Perth to Exmouth road trip: Drive distance, hours & best stops

The drive from Perth to Exmouth takes 13 hours. But there are plenty of road trip attractions to add to the Perth to Exmouth itinerary before reaching the Ningaloo Reef.

The Perth to Exmouth road trip is one that visitors to Western Australia will undertake in order to visit the Ningaloo Reef. This is one of the world’s great wildlife destinations, where you can kayak with sea turtles. You can also snorkel around the Murion Islands, watch whales on a sunset cruise and – most famously – swim with whale sharks.

Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, which has several towns and cities nearby, the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia is fairly remote. But the sea life, opportunity to swim with whale sharks between March and August, proximity to the beaches and lack of crowds make it thoroughly special.

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.

For Exmouth accommodation deals, hunt here.

The Ningaloo Reef runs alongside the North West Cape Peninsula in Western Australia. The Ningaloo faces the Cape Range National Park for much of the Western Australian reef’s 260km length.

swimming with whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef — Swimming with whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, is a genuinely remarkable experience. Photo courtesy of Ocean Eco Adventures.

This is basically the outback next to the ocean. Hardly anyone lives near the Ningaloo Reef. Exmouth, the main gateway town, has a population of about 2,500 people. And Exmouth is 1,250km north of Perth on the long coastal drive to Broome.

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.

Perth to Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef: Distance and driving time

The Perth to Exmouth drive takes around 13 hours. More importantly, that’s without stops along some of the most boring, monotonous road imaginable. It only makes sense to do this Perth to Exmouth drive as part of a larger West Coast road trip.

Before leaving, Perth offers gold pouring experiences at the Perth Mint, Rottnest Island day trips, and scenic Swan River cruises.

Try stopping at the Pinnacles near Cervantes, the Lancelin sand dunes at Lancelin, Kalbarri National Park and dolphin-feeding hotspot Shark Bay en route. Quobba Station by the Indian Ocean also makes a decent break on the Carnarvon to Coral Bay leg of the eight hour drive from Shark Bay to Exmouth.

Carnarvon accommodation picks

Accommodation in Carnarvon, WA, costs from around $126 a night. Wotif has a good selection of options.

The following Carnarvon accommodation is particularly worth looking at:

For central location: Carnarvon Motel.
For two bedroom apartments: Carnarvon Central Apartments.
For best overall quality: Hospitality Carnarvon.
For family cabins with a pool: Capricorn Holiday Park.

Perth to Exmouth flights

Luckily, you can fly from Perth to the Ningaloo Reef instead. Well, at least most of the way. Learmonth Airport is a 35km/ 25 minute drive south of Exmouth, and Qantas flies to Learmonth Airport from Perth.

Bought on their own, flight tickets from Perth to Exmouth can be relatively expensive – expect to pay from $250 upwards, one way. But packaged in with an international flight ticket, tagging on a Perth to Exmouth flight can cost little more than a straight return from the UK to Perth.

Perth to Exmouth: Exmouth airport car hire

At Learmonth Airport, it’s possible to hire a car from Avis, Budget or Europcar. Advance booking is strongly recommended. But if you don’t drive, Exmouth Bus Charter runs door-to-door airport transfer services for $40.

Four star accommodation options in Exmouth include the Mantarays Ningaloo Reef Resort and Exmouth Escape Resort.

5 great day trips from Perth – make your visit special

Rottnest Island ferry transfer – with bike hire and snorkelling gear. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Pinnacles desert – with koalas 🐨 and sandboarding.
Wave Rock day tour – with wildflowers & Aboriginal culture.
Margaret River wineries experience 🍷 – with tastings, caves & Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.
Full day Swan Valley wine tour 🍷– with lunch.

Getting to the Ningaloo Reef from Exmouth

But you’re not going all the way from Perth to Exmouth to visit an underwhelmingly functional town. You want to get to the Ningaloo Reef, and the reef is on the other side of the peninsula.

To get to the Tantabiddi Boat Ramp, where most Ningaloo Reef snorkelling and diving cruises depart from, it’s a half hour drive. Then, further down the North West Cape Peninsula are a series of gorgeous bays and white sand beaches, many of which have camp sites behind them.

Ningaloo Reef beaches

These Ningaloo Reef beaches are often only 100 metres or so from the Reef. The water is often pretty shallow, so most of that beach to reef distance can be covered by leisurely wading.

Turquoise Bay and Osprey Bay are justifiably popular Ningaloo Reef beaches, but the sealed road ends at Yardie Creek – 88km or just over an hour’s drive from Exmouth. Most Ningaloo Reef whale shark swimming cruises, scenic flights and Ningaloo Reef kayaking tours pick up from Exmouth. It’s also possible to swim with humpback whales.

Best Exmouth accommodation choices

For infinity pool resort luxury: Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort.
For central location: Ningaloo Lodge.
For apartments with pool and landscaped gardens: Exmouth Escape Resort.
For families: RACV Exmouth Cape Holiday Park.

DON’T MISS OUT! 9 fabulous Perth experiences to book today ✅

✅ See the Rottnest Island quokkas the smart way – with a ferry and bike package.
✅ Be amazed by the abundant wildlife – on a dolphin, penguin and sealion cruise.
✅ See clear night skies in a moon-like desert – on a Pinnacles stargazing experience.
✅ Indulge in chocolate, cheese & premium wines – on a Swan Valley food and wine tour.
✅ See the city sunset from the water – on a Swan River dinner cruise.
✅ Watch gold being melted and poured – on a Perth Mint gold tour.
✅ Combine nature with imperious city views – on Kings Park Segway tour.
✅ Face your fears and get the thrill of your life on a – on a 15,000ft skydive.
✅ Find all the best hidden hangouts – on a small bar and street art tour.