Western Australia is home to some of the most unique and breath-taking landscapes, an untouched coastline featuring pristine beaches and a thriving coral reef which offers world class scuba diving and snorkelling. Embarking on a Perth to Exmouth road trip is sure to be an adventure of a lifetime. It’s even better if you have a 4WD so you can explore some of the remote beaches and lesser visited areas!
Western Australia is a massive state and you can expect to spend many hours behind the wheel but each stop along this Perth to Exmouth itinerary will reward you with a different type of raw and natural beauty that you simply haven’t seen anywhere else. It’s true, this road trip is certainly one of Australia’s greatest hidden gems and an absolute must if you are visiting W.A.
Exploring the stunning beaches of Coral Bay
After recently completing this road trip ourselves, we’ve put together the perfect 10 day itinerary including all the best stops to make on your Perth to Exmouth drive! At the end of the itinerary, you can either make the long trek back to Perth or you can leave your rental car in Exmouth and catch a short flight back.
We’ve also included the option to extend the road trip to 2 weeks (if you have extra time) and make the drive back to Perth via Karijini National Park. This will add a significant amount of driving time to the itinerary, but I promise you will not regret it!
Table of Contents
Perth to Exmouth Road Trip Overview
Recommended Stops
- Lancelin
- The Pinnacles Desert – Nambung National Park
- Cervantes – 1 night
- Hutt Lagoon – The Pink Lake
- Kalbarri – 2 nights
- Monkey Mia – 2 nights
- Carnarvon Cactus Garden
- Coral Bay – 3 nights
- Charles Knife Canyon Gorge
- Exmouth – 2 nights
- Karijini National Park – 4 nights (optional)
Enjoying the beauty of Coral Bay
Perth to Exmouth Road Trip Summary
Day 1 – Leave Perth early in the morning and drive 1.5 hrs to Lancelin to see the sand dunes. Continue the drive north for 1 hr to reach the Pinnacles Desert. Finish off the day in Cervantes only 30 min away from the Pinnacles.
Night 1 – Cervantes
Day 2 – Depart Cervantes first thing in the morning and begin the 3.5 hr drive to Hutt Lagoon (Pink Lake). From there, it’s only 30 minutes to Kalbarri.
Nights 2 & 3 – Kalbarri
Day 3 – Spend the full day seeing the highlights of Kalbarri National Park: Nature’s Window, Z Bend, Skywalk & more!
Day 4 – Begin the 4 hour drive from Kalbarri to Shark Bay. Make sure to stop at Shell Beach for some photos along the way.
Nights 4 & 5- Monkey Mia
Day 5 – Wake up early to watch the Dolphins feeding on the beach in Monkey Mia. Spend the full day exploring some of the highlights of Francois Peron National Park and maybe a visit to the Ocean Park Aquarium to see the sharks.
Day 6 – Leave Monkey Mia early in the morning to begin the long 6 hour drive to Coral Bay. Some short but awesome stops along the drive: Eagle Bluff Lookout, Carnarvon Cactus Garden.
Nights 6, 7, 8 – Coral Bay
Day 7 – Spend a relaxing day by the Coral Bay beach, enjoying the incredible snorkelling from the shore. Take a walk over to neighbouring bay to see the many reef sharks swimming at the Shark Nursery.
Day 8 – Book a snorkelling or diving day trip on the Ningaloo Reef to swim with whale sharks/manta rays (plus so much more)!
Day 9 – Depart Coral Bay at any time and drive 1.5 hrs to Exmouth with an easy detour to see the Charles Knife Canyon Gorge along the way.
Night 9 & 10 – Exmouth
Day 10 – Spend the day exploring some of the stunning beaches around Exmouth – Turquoise Bay cannot be missed!
Final Day – Fly back to Perth, begin the drive back to Perth (takes around 2 days), or continue the road trip to Karijini National Park.
Floating around Little Lagoon, Shark Bay
Total Driving Time
13 hrs – Perth to Exmouth, one way
Longest Stretch of Driving
6 hrs Monkey Mia – Coral Bay
Total KM Covered
1,249 km
Perth to Exmouth Highlights
- The most spectacular and unique landscapes you’ll never see elsewhere: massive gorges, impressive rock formations, red cliffs + a pink lake!
