While widely regarded as the most isolated major city in the world due to the roughly 2,100 kilometers (approximately 1,300 miles) that separate it from the nearest Australian neighbor of major size, the Western Australian capital of Perth is often the country’s gateway for travelers from many different parts of the world.
The city is close enough to share a timezone with Asian capitals such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur. While certain routes are currently suspended due to the constraints around flying over Middle Eastern airspace, Perth is also the first Australian landfall for those flying east from European capitals. North Americans, meanwhile, most often come to Perth as a part of a wider tour of Australia or through a hop-over from Asia since they’ve made it that far.
Between March 2025 and 2026, Perth Airport (PER) recorded just over 18.3 million passengers. This is a new record and a jump of 5.5% from the previous year.
Where to stay, what to eat and where to go for a luxury travel experience in Perth
While Perth has long been associated with the laid-back beach culture of more than 150 kilometers of beach coastline, it is currently in the midst of a “luxury renaissance” as the city seeing some of the most rapid economic development in Australia second only to the Gold Coast region.
The InterContinental Perth City Centre in the heart of Perth’s central business district is nearing the 10-year anniversary of its coming to the city in 2017. The prime location on the intersection of historic Hay and King streets makes the five-star property an ideal base for exploring the city while its Ascua restaurant serves up steaks and Western Australian seafood delicacies such as Albany kingfish and Exmouth prawns cooked in front of guests on an open-fire grill.
With Western Australia home to a whopping nine separate wine regions, the restaurant also offers an elaborate wine card of native gems.
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Two other restaurants that over the years earned a reputation for being a particularly hard sport in Perth to land a reservation include the ultra-intimate tasting menu served by Chef Todd Stuart at Twenty Seats and the omakase experience offered by Chef Moe Oo at Marumo.
Swan River wineries like Sandalford Wines and Riverbank Estate are some of the nearest destinations to more fully immerse oneself in the local history of winemaking while the riches of the sprawling Margaret River is approximately a four-hour drive away.
Tour operators like Perth Luxury Tours and Walk Into Luxury offer a variety of options for custom small-group tours of both neighborhoods within Perth and farther-away food, wine, nature, and wildlife destinations.
Chartered boat tours can be customized to focus on everything from swimming and exploring the coral reef to lobster fishing.
Rottnest Express
Extravagant seafood cruises and turquoise waters: What to book for luxury ocean vibes
Rottnest Island/Wadjemup (the latter is the original Aboriginal name given to it by the local Whadjuk Noongar people), a nature reserve approximately 18 kilometers off the mainland coast that is known for both its turquoise-blue beaches and cuter-than-you quokka marsupial that calls it home, can be accessed by passenger ferries such as Rottnest Express and SeaLink. Private yacht tours, meanwhile, will up the experience to a luxury one.
Starting at $470 Australian dollars per person, Rottnest Cruises takes guests on a four-hour Luxe Island Seafood Cruise in which they help pull up pots of the local Western Rock Lobster and then sample them in a seven-course tasting menu designed by Executive Chef Tony Howell.
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The 3.5-hour Wild Seafood Experience offered by Mandurah Cruises starts at $150 AUD and offers a similar experience departing from the namesake coastal town that sits at the foot of the massive Peel-Harvey Estuary and Mandjar Bay.
Urban beaches such as Cottesloe and Scarborough are a passing visitor to Perth’s best bet for a dive into the coastal culture that the city and arguably much of Australia is all about while, for those staying for longer, Dunes Beach Resort opened in Mindairie/Quinns Rocks region with 38 decked-out glamping tents just a few weeks ago.
The meticulously-preserved Victorian architecture of Fremantle offers a layered glimpse into Perth’s past and present.
Fremantle, Subiaco and City Beach: A very short guide to the different Perth neighborhoods and suburbs
Many of the cruises to nearby islands depart from either Barrack Street Jetty in central Perth or the Victoria Quay section of Fremantle Port. The port city built around the historic prison is affectionately called Freo by locals and is worthy of at least a half day’s visit in its own right for the immaculately-preserved Victorian architecture and bohemian vibes that will leave you hopping between outdoor coffee shops, artisanal shops and the historic weekend markets operating from Friday to Sunday.
Other vibrant neighborhoods include Subiaco, which got its name from the Benedictine monks who settled the area from the village in the Labio region of Italy in the 1850s but today is known for the stretch of trendy boutiques and restaurants alongside Rokeby Road, and the artistic and musical hub of Perth that is Northbridge.
And for the juxtaposition of easy beach vibes alongside multi-million-dollar properties, Cottesloe, City Beach, Scarborough and Trigg are just some among many where to catch a pink-blue sunset and wish one could stay for longer.
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