Perth to Exmouth Road Trip

Just under two hours north of Perth, Lancelin feels like the official start of the adventure. The giant white sand dunes rise unexpectedly from the coastline and create an enormous natural playground.

Sandboarding is the big drawcard here, with steep slopes that are perfect for beginners and thrill-seekers alike. For the full Lancelin experience, hire a sandboard from Lancelin Sandboards Hire right at the dunes on Beacon Road. After a few runs down the dunes, cool off with a swim at Lancelin Beach or grab coffee and breakfast in town before continuing north.

The Pinnacles are one of Western Australia’s most surreal landscapes. Thousands of limestone pillars rise from golden desert sands, creating an almost alien-looking landscape inside Nambung National Park.

Early morning or sunset is the best time to visit, when the changing light casts long shadows across the formations and temperatures are cooler for walking.

Please note that the Pinnacles Desert scenic loop is an unsealed sand road, so we recommend parking in the designated Pinnacles Desert Parking area and exploring the park on foot. Wandering among the formations is the best way to take in the scale and detail of this unique landscape – and keep an eye out for kangaroos and emus around dawn and dusk.

For an overnight stop near the Pinnacles, RAC Cervantes Holiday Park is a fantastic choice. Set just a short drive from Nambung National Park, the park offers a relaxed coastal base with powered sites, cabins and family-friendly facilities, perfect for resting up before an early morning return to the Pinnacles.

Jurien Bay is a brilliant overnight stop with calm beaches, relaxed coastal vibes and some incredible marine life experiences.

For the ultimate Jurien Bay stopover, book a sea lion tour with Turquoise Safaris. Their small-group snorkelling trips head out into the Jurien Bay Marine Park where playful Australian sea lions often dart, spin and interact with swimmers in the water.

If you’d rather stay dry, Jurien Bay’s beaches are perfect for paddleboarding, fishing or simply watching the sunset with fish and chips by the water. For an overnight stay, Jurien Bay Tourist Park is one of the best campervan-friendly options in town.

A little inland from Jurien Bay, Lesueur National Park is often overlooked – but it absolutely shouldn’t be.

The park is famous for its wildflowers, with more than 900 plant species blooming between July and October. During the wildflower season, the landscape explodes with colour, making it one of the best floral displays in WA.

Even outside spring, the scenic drives and lookouts offer fantastic views across the coastline and surrounding bushland.

Hutt Lagoon’s bubblegum-pink water almost looks fake the first time you see it. Depending on the season, weather and time of day, the lake shifts between bright pink, lilac and even deep red tones.

Located near the tiny fishing settlement of Port Gregory, this is one of the Coral Coast’s most iconic photo stops.

For the best colours, aim to visit on a sunny day around midday. There are several roadside viewpoints where you can safely pull over for photos before continuing north.

Kalbarri National Park delivers some of the most dramatic scenery on the entire trip. Red river gorges, rugged coastal cliffs and sweeping outback landscapes make this region feel completely different from the beaches further south.

Nature’s Window is the park’s most famous lookout, framing the Murchison River through a natural rock arch. Nearby, the Kalbarri Skywalk extends out over the gorge for spectacular panoramic views.

If you enjoy hiking, there are trails ranging from short lookouts to full-day gorge walks. Temperatures can climb quickly here, so early starts are essential during warmer months.

For an overnight stop in Kalbarri, Kalbarri Red Bluff Tourist Park is one of the standout options on the entire Coral Coast route. The campground sits right beside the dramatic coastal cliffs south of town, so you can literally watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean from your campsite.

Once you arrive in Shark Bay World Heritage Area, the landscape becomes even more remote and rugged. Francois Peron National Park combines rusty-red sand dunes with brilliant turquoise bays, making it one of the most visually striking parts of the Coral Coast.

Beyond the sealed roads, the park is strictly 4WD-only, so most 2WD travellers choose to explore on a guided tour. One of the best options is Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Adventures, an Indigenous-owned operator offering cultural 4WD tours through Shark Bay and Francois Peron National Park. Their experiences combine Dreaming stories, bush tucker knowledge, wildlife spotting and access to remote beaches and lookouts that are otherwise difficult to reach. Please follow all road signage and remain on sealed roads. Our vehicles are not permitted on 4WD tracks, off-road terrain, or unsealed roads.

When it comes to settling in for the night, Tasman Holiday Parks – Denham Seaside is the perfect base for exploring the region. Positioned right on the waterfront in Denham, the park offers absolute beachfront sites with uninterrupted views across Shark Bay – the kind of sunsets you’ll be talking about long after your trip ends. You’re just a short stroll from supermarkets, fuel, restaurants and tour departures, while Monkey Mia and the gateway to Francois Peron National Park are an easy drive away. With powered and unpowered sites, cabins to suit every budget, and friendly staff who know the area inside out, it’s an ideal spot to unwind between adventures and soak up that laid-back Shark Bay pace.

Monkey Mia is famous for its wild dolphins, which regularly visit the shoreline in the mornings. Rangers supervise the interaction program, and while there’s no guarantee the dolphins will appear, sightings are incredibly common.

