On Tour: Guided Land Activities for All
With cooler temperatures and an everchanging landscape, embrace the opportunity to explore the expansive lands of the island with experienced guides.
5 minutes
Let the experienced guides of Wadjemup / Rottnest Island take you on an adventure filled with winter wonder and island insights.
Winter reveals a renewed landscape that’s just waiting to be explored and a guided tour is the perfect way to gain deeper knowledge and a unique perspective as you wander. From walks to wheels, rail to trails, here are the top land-based tours that offer moments of reflection and connection.
WALKING TOURS
Trek the trails with The Hike Collective
Fall into a peaceful rhythm with a guided hiking tour. When you don’t have to worry about which way to turn or what landmarks to look out for, there’s more time to appreciate all that surrounds you. Tours range from 4 km to 16 km in length, providing a welcome way for solo travellers to reach idyllic island locations as part of a group. Whichever tour you take, it’s bound to be filled with wildlife sightings, including the famous kwoka (quokka) and djerap (birds).
Connect to culture with Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours & Experiences
Join local Noongar guide and Traditional Owner, Walter McGuire, on an award-winning guided walking tour. This intimate experience offers space to reflect on the cultural significance of Wadjemup. Tours run for one or two hours and commence with a sand ceremony at the main settlement, before Walter guides you on an enriching walk filled with traditional song and language.
Wander and learn with a free Rottnest Voluntary Guides walking tour
Tours with the knowledgeable Rottnest Voluntary Guides are free and frequent, covering a range of topics and landmarks. The island’s only quokka tour offers the chance to observe these creatures during their most active time of year (from a respectful distance). Around August, you’ll also catch glimpses of joeys nestled cosily in their mothers’ pouches.
Fill your ears with island tales about shipwrecks and sailors or settlers and survivors with short but insightful walking tours close to the main settlement. Or, over at Parker Point and West End, roving guides run tours that detail the island’s formation, geology and marine reserves, plus natural winter wonders.
Snap the ultimate souvenir with Capture the Light Photographic Tours
Spend a few hours or a full day under the wing of an expert photographer with this intimate tour that welcomes all levels of photographers. Practice professional techniques on your smartphone or camera of choice and end up with the types of photos you’ll be proud to display on your walls. No two tours are the same, with winter lighting, landscapes and local creatures offering unique subject matter. Later sunrises and early sunsets allow for increased opportunities to get creative, as does the rapidly shifting shapes and hues of the sky above.
Ascend 38 m above the island on the Wadjemup Lighthouse tour
Join a daily tour that takes you up a 155-step spiralling staircase. As you wind your way to the viewing platform, your guide will set the scene of past engineering feats, and use of this functioning lighthouse in showing the way for lost sailors. At the top, take a deep breath of crisp air and savour 360-degree views of the seasonal scenery that surrounds you, from revitalised green bushland to rolling waves over the opaque Indian Ocean.
Travel back in time with an Oliver Hill Gun & Tunnel tour
Escape passing rain showers and head underground with the Rottnest Voluntary Guides. This daily tour takes you through the tunnels that lead to the gun’s ammunition supply and engine room. Examine the 9.2-inch naval gun: the only intact emplacement of its type left in Australia. The newly installed replica Ghost Engine is also sure to excite with its loud rumblings. On clear days, park up at a picnic table and enjoy panoramic island views and a pre-packed bite to eat before or after your tour.
BUS AND TRAIN TOURS
Travel to Oliver Hill with Captain Hussey Train
All aboard! This historic train travels to Oliver Hill and back to the settlement multiple times each day, offering comfortable, weather-proof transportation for all types of travellers. Take it easy and take in the scenery of the island’s southside as you make your way to this significant Australian World War II heritage site. The journey seamlessly blends enjoyment and education, making it ideal for families.
Swing by iconic sites with Discover Rottnest
If you’re visiting when the weather takes a wet or blustery turn, bus tours ensure the adventure continues. Departing twice daily, this 90-minute tour with guided commentary takes you past the most iconic locations of the island, stopping at the West End. Hop out here to observe and explore before boarding once again to make the comfortable return trip to the settlement.
Explore more with Quokka Coaches
There are additional bus tours that cover other areas of the island for those with more time to explore and enjoy the commentary along the way. The Bayseeker Island tour departs twice daily and runs for just under two hours. Highlights along the way include stops at Wadjemup Lighthouse, Henrietta Rocks and the secluded Mabel Cove.
Those with a desire to delve into the military history of the island will appreciate the Grand Island tour, which departs once daily. Over four hours, you’ll discover stories of the past during the underground Oliver Hill Guns and Tunnels tour, in addition to exploring the settlement, Wadjemup Lighthouse and Mabel Cove.
TWO-WHEELED TOURS
Zip around on and off-road with Segway Tours WA
Awaken your senses with fresh wind on your face and nature all around. The Settlement Explorer tour is a 1-hour journey covering the main settlement before heading out to The Basin and Bathurst Lighthouse. Along the way, hear historic facts and enjoy the ever-changing landscape. The Fortress Adventure tour ups the thrill factor with 1.5-hours of off-road exploration as you appreciate the military history of Bickley Battery while soaking in the surrounding coastline.
Looking for something a little longer? The Coastal Explorer tour takes you out for two hours, covering iconic island locations, including the glittering Geordie and Longreach Bays in addition to the stunning inland kabikarning (salt lake) systems.
Cruise along the coastline with Paul’s Eco E Bike tours
Electric bicycles are ideal for a range of fitness levels, allowing you to embrace the peaks and valleys of the biking paths in complete comfort. For the complete island experience, join the 4-hour tour that takes you to Wadjemup’s wild and wonderful West End. If your day is busy with other adventures, the 2-hour guided sunset tour is a welcome way to farewell the day. Glide your way as a group to Ricey Beach where you’ll pause to marvel in the sight of the sun slipping softly into the surrounding waters.
Tips for a time well spent
Make your visit even more meaningful with helpful advice from those in the know.
