The Best 10 Day Itinerary From Perth to Beautiful Exmouth

The best way to experience the amazing coastline along the road north to Exmouth is to take a road trip with overnight stops along the way. Of course, this itinerary can be done in reverse if travelling from Exmouth to Perth. The distance from Perth to Exmouth is just over 1,200 km long. The drive from Perth to Exmouth non-stop takes 13 hours. You can also take a flight to Exmouth which are available with Qantas. But make sure to organise car hire for your arrival into Exmouth as there is limited transport options. The flight time is only 2 hours. This 10 day itinerary is only one way. You would need to add additional days to get back to Perth or fly back from Exmouth to Perth.

The Best Time To visit Exmouth

The best time to drive from Perth to Exmouth is between April – October. The temperatures will be warm, even during the Western Australia winter, with calmer winds than the gusty summer months.  The school holiday period over July will be the busiest time of the year in Coral Bay and Exmouth – advance bookings are required. through out the rest of the year it is still advised to book in advance as things to book out quickly. Whale Sharks will be migrating in the area, with whale shark swims from April to July.  

Accommodation and Camping

A popular option is to do the Perth to Exmouth trip in a caravan or Hire a Campervan. The itinerary I suggest below is suitable for a Perth to Exmouth camping trip.  To hire a campervan it will cost around $110 per day as of July 2023). Free camping is fairly limited in Western Australia other than roadside overnight stops. You will need to book at Caravan Parks or the WA Parks-run bush camps. These campgrounds are around $22per night for 2 people and have less facilities than caravan parks (no showers or power, and usually a long drop toilet). To find free camps (and paid camps), download the WikiCamps app – it is well worth the small one-off fee. You can also take this road trip in a normal 2WD car, and stay in accommodation along the way.

Example Perth To Exmouth 10 Day Itinerary

  • Perth to Jurien Bay (~2.5 hours) 1 night
  • Jurien Bay to Kalbarri (~4 hours) 2 nights
  • Kalbarri to Shark Bay (~4 hours) 2 nights
  • Shark Bay to Coral bay (~5.5 hours) 2 nights
  • Coral Bay to Exmouth (~ 1.5 hours) 3 nights

This is a rough Itinerary where the options are endless to make the road trip your own. Optional stops could be to extend this road trip, you could spend a few nights exploring Quobba Station and Red Bluff near Carnarvon.

Day 1- Perth To Jurien Bay

Set off early from Perth. Your first stop on your road trip to Exmouth Lancelin Sand Dunes, which is 1.5 hours from Perth. Spend a few hours exploring the dunes and you can even go sandboarding!. From the kiosk you can hire 4WD quad bikes and buggies to drive out onto the dunes. Prices start from $60 for 30 min solo hire. Two people can fit on the quad bike too, with hire prices from $80 for a duo. After a lunch stop continue on the coastal highway north to the Pinnacles Desert. 

The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park. Is a unique attraction of towering limestone pinnacles rising from a desert. A National Park entrance fee of $12 per vehicle is payable. At the Pinnacles you can either drive the 4.5km loop track, or park at the Discovery Centre and take the signposted walking trail. If driving, there are pull over bays to get out and explore by foot too. 

Continue on to the small coastal town of Jurien Bay where you will be spending the night. There is a range of accommodation and dining options in Jurien Bay. There is also low cost camping at Sandy Cape $20 per night it is located 20 minutes outside of Jurien Bay.
Optional: Add an extra night here to spend a day at Jurien Bay. You can swim with the seals, Head out to Lesueur National park and walk one of the walking trails. Or ride along the Turquoise way cycle Path  14 kilometer track that extends from Jurien Bay to Hill River.

Day 2 to 4- Jurien Bay to Kalbarri

The drive to Kalbarri is around 4 hours. From Jurien Bay you have the option to add on an extra night and stay at Lake Indoon which is a beautiful low cost campground by the lake located about 20km inland from the coast. There is also Stockyard Gully Caves which are worth seeing if you have a 4WD vehicle. If you don’t you could easily spent the night here or even the morning exploring the lake which is accessible with a 2WD.

Hutt lagoon

After exploring Jurien Bay in the morning, it’s time to get back on the road heading towards Kalbarri. You’ll pass through the seaside city of Geraldton on the way. This is one of the last major towns, so it’s a good idea to grab anything you need from the major supermarkets here. You could easily spend a couple days in Geraldton if Time allows. Click Here To see the places to visit. The main attraction on the drive to Kalbarri is the insta famous pink lake of Hutt Lagoon. The strawberry pink waters are a sight you must see for yourself!. Another Option would be to stay one night at Lucky Bay Campground which is located around 30km from the Hutt lagoon just before Kalbarri. The campground is $15 per night and you pay when you arrive.

Kalbarri

You will Spend 2 nights in Kalbarri, If you didn’t have time to have an extra night at Lucky Bay Campground. You could spend one night at Lucky Bay and one night at Murchison Homestead in Kalbarri. Kalbarri is a small town with incredible coastal cliffs and beautiful beaches. One of the main attractions is the National Park with its unique gorges and scenic hiking trails. Spend your first day in Kalbarri exploring some of the attractions near town. Top Places Too see:
-Kalbarri Coatline- Natural Bridge and Island Rock, Eagle Gore, Mushroom Rock and Red Bluff Lookout.
-Kalbarri National Park inland- Kalbarri Skywalk, Natures window and the loop trail, z Bend Lookout and Hawkes Lookout.
– The Blue Holes
To see the full Blog on the top place to see in Kalbarri Click Here.