- Crystal clear water and some of the best beaches in Western Australia
- World class snorkelling/scuba diving on the Ningaloo Reef
- Plenty of native wildlife: kangaroos, emus, dolphins, sharks, turtles, manta rays, many colourful fish + so much more!
↓ Check out the video below for a quick overview of some of the amazing experiences to be had ↓
How Long Will I Need?
If you plan to drive both ways, from Perth to Exmouth and then back again, we would allow for about 12 days total. The complete road trip itinerary will take 10 days but then to make the long drive back down to Perth, it’s best to allow 2 extra days to break it up (however, it can be done in one go if you have multiple drivers!)
If you plan to extend this itinerary and continue on to Karijini National Park, we would suggest allowing 2 weeks or more. The drive from Exmouth to Karijini is around 8 hours which takes up a full day. Karijini is a huge national park with so much to see, it’s best to allow 3-4 full days to complete all of the hikes in and around the gorges.
Accommodation
You will have many options when it comes to choosing where to stay along the way. A very popular way to do this route is by hiring a camper van or taking a 4WD and camping in a tent, which we did. If you don’t wish to camp, the good news is that you can easily do this road trip without camping. There are plenty of accommodation options at each stop for those who prefer some extra comfort. Look for our recommendations for where to stay in each section of this itinerary.
Best Time of Year To Go
The best time to drive from Perth to Exmouth would be anytime during the months of April – November. During these months you can expect blue skies, 30 degree days, and beautiful fields of wild flowers during the spring (Sept – Nov).
The north of Western Australia is a dry desert climate with higher temperatures than Perth and the southwest. This means that you’ll want to avoid the peak of the summer months from December – February. We would recommend heading south during summer, our Perth to Esperance road trip itinerary is perfect for that time of year.
We drove from Perth to Exmouth in September and found it was the perfect time of year to go. The crowds were minimal, we didn’t see a single drop of rain, and there was plenty of wildlife to see on the coral reef!
Hutt Lagoon from above
Perth to Exmouth Road Trip Tips
- Share the driving! The roads are straight and the drives are long and tiring. It’s easy to get sleepy at the wheel so make sure to switch up the driver often and don’t plan to do all the driving yourself.
- Avoid driving at night! If you’ve road tripped in Australia before, you’ll know this is the time when kangaroos like to hang out on the warm road. Hitting a kangaroo can do some significant damage to your car, plus it’s not a nice experience to hit an innocent animal when driving. Aim to stop driving before dusk.
- Fuel up often! In WA the distances are huge between towns and roadhouses. In some regions of WA (especially up north) you can drive for many hours through the desert without seeing a petrol station, so be prepared and plan your route ahead of time mapping out the fuel stops. You could also bring a jerrycan of petrol just to be on the safe side, a good idea particularly if you plan to do a lot of 4 wheel driving.
- Test your camping gear! If you plan to camp for this road trip, make sure to test out all of your gear before you go. We’ve made this mistake before and it’s not fun to have surprises when you’re camping in a remote location ie. that time we accidentally forgot to fill up the gas cylinder for our camp stove before we left Perth, oops!
►Looking for more tips? Check out our article on the 30 best Australian road trip tips you must know before you hit the road!
The Best Travel Insurance for Road Trips
If you are travelling to Australia from overseas then make sure you have good travel insurance before hitting the road. We use Heymondo when we travel as it’s perfect for adventures such as hiking, surfing, road tripping etc.
For peace of mind while abroad, Heymondo is one of the most reputable travel insurance companies that will provide you with simple and flexible coverage. Whether you are into adventurous activities or simply looking for trip cancellation and basic medical insurance, Heymondo has you covered.
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Hiring a Car
Before you head out, you’ll need to organize your car hire in Perth. To search for car hire in all countries we travel to, we pretty much always go with Rentalcars.com. It’s an easy website to use, they have a large selection of providers with reasonable prices and no booking fees! Use the form below or click here to browse car hire options.
Perth to Exmouth Road Trip – An Epic 10 Day Drive Along WA’s Coral Coast
Lancelin dunes
Day 1 – Perth to Cervantes
Lancelin
The first day of the road trip will take you on an easy 1.5 hr drive from Perth to Lancelin. The small seaside town of Lancelin is known for its white sand dunes and beautiful beaches. Sand boarding in the dunes is easily the most popular activity here and boards can be hired for around $12 for 2.5 hours. Click here to find more info about booking your boards beforehand.
