Perth to Bunbury Road Trip Guide

Thinking about a Perth to Bunbury road trip? Good call. Most people fly straight past Bunbury on their way to the Margaret River region but they’re missing out.

I’ve done this drive more times than I can count, and it took me a long time to actually stop in Bunbury rather than treating it as a halfway servo run. Once I did, I found wild dolphins cruising a calm bay, a beach with black volcanic rock and some of the best street art in Western Australia.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the Perth to Bunbury drive – the two routes you can take, the best stops along the way, what to do when you get there, where to stay, where to eat and how to roll it into a bigger South West itinerary if you’ve got more time up your sleeve.

Where is Bunbury?

Bunbury sits about 175km south of Perth on the coast of Western Australia, roughly a two-hour drive. It’s the third-largest city in WA, perched on a little peninsula between Koombana Bay, the Leschenault Inlet and the Indian Ocean. Water on three sides. Not a bad spot to build a town.

More importantly for road trippers, Bunbury is the unofficial gateway to WA’s South West. Keep driving past Bunbury and you’ll hit Busselton, Dunsborough, Cape Naturaliste and eventually the wineries and surf breaks of the Margaret River region.

Top tip: If you’re doing a bigger South West trip, Bunbury makes a brilliant first-night stop. You knock over the boring freeway stretch on day one, wake up to dolphins and start the scenic part of the drive feeling fresh!

How to Get to Bunbury

• Distance from Perth: ~175km
• Driving time: approx. 2 hours (fast route) or 2.5-3 hours (scenic coastal route)
• Train: approx. 2.5 hours on the Australind 
• Bus: approx. 2.5-3 hours

Perth to Bunbury by Car

Driving is easily the best way to do this trip, and you’ve got two options depending on how much time you have.

The fast way: Kwinana Freeway → Forrest Highway

Jump on the Kwinana Freeway heading south out of Perth and it flows straight into Forrest Highway, which takes you all the way to Bunbury. It’s dual carriageway most of the way, sitting on 110km/h, and you’ll be there in about two hours without touching the brakes much.

This is the route to take if Bunbury (or somewhere further south) is the whole point and you just want to get there. It’s efficient, but I won’t lie to you, it’s not a thrilling drive. Paddocks, road trains, the occasional glimpse of the Peel Inlet. Pack good podcasts.

The scenic way: Old Coast Road via Fremantle, Rockingham and Mandurah

This is my preferred way. If the road trip itself is half the fun (and it should be), take the long way. Head down through Fremantle, hug the coast past Rockingham, cruise through Mandurah, then pick up Old Coast Road south through the tuart trees and past the Yalgorup lakes before rejoining the highway near Australind.

It adds maybe 45 minutes of driving, but it turns a boring freeway run into a proper coastal road trip and it has all the best stops (more on those below).

Need to hire a car? I always book through Discover Cars and recommend it to everyone who asks. You can compare heaps of providers in one spot so you can filter by price, car type and supplier rating and know you’re actually getting the best deal. I’ve used it for road trips all over WA (including the year I sold my car), plus trips through Scotland and Queensland, and the process has been smooth every single time. My top tip: get full coverage – it’s cheaper than the waivers they’ll try to sell you at the rental desk and covers more, including windscreen damage and animal collisions, which matter on WA roads. It saved me hundreds of dollars when a rogue stone cracked my windscreen driving behind a truck in Queensland and the claim was sorted quickly without any drama. You also get free cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup, so there’s no stress if your South West plans change.

One last thing: in summer and school holidays, book as early as you can, half of Perth heads south and hire cars disappear fast! For the full rundown on the booking process and driving in WA, check out my complete guide to renting a car in Perth.

Perth to Bunbury by Train

Here’s something a lot of visitors don’t realise: you can catch a train from Perth to Bunbury. The Australind runs from Perth to Bunbury, taking around two and a half hours through the countryside. It’s cheap, it’s relaxed, and Bunbury itself is compact enough that you can genuinely explore the town centre, the bay, and the Dolphin Discovery Centre without a car.

If you’re a tourist visiting Perth without a car and you want a taste of the South West, this is one of the easiest car-free day trips you can do.

Top tip: Check TransWA for current timetables before you plan around it – services do change, and you’ll want to book ahead in holiday periods.

Perth to Bunbury by Coach

TransWA and South West Coach Lines both run coach services between Perth and Bunbury, with some continuing on to Busselton and the Margaret River region. Handy as a backup, but between the train and driving, I’d only go the coach if the timetable happens to suit.

Best Stops on the Perth to Bunbury Drive

This is the best part of the Perth to Bunbury road trip! Two hours of driving turns into a beaut half-day if you time it right. Here are the best stops along the way, in the order you’ll hit them on the coastal route.

