Visit

Wadjemup / Rottnest Island is a unique holiday destination, loved by locals and admired by visitors from across the world for its iconic beaches and bays. But there’s so much more to it than that... Wadjemup is significant in history and offers an unparalleled opportunity to soak up stories of the land and make new memories.

Once connected to the mainland, Wadjemup is an important spiritual and cultural site for Aboriginal people across Western Australia. Visitors are encouraged to learn of the island’s past and pay respect to this history.

As a predominantly car-free destination, you can truly immerse yourself in the natural landscape, exploring the network of bike paths and walking trails at your own pace. Dive into the ocean to find underwater marine sanctuaries full of hundreds of species of tropical marine life, and even shipwrecks that sit in reminder of the island’s military and maritime history. And no visit is complete without spotting the world-famous quokkas roaming wild and free.

Whether you are visiting for a day trip or extended stay, Wadjemup / Rottnest Island is easy to get to by ferry, your own boat and by air.

Ferry transfer is the most popular way to get to Rottnest Island, with departure points from Perth’s city centre, Fremantle Port, and Hillarys Boat Harbour. It's a 30-minute journey from Fremantle and a 45-minute ferry ride from Hillarys. Transfers from Perth city take around 90 minutes, navigating the scenic bends of the Derbal Yerrigan / Swan River, before making the ocean crossing to the island.

Rottnest Island is great to visit at any time of the year. While summer (December – February) is the most popular time to explore the beautiful beaches, you can still enjoy warmer weather for water-based activities between September and April. The winter months (June – August) are a great time for a range of land-based experiences from hiking to wildlife encounters.

Learn more about how the incredible flora and fauna change throughout the year with our guide to the Noongar seasons on Wadjemup / Rottnest Island.

A day trip to Rottnest Island is a great way to visit. If you catch the first and last ferry of the day, you will have plenty of time to explore the abundant offerings on Wadjemup. For more ideas of what you can do in a day on Rottnest Island, explore our itineraries here.