Rottnest Island Tours & Transfers

Rottnest Island tours from Perth combine a ferry from Barrack Street Jetty with a bus tour, bike hire, an adventure boat ride or snorkelling, and a ferry-only ticket is available if you would rather plan the day yourself. The island sits 19 kilometres off the Fremantle coast, with quokkas, bays and a fur seal colony. These tours sit under Perth tours, and the page for all Rottnest Island tours and transfers covers the wider range.

Rottnest Island day tours from Perth

Day tours from Perth leave the Rottnest Express terminal at Pier 2, Barrack Street Jetty, at 8.45am, and the return ferry leaves the island at 5pm. Each of these day tours includes the return ferry and the Rottnest Island admission fee, and most include hotel pick-up from selected Perth CBD hotels. Then you choose how you want to spend the day.

The Rottnest Island day tour with a guided bus tour suits visitors who want the island explained. A 90-minute air-conditioned bus tour stops at Wadjemup Lighthouse and the West End, and the crew give commentary on the island's cultural and historical past.

The Rottnest Island day tour with bicycle hire puts you on a bike straight from the jetty with a helmet and lock. You can ride to the lighthouse, stop at a bay for a swim or look for the New Zealand fur seal colony.

Adventure boat and snorkel tours

The Rottnest Island adventure boat tour is a 90-minute run on the Eco Express that circles the whole island, passing remote bays and the wilder coastline. It is not suitable for expectant mothers, passengers with back injuries or wheelchair users, so check the tour page before booking.

For snorkelling, the Rottnest Island bike and snorkel day tour from Perth adds all snorkelling gear and a bike with helmet, and is an 8-hour day. Snorkellers can see colourful fish, turtles and dolphins, and humpback whales are possible during the annual migration from September to November.

Ferry-only tickets

If you want to plan your own day, the Rottnest Island round trip ferry from Perth covers the return crossing only, leaving Barrack Street Jetty at 8.45am and returning from the island at 5pm. The island is vehicle-free, with biking paths, beaches, walking trails and resident quokkas.

Tours once you are on the island

A private electric rickshaw tour of Rottnest Island is a 90-minute ride along 18 kilometres of coastline with a local guide, who tells stories of shipwrecks and soldiers, and departs from Colebatch Avenue at 9.45am or 12pm.

The Rottnest Island West End sunset and seals tour is a 1.75-hour coach trip from the Main Settlement bus stop at about 6.15pm, with stops at Wadjemup Lighthouse and the Cape Vlamingh lookouts and a chance to see fur seals at Cathedral Rocks. The day-tour ferry from Perth returns at 5pm, so check how you will get home before booking an evening tour.

Rottnest from Fremantle, by sail or from above

Fremantle is the other departure point. Alongside the B Shed ferry tours, the Rottnest Island full-day sail cruise from Fremantle runs 8am to 4pm on selected days from November to March, with snorkelling gear, kayaks and a stand-up paddle board on board. More boat trips are on the Perth cruises page. For a view from above, the 15,000ft tandem skydive over Rottnest Island lands on the beach and leaves from the island airport.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get to Rottnest Island from Perth?

Take the Rottnest Express ferry from Pier 2 at Barrack Street Jetty in Perth, which leaves at 8.45am on the Experience Oz day tours and returns from the island at 5pm. Fremantle departures leave B Shed at 9.30am.

How far is Rottnest Island from Perth?

Rottnest Island is 19 kilometres off the coast of Fremantle. From Perth, the ferry leaves Pier 2 at Barrack Street Jetty at 8.45am on these day tours.

What is included in a Rottnest Island day tour from Perth?

The Rottnest Island day tours from Perth include the return ferry and the island admission fee, plus the bus tour, bike hire, adventure boat tour or snorkelling gear depending on the tour you choose.

Can you see quokkas on a Rottnest Island tour?

Yes. Quokkas are the resident wildlife on Rottnest Island, and spotting one is listed as a highlight of the round trip ferry, the adventure boat tour and the rickshaw tour.

Is a bus tour or bike hire better on Rottnest Island?

A bus tour covers the lighthouse and West End with commentary and no cycling, while bike hire lets you ride at your own pace and stop at bays and beaches. Both include the ferry and island admission fee from Perth.

When can you see whales near Rottnest Island?

Humpback whales pass along the Western Australian coast on their annual migration, with sightings possible from September to November on the snorkel tours.

Pick the way you want to see Rottnest, then match it to the 8.45am ferry from Barrack Street Jetty.