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When planning a visit to Perth, something curious happens when you start looking at things to do there. At first, you’ll see recommendations to explore Elizabeth Quay and King’s Park, which both showcase nice sides to the city. What’s curious is that you’ll soon be guided to visit two places that aren’t in Perth at all, Rottnest Island and the city of Fremantle.
Yes, despite being within the metropolitan area of Perth, Fremantle is actually its own city, with its own feel and history. Because of the proximity and difference between the two cities, a day trip to Fremantle from Perth is an excellent idea. It definitely helps that there are lots of things to do in Fremantle, from learning about the city’s history to appreciating its beaches. To help you plan a visit, here are some ideas of what to do in Fremantle in one day or more.
Overview of Fremantle
But before we get into the various things things to do at Fremantle, I feel like it’s worth giving you a quick overview of the city. Knowing a little about Fremantle will help make sense of your choices for spending time there.
A good place to start is the common question, is Fremantle in Perth? Well, yes and no. While the Perth Metro area has expanded to include Fremantle, or Freo as its often known, Fremantle remains its own city. This is despite the European settlements at Perth and Fremantle both belonging to the Swan River Colony that was established in 1829 on Noongar land.
Answering that first question typically leads to another though; how far is Fremantle from Perth? The simple answer is that Fremantle is 30 minutes from Perth, as it generally takes the same time to get there by either car or train.
We’ll get into them in detail below, but for Fremantle things to do generally relate either to its colonial history as a convict settlement, its coastline, or its port and association with Australia’s maritime history. But there are a few off attractions in Fremantle that highlight other sides to the city.
Wander the City Centre
A great way to start your time in Fremantle is simply to take a walk through its city centre. With a quick walk you’ll immediately get a feel for the city and see how different Fremantle is to Perth.
Walk down Market Street from the train station and you’ll see Fremantle’s abundant colonial architecture. Get closer to the University of Notre Dame Australia and High Street, and you’ll find a variety of cafes and bars that give the city a young, fun, laid-back atmosphere.
I really do think it’s interesting how effective it can be sometimes to just walk around a place to get to know it. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the historic centre of Fremantle is quite a pretty place to explore.
The Round House
Walking around the centre of Fremantle, the first landmark that really caught my eye was The Round House. Easily spotted at the top of High Street, this stone tower provides an easy first step into Fremantle’s convict history.
Built in 1831 as a prison lock-up, The Round House was the first building of the Swan River Colony. Entry to the building is free and inside you’ll find information on its history and helpful, knowledgeable volunteers. The views of Fremantle from the top of the steps aren’t bad either.
Oh and don’t be alarmed if you hear a loud explosion at 1pm while near the tower; that’s just the daily firing of its cannon.
Bathers Beach
Stairs from The Round House lead down to a nice little park south of its fortifications. Follow them and the simple trail and you’ll quickly reach the sheltered sands of Bathers Beach.
Although it is the closest beach to the city centre, Bathers Beach is pretty tiny, so it doesn’t seem to attract many actual beachgoers. But the beach is popular as a sunset spot, thanks to its perfect orientation facing the Indian Ocean and the nearby restaurants. If you just want to feel sand beneath your feet and take a spell from walking, it’s a hard spot to beat.
WA Shipwrecks Museum
To my mind, one of the best Fremantle attractions for those interested in history is the WA Shipwrecks Museum. Western Australia has a long history of shipwrecks and there are lots of fascinating stories to learn about here. It also offers a nice break from the convict history if you’re a little over that.
The museum immediately had my attention when early on I came face to face with the stern of a ship – the Batavia. The restored section of this Dutch East India Company ship fills the room and immediately makes you want to learn more about what happened. Across its exhibits, there’s a wealth of information on the region’s wrecks and how small details allowed scholars to identify them once recovered.
Now, the WA Shipwrecks Museum isn’t the only maritime museum in Fremantle. A short walk away is the WA Maritime Museum – also highly regarded – but honestly, the one with “shipwrecks” in the name sounded more exciting. I can’t do a comparison to tell you which to visit if you have to choose, but I will say, I don’t regret my choice at all.
Fremantle Prison
It really speaks to the city’s history that two of the main things to see in Fremantle, including arguably its main attraction, are prisons. Unlike The Round House, which was used for colonial prisoners and indigenous people, Fremantle Prison was the destination for transported convicts to the colony after it was declared a penal colony in 1849.
