What are the best things to do on Rottnest Island, Western Australia?

The best things to do on Rottnest Island include snorkelling at Little Parakeet Bay, photographing quokkas and cycling around the island. There are also kayaking tours, catamaran cruises and Aboriginal cultural walks.

In recent years, 19 square kilometre Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth has become a world class destination. Many of the ingredients were already there, of course. Rottnest Island has white sand Indian Ocean beaches, sunny weather and an abundance of wildlife. This includes the adorable quokkas that have become social media stars.

Rottnest Island has long been the best day trip from Perth, but a recent boom in tour and accommodation options has seen it become a true highlight of Western Australia.

Let’s start by tackling the best things to do on Rottnest Island the simple, traditional way. You start off by getting the Rottnest Express ferry from B Shed in Fremantle or Barrack Street Jetty next to Elizabeth Quay in Perth. There is an alternative Rottnest Island ferry from Hillarys Boat Harbour in northern Perth.

Things to do on Rottnest Island: Bike hire

You’re not allowed to drive on Rottnest Island without a special permit, so either hire a bike when booking the Rottnest Express tickets, or rent one from Pedal and Flipper when you arrive.

You’re likely to see several of the Rottnest Island quokkas hanging around the main settlement, but in truth they can be spotted all around the coast. So just cycle away to your heart’s content until you find a pink lake or beach you like the look of. There are several absolute stunners, although Australia Travel Questions loves Little Parakeet Bay. Snorkelling there is undoubtedly one of the best things to do on Rottnest Island.

That’s the easy part. The next question is what Rottnest Island tours, activities and experiences to add in. And there is an absurdly large range of Rottnest activity options, ranging from paddle-board rentals at Aquabay Hire in Thomson Bay to Rottnest Island skydives, Segway tours or snorkelling tours.

Aquaplay also offers water bike tours – imagine a catamaran, but with a bike rather than a ship. But these are very much about novelty value rather sight-seeing.

Things to do on Rottnest Island: Bike and Segway tours

That hints at the best rule of thumb for Rottnest Island tours – think about whether it’s a gimmick that could be enjoyed anywhere, or something specific to the island.

With that in mind, Paul’s Eco E-Bike tours don’t really show off much beyond what you’d see pedalling around anyway. The same very much applies to the Rottnest Island Segway tours.

Giving better glimpses of Rottnest Island’s natural wonders are the glass-bottomed sea-kayaking tours with Rottnest Kayak and the snorkelling and sailing tour around the island on the Capella catamaran.

Things to do on Rottnest Island: Aboriginal tours

There are also Rottnest Island bus tours and walking tours. Probably of most niche interest, however, are the Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours and Oliver Hill trips.

The Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours look at Rottnest Island from the perspective of the Indigenous Noongar people. The standard tours include a water or sand ceremony, Dreamtime stories and traditional Noongar songs. Opt for the premium adults-only tour, however, and you’ll get an idea of Rottnest Island’s darker side. For nearly a century, it was used as a prison for Aboriginal people.

The Oliver Hill tours are fascinating or tedious, depending on your feelings for World War II historical sites. They visit the old military emplacements in the middle of the island, with the giant guns that were installed to protect Perth from invasion in World War II.

It’s also possible to go camping on Rottnest Island.

More things to do in Western Australia

Watch gold being poured at the Perth Mint.

Go paddle-boarding at Meelup Beach in Dunsborough.

Swimming at Serpentine Falls in the Serpentine National Park.

Walk the Bibbulmun Track to Albany.

Say hi to the kangaroos on Heirisson Island in Perth.