Perth to Lancelin Weekend Road Trip (By Locals) + FREE Map

Road trip snapshot

• Distance: ~400km return from Perth
• Drive time: ~5 hrs return over the weekend
• Areas covered: Lancelin, The Pinnacles Desert. Optional: Jurien Bay
• Best time: December to March brings the strongest winds for watersports, spring and autumn are a close second.
• Vehicle: 2WD is fine, 4WD needed if you want to do beach driving
• Pet-friendly: Yes! You can even bring your doggo to the sand dunes
• Good for: Dog owners, families with little ones, and anyone after an easy weekend with lots of options and little driving

Day 1: Perth > Lancelin (Friday)

• Distance: ~130km
• Drive time: ~1.5 hrs

Friday knock off traffic out of Perth is the only annoying bit, but once you’re on Indian Ocean Drive, it’s a straight run north to Lancelin for dinner by the water!

If you leave the city early, consider stopping by Yanchep National Park and exploring it a bit! There are some easy hiking trails where you can see local wildlife, and a few caves. It’s not dog-friendly, though.

Once in Lancelin, we recommend having dinner at the Endeavour Tavern. It’s a great pub overlooking the ocean, with excellent food and live music! It’s a great spot for sunset too.

Where to stay in Lancelin?

We’d stay at Experience Lancelin Holiday Park. It has an excellent location near the beach, with cabins and sites for caravans and campers. The sites are pet-friendly, but the cabins aren’t.

There’s also YHA Lancelin Lodge if you’re after a hotel-like stay, plus heaps of apartments and home rentals if you prefer something more private.

If you want to camp by the beach, we’ve heard some people do so at Back Beach and South Lancelin Beach. We’re not sure if it’s allowed though, so double-check before doing it yourself.

Day 2: Lancelin (Saturday)

• Distance: ~5-10km
• Drive time: ~5mins

Everything today is probably within walking distance from wherever you slept!

Start by grabbing breakfast at one of the local cafés. These are our favourites:

• Offshore Cafe, excellent brunch and pastries
• Café 6044, best coffee in town, also good for brekky
• Silver Coast Bakery, solid food but cash only

Then, head to the sand dunes!

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Lancelin sand dunes

You can rent a sandboard there, it was pretty cheap last time we went ($10 per board hire for 1 hr) and no need to book in advance.

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There are also quad bike and buggy rentals if you’re keen. Here are some tours too, if you’re a complete beginner and want to try it with a guide.

And if you’re on a 4WD, you can take it for a drive along the dunes!

Some tips before heading to the sand dunes:

• The entry is free and the area is kid and dog-friendly
• No toilets or kiosks, so come prepared and bring food if needed
• It’s a ~10 min walk from the car park to the dunes
• Rentals closed by 3-4pm last time we went, while access to the dunes close at 7pm
• Walking up to the dunes takes a bit of effort so take it slow and bring sturdy shoes
• Remember there’s NO shade, so bring a hat, sun protection, and heapsss of water

Hit the beach

Once you’re done with the dunes, take all the sand off with a nice dip on the water! Head to any of these spots:

• Back Beach or South Lancelin Beach: Both are great for surfing, kitesurfing, and 4WDing
• Lancelin Jetty: Great spot for swimming and fishing.

Day 3: Lancelin > The Pinnacles Desert (Sunday)

• Distance: ~265km
• Drive time: ~2.5 hrs

Have a slow morning, maybe check out the sand dunes again or just relax by the beach.

Then, if you want to close the trip with a bang, consider driving 1-hour north to check out The Pinnacles, before driving back to Perth:

The Pinnacles Desert (Nambung National Park)

Drive: 50min from Lancelin

Nothing quite prepares you for the thousands of limestone pillars you’ll see in the Pinnacles, all poking out of the yellow sand. It genuinely looks like you’re on another planet!

You can explore it either by car or by walking, can’t go wrong either way. It’s also a great spot to check out at sunset too, the light is incredible.

Also, consider having lunch at the iconic Lobster Shack in Cervantes. The place is a local institution, known for its fresh rock lobster and fish and chips overlooking the water!

Check out our full guide to the Pinnacles for more info on getting there, moving around, and best time of the day to visit!

Bonus Monday: Jurien Bay

• Distance: ~325km
• Drive time: ~3.5 hrs

If you can take the Monday off, definitely add Jurien Bay to the trip.

It’s a small but beautiful coastal town, famous for being home to colonies of Australian Sea Lions – you can even snorkel with them!

There’s also plenty to do in the area, maybe even worth another weekend road trip *wink*:

• Snorkel your way through Jurien Bay Marine Park
• Skydiving! A bucket list tour for adventurers, with the whole coast laid out below you. We’ve done skydiving before (in Rotto) and it really is incredible, 100% recommend it.
• Fishing at the Jetty

It’s also dog-friendly, with some off-lead beaches available!

Planning your weekend road trip

Best time to go

Summer is the best time to go in our opinion. The winds are excellent for surfing and kitesurfing, but it’s also peak season so book ahead.

Also remember the heat is no joke, so bring a hat, sun protection, etc. And if you’re going to the Pinnacles, try to do so early or late in the day.

Spring and Autumn are epic too. They’re not as hot and/or windy as summer, which is epic for outdoor activities like sandboarding. Plus in spring you can see the wildflowers on the drive up!

You could go in winter, but you’d have to plan around the forecast. It’s rainy then, and wet sand is no good for sandboarding.

What to pack

• Old sneakers or reef shoes for sandboarding and dune walks
• Cash, the tavern and some small operators don’t always take card
• Extra water and a hat for the sand dunes and the Pinnacles, there’s zero shade out there
• An old towel or tarp to keep sand out of the car (don’t ask us how we know)
• Snorkel gear if you’re pushing on to Jurien Bay for Bonus Monday

Top tips

Fill up before you leave Perth, fuel in Lancelin is usually pricier.

If you’re on a tighter budget, check out our tips for travelling Perth on a budget, plenty of it still applies once you’re out of the city.

Sand gets everywhere, seriously, keep a spare towel in the car for the drive home.

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