Best of Perth & Fremantle, Australia Self-Guided Driving Tour: Kings Park, Cottesloe Beach & Swan River

Perth & Fremantle, Australia: Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour incl. Kings Park & Cottesloe Beach

G'day and welcome to Perth, Western Australia! Get ready for a fantastic drive that will take us from the heart of the city all the way to the Indian Ocean and historic Fremantle.

We'll begin by exploring central Perth, passing some of its most important historic landmarks before reaching the beautiful Swan River waterfront and Elizabeth Quay. From there, we'll climb into spectacular Kings Park, where some of the best views of Perth are waiting for us.

Then we'll leave downtown behind and follow the Swan River through leafy neighbourhoods, passing the famous Blue Boat House and the University of Western Australia before making our way toward the coast.

And that's when the scenery changes again. We'll reach the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean at Cottesloe Beach, follow the coast south, and eventually arrive in Fremantle, or Freo as the locals call it.

There we'll discover convict history, grand Victorian architecture, Fremantle Prison, the historic Town Hall and the old waterfront before heading right out into the harbour for our grand finale at the South Mole Lighthouse.

So get comfortable, follow the navigation, and leave the storytelling to us.

Perth and Fremantle are waiting. Let's hit the road!

Top landmarks and attractions included in this English self-guided 1h:22m driving tour in Perth

Before You Start!

For the best experience, begin at the tour's recommended starting point and follow the stops in order.

Want to start somewhere else? Simply use Start At on the tour screen, before tapping Start Tour, to begin from any stop.

Need to detour or skip a stop along the way? Tap Tour Assistant () to use Force Play, Skip, and Back, for full flexibility.

Route Preview

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Places (POIs) visited during this tour

Place 1

St Mary’s Cathedral: Welcome to Perth Recommended starting point

Distance: 0.00 mi 24 Murray St, Perth WA 6000, Australia

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Welcome to Perth!

Up ahead is one of Perth's most impressive landmarks, St Mary’s Cathedral, but first, look to your left for the beautiful old tree known locally as the Kissing Tree.

It earned that romantic nickname because nurses who lived at nearby Kirkman House would apparently meet their sweethearts here. At the end of the evening, this was where they would say goodnight — and presumably steal one last kiss — before the nurses returned to their rooms.

And now, up ahead is St Mary’s Cathedral. Construction began here in 1863, but remarkably, the cathedral evolved over nearly a century and a half, with its final major transformation completed in 2009.

That's why you'll notice something unusual about the building: its architecture combines distinctly historic sections with much more contemporary additions, allowing different chapters of the cathedral's long history to remain visible.

It's a fitting place to begin our tour, at a landmark that has watched Perth grow from a small colonial settlement into the modern city we're about to explore.

Let's get started!

Place 2

The Perth Mint: Where Western Australia’s Gold Rush Lives On

Distance: 0.16 mi 173 Goderich St, Perth WA 6000, Australia

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On your right is the Perth Mint, one of the city's great reminders of the enormous role gold played in shaping Western Australia.

The Mint opened in 1899, during the great Western Australian gold rush, when huge quantities of gold were being discovered in places like Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie. Rather than shipping all that raw gold thousands of miles to Britain, it could be refined and turned into coins right here in Perth.

It was originally established as a branch of Britain's Royal Mint, and remarkably, it still operates today, producing gold, silver and platinum coins and bars.

And here's a fun fact: in 2011, the Perth Mint created what was then the world's largest gold coin. It weighs a full one tonne and contains more than a thousand kilograms of almost pure gold.

So as we pass on your right, take a look at that elegant old building — there's a lot of gold history hiding behind those walls.

Tour itinerary stops | Additional places you'll see on this self-guided tour

1. Place 1 St Mary’s Cathedral: Welcome to Perth
2. Place 2 The Perth Mint: Where Western Australia’s Gold Rush Lives On
3. Place 3 Mercedes College - Nearly Two Centuries of Education
4. Place 4 Perth Town Hall: A Clock Tower from the Convict Era
5. Place 5 State Buildings: From Government Offices to Perth Landmark
6. Place 6 St George’s Cathedral: Perth’s Anglican Heart
7. Place 7 Perth Girls’ Orphanage: A Hidden Piece of Perth History
8. Place 8 Perth’s Waterfront: Swan River & Langley Park
9. Place 9 Barrack Square & The Bell Tower: Perth’s Riverside Icon
10. Place 10 Elizabeth Quay: Perth Meets the Swan River
11. Place 11 Fraser Avenue Lookout: Perth from Above
12. Place 12 Kings Park: Perth’s Green Crown
13. Place 13 Blue Boat House: Perth’s Famous Little Landmark
14. Place 14 University of Western Australia & Matilda Bay: Campus by the Swan
15. Place 15 Foreshore Reserve: Life Along the Swan River
16. Place 16 Cottesloe Civic Centre & Secret Garden: A Hidden Gem
17. Place 17 Cottesloe Beach: Perth Meets the Indian Ocean
18. Place 18 Welcome to North Fremantle: Gateway to Freo
19. Place 19 Stirling Bridge: Crossing the Swan River
20. Place 20 Monument Hill & Fremantle War Memorial: A City Remembers
21. Place 21 Fremantle Prison: From Convicts to World Heritage
22. Place 22 St John’s Church & Fremantle Town Hall: The Heart of Freo
23. Place 23 South Mole Lighthouse: Where Perth Meets the Indian Ocean

How to take a UCPlaces tour

Taking a UCPlaces tour is fun and easy.
Download the app (Android or iOS), purchase the tour (either here on the website, or from within the app).
That's it, you're ready to go!
When you want to start the tour, find the tour in the app (via a quick in-app search or by clicking the tour link received in your confirmation email) and click "Start Tour" (headphones recommended for best experience.)
* After purchasing a tour you will receive a purchase confirmation email including the tour link and instructions on how to take the tour, so you don't have to remember anything now.

How does the tour work?

UCPlaces acts as your personal tour guide, providing self-guided audio tours fully navigated within our app using GPS-based navigation. You won't need to switch between external navigation apps.
Whenever you approach a point of interest (POI) on the tour, our app will automatically play the relevant audio story at the right time and place.
If you start the tour before reaching the first POI, the app will navigate you to the starting point and then begin the tour.

How is this more convenient than a traditional tour?

UCPlaces offers an innovative and flexible way to explore exciting destinations on your terms.
Here are some key advantages over traditional tours:

• No need to commit upfront or purchase in advance; buy a tour only when you're ready to go.
• Walk at your own pace.
• No waiting for groups; go on your schedule.
• Take the tour in your preferred language.
• Start, stop and continue the tour whenever you want.
• Returning to the same destination? Take the tour again, and again, and again... And bring a friend!
• Enjoy preferred prices.