Day 4 to 6-Kalbarri to Shark Bay

This day includes a four hour drive to reach Shark Bay. Shark Bay is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Area, and said to be one of the worlds greatest wilderness treasures. On the way into Denham stop off at Shell Beach. There is no sand on this beach, instead there are billions of tiny shells which make up the shoreline at Shell Beach. Next stop at Eagle Bluff Lookout, its worth a visit to the Eagle Bluff Lookout and boardwalk. Perched high up on a ridge, this 400 metre boardwalk offers stunning views to the clear waters below. 

Spend The Day In Denham

First stop at Little Lagoon is 5 minutes from Denham, and 2WD accessible. This large stretch of water is very calm, and ideal for swimming. You might have heard of Big Lagoon, which is actually found within the National Park (4WDs only). Next take a day tour or spend a couple of nights in Francois National Park. The park is 2WD to the Peron Homestead where there is a artesian Bore Tub which is great to head to in the afternoon when the sun is going down or early morning. If you want to explore the rest of the park and you don’t have a High Clearance 4WD you can take a tour. The tour will take you to Cape Peron and Skip jack Point. Click Here for Tour Prices which start from $209 per person. Click Here for the best places to visit in Denham.

Accommodation

There are 4 campgrounds accessible by 2WD along unsealed roads. Fowlers camp, Eagle Bluff and whalebone campground. It is $15 per night and you must be fully self contained. To buy a permit, contact the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery & Visitor Centre in person or via the telephone (9948 1590) to pay via credit card. Make sure to call as soon as the information center opens at 9am as there is only 4 permits given out per day per campground. Permits are for 24 hours and restricted to one night only at any of the four campsites.  For example if you stay at Eagle Bluff one night, you cannot stay at Fowlers camp the following night. The campgrounds are regularly checked by the rangers so make sure you display your permit number.

Day 6 to 8- Denham to Coral Bay

Prepare for a long 6 hr drive to arrive at Coral Bay with a few cool sights to see along the way. Carnarvon is a great place to stop for lunch and break up the long drive. A spot that has become well known on Instagram over the years is the ‘ Carnarvon Cactus Garden’. It’s a nice spot to pull over, stretch your legs and take some cool photos. There is no cost to enter, it’s located in the front garden of one of the local fruit plantations. 
Optional: If you had a spare night on your way you could stop past Wooramel Station. It is $40 per night and they have great meals at the café, live music and Artesian Bore Baths. Make sure to book in advance if you do want to stay here.

Coral Bay

Coral Bay is an absolute paradise destination and home to one of the world’s largest and most beautiful coral gardens, the Ningaloo Reef. You can spend the day relaxing on the pristine white sand beach while jumping in to snorkel with turtles, sharks and colourful fish. Make sure to head out to five fingers reef which is located about 5km from coral bay. If you don’t have a 4WD head to the coral Bay boat ramp and you can walk to the reef along the beach it is 3km each way. There is two caravan parks in Coral Bay. Ningaloo Coral Bay Bayview and People’s Park.

Day 8 to 10-Exmouth

Getting from Coral Bay to Exmouth is an easy 1.5 hr drive, it’s definitely worth a stop at the jaw-dropping Charles Knife Canyon Gorge along the way. Located within the beautiful Cape Range National Park, this gorge is particularly spectacular with the Exmouth Gulf as a backdrop. The entrance to the gorge is just off the main road that you will be following to Exmouth, so it’s easy to find. The 11km winding road leading into the gorge is paved at the beginning but turns to gravel on the way up. You can also access Shot Hole Canyon from the Charles knife canyon the trail is 6km return out to the lookout and back. After spending the morning exploring both the canyons. Continue into Exmouth to stock up on food and supplies before making your way to your campsite of choice.

Accommodation

Beach Camping- There are many beach campsites along the Ningaloo Coast on the other side of the peninsula from Exmouth town. Some of these camp sites are quite remote and are only accessible with a 4WD. For a complete list of campsites and a map showing where each one is located, check out the WA parks Website and to book your campground it’s best to book in advance. Wild camping at these locations costs $22 per night for 2 people.

Yardie Homestead

Located on the opposite side of the peninsula from Exmouth, this is a great spot to base yourself if you plan to hang out at Turquoise Bay or any of the other beautiful beaches along the Ningaloo Coast. We stayed here for a few nights. The park was clean, has toilets and showers, a shared cooking area and a restaurant. The homestead books out very quickly and months in advance so make sure you book ahead of time. Caravan camping sites which come with power and water taps is $50 per night (July 2023).

Exmouth

Exmouth has warm weather year round, stunning beaches and beautiful snorkeling. The biggest draw is whale shark season which occurs from April – July when they can be seen migrating along Australia’s west coast. 
Best places to Visit in Exmouth:
 -Vlamingh Head Lighthouse at sunset
-Yardie Creek Rim Gorge Track- The Yardie Nature Trail/Yardie Creek Gorge is a 2km two-part trail that starts with a 1.25km, class 2 trail to the first lookout. The Yardie Gorge Trail takes you high above Yardie Creek with views over the gorge and Ningaloo Reef.
-Osprey bay, Turquoise Bay, Oyster Stacks (Tide Depending), Lakeside Snorkel.
-Mandu Mandu Creek Trail- Is a 3km walking trail that allows access into this dry terrain.
-Mildura wreck

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