Gay Perth Travel Guide
20 February 2023
If you’re looking for a gay Perth Australia travel guide you’re in the right place. With our personal experience of living in Perth and the help of our local gay friends, we’ve created this ultimate guide to gay and LGBT Perth including the best gay beaches, gay clubs and things to do for a long weekend or a week-long getaway in Perth.
We believe that Perth is Australia’s most underrated city, especially for an LGBTQ+ traveler. Perth is Australia’s sunniest capital city (more than 3,000 hours of sunshine every year) and has consistently been voted as one of the world’s most liveable cities. With over 19 stunning coastal beaches, a ton of outdoor adventures and experiences on its doorstep, incredible food and wine options with the Swan Valley wine region just a 25-minute drive away, a bucketload of summertime events including the world’s third largest fringe festival, and Rottnest Island (famous for cute Quokka selfies) only 19km away, Perth has to be added to your Australian bucketlist of adventures.
Charlie and I have spent over 4 months in total in Perth exploring it all – this blog is not only your sign to visit sunny Perth, but will give you all the things you need to do when you’re there.
Enjoy!
Contents
Perth's best beaches
Perth has a ton of incredible beaches and is the best city in Australia for watching the sun set over the ocean. Keep in mind that the wind usually picks up in the afternoon, so getting down to these beaches for a morning dip is what we recommend (unless you’re kitesurfing like Charlie does). Either way, you’re going to be in for a treat when you visit them all!
Swanbourne Nude Beach
The northern section of Swanbourne Beach is Perth’s only nude beach, and Charlie’s favourite beach in Perth. It’s a short walk from the main section of Swanbourne Beach, and it’s totally worth getting your kit off. Unsurprisingly Swanbourne Beach is the best gay beach in Perth.
P.s. You can find our blog on the best nude beaches in Australia here.
Cottesloe Beach
This is our all-time favourite Perth beach, because the vibe and the sunsets here are absolutely incredible. Cottesloe also has a swimming net and lifeguards patrolling the beach when you take a dip over summer months. So pack a picnic blanket and get your sunset tan on at this one!
Scarborough Beach
Scarborough beach has weekly summer sunset markets and you’ll see a lot of this on Instagram. There’s also a 50-metre beach pool for those that don’t want to stay on the sand.
We totally recommend venturing out of the CBD for a few days and staying in Scarborough to really soak in Perth’s laid back beach lifestyle.
Trigg Beach
Trigg Beach is a bustling beach on a sunny day and for good reason. I had my very first surf lesson here and absolutely fell in love with surfing! A short walk north of Trigg beach leads you to Metthams Pool, a calm section of the beach sheltered by the reef and super popular with families.
Yanchep Lagoon
Although it’s a little bit further out, Yanchep lagoon is totally worth the drive. This beach is our absolute favourite to swim at during low tide. During low tide, the reef is visible which creates a lagoon that you can swim in. It’s definitely worth the day trip up to Yachep Lagooon if you have the time. On your way back to Perth, check out Yanchep National Park where you can see plenty of Kangeroos, Wallabies and the occasional Koala!
Omeo Shipwreck at Coogee Beach
This is the only place in Australia where you can swim just 25 metres from the shoreline to snorkel a shipwreck at your leisure. Amazing, right?
To get the best visibility, you need to do this at low tide and preferably early morning before the wind picks up. I woke Charlie up at 7am and dragged him out of bed to do this (and he loved it).
Perth's best gay clubs
We’d describe Perth’s gay scene as pretty laid back, offering a more relaxed atmosphere compared to Sydney and Melbourne. Northbridge is known as Perth’s gay neighbourhood including the southern hemispheres first ever gay club, Connections. It’s also home to Perth’s best bars, rooftop restaurants, and it’s where Perth’s Fringe World Festival is held annually.
Read our guide to the best gay bars and clubs in Perth here.
Our favourite experiences in Perth
So many people (incorrectly) think that there is not much to do in Perth, but there is honestly sooo much to do; you just have to be in the know. And you’re in luck because this part of the blog will tell you all our favourite things to do in Perth.
Visit Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island is by far our favourite Island in Western Australia. We’ve been 3 times now, each time being different and leaving us wanting more. From cycling around all the secluded beaches the island has to offer (there are 63), to snorkeling some of the most pristine water in all of Australia (we went with rottnest snorkel), to taking a selfie with the renown Quokka, Rottnest really does offer one of the most unique experiences you can have in Australia.
We’d totally recommend staying overnight so that you can slow down to island time, get plenty of quokka time (they’re more active towards the end of the day) and enjoy sunset at Pinkies Beach. If you’re doing a day trip, try to get there as early as possible. For everything you need to know about Rottnest Island, read our blog here.
