For this itinerary, we will start with the best things to do in Exmouth and make our way south towards Perth and finish with the best things to do in Perth. Perth is the largest major city in Western Australia, so if you’re flying into WA internationally, or interstate, this is the best place to arrive. From here, you get to choose your own adventure!

If you want to stick to the 9-day itinerary, then I would suggest flying from Perth to Exmouth a day early, hiring a car or campervan and making your way south and finishing in Perth. Flights from Perth to Exmouth cost around $150AUD and will arrive in Learmonth (about a 25-minute drive to Exmouth) so make sure to organise your hire car/motorhome accordingly.

This west coast Australia road trip itinerary involves around 14+ hours of driving and 1300km of ground to cover, so if you do have more time and you want to take it slower, you could also fly up (or make your own way there if you’re travelling in your own van/car) and take your time heading south. While Exmouth and Coral Bay are not free-camp friendly, further south there are plenty of beautiful rest stops along the highway where you can stop and pitch a tent/park your van if you want to space out the driving and exploring to suit your timeline. The best way to find the rest stops and places to stay is on apps like campermate or wikicamps.

As many of the best places to visit in Western Australia are found in National Parks, an essential for a road trip in Western Australia is a Western Australia Parks pass. If you’re just planning a short visit then a holiday pass will be your best choice. You can choose from 14 days for $40 or a month for $60, which will give you access to all WA parks for the duration of the pass.

Weather and other considerations: the best time to visit Western Australia…

Western Australia boasts a spectacular array of natural events and attractions, many of which follow a regular seasonal calendar. As such, time of year is something to consider while planning your road trip in Western Australia and places to visit in Western Australia. While planning, you should consider what natural events and things to do in Western Australia are most important to you, as this will help you decide on when you would want to plan your visit.

For example, if you’re hoping to swim with the whale sharks you would want to plan your trip between March and July, and if you want to see wildflower season, you would want to be here between June and November. Obviously do your own research for what is most important to you, but for most of the things to do in WA listed in this west coast Australia road trip itinerary, June would be an ideal month to plan a visit.

Another consideration is whether or not you should have a 4WD to do a road trip in Western Australia. For the purposes of this west coast Australia road trip itinerary, it’s not explicitly necessary. However, you may encounter dirt roads during a road trip in Western Australia and so if you’re hiring a car I would consider the type of car you feel comfortable taking on these roads, as well as any restrictions of the insurance of the car hire company.

Along this coastline, things like grocery stores and taps for refilling drinking water are very limited. You will be able to buy fresh veg along the way, and there are some restaurants in the more touristy locations, but everything else will either be limited or at a significant premium! If you’re travelling by campervan, be sure to stock up with essential non-perishables in Exmouth (or at another major city/town if possible) before making the trip south and be prepared to pay to fill up your water tanks with water along the way.