The must-do highlights of Perth in three days

Be spoilt for choice in Perth; there’s much to see and do in this laid-back coastal metropolis. If you want to tick off the highlights, follow this 72-hour itinerary that will have you plotting your return.

Day One

Morning

Sunrise at Kings Park and Botanic Garden.Credit: Dan Avila/Destination WA

Stock up on the kilojoules and caffeine at carb connoisseurs Mary Street Bakery (marystreetbakery.com.au). There are two CBD locations to get your fresh pastry or doughnut fix. If you are a big morning eater, go hard with a buttermilk fried chicken pancake drizzled with naughty amounts of maple chilli.

Burn it off on a walking tour with passionate Perth advocates Oh Hey WA (oheywa.com.au). The Ultimate Perth Walking Tour introduces the city’s culture and heritage, including colourful street art and laneway finds. Woven with historical titbits and insider tips, it’s a perfect way to get your bearings and gain insight into what Perth has to offer.

Afternoon

Don’t be disheartened at the sight of a queue at lunch institution Le Vietnam (facebook.com/LeVietnamCafe). It moves quickly and is worth the short wait to have one of Perth’s best street eats, mastered by former DJ turned banh mi master DJ Lee.

Besides the OG pork-filled roll, plenty of innovative vegan options are available, so go on and try a vegan peri-peri “chicken” banh mi.

Walk 500 metres to arrive at Perth Cultural Centre. The flashy WA Museum Boola Bardip (visit.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip) interweaves heritage and sleek architectural innovation with its “floating box” hovering over the state’s premier museum. Inside, expect to see state-of-the-art exhibitions, including its behemoth blue whale skeleton.

Skip across the centre to the Art Gallery of WA (artgallery.wa.gov.au) for splashes of colour – and a refreshing take of Perth’s skyline. Atop, the state’s largest rooftop bar offers 360 views and a sculpture walk, including a 34-metre Aboriginal art mural by Minang/Wardandi/Bibbulmun artist Christopher Pease as its centrepiece.

Evening

Come back down to earth for a casual bevy at nearby Picabar (picabar.com.au). Northbridge’s much-loved beer garden attracts the young and old to its mess hall tables, wide-ranging beer and wine list and laid-back vibes.

Stroll over to The Rechabite (therechabite.com.au). Each floor in this vibrant vertical laneway is abuzz. Start by grabbing a bite at the electrifying Double Rainbow. The modern eatery takes cues from Asian cuisines, particularly Korean, serving punchy, flavourful share plates. Head upstairs to its rooftop bar (take the lift or it will be a long slog up!) or catch a show at three-tiered The Rechabite Hall.

Got the desire to kick on? Head around the corner for a dim-lit honky-tonk at Alabama Song (lavishhabits.com.au/venues/alabama-song) or dive bar Joe’s Juice Joint (lavishhabits.com.au/venues/joes-juice-joint).

Otherwise, cross back into the CBD and visit the Comedy Lounge (comedylounge.com.au) for late-night laughs or enter a roaring twenties time warp at speakeasy and jazz bar The Volstead Lounge (thevolsteadlounge.com.au).

Day Two

Morning

Catch the train to the buzzing port city of Fremantle. For a bite on the go, head to sandwich servery Peggy’s (eatpeggys.com), just moments from the train station. If you want to soak up a vibe, head to brunch favourite Duck Duck Bruce (duckduckbruce.com.au), famed for its quirky dish names (Rhubarbra Streisand, Auber Jean is Not My Lover, anyone?) with flavours to match the hype.

Hop on a bike tour with Fremantle Tours (fremantletours.com.au) – the quintessential way to experience this eclectic city’s culture and ethos with pedal power. The three-hour ‘Tour de Freo’ takes in the ever-evolving street art canvas by renowned artists, the West End heritage precinct, the famous ’grammable shipping container rainbow, and two independent bars to engage in some local revelry. Cheers to that.

Instead of touring, go on an urban walkabout. Wander Fremantle Markets, High Street, people-watching mecca Cappuccino Strip, and the city’s newest entertainment precinct, FOMO Fremantle (fomofreo.com.au)

Afternoon

Fremantle is WA’s beer capital and the ultimate thirst trap, with its two massive brewhouses luring hop enthusiasts. Free-spirited Little Creatures (littlecreatures.com.au) is housed in an old crocodile farm along Fremantle Harbour, attracting crowds to its waterfront beer garden. Located within the historical B-shed is the state’s largest brewery, Gage Roads (gageroads.com.au), with impressive views of ‘peak hour’ – large cargo ships – slowly passing by.

