Exmouth to Port Hedland road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
The best stops on an Exmouth to Port Hedland road trip include Charles Knife Canyon, Onslow and Karratha. The 776km drive should take around 8h25m.
Most travellers tackle the drive from Exmouth to Port Hedland in Western Australia as a long, punishing leg on the coastal road trip from Perth to Broome. Exmouth is where most Ningaloo Reef tours operate from. Port Hedland, meanwhile, is an industrial town that just happens to have the only accommodation for miles around.
If you can do just one thing in Exmouth, make it snorkelling with whale sharks. Seeing the biggest fish on earth gracefully gliding towards you is utterly awe-inspiring. Out of whale shark season, other great Exmouth experiences include swimming with humpback whales, full day lagoon kayaking adventures, Cape Range National Park trekking tours, whale-watching cruises and snorkelling with turtles.
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IMPORTANT: Port Hedland accommodation can sell out well in advance. Book your stay now.
Exmouth to Port Hedland distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Exmouth to Port Hedland is 776km. That makes for a driving time of around eight hours and 25 minutes. That’s just about doable in a day, but it’s a long stint behind the wheel that is arguably better broken down with a stop or two along the way.
8 amazing Exmouth experiences to book in advance.
- Swim with whale sharks – using a spotter plane for maximum shark snorkelling time. This is an experience you’ll genuinely remember forever.
- Ningaloo wildlife adventure – see much more than just the whale sharks.
- Full day kayaking tour – stopping to snorkel at parts of the reef the boats can’t reach.
- Sunset cruise – with dolphin-spotting, snacks and drinks.
- Cape Range trekking adventure.
- Dive on the Ningaloo Reef.
- Swim with humpback whales – they come after whale shark season is over.
- Kayak and snorkel with turtles.
Fortunately, there are a few options for road trip stops on the Exmouth to Port Hedland drive.
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