Fremantle

If you’re taking the scenic route, Fremantle is your breakfast stop. Grab a coffee on the cappuccino strip, wander the markets if it’s a weekend morning, and hit the road with a bakery haul. If you’ve already done Freo to death (fair enough, most Perth locals have), skip straight through and save your stomach for Mandurah.

Penguin Island (Rockingham)

Here’s a cheeky detour: about 45 minutes south of Perth, Penguin Island sits just off the coast at Rockingham and is home to WA’s largest colony of little penguins. The ferry ride over takes five minutes, and you can walk the boardwalks, spot sea lions on the sandbars, and be back on the road within a couple of hours.

Fair warning: the island closes seasonally to protect the penguins during breeding (usually the cooler months), so check it’s open before you build your day around it. If you’d rather keep this trip moving, save Penguin Island for its own day trip.

Mandurah

Roughly the halfway mark, and an easy place to lose an hour or three. Mandurah has a lovely foreshore for a leg stretch, dolphins of its own cruising the canals, and some seriously good fish and chips by the water.

If you’re an angler, the estuary here is one of my favourite spots to chuck in a line – I’ve written a whole guide to fishing in Mandurah if you want the full rundown of spots and species.

Lake Clifton Thrombolites (Yalgorup National Park)

This one’s properly weird, in the best way. About 20 minutes south of Mandurah on Old Coast Road, Lake Clifton in Yalgorup National Park is home to thrombolites – rock-like structures built by micro-organisms that are among the oldest living things on Earth, quietly sitting in a shallow lake beside the highway.

There’s a boardwalk out over the water so you can get a good look without disturbing them. The whole stop takes 20-30 minutes, it’s free and you get to casually mention you’ve seen some of the oldest life forms on the planet on your way to lunch. If you’ve read my Perth to Cervantes road trip guide, these are cousins of the Lake Thetis stromatolites – WA is spoiled for ancient microbial life!

Top tip: The thrombolites are most visible when the lake level is low – late summer and autumn are best. In winter they can be partly underwater, but the boardwalk and the birdlife still make it a worthwhile stop.

Australind & the Leschenault Estuary

Twenty minutes before Bunbury, Australind sits on the edge of the calm Leschenault Estuary, a top spot for a final leg stretch, a paddle if you’ve brought the kayak or a quiet fish. History nerds can suss out St Nicholas Church, one of the smallest churches in Australia. It’s tiny. That’s the whole attraction. I love it.

Things to Do in Bunbury

Right, you’ve made it. Here’s how to fill anywhere from an afternoon to a full weekend in Bunbury.

Meet the Dolphins at the Dolphin Discovery Centre

The headline act. Koombana Bay is home to a resident population of well over 100 wild bottlenose dolphins, and the not-for-profit Dolphin Discovery Centre is the best place in the state to meet them.

You’ve got a few options depending on your budget and how wet you want to get:

• The Beach Interaction Zone: free, running mornings in season. Wild dolphins regularly cruise into the knee-deep shallows right in front of the centre. No barriers, no shows, just dolphins swimming past. Mornings are the best time
• Dolphin Eco Cruise: a 90-minute cruise around Koombana Bay with commentary from the skipper. Dolphins are guaranteed, or you go again for free 

The dolphins here are completely wild – nobody’s feeding them into showing up – so like any wildlife experience, some visits are quieter than others. That’s part of the magic, I reckon. If you’re keen on dolphins closer to home first, I’ve covered where to see dolphins in Perth too.

Climb Marlston Hill Lookout

A short, sharp walk up from the marina gets you to the Marlston Hill Lookout Tower, with 360-degree views over Koombana Bay, the port and out along the coast. On a clear day you can see the hills of the Darling Scarp inland and ships queued up on the horizon. Free, quick, and the best way to get your bearings in town!

Swim at Back Beach & Wyalup Rocky Point

Bunbury’s ocean side is a completely different personality to the calm bay. Back Beach cops the full Indian Ocean, great for a surf on the right day, while Wyalup Rocky Point just along the coast is one of the few places in the region where you’ll see black basalt rock, spilled there by volcanic activity millions of years ago. It’s a registered Aboriginal heritage site and a beautiful, moody spot for sunset.

For calmer swimming, especially with kids, stick to Koombana Bay: it’s flat, protected and patrolled in the warmer months, with the foreshore playground right there for when the kids need a change of scenery.

Hunt Down Bunbury’s Street Art

Bunbury has quietly become one of the best street art towns in Western Australia, with huge murals scattered through the CBD thanks to the Re.Discover project. Grab a coffee and just wander – half the fun is turning a corner and finding a six-storey artwork you didn’t know was there. The Bunbury Regional Art Gallery (in a converted pink convent, no less) is worth a look while you’re in the area.

Walk the Mangrove Cove Boardwalk

Here’s your quirky local fact for the trip: Bunbury is home to the southernmost mangroves in Western Australia – a little pocket of white mangroves that have no business being this far south, hanging on since sea levels were very different. The Mangrove Cove boardwalk loops through them near Koombana Bay, and the Big Swamp wetlands a bit further on are great for birdwatching if you’ve got binoculars in the glovebox.