Fremantle Prison dates back to 1855 and is a surviving landmark of Australia’s convict history, making it part of the “Australian Convict Sites” World Heritage Site. But visit the prison and you’ll learn there’s much more to discover about its past. That’s because it stayed in use after the days of transportation and went on to become an infamous military, and later, maximum security prison.
In fact, Fremantle Prison was so notorious that it underwent multiple Royal Commissions and riots before its closure in 1991. Reading about the conditions and riots at the museum there, as well as seeing footage from the 1988 riot, was equally troubling and fascinating.
Taking a tour inside the former prison is the main activity for visitors. However, as they were filming something the day I went, I satisfied myself with the free section of the museum. While it may not provide the full experience, there’s still lots of information on its history and stories.
Fremantle War Memorial
Go to any city in Australia and you’ll no doubt find a war memorial. Most are quite dignified and often have a prominent position. The Fremantle War Memorial is no different, with a hilltop spot just up from the prison.
Walk up its steep hill and you’ll find an open park with a solitary column at its summit. While I had hoped for views down to Fremantle’s harbour or beaches, the view is mostly of the immense Fremantle Port. Still, it’s hard not to be impressed by the scale of its Tetris blocks of shipping containers and giant cranes.
Fremantle Arts Centre
A nice aspect of Fremantle is how it balances its different elements. It has a sense of history, while also having some nice scenery and a fondness for fun and creativity. The Fremantle Arts Centre in the city’s north definitely helps with the latter.
Set inside yet another impressive historical building built by convicts, you could visit the Fremantle Arts Centre just for its setting. But it’s also a nice place to look around inside of, with revolving temporary exhibitions and a strong focus on Aboriginal and Western Australia art. Based on the interactive, modern installations I saw, the only conservative thing about this attraction is its building.
Little Creatures Brewery
To many people Fremantle is associated with one thing – Little Creatures beer. Rather than learning about the city’s history or spending time at the beach, some people just make a beeline for its famous brewery in Fremantle.
Better known domestically than any Perth brewery, visiting Little Creatures Brewery is practically a rite of passage for beer drinkers going to Western Australia. It helps that the Little Creatures Brewery is housed inside a vast, visually interesting warehouse right on the harbour.
A nice thing about going to this Fremantle Brewery is you have options for visiting. Diehards won’t want to miss the brewery tour, where you go behind-the-scenes to learn about the brewing process in detail. Hopheads wanting a proper drinking session will find a range of different beers on tap to try and multiple seating areas to choose from.
For me, I only had the time to duck in for one beer as a break from sightseeing. Plus, I was exploring on my own and drinking a paddle of beers on my own early afternoon would have derailed me a little I think. Going back with company would be fun though.
South Beach
Look at a map of Fremantle and its hard to ignore the long stretch of beachfront in the city’s south. Get past the city’s harbour and marina and there’s clearly kilometres of beach. Unable to resist my curiosity, I decided down to South Beach from the city centre to see what it was like.
Now, let me say that in hindsight, I get why this isn’t one of the most popular Fremantle activities. It may not be all that far to South Beach, only around 2km, but when you’re walking it feels farther. You might want to consider renting a bike – there are several e-bike rental places in the city centre such as eBikers and Mercer Cycles.
How ever you choose to get there, I think you’ll pleased with the view when you arrive at South Beach. With nice clean sand (a little seasonal seaweed), plenty of space, and the park behind it, there’s a lot to like.
Travel Tips for a Day Trip to Fremantle
In terms of things to do Fremantle clearly has a wide selection. One day in Fremantle lets you see a lot of them, but I don’t think spending two days there would be a poor decision either, especially if you like to take your time. While it’s super easy to reach Fremantle, you may find staying in the city even easier, with a selection of hotels and lots of apartments to choose from.
Going back a step, the easiest way to get from Perth to Fremantle honestly is to take the train. You literally just take the Fremantle Line from Perth Station using the same Transperth SmartRider or single-use ticket as you would in Perth. Fremantle is in Zone 2, meaning a one-way cash ticket costs $5 and a SmartRider $4.5 as of April 2023.
But there is a more interesting and novel way to travel to Fremantle. For something more memorable, take a sightseeing cruise down the Swan River to Fremantle, with one-way and return cruises available. The terminal where the boat docks is just as close to the city centre, meaning it’s still a convenient way to travel there when sightseeing.
Have you been to Fremantle when travelling in WA? What were your favourite things to do in Fremantle or things you’d recommend? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.