Perth to Karijini Road Trip 2-Week Itinerary + FREE Map

Karijini’s got some of the most dramatic gorge scenery in Australia! It’s honestly one of the most memorable places we’ve been to after 5+ years on the road.

It’s home to iconic places like Hamersley Gorge, Weano Gorge, Handrail Pool, and Hancock Gorge. Plus, there are some beautiful towns to check out on the way there if you want to explore a bit more.

So this is the coastal itinerary we’d do if we had 2 weeks available! We’ve included all the stops, stays, and a free map to show you where everything is.

Road trip snapshot

• Distance: ~2,800km return
• Drive time: ~30 hours across the 2 weeks
• Areas covered: Karijini NP, Tom Price, Geraldton, Carnarvon. Add-ons: Jurien Bay, Kalbarri, Monkey Mia & Shark Bay, Exmouth & Coral Bay
• Best time: April to October, peak season is winter.
• Vehicle: 2WD is usually good, some roads are unsealed but in good condition. 4WD recommended after rain.
• Pet-friendly: No, sadly. Karijini is a national park and dogs aren’t allowed in.
• Good for: Travellers who love the outdoors, hiking, swimming, and are comfortable with some rock scrambling.

Day 1: Perth > Geraldton

• Distance: ~425km
• Drive time: ~4.5 hrs

This is the first of a few solid driving days as you make your way up to Karijini!

If you’re keen to break the drive up, here are some great spots we recommend. No pressure to check all of them today, though, you can visit them on your way back:

• Yanchep National Park. It has beautiful hiking trails where you can see local wildlife, and a few caves worth exploring.
• Lancelin sand dunes. Famous for sandboarding! A must if you’re in the area.
• The Pinnacles. The landscape is filled with thousands of limestone pillars, it feels like walking in a sci-fi movie!
• Jurien Bay. Famous for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and for being home to the endangered Australian sea lions.

You’ll roll into Geraldton by mid-afternoon, giving you time to wander along the foreshore or stop at the HMAS Sydney II Memorial before dinner.

We recommend exploring Geraldton properly on the way back, so for tonight it’s just about stocking up if needed and resting up before the next leg.

Where to stay in Geraldton?

• Drummond Cove Holiday Park. Excellent facilities and it’s on the outskirts of Geraldton, so you’re ready to tackle the next leg of the trip.
• Belair Gardens Caravan Park. Best caravan park if you want to stay in town.
• Hospitality Geraldton. Budget-friendly hotel within walking distance from the city centre.

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Day 2: Geraldton > Carnarvon

• Distance: ~480km
• Drive time: ~5.5 hrs

Another big driving day, so get on the road early. There’s not a lot to stop for along this stretch, it’s mostly about getting the kilometres done.

There are some really iconic detours on the way, though – Kalbarri, Monkey Mia and Shark Bay.

If you have a couple of extra days, it’s 100% worth adding at least one of them to your itinerary. We talk a bit more about them further down, in the “add ons” section.

Once you arrive in Carnarvon, consider heading to the Fascine for sunset, it’s the best spot in town to watch the sky change colour with a drink in hand.

Same as Geraldton, we recommend exploring it a bit on your way back from Karijini.

Where to stay in Carnarvon?

• Capricorn Holiday Park. It’s a bit outside of town which is handy to continue the drive the next day.
• Carnarvon Motel. Best if you want a budget-friendly stay in town.
• Hospitality Carnarvon. Another good stay in town if you prefer a hotel.

Day 3-4: Carnarvon > Karijini via Nanutarra

• Distance: ~750km in 2 days
• Drive time: ~8 hrs total

Fill up on fuel and snacks before you leave Carnarvon, your next big town will be Tom Price.

We recommend stopping at Nanutarra Roadhouse for the night. It’s the halfway point and has everything you need – fuel, a caravan park, and a restaurant.

From there, it’s another 3-hour drive to Tom Price, the gateway to Karijini!

Where to stay in Karijini?

You can stay inside the National Park, or stay in Tom Price and drive back and forth. The latter would add ~2 hours of driving per day.