Explore the hidden gems of Perth on a walking tour
They say you should travel every city, even your own, as if you were a tourist. So we hopped on a walking tour with Adie (who is the best by the way) from Oh Hey WA and literally found so many hidden gems that we would never have been able to see if we explored Perth on our own. So if you love exploring and learning about the local secrets, culture and history, while seeing street art, and having a few good drinks along the way, this one is for you.
Go out on the town to Perth's gay bars and clubs
Perth is a super inclusive city with loads of gay-welcoming and LGBTQ+ owned gay venues to visit. Northbridge is the main gaybourhood in Perth, and so the majority of the LGBTQ+ venues you’ll find there. This photo was taken at Tiki As FK, a gay friendly rooftop bar with incredible cocktails – omg the Pina Colada! It’s two hops away from Connections – the longest standing LGBTQ+ club in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. For a more in-depth scoop on Perth’s gay bars and clubs read this blog.
Watch a saucy raunchy sexy Fringe Show
Perth’s Fringe festival is the third largest Fringe festival in the world! The first is Edinburgh, and the second is Adelaide. Who knew!
We legit spent night after night going from show to show, and even invited our friends along to watch the shows with us. They were hilarious and so frickin impressive. Charlie was gasping with awe, then shock, then delight on repeat. Our favourites which we’d highly highly recommend are Briefs, Godz, and Dizney in Drag!
Try out surfing at Trigg beach
This was one of the funnest things we did in Perth. I was convinced Charlie would be better than me surfing because he’s amazing at all sports, but I was better than him! We went with Surfing WA Surf School and they were so quick to get us in the water without labouring on the “theory” behind it, which I loved because I’m way more practical. I bought a surf board and wetsuit as soon as I got back from Perth!
Try out kite-surfing at City Beach
Charlie has wanted to kite-surf his entire life and Perth was the place he finally did it. And he smashed it! With the wind picking up consistently in the afternoons during the summer, Perth is arguably the best place in the world to give kite-surfing a go.
Have a picnic at Kings Park
Kings Park is iconic in Perth. You feel like you’re on top of the city with views overlooking the Swan River and the CBD. It’s also one of our favourite spots for sunset in perth – bring a book, pack a picnic and watch the world go by.
Explore the hidden gems of Fremantle with a walking tour
After exploring Perth’s CBD with Adie, she recommended we do the same in Fremantle with Michael from Fremantle Tours and so that’s what we did! And it was freaking amazing. Michael is the most smiley guide ever and is so full of knowledge. We found so many hidden gems we’d walk past without even knowing, and he took us to the locals favourites spots for food too. This is definitely a winner.
Take a cruise up the Swan River to Swan Valley
If you’re looking for a leisurely way to get down the Swan River that’s more immersive than driving, Captain Cook Cruises take you via boat all the way to the Swan Valley; all while ‘testing’ the local wines and cheeses. Fancy AF.
Have a food and winegasm in the Swan Valley
Whadjuk country / Swan valley is the oldest wine region in Western Australia and just 25 minutes drive from Perth CBD. We cruised up the river in the morning and spent the day hopping from vineyard to vineyard. We 100% recommend you also go for lunch and a gin tasting at Old Young’s – they’re famous for their gin made from indigenous fruits called Six Seasons, named after the six seasons of the Whadjuk Noongar people indigenous to the Swan Valley. They’re also famous for their pavlova vodka – there’s something for everyone! Fair to say we were fairly tipsy by the end of the day!
Sample local indigenous foods and produce in Swan Valley
Even if you’re not wine crazy the Swan Valley is definitely worth a visit for its local produce. One of our absolute highlight’s of our Perth trip was tasting a variety of bush tucker fruits, nuts, seeds and herbs with Dale Tilbrook.
Watch an outdoor Light Show at Perth Festival
Perth Festival is a multi-arts festival held annually in Perth, featuring loads of music, theatre, dance, visual arts, and more. In 2023, there were over 120 events from 10 February to 5 March!
We went to the opening weekend and watched an immersive light show at Lake Joondalup, using cutting-edge technology (drones) telling the story Djoondal, the Noongar spirit woman who created the milky way above, and whose name lives on in Joondalup.
If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then how about international supersensation Bjork performing an Australian exclusive series of 4 concerts over the closing week. Those are the kind of experiences you’ll find at Perth festival.
Drive up Zig Zag lane
Zig zag lane is a hidden gem that not many people know about, but is totally worth the visit. You’ll have a great view of the city skyline while watching the sun set over Perth.
