7-Day Perth to Exmouth Return: Pinnacles, Kalbarri & Ningaloo

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Perth to Kalbarri
3 stops
1
The Pinnacles Desert
Your Coral Coast adventure begins in the desert. Join your guide for a walk through the Pinnacles, where thousands of ancient limestone spires rise out of golden sand. Some stand taller than you, others are no bigger than your hand, and the whole place feels like another planet. Have your camera ready: this is one of the most photographed places in Western Australia.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Geraldton (Pass by)
Drive through Geraldton, the main city of the Mid West coast, famous for its rock lobster, pearls and shipwreck stories.
2
Hutt Lagoon
If time permits, stop at Hutt Lagoon near Port Gregory, a lake that can turn bright pink depending on the season, the sun and the weather. It's a short, colourful stop and a great photo spot before we continue to the beach town of Kalbarri for the night.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Kalbarri National Park to Shark Bay
2 stops
3
Kalbarri National Park
Spend the morning in Kalbarri National Park, where the Murchison River has carved deep gorges through red and white striped rock over millions of years. Step out onto the Kalbarri Skywalk, two platforms that hang high above the gorge, then walk to Nature's Window, a natural rock arch that perfectly frames the river below. At Z-Bend, look down into the twisting gorge lined with red river gums and hidden waterholes. Feeling brave? Try the optional abseil down the cliffs (own expense).
3 hours • Admission ticket included
(Pass by)
Continue north into the Shark Bay World Heritage Area and arrive in Denham, the gateway to Shark Bay, in time to relax and toast a big day.
Day 3
Shark Bay to Coral Bay
3 stops
4
Monkey Mia
Start the day at Monkey Mia, one of the best places in Australia to see wild dolphins up close. Stand at the water's edge as bottlenose dolphins swim into the shallows, often just metres from the beach. Shark Bay's seagrass meadows cover more than 4,000 square kilometres and are also home to turtles, dugongs and, at certain times of year, whale sharks, so keep your eyes on the water.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
5
Walk out on the boardwalk at Hamelin Pool to see the stromatolites, rock-like mounds built by tiny living organisms. They are linked to some of the oldest forms of life on Earth, going back about 3 billion years, and Hamelin Pool has one of the best examples in the world.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
6
Coral Bay
Arrive in Coral Bay, a small beach town sitting right on Ningaloo Reef. Watch the sun sink into the ocean and the stars come out over the reef.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Coral Bay (Ningaloo Reef) to Exmouth
2 stops
7
Ningaloo Reef
Today is all about the reef. At World Heritage-listed Ningaloo, the coral starts just metres from the sand, so you can walk in and snorkel straight off the beach. Put your head under to see an explosion of colour: more than 250 types of coral and over 500 kinds of fish. Want more? Book an optional boat tour to swim with manta rays and turtles, a glass bottom boat cruise or, in season, a whale watching trip (all own expense). Or simply float, swim and soak up the sun on the white sand.
4 hours • Admission ticket included
Exmouth (Pass by)
Later in the day, drive north to Exmouth, happily salty and sandy, for the night.
Day 5
Exmouth and Cape Range National Park
3 stops
8
Cape Range National Park
Today you have a choice. Join an optional swim with whale sharks, the gentle giants of the ocean (own expense, depending on the time of year), or spend the day with your guide exploring Cape Range National Park. Here, ancient reefs pushed up from under the sea to create rugged limestone ranges, deep canyons and beautiful beaches. Keep watch for wildlife: emus, euros, red kangaroos, bungarras (large goanna lizards), bustards and plenty of birds live here.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
9
Turquoise Bay
For those exploring Cape Range with the group, take a dip, or two, at Turquoise Bay. True to its name, the water is clear and bright blue, with coral and tropical fish just off the white sand. Snorkel (gear hire at own expense), swim or simply relax on the beach.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
10
Vlamingh Head Lighthouse
End the day at Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, high on a hill above the cape. Watch the last golden light of the day as the sun drops into the Indian Ocean, with wide views over the reef and the coast. A perfect way to end a day in paradise.
30 minutes • Admission ticket included
Day 6
Exmouth to Northbrook Farm
3 stops
11
Carnarvon
Hit the open road south and watch the colours of the outback roll past the window. Stop in Carnarvon, a busy little town that supplies much of Western Australia with prawns, scallops, crabs, fish, fruit and vegetables. Stretch your legs and grab a snack before we continue.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
12
Carnarvon
Visit a working banana plantation, one of the farms that make this area famous for its fresh produce.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
13
Spend your last night together on a real Aussie farm. Help feed the animals, play farm-hand for the evening and listen to local stories under a sky full of stars. It's a fun and relaxed way to get a taste of country life.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 7
Northbrook to Perth
5 stops
14
HMAS Sydney II Memorial
Visit the HMAS Sydney II Memorial on the hill above Geraldton. This moving memorial honours the 645 sailors lost when the warship sank off this coast in 1941, and the lookout gives wide views over the city and the ocean. Your guide shares the colourful history of the area.
30 minutes • Admission ticket included
15
St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Stop at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, a striking building with domes and bold striped arches, and one of the most unusual churches in Western Australia.
30 minutes • Admission ticket included
16
See the tall red and white striped Point Moore Lighthouse, which has guided ships along this coast since the 1870s. A great spot for a photo.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
17
Get up close to Aussie animals at this wildlife sanctuary that supports conservation and animal rescue. Meet dingoes, emus, orphaned kangaroo joeys and saltwater crocodiles, and if you are brave, hold a lizard or even a snake.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
18
Lancelin Sand Dunes
On the drive south, stop at the huge white sand dunes of the Coral Coast. Climb, run and take photos in this bright, almost snowy landscape. Then it's back to Perth for drop-off in the early evening: take your last selfies, swap contacts with your new friends and start planning your next adventure.
15 minutes • Admission ticket included

Additional info

• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Minimum age is 18. This tour is for adults only
• Accommodation is in shared hostel dorms (4 to 10 beds, mixed gender) with shared bathrooms
• This is a participatory tour: everyone helps with meal prep and cleaning up

Tags