Perth was the first city we arrived at when we got to Australia. It’s worth pointing out that we did only spent a few days here. Regardless, from morning until night, we spent a lot of time exploring, so I thought I’d put together a little backpackers guide! We have also spent a few days in Perth since then.
Bars & Restaurants
The Brass Monkey
Located in Northbridge, The Brass Monkey is rich in history, and has been serving customers since 1896! Back then it was under a different name; The Great Western Hotel. Of course, it still does serve as a hotel but it is also an excellent place to meet other like-minded backpacker pals.
Mustang Bar
If you pay a visit to their Facebook Page, the Mustang Bar is constantly updating upcoming and current clientele of their special offers and gigs! It looks like a very exciting place to go.
The Lucky Shag
As much as this sounds like a dating bar… it ain’t! Although, if you’re into that you could maybe find someone here. Regardless, this is a lovely waterfront bar that has been serving customers for over 25 years.
Fun Things to Do
Omeo Wreck
This marvellous piece of history is located in North Coogee. You’ll have to get some form of transport to explore this but I highly recommend it! Omeo Wreck is a shipwreck that crashed in 1905. Today you can find fish and coral swimming around the wreck by snorkel.
Fremantle
The ‘hip’ town of Fremantle is so pretty. It is one of my favourite places to visit. It’s like a main town wild-west style buzzing town… if that makes sense. There is so much history here too!
Kings Park
This place is absolutely huge. Be prepared for an endless day of walking and sightseeing here! There are often big artists that play here too. When I visited, they were preparing the stage for Bon Iver! Kings Park is a beautiful site with lots of birds, ponds, wildlife, flowers, you name it!
Leederville
Oh my goodness, I was not prepared for what I was about to see when I got off the short train ride to Leederville. Liam had been before and he just told me that it was a nice town. That was an understatement. If you’re into incredible artwork, do NOT give this place a miss.
Elizabeth Quay
Elizabeth Quay is a beautiful precinct on the Swan River. Here you can have a boat ride, visit the bars and restaurants or just simply soak in the views! *The first picture of this post is a shot of Elizabeth Quay!
Hostels
Finding a place to stay in a big city like Perth can be pretty expensive. So, I’ve narrowed down the cheapest and coolest hostels I could find. I’ve also added our hotel since it was cheaper than any hostel.
| Hostel Name | (from) Price Per Night |
| Koala’s | $14 up to $1000! |
| Britannia on William | $18 |
| myOZexp Aberdeen Lodge | $19 |
| Perth City YHA | $25 |
| The Old Swan Barracks | $25 |
| Haus Accommodation | $26 |
| Quokka | $27 |
| Underground | $29 |
| JJ’s | $30 |
| Billabong | $33 |
* Do you want your Hostel on this list? If you feel like your Perth-based Hostel is competitively priced in comparison to the above competitors, please drop me an email at emma@ariverofroses.com with the subject ‘Perth Backpackers’!
Our Hotel
When we booked, we found that all the hostels were too expensive so we chose to stay at the Quality Hotel Ambassador ($218.86 for 2 nights). This is your sign to book well in advance, as hostels can get booked up quickly, especially in WA’s Summer (December – February). It was a nice basic quiet hotel with a buffet breakfast included.
Transport
Perth has excellent transport systems. Like all major cities, there are a variety of train stations scattered across the city. There are also a lot of bus routes operating in Perth City. ‘Cat’ Routes are completely free if you want to get around the city. It’s worth noting that bus services are currently cash only… we learnt that from experience (2023).
How to get to Perth from the Airport?
When we landed at Perth Airport, we headed straight for the train station. Unfortunately, the lift wasn’t working so I was a bit disappointed at the fact that I had to traipse my luggage up the endless steps. However, a nice worker offered to help me. We got a family ticket for $10 (around £5) and there was a train that took us on a 20-minute ride straight to the city.
Our friends are coming in a few days and unfortunately, the train line is undergoing repairs. I’ll find out how they got here and update this blog post accordingly! In the meantime, check out this route checker on the official Airport website.
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That’s a wrap! Feel like I’m missing something on this post? Drop me a comment below!