We recommend staying inside the park if possible. There are two options, and honestly, we’d try to fit in a stay at each if your schedule allows:

• Karijini Eco Retreat. Glamping-style eco tents with ensuites, and an on-site restaurant. It’s the most comfortable option, and within walking distance of Joffre Gorge!
• Dales Campground. For self-sufficient campers, it’s close to Dales Gorge, Fern Pool, Fortescue Falls and Circular Pool.

Day 5-9: Karijini

It’s a long drive to get out here, so we’d recommend spending the next 4-5 days at Karijini.

Now, keep in mind there are over a dozen gorges to check out.

Some are very easy to get to and family-friendly, while others are harder to reach and require stuff like scrambling and spider walking.

Here’s a quick rundown of our favourite spots and who they’re best suited for:

• Hamersley Gorge, our favourite gorge, the rock formations are unlike anywhere else in Karijini! The famous Spa Pool is there, too. Kid-friendly, with some stairs to get there, it’s a bit out of the way from the other gorges though.

• Weano Gorge, a big standout for us, but not kid-friendly, especially if you want to do the Handrail Pool. The hike is short but involves a steep descent and spider-walking through narrow, slippery sections.

• Dales Gorge, one of the most accessible gorges in Karijini. The road in is sealed and has some of the park’s most famous spots – Fern Pool, Fortescue Falls, and Circular Pool.

There are maaany more places to check out – Kermit’s Pool, Hancock Gorge, Mt Bruce, Joffre Gorge…

We can’t include them all here, otherwise this itinerary will never end! So check out these blog posts for more detailed info:

• Our 7 favourite gorges in Karijini
• Things to do in Karijini
• Joffre Gorge guide
• Best time to visit Karijini

A few tips before you head into the gorges:

• Bring a floatie! Karijini has fres water (no salt), so it’s harder to float, and you’ll get tired from swimming faster (learnt this the hard way).
• Never enter a gorge if it’s raining or looks like it might, flash flooding happens fast and there’s nowhere for the water to go.
• Always check DBCA’s park alerts page before you head out, gorges do close from time to time for maintenance or weather.
• Dingoes are around, especially near the campgrounds, so keep food packed away and don’t feed them.

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Day 10-12: Karijini > Carnarvon via Nanutarra

• Distance: ~750km
• Drive time: ~8 hrs

Time to start heading home. It’s the same run back to Nanutarra Roadhouse for the night, then to Carnarvon.

This time you’ve got a proper chance to explore Carnarvon, so it’s worth stretching this stop to 2 days if your schedule allows!

Things to do in Carnarvon:

• Drive the Fruit Loop, a trail past the local plantations where you can grab fresh mangoes, bananas and whatever else is in season straight from the growers. Here’s the trail map, don’t sleep on the mango ice cream at Bumbaks!
• Check out the One Mile Jetty heritage precinct, one of the longest jetties in the country
• Visit the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum, a bucket-list spot for space nerds! History, landing simulator, exhibits and more.
• Explore the Quobba Blowholes, about an hour north of town, where the swells can shoot up to 20 metres in the air

Day 13-15: Carnarvon > Geraldton > Perth

• Distance: ~480km
• Drive time: ~5.5 hrs

Drive 4 hours from Carnarvon to Geraldton. The town is worth spending 2-3 days in if you can, it’s a good spot to slow down before the final stretch to Perth.

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Things to do in Geraldton:

• Visit the HMAS Sydney II Memorial, a moving tribute to the 645 crew lost in World War 2, with views over the city thrown in
• Visit the Museum of Geraldton, it’s free and covers the region’s maritime and Aboriginal history
• Wander the foreshore, it’s well set up for a slow stroll or a bike ride along the water
• Check out St Francis Xavier Cathedral, one of the more striking buildings in town
• Go windsurfing and kitesurfing if that’s your thing, Geraldton’s known for its wind

Then after Geraldton, drive the 4 hours back to Perth.

The Western Australia guide

Western Australia in your pocket

• 400+ spots pinned and mapped in the app
• 15+ done-for-you itineraries (2WD and 4WD)
• Your whole trip in one place and available offline

Get the guide

Add-ons: Jurien Bay, Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Ningaloo Coast

If you’ve got a few more days available, these are places 100% worth building into the trip:

Jurien Bay

• Minimum stay: 1-2 days
• Extra driving: ~30 mins (~20km)
• Best time to visit: Year-round
• Highlights: Swim with sea lions, snorkel, surf, fish

We reckon this is one of the most underrated stops on this whole route. It’s a small town with a beautiful coast and heaps of things to do in the water!