Nearby Shell Beach is another must-see stop. Instead of sand, the shoreline is made entirely of millions of tiny white cockle shells stretching for kilometres.

The water here is shallow, calm and incredibly salty – perfect for floating effortlessly under the sun.

Coral Bay is the kind of place where shoes become optional and entire days disappear between snorkels, beach swims and sunset beers. Unlike many reef destinations, you don’t need a boat to experience Ningaloo Reef here – the coral begins just metres from shore.

If you want something more adventurous, book a manta ray snorkel or whale shark tour with Coral Bay EcoTours or Ningaloo Reef Whale Sharks – both are highly regarded local operators running small-group reef experiences.

For overnight stays, Peoples Park is arguably the best campground in town thanks to its absolute beachfront location – you can wake up, walk straight onto the sand and be snorkelling within minutes.

Exmouth marks the northern end of the road trip and the gateway to Cape Range National Park.

The town itself has a relaxed, outdoorsy atmosphere, with great cafes, tour operators and easy access to both the reef and the ranges. Exmouth is also the main launching point for many of Ningaloo Reef’s bucket-list wildlife experiences, with tours departing daily during the season for whale shark swims, humpback whale encounters, diving trips and outer reef snorkelling adventures.

For sunset, head to Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. Perched high above the coastline, it’s one of the best places in Australia to watch the sun sink into the sea. During whale migration season, you may even spot humpback whales offshore from the lookout.

The best base for exploring both Exmouth and Cape Range National Park is RAC Exmouth Cape Holiday Park. It’s well positioned between the two and gives you sealed-road access to Turquoise Bay, Oyster Stacks, Vlamingh Head Lighthouse and Yardie Creek.

Cape Range National Park is where rugged outback landscapes meet pristine reef-lined beaches.

Turquoise Bay is the star attraction and regularly appears on lists of Australia’s best beaches. The water here genuinely lives up to its name – clear, calm and impossibly blue.

The drift snorkel at Turquoise Bay is a must-do experience. Enter at the southern end, let the gentle current carry you over coral gardens, then walk back along the beach and repeat.

Beyond the beaches, one of the best ways to experience Cape Range National Park is the Yardie Creek Nature Walk – a relatively easy trail that winds above the gorge with spectacular views over the creek, limestone cliffs and surrounding ranges. Keep an eye out for black-footed rock wallabies along the rocky slopes, especially in the cooler morning hours.

Swimming alongside whale sharks is one of Australia’s ultimate bucket-list experiences, and Ningaloo Reef is one of the best places on Earth to do it.

These gentle giants can grow over 12 metres long, yet they feed mainly on plankton and are completely harmless to humans.

Tours operate from both Coral Bay and Exmouth during whale shark season, with spotter planes helping locate the animals from above. Seeing a whale shark glide silently beneath you is something you’ll never forget.

If you’re travelling later in the season, humpback whale swim tours are also incredibly popular.

1. Don’t underestimate distances

Western Australia is enormous, and driving times between towns can be much longer than they appear on a map. Fuel stations can be hundreds of kilometres apart in some sections, so top up whenever you can – especially north of Kalbarri. It’s also worth downloading offline maps before leaving Perth, as mobile reception can be patchy along parts of the Coral Coast.

2. Avoid driving at night

Plan to arrive at your overnight stop before sunset wherever possible. Kangaroos, emus and livestock are especially active around dusk and after dark, and collisions are common on regional highways. Early starts are the safest and most enjoyable way to travel, giving you cooler temperatures, quieter roads and more time to stop at lookouts and beaches during the day.

3. Book campsites and Ningaloo tours well ahead

Exmouth campgrounds, Coral Bay accommodation and whale shark tours can all book out months in advance during peak season (especially from April to October). If you’re travelling in a campervan, reserve key overnight stops early – particularly places like Osprey Bay, Peoples Park and Monkey Mia – as availability can disappear quickly.

4. Pack properly for the climate

Even outside summer, the Coral Coast can be intensely hot and dry. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, lightweight clothing and far more water than you think you’ll need for hikes and long driving days. A soft cooler bag or portable fridge is also invaluable for keeping food and drinks cold between towns.

5. Give yourself extra time

The biggest mistake travellers make on the Perth to Exmouth route is trying to rush it. There’s simply too much to see along the way – from pink lakes and sea lion tours to gorge hikes and reef cruises. Leaving room in your itinerary for extra nights or spontaneous stops usually ends up being the highlight of the trip.

Travellers Autobarn offers affordable campervan rentals in Perth that are ideal for Coral Coast adventures, whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple or with friends – not least because each hire includes unlimited kilometres. With long open highways, well-equipped holiday parks and endless coastal scenery, this route was practically made for van life.

DISCLAIMER: All information provided, including prices, availability, and site details, is correct at the time of publishing. We recommend contacting campsites or caravan parks directly to confirm the latest details before planning your visit. Please review our Terms and Conditions for additional information.