Day Trip From Perth to Lancelin & Yanchep

The coastal town of Lancelin is located 126km north of Perth and is a favourite spot for outdoor enthusiasts. A day trip from Perth to Lancelin is great because you also pass right by Yanchep National Park and can see the highlights of both.

Lancelin is famed for it’s huge sand dune system that allows many types of adventures. You can 4WD, rent dune buggies or slide down on a sandboard. The town also hosts one of the most spectacular beer gardens in W.A.

For those who don’t mind a bit of extra driving or are keen on an weekend getaway, Lancelin also provides a base to explore the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. If you can find the time, you can see all this and much more on an epic Perth to Exmouth road trip!

Yanchep National Park sits right on the edge of what could be considered the northern tip of Perth city. For those who venture out there, you get to explore underground caves, great walking trails and even a boardwalk through trees filled with koalas!

READ MORE: 15 Best Day Trips from Perth

Exploring the huge sand dunes of Lancelin

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Distance from Perth to Lancelin

The distance from Perth to Lancelin is 127km by road. This is about 1.5hrs of driving.

Best Time of Year for a Perth to Lancelin Day Trip

The best time of year for this day trip from Perth to Lancelin is mid-spring to mid-autumn. The only caveat is that you probably don’t want to visit on a really hot summers day, as the sand dunes can become uncomfortably hot.

This area can have great weather at any time of year so don’t be afraid to visit outside of these times. All you need to enjoy Lancelin and Yanchep is a dry day.

Best Tour From Perth to Lancelin & Yanchep

If you’re just visiting Perth on holiday and don’t want to hire a car then check out the below tour.

Pinnacles, Koalas & Sandboarding Tour Day Trip from Perth

This is a big day out and perfect if you are only visiting W.A. for a short time. You’ll get to off-road all over the Lancelin dunes and shoot down on a sandboard. You’ll also get to see the Pinnacles, have a seafood lunch in Cervantes and see all the amazing native animals at Caversham Wildlife Park.

The tour doesn’t include Yanchep but you’ll get to see koalas at the wildlife park. The itinerary below prefers a more relaxed pace but you could add one or more of these stops if you don’t mind a long day.

Feeding the roos in Caversham

Day Trip From Perth to Lancelin & Yanchep

Lancelin

You should start the day by heading straight up the coast to Lancelin. Getting the longest stretch of driving out of the way means a more relaxed afternoon and less wind. The W.A. coast often experiences strong winds in the afternoon and no one likes sand blowing everywhere!

The main thing to do here is exploring the massive dune system and this can be done in a variety of ways. If you only want to walk around then there is plenty of free parking and you can go wherever you want.

You have to try sandboarding in Lancelin!

Let’s be honest though, if you walk all the way up, you’re going to want to slide down! Sandboards can be hired from a number of locations in town. It’s not usually necessary to book in advance but if you want to make sure you get one then there are a couple of options.

Perth Quad – This company is located right at the base of the dunes and offers sandboard hire, $10 for 2hrs. This is also where you can hire quad-bikes and dune buggies. These can be booked out on nice days so this experience is best to book in advance.
In Town – There are a number of businesses in town that offer rentals. You can find one yourself or book online and have one reserved for you at a place with stock. This costs $12.50 for 2.5hrs.

Dune buggies are so much fun and a must-try experience if you have never done it before. The Lancelin sand dunes are one of the best places in Australia for this adventure as it is such a large area and the views from the top are amazing.

Lunch in Lancelin

The amazing beer garden at Endeavour Tavern

I can assure you that running up and down the dunes for a couple hours straight will build up a solid appetite! Never fear as lunch is not far away; head into town and locate the Endeavour Tavern.

Hopefully you can snag an outdoor table in their incredible beer garden. This spot is right on the beachfront and has fantastic views of the ocean and Lancelin Island.

READ MORE: The Ultimate Five Day Perth Itinerary

Other Things to do in Lancelin

Lancelin Lookout – Located on the ocean side of the Lancelin Beach Hotel, this lookout offers nice views up and down the coastline.

Lancelin Beach – The perfect way to cool off after the sand dunes is a dip in the beautiful clear waters of Lancelin. The beach is really nice here but can sometimes accumulate seaweed.

The Pinnacles and Nambung National Park – The natural landmark of The Pinnacles is located another 77km north of Lancelin. It will take around 50mins to drive there and then another 140km (1.5hr) to drive down to Yanchep. It’s a bit of extra driving but manageable if you leave early enough in the morning.

Lancelin Lookout

Yanchep National Park

Next on the agenda is a visit to Yanchep National Park to see some koalas! It’s about 76km back down the highway towards Perth and will be about 50mins driving time.

Standard national park entry fees apply which is $15 per vehicle. We recommend purchasing a W.A. parks pass which will cover your whole holiday. This is also true of Nambung National Park above so if you are planning to do both then definitely buy a pass.

McNess House Visitor Centre

The visitor centre is a great place to start your explorations if you are unsure where to go. They can provide information about the various attractions as well as tickets to the small museum.

Walking

After driving down here you can stretch your legs with one of the great walks. There are several short walks to choose from but I recommend the ‘Wetlands Walk’. This 2.7km loop takes you around part of the lake and includes the koala boardwalk.

You can spot many types of birds on this walk including cockatoos, kookaburras and parrots. The koala boardwalk offers a fantastic close up view of the small koala colony.

One of the cute koalas at Yanchep

Caves

There are a couple of limestone caves within the national park. Only one is really set up for exploring by visitors, with the other being used for events such as weddings!

The Yanchep Crystal Cave can be explored on organised tours. Head underground to see the otherworldly landscape of stalagmites and stalactites (and learn which is which!).

Bookings are required to be made online. Click here for further details and the booking link.

Treetops Adventure

If you have kids and they aren’t completely knackered already then they can climb and zipline their way through the forest. Treetops Adventure Yanchep offers a variety of exciting activities within the park. See their website for further details.

The beautiful and historic Yanchep Inn

Yanchep Inn

The Yanchep Inn is a beautiful, heritage listed building within the national park. They offer a pub and restaurant as well as accommodation. Their expansive beer garden is a great place to relax and birdwatch at the end of the day.

Back to Perth

Your day trip from Perth to Lancelin ends here with an approximately 45min drive back to the city. If you enjoyed this trip then make sure to check out more amazing day trips from Perth.

READ MORE: Where to Stay in Perth

I hope you’ve found this Perth to Lancelin day trip guide useful and it helps you to have an amazing trip! If you’re planning a visit to Perth then you will find some of our most popular guides to Perth and Western Australia below.

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