Best Perth Bus Tour: Perth Hop On Hop Off Bus Review
The Perth Hop On, Hop Off Bus is a great way to explore the city’s main attractions. It stops at many top Perth destinations including Elizabeth Quay, Kings Park and the Perth Mint. The bus includes commentary in many languages, making it an amazing experience for tourists and visitors to Perth in Western Australia.
I took this Perth sightseeing tour when I first came to WA from England, so read on for the full Perth Hop On Hop Off Bus review.
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Perth Hop On Hop Off Bus Review
Being from London, I love a Double Decker bus and being upstairs in the open air is a great way to tour Perth. You can board at any of the twelve stops around the city and if you stay on the bus, it will take two hours to complete the circuit. Be aware, though, that Perth does experience extreme heat during summer, and it may be too hot to sit upstairs in the sun.
This open bus tour is great for children too. We used HO/HO busses as an easy sightseeing option when the girls were young and public transport was too hard with them. This Perth one provides a commentary by Kev the eco-friendly kangaroo, which keeps them entertained.
Be sure to plan your day, though, to ensure you make good use of this Perth tour as the buses only depart hourly.
Perth Hop On Hop Off Bus Route
Stop 1 – Elizabeth Quay & Bell Tower
Elizabeth Quay was opened in 2016 and has been an important part of the city of Perth ever since. You can enjoy beautiful water views, have something to eat at one of the restaurants or cafes or let your children play in the water playground.
Read this guide on things to do in Elizabeth Quay for more information.

Stop 2 – Perth City Centre
I suggest staying on for this stop unless you want to see St Mary’s Cathedral, or to walk through the east end part of the city. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Education and Heritage Centre is in the original Perth Central Fire Station (see below). It’s open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm and the first and third Saturday of each month from 10 am to 2pm.
Stop 3 – Northbridge and Cultural Centre
The cultural hub of Northbridge is Perth’s entertainment spot with a mix of bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and cafes along with small shops. The cultural centre includes the new WA Museum Boola Bardip, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. I recommend trying to allow time to visit the WA Museum, which is free to enter and open daily from 9.30am to 5pm.
Stop 4 – Optus Stadium
This 60,000 seat state-of-the-art stadium officially opened on the 21st January 2018.
The Camfield, a large microbrewery, is part of the area surrounding the stadium which includes the nature playgrounds in the Chevron Parkland, the BHP Boardwalk and Amphitheatre, picnic, and barbeque areas.
A good way to see the stadium is by taking the 90-minute Optus Stadium Guided Tour where you will experience the inner sanctum with change-room, locker room, and coaches’ room access. The tour includes viewing sports memorabilia showing WA’s rich sporting history along the way. You can book the tour here.
It’s a lovely walk along the river, past The Matagarup Bridge, to the next stop if you don’t want to wait for the bus.
Stop 5 – Crown Perth
The Crown complex consists of three hotels: Crown Towers, Crown Metropol, and Crown Promenade. The casino is housed in the Crown Metropol and there are plenty of dining and drinking options in the resort. If you want to have lunch at The Atrium Buffet, it’s best to book ahead.
You will find large amounts of public open space, including grassed areas and shady tree-filled spaces along the river foreshore in the Burswood Parkland.
You can read more about this area in the guide on things to do in East Perth.
Stop 6 – Perth Mint
The Perth Mint is Australia’s official bullion mint, built in the 19th century to refine gold brought in from the Gold Rush. You can take a tour and buy souvenirs including Australian coins, gold, silver and platinum. The mint is housed in a grand heritage building, one of Western Australia’s oldest heritage sites.
Buy a multi ticket here that combines the bus with the Perth Mint Tour.
Stop 7, 8 & 9 – Kings Park
Kings Park is one of the top tourist attractions in Perth and one that you don’t want to miss. The views from this huge inner-city park are mesmerising.
Stop 7 is just as you enter Kings Park in Fraser Avenue and allows you to walk along the tree-lined street to take photos of the stunning views of Perth city and the Darling ranges.
Stop 8 is a bit further along at Roe Gardens, part of Kings Park Botanical Gardens. This is one of my favourite parts of Kings Park and is beautiful year-round, although it is particularly stunning in spring when all the wildflowers are in bloom.
Stop 8a offers the chance to walk down to the insta-famous Blue Boathouse via the Kokoda trail to Mounts Bay Road. However, it’s quite a steep descent and it can be hard to cross the road. I would see the Crawley Edge Boatshed separately and visit Matilda Bay and Nedlands at the same time (it’s a nice cycle ride).
Stop 9 is the last stop in Kings Park and is the best stop for kids. May Drive Parkland is best suited for children aged 4 to 8 years but is also a great area for all ages. Here you’ll find a 75m long elevated walkway, an island fort, large-scale replicas of extinct Australian mega fauna and an interactive water misting forest.
Read this article on things to do in Kings Park for more information and ideas.
Stop 10 – Watertown
You can find some great bargains at The Watertown Brand Outlet Centre in West Perth. This shopping centre is home to over 100 retailers, with a mix of International and Australian brands specialising in fashion, accessories, gifts, homewares, leisure, and sportswear.
Stop 11 – Yagan Square
Yagan Square connects Northbridge to Perth’s city centre and is filled with restaurants, cafes, and a market hall. If you get off here, you can walk to the city shops (next stop).
Stop 12 – City Shops
The last stop is in William Street, which leads to the pedestrian shopping malls in Hay Street and Murray Street.
Where to buy Perth Hop On Hop Off Bus Tickets
You can buy tickets on board the bus, direct, or through a third party like Viator or Get Your Guide. We usually compare prices but try to book through a third party as some offer free cancellation on tickets.
When booking direct, your ticket is only valid for 6 months after purchase, and no cancellation is allowed. All the third party sites below (which we use) offer free cancellation. However, if booking a family ticket, it works out A$35 cheaper to book direct.
Prices of an adult 24 hour pass as of May 2022:
Company | Cost | Free Cancellation | How to book |
---|---|---|---|
Direct online | A$35 | N | Book Here |
Get Your Guide | A$40 | Y | Book Here |
Viator | A$40 | Y | Book Here |
Klook | A$40 | Y | Book Here |
Conclusion
You can get around Perth city for free on the CAT buses or the city has a Free Transit Zone for buses and a SmartRider Free Transit Zone for trains. However, these transport options can be busy during peak hours. Therefore, the Perth Hop On Hop Off bus could be a good option if you don’t want the hassle or are travelling with young children. The commentary is also good for tourists who want to learn a bit more about Perth.
If you’re interested in seeing more attractions, see what we rate as the best tours in Perth.
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