7 Epic Western Australia Road Trips (From Weekend Escapes to Full Send Adventures)

Western Australia isn’t just big… it’s MASSIVE. And the best way to experience it?

A proper road trip where you can stop whenever that beach calls your name or when you spot another impossibly pink lake.

We’ve spent years driving these roads in our bus Bunji, and these 7 trips are hands down the best for getting out and experiencing WA’s crazy diverse landscapes.

Whether you’ve got a spare weekend or you’re ready to disappear for a month, we’ve got you covered with coastal drives, outback adventures, and everything in between.

1) Perth to Esperance (WA)

• Duration: 7-10 days
• Best time: November to April
• Vehicle: 2WD (4WD recommended for side trips)
• Good for: Beach lovers chasing white sand, turquoise water, and some of the most photogenic coastline in Australia

This 720-kilometre journey along WA’s south coast delivers some of the best beaches in Australia, and we’re not exaggerating. Lucky Bay has sand so white it’s blinding, and you’ll share it with kangaroos who literally just hang out on the beach.

The coastal scenery changes constantly from pink lakes to white sand to rocky headlands, so you’ll never get bored of the view.

Highlights

• Twilight Beach and Wharton Beach, our two fave beaches in the COUNTRY.
• Cape Le Grand National Park, where Lucky Bay, Thistle Cove, and Hellfire Bay compete for the title of most beautiful beach.
• Great Ocean Drive, a 40-kilometre coastal loop that hits all the best beaches and lookouts around Esperance.
• Lake Hillier, the famous pink lake you can see from scenic flights over the Recherche Archipelago.
• Hyden, home to Wave Rock and the lesser-known Hippo’s Yawn rock formation.

We’ve mapped out the ultimate Perth to Esperance road trip with every beach, lake, and viewpoint you need to hit along the way!

2) Perth to Margaret River (WA)

• Duration: 2-5 days
• Best time: Year-round
• Vehicle: 2WD
• Good for: Weekend warriors after wineries, surf breaks, and caves without driving halfway across the state

Just 3 hours south of Perth, Margaret River packs more quality experiences into a small area than anywhere else in WA!

You can surf in the morning, hit a wine tasting at lunch, and explore underground caves by afternoon.

5 days is perfect to do it justice without rushing, but you can squeeze the highlights into a long weekend.

Highlights

• Busselton Jetty, the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere where you can snorkel the underwater sculpture park.
• Yallingup, home to that Instagram-famous natural spa and some seriously good surf spots.
• Margaret River wineries, with over 120 cellar doors ranging from big names to tiny family operations.
• Canal Rocks, where the ocean has carved channels through the granite and created natural rock pools.
• Lake Cave, the most beautiful of the region’s show caves with a suspended table and crystal-clear reflection pool.

Our complete Perth to Margaret River itinerary includes the best wineries, beaches, and caves we discovered over multiple trips!

3) South West WA Loop (WA)

• Duration: 7-14 days
• Best time: September to May
• Vehicle: 2WD
• Good for: Anyone wanting to combine Margaret River’s wineries with ancient forests, dramatic coastlines, and gourmet food towns

This loop takes you through the best of WA’s Southwest, hitting the Margaret River region before continuing east to towering karri forests and the stunning south coast.

The variety is incredible, from wine regions to coastal towns to forests where you can climb 60-metre-tall fire lookout trees! We’ve done this loop 3 times and it never gets old.

Highlights

• Albany, one of the few places in Australia where we’ve actually considered living in! It has some seriously underrated beaches (like Misery Beach), history, and a great vibe in general.
• Denmark, a relaxed coastal town with the iconic Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool. It’s perfect for swimming, and tasting local wines and craft beer.
• Augusta, the gateway to Cape Leeuwin where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet at Australia’s southwestern tip!
• Pemberton, where you can climb the Gloucester Tree fire lookout (if you’re game) and explore the karri forests by bike.

Check out our detailed South West WA road trip guide with a complete 7-day itinerary and all our favourite stops!

4) Perth to Kalbarri (WA)

• Duration: 5-7 days
• Best time: April to October
• Vehicle: 2WD
• Good for: Those chasing otherworldly landscapes and dramatic scenery without needing a 4WD or 2 weeks off work

The drive to Kalbarri is incredibly scenic, taking you through the mindblowing Pinnacles, coastal towns like Jurien Bay and Geraldton.

The Kalbarri Skywalk is worth the drive alone, cantilevering 25 metres over the Murchison River gorge with views that’ll make your stomach drop.

