Summary
Short description
A foodie's pilgrimage through Western Australia's rural beauty, city great and colonial vestiges
Highlights
- Taste your way through one of the world's premier wine regions
- Relax on beaches and hike through remote bushland
- Take in Perth's beach-city allure
- Enjoy scenic coastal and hinterland drives throughout
- Stay in colonial towns and fine boutique hotels
In Brief
- 2 Nights Perth
- 3 Nights Margaret River
- 2 Nights Pemberton
- 3 Nights Albany
- 1 Night Perth
In pictures
About
Recommended for:
City | December holidays | Food & wine | Self-drive
Beginning and ending among the beaches and big-city allure of sunny Perth, this road trip will showcase the gorgeous natural scenery of Australia’s lesser-visited southwest. Not only will you be able to taste your way through Margaret River’s world-class wineries, but ultra-scenic drives will see you between everything from quiet gold-rush towns to dramatic coastlines and rolling farmlands. As well as relaxing on white sands and hiking among national-park forests, keep your eyes out for whales, dolphins and, of course, kangaroos.
Day by day itinerary
Day
1
Depart UK
Days
2-3
Perth
On arrival in Perth, Australia's sunniest state capital, a private transfer will see you to your boutique, central accommodation. You'll then have two nights here to explore, with the famous Aussie love of all things outdoors reflected in Perth's many beaches and open spaces. Kings Park in the heart of the city and the beautiful Botanical Gardens are special favourites. The nascent street-art scene is also well worth a look. In the evening, we recommend dining at the Greenhouse, a superb restaurant in the city centre, where young local chef Matt Stone offers up an imaginative menu of Australian and Asian-inspired cuisine.
Stay: Crowne Plaza Perth (Superior) or QT Perth (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Days
4-6
Margaret River region
Picking up your hire car, a coastal drive will see you towards possible stops at Fremantle's coffee houses, Dunsborough's burgeoning art scene and Rockingham, where you can swim with dolphins. You'll arrive at Margaret River – once a humble surfing town, today it's one of Australia's premier food-and-wine destinations, producing a quarter of the country's premium bottles. There are more than 220 vineyards and 100 cellar doors to choose from, alongside the region's gorgeous beaches. Be sure to keep your eyes out for everything from kangaroos to dolphins and whales. You'll stay in a beautiful country-house-style hotel or Cape Lodge, a grand retreat where you'll be treated to kayaking trips and guided hikes, along with a honey tasting and wine-paired lunch.
Stay: Seashells, Yallingup (Superior) or Cape Lodge (Deluxe)
Meals: B (Deluxe) D (Deluxe)
Days
7-8
Pemberton and Manjimup
Depart Margaret River and continue down the coast to Pemberton, a charming rural town surrounded by towering karri and jarrah trees. It's an ideal base for bush walking, kayaking, and fishing. For lunch we recommend stopping at Foragers, a wonderful farm-based cooking school and restaurant that showcases the best of local produce across inventive menus. In the afternoon, why not pay a visit to the Wine and Truffle Co. in nearby Manjimup? Help Sunny the truffle dog sniff out some of these incredibly valuable fungi and indulge with some of the products on offer in the farm shop.
Stay: Karri Valley Resort (Superior)
Meals: B
Days
9-11
Albany
Your penultimate stop is Albany, the first European settlement in Western Australia – something remembered by gorgeous colonial architecture, today given over to fine museums and art galleries. It's also a great base for whale-watching tours between June and October as some 30,000 humpbacks pass through the region each year. Albany, of course, has some wonderful food and wine, with fresh fish and oysters being particular culinary highlights. For a hands-on experience, a fishing trip presents the chance to catch your own supper, while a pilgrimage to the Albany Farmers' Market will see you learning about – and tasting – the region's diverse produce. Just don't forget to enjoy the beaches.
Stay: Sleepwell Motel Albany (Standard) or The Beach House at Bayside (Superior)
Meals: B
Day
12
Perth
After breakfast, wind your way back to Perth, plunging through the green, rural hinterlands or taking the longer coastal route. Perhaps celebrate your trip in style with dinner and drinks at one of the city's world-class restaurants.
Stay: Crowne Plaza Perth (Superior) or QT Perth (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Days
13-14
Depart for UK
Return your hire car to the airport in time for your overnight flight..
Map
Pricing
Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.
Accommodation rating:
14-day tailor-made self-drive
from £2,570 pp incl. flights
Standard / Superior
Low Season
from £2,570 pp. incl. flights
High Season
from £3,435 pp. incl. flights
Includes:
- Complimentary UK airport lounge access
- Return international flights between the UK and Perth
- Private arrival transfers in Perth
- 11 nights accommodation in typically 3* (Standard) and 4* (Superior) accommodation on a room-only basis (B&B in Perth)
- 10 days medium car rental including max cover
Terms & Conditions
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.
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Adjust your itinerary with our recommended extensions
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Beginning in Perth, this 5-day extension combines the best of the city with a glimpse of life in one of the state’s most impressive National Parks. After a day exploring the city, and a night at the luxurious Terrace Hotel, fly to Paraburdoo, collect your hire car and …
Over four days you’ll have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the heritage, natural beauty and biological diversity of the World Heritage-listed Shark Bay.
Travel to the Nambung National Park – home to the thousands of limestone pillars that make up the Pinnacles Desert. Visit the park’s interpretive centre, then, see the Pinnacles themselves, rising eerily from the sand.
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