Araluen Botanic Park: Tips for seeing Perth’s Tulips 2023
Want to visit this tulip festival in Perth? As locals, we visit most years.
Araluen Botanic Park is the best places to see tulips in Perth, which bloom during August and September along with other springtime flowers.
This guide includes insider tips to help you plan your visit and make the most of your day.
Where is Araluen Botanic Park?
Araluen Botanic Park is in Roleystone, part of the Darling ranges in Western Australia. It takes about 45-minutes in the car from Perth. Follow the signs from the junction of Albany and Brookton highways.
The address is 362 Croyden Road, Roleystone WA
Araluen Botanic Park Opening Times 2023
Araluen Botanical Park is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. The gates open at 9 am and close at 5 pm.
Springtime Opening Hours: Open everyday from 9 am to 6 pm (last entry 5 pm).
Araluen Botanic Park Ticket Prices
Prices for the Springtime Tulip Festival as of August 2023 are:
A$20 per Adult, A$10 Per Child (aged 6-15), A$15 concession, or A$60 Family (2 Adults and 3 Children).
Please note that cash is not accepted – electronic payments only.
Entry Fees are subject to change.
The Best Time to Visit Araluen Botanic Park for Perth Tulips
Araluen Botanical Park is famous for its display of tulips and during the Araluen Tulip Festival, you can see these stunning flowers. This festival starts around the middle of August to the end of September with a vibrant display that leaves visitors in awe.
Araluen Botanic Park has an array of amazing flowers year-round, so it’s worth coming back again when other blooms are out.
Araluen Botanic Park Facilities
There are plenty of benches, grassy areas for picnics or kids to run around on, as well as the Araluen Train, which runs on weekends during springtime.
The Roundhouse Café is open between 10 am and 2 pm daily during the Springtime Perth Tulip Festival.
Chalet Healy Cafe has been transformed into an open space where visitors can bring food bought from the fabulous food vendors.
The Best Tulips in Perth at Araluen Botanic Park
Yates Springtime at Araluen Botanical Park has Perth’s biggest display of Tulips. This year it has over 120,000 Tulips and 36,000 other spring flowers set amongst a bushland setting.
Tulips have been planted here since 1930 when the bulbs were imported from Holland. After the war, they were sourced from New Zealand but now come from Tesselaar Bulbs in Victoria. They are refrigerated for 8 weeks and then planted once the ground temperature reaches 12 degrees.
Tips for a Great Day out at Araluen Botanic Park
The park is lovely at any time of the year but I think it is at its best when the tulips are out. We went in August, which is near the start of the season, and there were a lot blooming. It runs until the beginning of October.
Be prepared for traffic delays as you near the park if you go during tulip season and on a weekend.
If you can, visit during the week, as there will be fewer crowds and traffic and you can enjoy the park more.
Get there as close to when it opens for the best parking spots and time to take photos before it gets jam-packed.
Take a picnic and make use of the grassed area. It’s normally a quick walk back to the car for the picnic, so you won’t need to carry it around.
Don’t bring your dog – pets are not allowed in the park.
The use of skateboards, bicycles etc are not allowed either.
If you want a lovely walk amongst Australian bushland, head to Ellis Brook Valley Reserve after Araluen. It’s less than a 30 minute drive and the hike to 60 Foot Falls is beautiful, especially in spring.
The History of Araluen Botanic Park
Araluen (an Eastern States Aboriginal word meaning Singing Waters or Running Waters) was first established as a holiday camp for The Young Australia League in 1929 by JJ “Boss” Simons. He bought 59 hectares of land in this valley in Roleystone with creeks running through it.
In 1990 the State Government bought the property. During the next 20 years, The Araluen Botanic Park Foundation worked with the State Government to revamp it into what it is today.
My Thoughts
When I first moved to Perth back in 2000, Araluen was a cheap place for the family to spend half a day enjoying the spring blooms and gardens. However, the prices keep increasing and it is now A$60 for a family. They have also reduced the number of children included in the family ticket from six to three.
Araluen Botanical Park also charge A$5 for the train ride to cover the ongoing maintenance of the train – it was free previously.
Personally, I think that the tulip festival is expensive for what it is, but if you are visiting Perth, or haven’t been to Araluen previously, it is still worth going. The tulip displays are spectacular and you end up with some great photos.
The grounds are lovely for a picnic with flowing streams, water features, and natural scenery.
Head to our Facebook Group and let our community know what you think of Araluen Botanical Park.
Where to Stay close to Araluen Botanic Gardens
Have you booked accommodation?
We use Booking.com for most accommodation bookings as they offer free cancellation on many properties and have a price match guarantee. We book through Stayz (part of VRBO) for private accommodation as we find it is often cheaper than Airbnb.
Tip: Accommodation gets booked quickly, especially during the WA school holidays. To avoid disappointment, book early.
When we spent the weekend near Araluen Botanic Park, we stayed at this Bright & Beautiful Home On The Hills. Located in a quiet street in Kelmscott, the air-conditioned property is self-contained next to the owner’s home. The two-bedroom house is private and kept immaculate and features a full kitchen. We only stayed one night but it was perfect for our family of four. See Prices Here.
Other properties that get excellent reviews that are close by include:
- Armadale Cottage Bed & Breakfast – Family Studio Available
- The Good Life B&B (host speaks English and Japanese) – Luxury Suite can sleep up to 2 adults and 2 children
- Rothwood Homestays (hosts speak English, Indonesian, Malay)
- The Getaway Roleystone has a family suite sleeping four. Pets allowed.
Click on the accommodation name for photos, reviews, and up-to-date prices and availability.