Throw in wildflowers from July to October and you’ve got one hell of a trip!

Highlights

• Kalbarri National Park , including Nature’s Window, Z Bend, and the spectacular skywalk over the river.
• Kalbarri coastal cliffs, with Natural Bridge, Island Rock, and Red Bluff offering dramatic ocean views.
• Hutt Lagoon, a bubblegum-pink lake just outside Kalbarri.
• The Pinnacles, thousands of limestone pillars rising from yellow desert sand that look like an alien landscape.
• Geraldton, a coastal city perfect for breaking up the drive and checking out the HMAS Sydney II Memorial.

We’ve put together a full Perth to Kalbarri road trip itinerary covering the best stops, gorge walks, and coastal viewpoints!

5) Perth to Exmouth (WA)

• Duration: 10-14 days
• Best time: April to October
• Vehicle: 2WD (4WD recommended for side trips)
• Good for: Adventure seekers ready to drive 1,270 kilometres for world-class snorkelling with whale sharks and manta rays

Exmouth sits on Ningaloo Reef, one of the few places on Earth where you can swim with whale sharks and snorkel a reef from the beach!

The drive is long but absolutely worth it, especially if you stop at Shark Bay, Coral Bay, and the endless turquoise beaches along the way.

We’ve spent months in Exmouth and it’s one of the best destinations in Australia.

Highlights

• Turquoise Bay, hands down one of the best snorkelling spots in Australia with turtles, reef sharks, and tropical fish.
• Cape Range National Park, packed with pristine snorkelling beaches, gorge walks, and epic camping spots with ocean views.
• Coral Bay, a tiny town with incredible snorkelling right off the beach and excellent manta ray tours.
• Monkey Mia, where wild dolphins come to shore every morning for fish and you can stand in knee-deep water watching them.
• Shell Beach, a 70-kilometre beach made entirely of tiny white shells piled up to 10 metres deep.

Our comprehensive Perth to Exmouth road trip guide breaks down the entire journey with every stop, swim spot, and side trip mapped out!

6) Perth to Bremer Bay (WA)

• Duration: 4-6 days
• Best time: January to April
• Vehicle: 2WD
• Good for: Wildlife enthusiasts and anyone wanting pristine beaches without the crowds you’ll find in Margaret River or Esperance

Bremer Bay is one of WA’s best-kept secrets, a tiny coastal town where orcas gather every summer to feed on the continental shelf. From January to April, you’ve got a bloody good chance of seeing them on a boat tour. The beaches are pristine, the fishing is excellent, and you’ll have most of them to yourself.

Highlights

• Albany, worth stopping at for The Gap, Natural Bridge, and whale watching from June to October.
• Bremer Bay orca tours, running January to April when up to 200 orcas gather to hunt at the Bremer Canyon.
• Bremer Bay beaches, including Dolphin Cove, Little Boat Harbour, and Point Ann with white sand and turquoise water.
• Fitzgerald River National Park, accessible from the eastern side with coastal walks and 4WD tracks through wilderness.
• Ravensthorpe Wildflower Trail, showcasing over 700 species of wildflowers from August to October.

We’ve written a complete Perth to Bremer Bay road trip itinerary including the best time to visit and where to see orcas!

7) Gibb River Road (WA)

• Duration: 10-14 days
• Best time: May to September
• Vehicle: 4WD
• Good for: Experienced 4WD travellers ready for remote gorges, river crossings, and one of Australia’s greatest outback adventures

The Gibb River Road is 660 kilometres of corrugated dirt connecting Derby to Kununurra through the heart of the Kimberley.

You’ll tackle river crossings, hike into ancient gorges, swim under waterfalls, and camp in some of the most remote country in Australia.

This isn’t a trip you rush, and you definitely need a proper 4WD and recovery gear.

Highlights

• Bell Gorge, featuring a spectacular waterfall and swimming hole that’s worth the bumpy 30-kilometre access road.
• El Questro Wilderness Park, a million-acre playground with Emma Gorge, Zebedee Springs, and Chamberlain Gorge.
• Windjana Gorge, a 3.5-kilometre-long gorge carved by the Lennard River with freshwater crocodiles sunbaking on the banks.
• Tunnel Creek, where you wade through waist-deep water in complete darkness through a 750-metre cave system.
• Manning Gorge, requiring a creek crossing and 2-kilometre walk to reach a huge swimming hole with rock slides.

Our massive Gibb River Road guide covers every gorge, river crossing, and campsite you need to know about before tackling this epic journey!