Self-Launched: Best of Western Australia — Perth to Exmouth in 8 Days
8 days · Western Australia
On The Go Tours charges £1,950
No-markup version: ~£950 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of On The Go Tours' 8-day Perth-to-Exmouth run up the WA Coral Coast — the Pinnacles, Pink Lake, Kalbarri's gorges and skywalk, Shark Bay and Monkey Mia's dolphins, Ningaloo Reef snorkelling and Cape Range. Instead of a private air-conditioned minibus and 3-4 star hotels, you hire a cheap car (or take the Integrity Coach Lines bus for the long legs) and stay in hostels, lodges and caravan-park cabins. All the headline stops are self-drive, self-bookable or free national park lookouts, so you keep the same route for roughly half the price. Costs are rough backpacker/campervan estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Perth to Geraldton via the Pinnacles
Perth / Nambung / Geraldton
Collect a hire car in Perth (small hatchback from ~£30-40/day, or a campervan) and drive north on the Indian Ocean Drive. Stop at Lancelin's sand dunes for a walk or sandboard, then explore Nambung National Park (Pinnacles) — entry ~£8/vehicle. Continue via the Leaning Trees at Greenough and a quick look at Jurien Bay jetty (sea lions often haul out on the nearby islands). Reach Geraldton for sunset at the HMAS Sydney memorial and a hostel or caravan-park cabin. Total drive ~420 km.
🚌Hire car from Perth (~£35/day + fuel ~£10/day)
🛏Hostel dorm or caravan-park cabin in Geraldton (~£22-30)
- →Lancelin sand dunes
- →Nambung National Park Pinnacles (~£8/vehicle)
- →Greenough Leaning Trees
- →Jurien Bay jetty
- →Geraldton HMAS Sydney Memorial
Geraldton to Kalbarri via Northampton and Hutt Lagoon
Geraldton / Northampton / Kalbarri
Drive north to Northampton to see the 1800s heritage buildings and pop into a local Aboriginal art gallery (free entry, art from ~£20). Detour to Hutt Lagoon's pink lake for photos (free), then into Kalbarri National Park for Nature's Window, the Z-Bend Gorge and the Kalbarri Skywalk — day pass ~£8/vehicle. Base yourself in Kalbarri town for the night.
🚌Self-drive ~160 km
🛏Kalbarri hostel / budget motel (~£25-35)
- →Northampton heritage walk
- →Aboriginal art gallery
- →Hutt Lagoon Pink Lake
- →Nature's Window
- →Z-Bend Gorge
- →Kalbarri Skywalk (park pass ~£8)
Kalbarri to Monkey Mia via Shark Bay
Kalbarri / Hamelin Pool / Monkey Mia
Morning optional lobster pot pull boat trip from Kalbarri Marina (~£55 booked direct with the local operator — skip if on a tight budget). Drive north to Hamelin Pool to see the ancient stromatolites (free boardwalk; national park pass applies). Look out for an Aboriginal cultural experience in the Shark Bay area — the Wula Guda Nyinda or local guided bush-tucker walks are bookable direct (~£35). Continue to Monkey Mia and settle into the campground/lodge.
🚌Self-drive ~400 km
🛏Monkey Mia lodge dorm or campground cabin (~£25-35)
- →Kalbarri lobster pot pull (optional ~£55)
- →Hamelin Pool stromatolites
- →Shark Bay cultural bush-tucker walk (optional ~£35)
Monkey Mia dolphins and beach day
Monkey Mia / Shark Bay
Get to the beach early for the free Parks & Wildlife dolphin feeding/interpretation session (rangers run it most mornings; donations welcome). Spend the rest of the day swimming, kayaking (~£15 hire) or simply reading on the beach. In the afternoon, join a sunset cruise out of Monkey Mia for dugong-spotting (~£45, book direct with the local operator).
🚌On foot / short drives
🛏Monkey Mia lodge dorm or campground cabin (~£25-35)
- →Dolphin feeding session with Parks & Wildlife (free)
- →Kayak hire (~£15)
- →Sunset dugong cruise (optional ~£45)
Monkey Mia to Carnarvon — Gascoyne food and culture
Monkey Mia / Carnarvon
Drive to Carnarvon (short hop, ~170 km) and head to the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre (small entry fee ~£5) plus a wander through the Gascoyne Food Trail — mango farms, banana plantations and roadside fruit stalls in season. Optional photo stop at the Carnarvon Space and Technology Centre (~£12 entry) and the quirky Cactus Farm. Stock up at the supermarket for self-catering dinners — WA groceries are pricey, so this saves money.
🚌Self-drive ~170 km
🛏Carnarvon hostel or caravan-park cabin (~£22-30)
- →Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre (~£5)
- →Gascoyne Food Trail farm stalls
- →Carnarvon Space & Technology Centre (optional ~£12)
- →Carnarvon Cactus Farm
Carnarvon to Coral Bay and Ningaloo Reef
Carnarvon / Coral Bay / Exmouth
Drive to Coral Bay (~240 km) — the easiest shore-access point on Ningaloo Reef. Hire snorkel gear (~£12) and swim straight off the beach to coral gardens and reef fish; glass-bottom boat trips run from the jetty (~£30, book on arrival). Continue north to Exmouth (~150 km) via Vlamingh Head Lighthouse for sunset. Base in Exmouth for two nights.
🚌Self-drive ~390 km
🛏Exmouth hostel / Ningaloo lodge dorm (~£25-35)
- →Coral Bay beach snorkelling (gear hire ~£12)
- →Ningaloo Reef glass-bottom boat (optional ~£30)
- →Vlamingh Head Lighthouse sunset
Exmouth — whale sharks, mantas and Cape Range
Exmouth / Cape Range National Park
Peak season (Mar-Aug) is whale-shark time: swim-with-whale-shark tours leave Exmouth daily, book direct or via GetYourGuide (~£230-280 including reef snorkels and lunch). Off-season, manta ray snorkel tours run instead (~£120). Budget alternative: self-drive into Cape Range National Park for the Mandu Mandu or Yardie Creek gorge walk and snorkel at Turquoise Bay (park entry ~£8/vehicle). Evening back in Exmouth town for fish and chips.
🚌Tour pick-up or self-drive into Cape Range
🛏Exmouth hostel / Ningaloo lodge dorm (~£25-35)
- →Whale shark swim (seasonal, ~£250 direct booking)
- →Manta ray snorkel (seasonal ~£120)
- →Cape Range NP gorges and Turquoise Bay (~£8)
Exmouth — trip ends
Exmouth
Return the hire car (or drop it at Learmonth Airport, ~35 km south of town), or book your Qantas flight from Learmonth back to Perth (from ~£180-260, book early). If you have spare time before the flight, do a short coastal walk or visit the Ningaloo Visitor Centre. Alternatively, many travellers drive straight back down the coast over 2-3 days.
🚌Learmonth–Perth flight (~£180-260) or self-drive return
🛏—
- →Ningaloo Visitor Centre
- →Coastal walk
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£950 | £1,950 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,000 per person (51%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more On The Go Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£950
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched: Best of Western Australia — Perth to Exmouth in 8 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £950 per person for 8 days in Western Australia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with On The Go Tours?+
Yes — On The Go Tours charges around £1,950 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £950 — a saving of roughly £1,000 (51%) per person.
How long is the Western Australia trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Western Australia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, road-trip, wildlife trip through Western Australia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.