle unless you’re staying in the CBD and value the extra hour on the water. Rottnest is largely car-free, so hire a bike on arrival (roughly $30-50/day for a standard bike) and ride between the beaches and bays; pack your own lunch and water rather than buying on the island, where prices run higher than the mainland. The island holds the world’s largest wild quokka population, and Rottnest Island’s own wildlife rules make it illegal to touch, feed, or corner one for a photo: let it approach, shoot low without flash, and keep moving if it doesn’t. Budget the whole day for this trip; between the ferry, the admission fee, and the island’s size, there’s no shortcut version.
Day 2: Fremantle, free gatehouse plus one paid tour
Fremantle is a direct 30-minute Transperth train from Perth Station, standard $3.50 fare each way under the Go Anywhere Fare (or the $7, about US$4.90, DayRider if you’re making more than two trips that day). Start at Fremantle Prison, Western Australia’s only UNESCO World Heritage-listed building: the Gatehouse Complex and visitor centre are free to walk through, but seeing the actual cell blocks and gallows requires a guided tour, and the True Crime Tour ($24 adult, about US$17) is the one worth paying for over the standard Convict Prison Tour. From there it’s a short walk to Fremantle Markets, trading since 1897 in the same heritage building, and the Cappuccino Strip on South Terrace for a coffee before the train back.
Is Rottnest Island doable without a car?
Yes, and it’s actually easier without one. The island is largely car-free, so a hired bike from the ferry terminal covers everything a rental car would, at a fraction of the cost and without needing to book a car spot on the ferry, which many crossings restrict entirely.
Do you need to book the Rottnest ferry in advance?
Book at least a few days ahead for summer weekends and WA school holidays, when Rottnest Express fares use dynamic pricing and later bookings often cost more, not less. Shoulder-season weekdays (March-May, September-November) are far more forgiving for a same-week booking.
Route both Rottnest legs through Fremantle rather than sailing direct from Perth twice; it’s the single easiest way to keep this two-day run under $115 a person.