Aussie West Coast Road Trip: A 28-day Itinerary from Perth to Darwin

Start your adventure in Perth, stock up on road trip supplies and head North. First stop is the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park, with its suggestive limestone rock formations. You can decide what they look like! Continue to the coastal town of Kalbari and spend a few days exploring the National Park. There’s some amazing gorges and the well-known Nature’s Window Lookout.

Keep traveling North and explore the Shark Bay World Heritage area. For the perfect Instagram photo, visit Shell Beach, a beach that exists entirely of shells. Don’t skip Monkey Mia and spot some wild dolphins that come up to shore for their daily feed. Relax on the many stunning beaches and enjoy this paradise!

Nerdy tip: Visit the Shark Bay Interpretive Centre in Denham and learn about the area's history and wildlife.

Continue the trip to Coral Bay, home to the Ningaloo Reef. You can literally spend days here snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters. Spot turtles, rays and lots of fishies! If you’re more of the adventurous type and love big animals, book a tour to swim with the whale sharks between April and July.

Fancy Tip: Take a glass-bottom boat tour for a unique view of the underwater world.

Make your way up to Exmouth and discover the Cape Range National Park. Red cliffs and turquoise blue waters will make for the perfect photos. Visit Turquoise Bay for top-notch snorkeling and take the scenic drive to Yardie Creek Gorge for a hike with breathtaking views. Don’t forget to catch a sunset at Vlamingh Head Lighthouse.

Karijini National Park, further North is a natural wonderland, with gorges, waterfalls and massive kangaroos, it’s well worth the trip. This rugged landscape is known for its deep gorges, hidden waterfalls and swimming holes. Spend your days hiking through gorges like Dales & Hancock and swim in the rock pools at Fern Pool or Fortescue Falls. Karijini really is the full Aussie outback experience!

Think clear blue water and pearl white beaches, this is what Cable Beach and Broome have to offer. Great place to relax after all that hiking and jumping off cliffs at Karijini. Don’t skip on the weirdest or coolest attraction in Broome, Gantheaume Point, where you can see ancient dinosaur footprints. The most iconic experience in Broome is the camel ride along Cable Beach though, make sure to send the family at home a pic of this!

Bucket list: Visit Horizontal Falls for a thrilling boat ride through the natural tidal waterfalls.

Before arriving in Darwin make a stop at the World Heritage Kakadu National Park, with its amazing rock pools, more gorges, waterfalls and lots of cool plants & wildlife. You’ll have to do some hiking and climbing, but beautiful things take effort, right?!

South from Kakadu National Park you will find the Nitmiluk National Park with the Katherine Gorge, a ravine with swimming holes, waterfalls and spectacular ancient sandstone cliffs changing colors with the sun. Spot some Aboriginal rock art paintings that are like thousands of years old and join a local tour if you want accurate facts about these.

Pro Tip: After a day of hiking & history, stop at the Katherine Hot Springs on the banks of the Katherine River for a relaxing soak.

You made it, all the way to Darwin! Make a stop at Litchfield National Park if you still haven’t had enough of rock pools, gorges and waterfalls. Litchfield is also famous for its gigantic termite mounds.

Finally, roll into Darwin, where you can soak up the relaxed vibes. Make sure to visit the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, try some local food and meet other travelers.