- Duration
- 1 day, ferry + ~4 km on foot (≈ 7 h: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- ferry, walk
- Start
- Barrack Street Jetty (Elizabeth Quay)
- Finish
- Hotel Rottnest
- Pace
- moderate pace
- Best time
- February–March has the warmest snorkelling water; book summer-weekend ferries well ahead
- Budget per adult
- Same-day return ferry A$135.50 from Perth (A$87.50 from Fremantle) including the island admission fee; bike hire A$38 per day from Rottnest ExpressPrices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
Ferry from Barrack Street Jetty. The Fremantle sailing is cheaper than the city one. This is not a Transperth fare.
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. Barrack Street Jetty (Elizabeth Quay)~15 min at the stop
Rottnest Express ferries leave from central Perth: down the Swan River, past Fremantle and into open water.
Tip: Starting from Fremantle is quicker and cheaper: A$87.50 same-day return. Fares are valid until 30 June 2027.
Open on the map ↗↓ ferry · 1 h 30 min
2. Thomson Bay settlement~45 min at the stop
The island's main settlement: Pedal & Flipper hire, cafes and your first quokkas wandering the streets.
Tip: Don't touch or feed the quokkas: fines apply; they supply the famous smile on their own.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 19 min · 1.4 km
3. Bathurst Lighthouse~20 min at the stop
A white 1900 lighthouse on a low headland the postcard angle over the turquoise water and northern bays.
Tip: You can't go inside: the view, not the tower, is the point.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 3 min · 0.2 km
4. Pinky Beach~1 h at the stop
A short white curve beneath the lighthouse with calm water; on clear days the mainland shows on the horizon.
Tip: Pinky's beach club does lunch without you ever leaving the sand.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 4 min · 0.3 km
5. The Basin~1 h 30 min at the stop
A natural swimming pool ringed by reef. The island's easiest snorkelling, fifteen minutes' walk from the ferry.
Tip: Sort out a mask and fins in advance: Rottnest Express rents sets from A$22 alongside your ferry ticket, and Pedal & Flipper is in the settlement too.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 14 min · 1.1 km
6. Hotel Rottnest~1 h at the stop
The governor's former summer residence (1864), now waterside terraces: the classic last drink before the ferry home.
Tip: Head back to the jetty about twenty minutes before departure: boarding queues can be long.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.