Best Time to Visit Perth: A Locals Guide
Kaya/hello. I’m Wendy who lives in Perth with my hubby and twin daughters.
The best time to visit Perth is from September to November and March to May. However, some people enjoy the heat of summer if they want to enjoy the beaches.
September to November allows you to experience spectacular wildflowers, and the weather is warm with little rainfall.
March to May has the best weather, with warm days and cool nights, and the ocean is at its warmest.
In January and February, you may experience heat waves.
Table of Contents
Sunny Weather
Visit Perth for hot, sunny weather from December to March.
Perth Beaches
To experience Perth’s beaches at their best, visit between November and April.
In summer, the average water temperature is 20.9 to 22.8°C. The ocean is warmest in March with an average of 23.4°C and coldest in winter and spring when it ranges from 19.4 to 21.3°C.
Weddings & Honeymoons
The optimal time for weddings and honeymoons in Perth is from November to March when rainfall is infrequent.
Deals
Winter is the cheapest time to visit Perth, but you may find some deals in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn.
Sightseeing
Visit Perth from November to March for sightseeing. However, avoid January and February if you don’t like the heat.
Families
The best time for families to visit Perth is November to mid-December, February and March. Avoid the Australian school holidays when accommodation is at capacity, and the prices are at their highest.
Hiking
The shoulder seasons of spring and autumn are the best for hiking in Perth. Waterfalls are at their prime usually in September, when wildflowers bloom.
Flies can be a nuisance in spring, which is why I prefer hiking in the autumn months.
Wildflowers
To see Western Australian wildflowers, visit Perth in September. The season begins in the northern part of WA in June and extends south, reaching Perth in September and the South West region in October.
You don’t have to travel far; Kings Park, in the heart of Perth, has a spectacular display.
Whale Watching
Western Australia is one of the world’s best whale-watching destinations, with two main whale-watching seasons.
Our Humpback Highway has the largest whale migration in the Southern Hemisphere. In April, around 35,000 whales leave the feeding grounds of Antarctica to raise their young in the warm waters of WA’s north west. Their return journey from September to December brings them closer to the coastline.
March to May
From March to May, male humpbacks visit Flinders Bay, Augusta, where they mate. The females then head along the WA coast to Coral Bay and Exmouth, in the Kimberley region.
The Blue Whale, the world’s largest mammal, comes to Perth Canyon (30 nautical miles off the coast of Perth) to feed on krill from March to May.
August to December
From September to November, the female humpback whales with newborn calves make their way back and can sometimes be seen from Perth’s coastline.
In Flinders Bay, the first pregnant females of the endangered Southern Right Whales arrive in July. Numbers peak in August with the arrival of mothers and newborn calves enjoying the sheltered waters. Humpback Whales are also regularly sighted during August but less often than earlier in the season. This time of year allows you to see the Southern Right and Humpback whales in one day if you are lucky.
Further afield, orcas visit Bremer Bay from January to the beginning of April.
Wineries
Visiting wineries in Western Australia is a year-round activity. Spring and autumn are perfect weather for lunches and enjoying the vineyards’ outdoor areas. Some cellar doors have log fires in winter.
Peak Season in Perth
Peak season in Perth is during the summer WA school holidays, with the Easter school holidays following closely behind.
Accommodation is generally cheaper in winter, outside of the July school holidays.
When does Perth have the shortest hours of daylight?
June has the shortest daylight hours in Perth, with sunrise around 7:15 am and sunset at about 5:20 pm.
When does Perth have the longest hours of daylight?
December has the longest daylight hours in Perth, with sunrise at about 5 am and sunset at approximately 7.30 pm.
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Helpful Guides
- How to plan your holiday to Western Australia
- Western Australia Travel Guide
- Perth weather
- Best time to visit Western Australia
Save Money Planning Your Trip
Click on the links, which will take you directly to the website.
Flights ✈️
We fly Virgin Australia domestically due to their competitive prices and fantastic customer service, and fly with Qatar Airways to Europe.
Accommodation 🏩
We mainly use Booking.com for accommodation as they consistently have the lowest rates with free cancellation on most properties.
For pet sitting in Western Australia and worldwide, we are members of Trusted Housesitters. Free accommodation for pet and house sitting.
Car Rental 🚘
To compare rental car company prices, we use Discover Cars, an award-winning car rental comparison website. They offer competitive pricing in over 10,000 locations worldwide and are highly rated.
Campervan/RV Rental 🚐
DriveNow is a good resource to compare campervan hire in Western Australia as it includes all the large companies like Britz, Maui, and Jucy as well as smaller ones.
Travel Insurance 🌏
Cover-More and Travel Insurance Direct are our preferred travel insurance companies for domestic and international travel.
See this Travel Insurance for Australia guide for more information.