Catch a free CAT bus (fremantle.wa.gov.au/free-cat-bus) along South Terrace to continue beer-hopping. Running with Thieves (runningwiththieves.com) is located moments from South Beach and offers in-house made gins, beers, and gastro-pub grub. Yearning for a feel-good time? Feel the lively, hip atmosphere at La Cabaña (lacabana.com.au) – a coastal Mexican-inspired bar and taqueria – and let the weekend DJ sessions bring on the funk. Within a short radius is South Beach. You’ll see all sorts of beachgoers – acoustic guitar heroes, fire twirlers, slack-line pros and picnickers – savouring an Indian Ocean sunset spectacle.

Evening

Head back into the heart of Fremantle and enjoy courtyard dinner at Emily Taylor (emilytaylorbar.com.au), famed for its gourmet baos, dumplings and Asian-inspired dishes. Check out the local music scene at nearby Freo.Social (freo.social) or, if you’re chasing a sugar hit, head to Chicho Gelato (chichogelato.com) en route to Fremantle Train Station.

Day Three

Enjoy Perth’s natural beauty spots and work those leg muscles with these two options.

Option 1

Salmon Bay, Rottnest Island.Credit: Craig Platt

Bid adios to the mainland and enjoy a day trip to Rottnest Island – the land of the ever-smiling quokkas, striking blue beaches and bike travel galore. Bring bathers and make sure the glutes are ready for some serious cycling. Bike and snorkel hire is available on the island (rottnestisland.com/see-do/hire/pedal-flipper-hire).

Ferry departures ex Perth, Fremantle and Hillarys Boat Harbour. See Sealink Rottnest Island (sealinkrottnest.com.au), Rottnest Express (rottnestexpress.com.au), and Rottnest Fast Ferries (rottnestfastferries.com.au). Go all-out on a seaplane adventure (swanriverseaplanes.com.au) or helicopter ride (corsaireaviation.com.au).

Option 2

Morning

How far does one go for a delectable brunch? Not far. Take a one-stop train journey from Perth to City West to dine at Forklore (instagram.com/forklore.perth), famed for their Japanese-inspired pastries and hearty bowls of ramen. From here, it’s less than a 20-minute walk (or a short six-minute drive/rideshare) to Kings Park and Botanic Garden (dbca.wa.gov.au).

Afternoon

Kings Park is one of the world’s biggest city parks.

Spend the early afternoon strolling around Kings Park and Botanic Garden. The park is one of the world’s largest inner-city parks, covering 400 hectares. Take in the views from Mount Eliza Lookout, see the bottle-shaped Giant Boab known as Gija Jumulu, and meander through botanical garden terraces exhibiting flora from around the world. Walk on the wild side along the 620 metre Lotterywest Federation Walkway bridge suspended over tall eucalyptus trees. Along the way, grab a quick bite at Zamia Cafe (zamiacafe.com.au), located within the park.

Late afternoon

Conquer Australia’s other famed bridge climb, Matagarup Zip+Climb (zipclimb.com.au). The striking bridge is one for thrill-seekers: Climb 314 to be afforded stunning sunset vistas encompassing the Swan River, skyline, and Optus Stadium. Fast-track your way back down to earth, travelling up to 75 kph along a 400-metre zipline. Not into exhilarating flying fox rides? It’s also possible to do a return bridge climb to the Skyview Platform.

Evening

Toast your time in Perth with a lavish dining affair at POST (postperth.com) in the heritage-listed State Buildings. The sleek osteria and bar plates up contemporary and affordable Italian cuisine: treat yourself to creamy blue swimmer crab risotto or a thick-cut pork cotoletta topped with sage, anchovy and parmigiano that may incite a food coma.

Unwind underground with a late-night tipple at nearby Alfred’s Pizzeria (alfredspizzeria.com.au). Besides offering NYC pizza slices, the hip small bar serves exciting cocktail concoctions, craft beers and wines. Who knows, maybe you may need a slice to soak up the good times.