Grab a pizza and watch the sun go down at Cottesloe
If you’re more into beach sunsets (like we are), then Cottesloe beach is the place to be. Grab a picnic blanket, a Pizza from Canteen Pizza, and enjoy the magic that is west coast sunsets.
Zipline the Matagarup Bridge
While you’re in the city, why not zipline across this epic bridge over the Swan River from 35m high? If you’re a little afraid of heights like me, this is the perfect challenge and so do-able.
The best places to eat and drink in Perth
We came back to Perth specifically to try more food and drink so that we could create this blog, asking our 103k followers on Instagram what their favourite places to eat and drink in Perth were. Along with that, we jumped on a local-led walking tour with Oh Hey WA who took us to all the best (and hidden) local spots. Our best recommendation is to start your Perth holiday with a walking tour, and then follow their recommendations for the rest of your holiday. Easy!
Take note – these are our favourite restaurants in Perth based on our experience and the advice of seasoned locals who know it all.
Odyssea City Beach
We spent Valentines Day here and the food was absolutely amazing. The seafood was to die for: crisp calamari, delicious prawn, scallop and fish ceviche, and nori-crusted salmon. My mouth is watering just from the memory.
When we shared we came here for dinner on our Instagram, a few people responded saying that this was their wedding venue! And rightly so.
It’s got gorgeous views of City Beach, where you can watch kite surfers coast by until well after sunset. It has a modern Australian menu that centers around local produce and seasonality. Everything is typically made in house too. Yummo!
The Standard
A rooftop restaurant and bar with incredible food that overlooks the city that gets a magical sunset at night? What more could you want? If you’re not doing a rooftop dinner in Perth, you’re not doing it right!
The scallops were probably the best scallops we’ve had in our lives (we had 2 servings) and the Korean BBQ chicken with sweet potato noodles were fab. Oh and also the garlic potato gems! Nom nom.
Located in Northbridge, the gaybourhood of Perth, The Standard is a great choice before heading to Fringe Festival in the Pleasure Gardens or heading out to Perth’s gay bars and clubs.
Isola Bar e Cibo
This one is on Rottnest Island but it’s totally worth eating here because the crab linguine is AMAZING. As were the prawn’s, and the profitta rolls!
Pinky’s is our favourite restaurant on the island for a sunset dinner with a cocktail, but Isola is the place to eat for deliciousness!
Cooee Perth
Besides the fact that Charlie told a complete stranger that she looked like a famous movie actress at Cooee (she laughed and thanked him for his compliment) the food was also super delicious, with the most amazing view of CBD over the Swan River. We spent the morning strolling through King’s Park before dropping in for lunch at Cooee.
We would 100% recommend getting the Wagyu Steak Frites and the Potatoes. Oh my!
Sailing for Oranges
This one is in Fremantle but if you love fresh salads and seafood (THE OCTOPUS OMG) then this one is for you. It’s also outdoors and has such a great vibe being in the centre right next to Fremantle Markets.
The Peach Pit Bar
Our audience told us that this was the best place to get a burger in town, so of course we had to come. And pair those burgers with a magical sunset and laid-back beers by the beach, and that’s what the Peach Pit Bar is all about.
The vibe is so great, we ended up staying for a late night boogie with friends!
Island Market Trigg Beach
This one is all about the cocktails and the view. On the beachfront of Trigg Beach, you’ll have an uninterrupted view of the coastline while sipping your Pina (or Bubbly) Colada’s. We spent a few hours here sipping some cocktails and playing cards watching the world go by.
DON’T MISS OUT!
Join our newsletter!
Where to stay in Perth
We’ve selected our two favourite places to stay in Perth. One is located in the heart of Northbridge in the CBD, and the other super close to the bustling coastal beach town of Scarborough.
The Alex Hotel - Northbridge
We shared that we stayed here on our Instagram page and about 20 people said they’ve stayed here too and love it. It’s super close to everything you need in the CBD, has a killer rooftop for people watching and afternoon cocktails, and was literally 8 minutes away from everything we need.
Ramada at Scarborough
At the end of everyday we’d make sure we got back to our apartment at Ramada just to watch the sunsets from the balcony. Ugh, so good.
They stay is more like serviced apartments as opposed to an actual hotel, which is why we loved it so much because we could cook our meals and then sit on the balcony and watch the sun set over the ocean with a glass of wine.
Just round the corner is Lady Latte Cafe. It quickly became our morning routine to head here for breakfast (we went 4 times!) while staying in Scarborough. It’s super cute with great smoothies and large portions. The best!
Best road trips from Perth
The surrounding areas of Perth will probably end up making you never want to leave Western Australia because they are THAT beautiful.
Make sure you visit the Margaret River region and road-trip the South West all the way to Esperance. This is our favourite road trip in all of Australia.