You’ll drive through it on your way to Geraldton and back to Perth, so if you can stay there for 1-2 days, you won’t regret it.

Things to do in Jurien Bay:

• Book a tour to swim with wild sea lions
• Explore Jurien Bay Marine Park by snorkelling and/or kayaking
• Watch the sunset at the jetty
• Go surfing, kitesurfing, or fishing
• Walk or cycle the Jurien Bay Ocean Discovery Trail along the foreshore

Kalbarri

• Minimum stay: 3-5 days
• Extra driving: ~1.5 hrs (~100km return)
• Best time to visit: April to October
• Highlights: Nature’s Window, the Kalbarri Skywalk, Z Bend

We’d actively rearrange our schedule for this one, especially if it’s wildflower season (August-October).

The gorge scenery rivals Karijini in its own way, and it’s way more accessible! There are also a few beaches in town if you want to go for a swim.

It’s a small detour off the highway between Geraldton and Carnarvon.

Things to do in Kalbarri:

• Walk out to Nature’s Window or the Kalbarri Skywalk, the most photographed spots in the park
• Do one of the many hikes in Kalbarri
• Check out the Z Bend, either the lookout or the full river trail down into the gorge
• Visit Hutt Lagoon (the Pink Lake) for the middle of the day, when the colour’s at its best

Here’s a Perth to Kalbarri road trip guide if you want the complete itinerary for this one!

Monkey Mia & Shark Bay

• Minimum stay: 2-3 days
• Extra driving: ~3 hrs (~260km return)
• Best time to visit: April to October
• Highlights: Wild dolphin feeding, Shell Beach, 4WDing at Francois Peron NP

There’s nowhere else in the country quite like Shark Bay. It’s World Heritage-listed for good reason!

We’d try to add this one if you’re with kids, Monkey Mia is famous for the wild dolphin feedings. Or if you’re after a good 4WD challenge, Francois Peron NP is perfect for that.

The turn-off is also between Geraldton and Carnarvon.

Things to do in Monkey Mia and Shark Bay:

• Watch the wild dolphin feedings at Monkey Mia
• Snorkel or kayak at Monkey Mia’s jetty
• Check out Shell Beach, made up almost entirely of tiny white cockle shells
• 4WD in Francois Peron National Park, on the far north of Shark Bay
• Check out Ocean Park Aquarium just out of Denham

Ningaloo Coast (Exmouth, Coral Bay)

• Minimum stay: 3-5 days
• Extra driving: ~5 hrs (~400km return)
• Best time to visit: March to October
• Highlights: Swimming with whale sharks, Turquoise Bay, Cape Range National Park

This is a bucket-list destination, definitely consider doing the extra drive before or after Karijini. Especially if you’re there between April and July, as it’s whale shark season!

It’s home to the world-famous Ningaloo Reef, where you can snorkel with turtles and manta rays within minutes of parking the car, no boat needed.

The detour is between Carnarvon and Nanutarra Roadhouse.

We spent 2 months in the area and, honestly, wished we stayed longer. There are sooo many things to see and do:

• Swim with whale sharks when in season (April – July)
• Snorkel the iconic Turquoise Bay
• Hike and swim your way around Cape Range National Park
• Swim with manta rays out of Coral Bay
• See turtles nestling and hatching (November – March)

Here’s a Perth to Exmouth road trip guide if you want to build this one out properly.

Planning your Karijini road trip

Best time to go

The best time to go to Karijini is April through September, but early in the season might be best if you want to see the falls at their fullest.

We went in September and it was really good! We had a great time and the temperatures were still very good, although some waterfalls were dry.

What to pack

• A floatie! Karijini has fresh water, so no salt to help you stay afloat. You’ll get tired from swimming faster.
• Sturdy hiking shoes with good grip.
• A pair of reef shoes or old sneakers you don’t mind getting wet, for the wetter gorge walks.
• Swimmers, you’ll want them most days.
• A dry bag to keep your phone, keys and snacks dry through the gorges.
• At least 3-4 litres of water per person per day, there’s none available inside the park
• Offline maps or a downloaded guide, phone reception is VERY patchy

FAQs