The huge sand dunes of Lancelin
Pinnacles Desert – Nambung National Park
After you spend a few hours in the Lancelin dunes, continue your drive to the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park. This spectacular desert full of limestone formations is truly an impressive sight and will make you feel as though you’ve been transported to another planet. The Pinnacles were formed around 30,000 years ago when the sea receded and left deposits from shells exposed to the coastal winds.
When you enter the park, you’ll have the choice of driving your car around the 4km loop that runs right through the Pinnacles. There are plenty of pull outs where you can stop and get out to take photos. The other option is to leave your car in the car park and walk, which takes around an hour return.
Before you leave, make sure to check out the Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre which features beautiful displays explaining the history of the park and the formation of the Pinnacles.
Nambung National Park entry: $15 per vehicle / free for National Park pass holders
Pinnacles Desert
Cervantes
Cervantes is a small fishing town only 30 minutes away from the Pinnacles. It’s famous for seafood, more specifically lobster. If there’s one thing you must do in here, it’s eat at the Lobster Shack! Cervantes is quite small and there aren’t a ton of things to see and do in the town itself but it’s the perfect place to stop for the night to break up the journey.
Where to Stay in Cervantes
Pinnacles Edge Resort – We decided to spend the night here, as we didn’t want to set up the tent for just one night this provided the perfect option. With comfortable rooms and a restaurant attached, we couldn’t have asked for much more!
RAC Cervantes Holiday Park – A beachfront accommodation offering camp sites and fully equipped villas. With a large pool, BBQ area, playground and more, this holiday park is a great choice if you’re camping or traveling as a family!
Day 2 – Cervantes to Kalbarri
Hutt Lagoon
Day 2 begins with a 4 hr drive to Kalbarri with a stop at Hutt Lagoon aka the Pink Lake along the way. On the way out of Cervantes, you have the option to check out Lake Thetis to see the ancient rock formations called Thrombolites. This is one in five locations in W.A. where you can witness these fascinating living fossils! The lake is only 2 km inland from Cervantes making it easy to include as a stop along your drive, there is no fee to enter.
Once you approach the Pink Lake you won’t believe your eyes, the water really is that pink! Hutt Lagoon is a salt lake which gets its vibrant colour from a carotenoid producing algae, Dunaliella salina. Depending on the time of year, the weather or even time of day the lake’s hue can change significantly. The best time to see the Pink Lake is mid-day when the sun is high in the sky and there are no clouds.
There is an official Pink Lake lookout on Port Gregory Road but you can actually just pull over anywhere you like to see it. We decided to stop somewhere random along the drive from Cervantes to Kalbarri, there was no other person in sight which meant our photos turned out great!
Make sure your camera batteries are charged and ready to go, this Insta-worthy lake is the perfect spot to snap some really unique photos. If you have a drone, this is the place to get it out! You’ll notice that the lake appears even pinker from above.
A bubble gum lake! Hutt Lagoon
Kalbarri
Kalbarri is a small town surrounded by incredible landscapes of dramatic coastal cliffs, spectacular inland gorges and beautiful beaches; a true gem of Western Australia. There are plenty of scenic hiking trails but for those who prefer to relax by the beach, you’ll have the option to do that too! Spending two nights in Kalbarri will give you plenty of time to see the national park and a few of the highlights listed below.
Pot Alley
A jaw-dropping coastal lookout of rugged red cliffs leading down to crashing waves. Head here with a few drinks to watch the sunset and take in the views. If you come during the day you can park your car on the top of the cliffs and walk the short trail down to the beach for a swim in the sheltered bay. This spot cannot be missed while you’re in Kalbarri.
Red Bluff
A short drive down the road from Pot Alley will lead you to yet another epic lookout spot offering panoramic views over the ocean and coastline. If you’re lucky, this is also a great place to spot the humpback whales migrating north from May – November. Both of these viewpoints, among a few other ones, can be located only a 5 minute drive from Kalbarri town center.
Chinaman’s Beach
A lovely beach with soft white sand and a popular s