Stock Up at the Bunbury Farmers Market

The Bunbury Farmers Market is a permanent, seven-days-a-week fresh food emporium that locals from Perth genuinely plan their South West drives around. Load up on local produce, cheese, and baked goods either for your stay or for the esky on the drive south. Do not walk past the doughnuts. That’s an order.

Go Fishing

Between the ocean beaches, the inlet, and the estuary, Bunbury is a great fishing town: herring and skippy off the jetties, tailor off the beache, and black bream up in the Leschenault. Check out my Guide to Fishing in Bunbury for all the details.

Where to Stay in Bunbury

Bunbury works as a day trip, but staying overnight is what turns it into a proper little getaway and it means you’re on the beach for the morning dolphin visits.

Bunbury Hotel Koombana Bay

The pick of the bunch for location. Right by the water, an easy walk to the CBD, the Dolphin Discovery Centre and the foreshore, with an indoor heated pool for winter trips and a decent restaurant on site. Rooms are comfortable without being flash, and you can usually get in for a reasonable price by waterfront-hotel standards.

Check prices for Bunbury Hotel Koombana Bay 

Quest Bunbury Apartment Hotel

Apartment-style rooms with kitchens and laundries, which makes it the sensible pick for families or anyone staying a few nights and using Bunbury as a base for South West day trips. Central location, walking distance to the restaurants.

Check prices for Quest Bunbury 

Discovery Parks – Bunbury Foreshore

If you’re towing a van or travelling with kids, the holiday park on the foreshore is hard to beat — cabins and sites right by the calm water of the inlet, with a kids’ pool and games room for when little legs are done exploring.

Check prices for Discovery Parks Bunbury Foreshore 

Where to Eat in Bunbury

Bunbury’s food scene punches well above its weight for a regional city. A few of my go-tos:

• Market Eating House: the one everyone will tell you about, and they’re right. Wood-fired everything, share plates, great wine list. Book ahead on weekends.
• The Marlston Waterfront strip: a row of restaurants and bars looking over the marina; perfect for a sunset dinner where everyone in the group wants something different.
• A morning café stop: the CBD has a solid coffee scene; wander Victoria Street and follow your nose.
• Fish and chips on the foreshore: because you’re at the beach and there are rules about these things.

Best Time to Visit Bunbury

Honestly? Bunbury is a year-round destination, which is part of what makes it such a reliable weekend escape from Perth.

• Summer (Dec-Feb): Beach weather, long evenings, and the Swim with the Dolphins tours in full swing. Also peak crowds and accommodation prices – book ahead.
• Autumn (Mar-May): My pick. Warm days, calm ocean, thinner crowds, and the thrombolites at Lake Clifton at their most visible on the drive down.
• Winter (Jun-Aug): Cosy pub-and-pool weather, dramatic storm-watching at Back Beach, and from late May the whales start moving through. The eco cruises still run – rug up.
• Spring (Sep-Nov): Wildflowers on the drive, whales in Geographe Bay, and everything warming up nicely before the summer rush.

Continuing Your South West Road Trip

Bunbury is a brilliant destination in its own right, but it’s also the perfect night one of a bigger South West itinerary.

From Bunbury, it’s an easy 50-minute drive down to Busselton and its famous 1.8km jetty, another 20 minutes to Dunsborough and the beaches of Geographe Bay, then out to the lighthouse and walking trails at Cape Naturaliste. From there, the caves, surf breaks, forests and wineries of the Margaret River region unfold over another hour of some of the best touring roads in Australia.

A ripper long-weekend itinerary looks something like this:

• Day 1: Perth to Bunbury via the coastal route and the thrombolites. Afternoon dolphin cruise, dinner at Market Eating House.
• Day 2: Morning at the beach interaction zone, then drive to Busselton and Dunsborough. Sunset at Cape Naturaliste.
• Day 3: Margaret River wineries and caves, then the (quicker) run home up Forrest Highway.

If you’d rather leave the driving to someone else, there are Margaret River tours from Perth that hit the highlights – though you’ll skip most of the stops in this guide, so I’d always take the road trip if you can.

Last Words on the Perth to Bunbury Road Trip

The Perth to Bunbury road trip is proof that the best bits of a drive south aren’t always at the end of it. Between the thrombolites, the penguins, Mandurah’s foreshore and Bunbury’s dolphins, you can pack an entire weekend’s worth of Western Australia into 175km of road and still be home in time for work on Monday, or push on south and make it the opening chapter of a proper South West adventure.

Either way: don’t just drive past Bunbury. Stop. Say hi to the dolphins for me.

Looking for more South West inspiration? Check out my Perth to Cervantes road trip guide for heading north instead, or my guide to seeing dolphins in Perth if you can’t wait two hours for a dolphin fix.