Ready-made plans

Custom planning is temporarily unavailable for this route. Ready-made plans are still available.

Home › Journeys › Coral Coast Highway: Perth to Exmouth › 10 days

Coral Coast Highway: Perth to Exmouth: 10-Day Plan You Can Actually Drive

Last updated: 2026-09-15

The 10-day version for June: every day fits real transit, opening hours and daylight.

View ready-made plans

days

1250 km

distance

23.8 h

driving

curated stops

💡 Good to know for this plan

Cooler days suit the long drive and park walks. Check every park alert and road condition; any whale, dolphin or wildflower sighting remains a possibility rather than a promise.
Light days: day 1, day 7 have one stop and time left over. Local tours and day trips are the way to fill them — each day links to what is bookable in its own town.

Before you go · check live details

This is a planning draft. Check these changing details for your dates before booking or travelling.

Check Main Roads WA and emergency information for every highway leg and travel day.
Check current closures, flooding, fire, roadworks, detours and vehicle conditions before departure and each morning. Plan rest stops, avoid fatigue and wildlife-risk driving after dark, and change the day if the safe corridor is unavailable.
Check source ↗
Check current DBCA access, fees, heat warnings and closures for every planned park site.
Confirm Nambung, Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Shark Bay and Cape Range access on the day. Use only signed open roads, boardwalks and trails; never cross a barrier or treat a remote four-wheel-drive track as part of this car itinerary.
Check source ↗
Wildlife, swimming and all marine activities depend on current conditions and separate bookings.
Dolphins choose if and when to visit Monkey Mia. Never touch, approach or feed them. Whale sharks, whales, mantas and other wildlife are not promised. Boat tours, snorkelling, diving and guided four-wheel-drive visits require their own suitable operator, inventory, weather and ability checks.
Check source ↗
Arrange a roadworthy car, one-way return, fuel plan and overnight stays.
Confirm Perth pickup and Exmouth or Learmonth return, hire and insurance terms, roadside assistance, fuel range and stays in Cervantes, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Shark Bay or Denham, Carnarvon, Coral Bay and Exmouth. None is included in the itinerary.
Check source ↗

Day 1 Perth

1 curated stop

Transit: none
Finish: ~12:00
Temperature: 14.5°C–18.9°C
Rainy days: ~16
Daylight: 9.9h

08:00

Perth and Kings Park orientation dbca.wa.gov.au map ↗

Orient yourself above the Swan River in Kings Park, then prepare the car and supplies for the long northbound highway.

240 min · Perth · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Time to spare on this day

One stop and a free afternoon. We don't book activities, but these partners do.

Tours & day trips here →

Overnight here

Find a stay →

Day 2 Cervantes (Pinnacles)

1 curated stop

Transit: 2h45
Finish: ~15:45
Temperature: 14.5°C–20.0°C
Rainy days: ~10
Daylight: 10.0h

10:45

Pinnacles Desert and Lake Thetis circuit exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au map ↗

Walk among the Pinnacles with the discovery-centre context, then compare their limestone story with Lake Thetis’s living thrombolites.

300 min · Cervantes (Pinnacles) · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Overnight here

Find a stay → Tours & tickets for the evening →

Day 3 Geraldton

1 curated stop

Transit: 3h18
Finish: ~16:20
Temperature: 17.7°C–20.8°C 💨
Rainy days: ~10
Daylight: 10.2h

11:20

Geraldton maritime heritage circuit visitgeraldton.com.au map ↗

Connect the HMAS Sydney II Memorial with the Museum of Geraldton’s shipwreck, Yamaji and Mid West galleries.

300 min · Geraldton · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Overnight here

Find a stay → Tours & tickets for the evening →

Day 4 Kalbarri

1 curated stop

Transit: 2h23
Finish: ~14:25
Temperature: 11.3°C–21.9°C
Rainy days: ~8
Daylight: 10.3h

10:25

Kalbarri coastal cliffs circuit australiascoralcoast.com map ↗

Trace Kalbarri’s ocean side from Red Bluff through a selection of open, signed coastal-cliff lookouts.

240 min · Kalbarri · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Overnight here

Find a stay → Tours & tickets for the evening →

Day 5 Around Kalbarri

1 curated stop

Transit: none
Finish: ~13:00
Temperature: 11.3°C–21.9°C
Rainy days: ~8
Daylight: 10.3h

08:00

Kalbarri Skywalk and inland gorge circuit exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au map ↗

Give the Murchison gorge a full morning from the Skywalk and one open inland lookout selected from current park notices.

300 min · Kalbarri · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Overnight here

Find a stay → Tours & tickets for the evening →

Day 6 Shark Bay (Monkey Mia)

1 curated stop

Transit: 5h30
Finish: ~17:30
Temperature: 16.1°C–22.4°C
Rainy days: ~7
Daylight: 10.4h

13:30

Denham heritage and Eagle Bluff circuit australiascoralcoast.com map ↗

Learn why Shark Bay is World Heritage listed in Denham, then read the coastline from Eagle Bluff’s managed boardwalk.

240 min · Shark Bay (Monkey Mia) · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Overnight here

Find a stay → Tours & tickets for the evening →

Day 7 Around Shark Bay (Monkey Mia)

1 curated stop

Transit: none
Finish: ~12:00
Temperature: 16.1°C–22.4°C
Rainy days: ~7
Daylight: 10.4h

08:00

Monkey Mia conservation park morning exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au map ↗

Spend an unhurried morning in Monkey Mia Conservation Park, with its dolphin protocol, coastal trail and Malgana country context.

240 min · Shark Bay (Monkey Mia) · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Time to spare on this day

One stop and a free afternoon. We don't book activities, but these partners do.

Tours & day trips here →

Overnight here

Find a stay →

Day 8 Carnarvon

1 curated stop

Transit: 4h24
Finish: ~17:25
Temperature: 14.7°C–23.4°C
Rainy days: ~6
Daylight: 10.5h

12:25

Carnarvon Gwoonwardu Mia and heritage walk carnarvon.org.au map ↗

Listen to the Gascoyne’s five Aboriginal language groups at Gwoonwardu Mia, then follow Carnarvon’s public heritage walk.

300 min · Carnarvon · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Overnight here

Find a stay → Tours & tickets for the evening →

Day 9 Coral Bay

1 curated stop

Transit: 3h18
Finish: ~16:20
Temperature: 18.1°C–25.1°C
Rainy days: ~6
Daylight: 10.6h

11:20

Coral Bay shore and reef orientation exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au map ↗

Slow down on the Coral Bay shore and learn how the town meets the protected Ningaloo lagoon before choosing any optional water activity.

300 min · Coral Bay · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

Overnight here

Find a stay → Tours & tickets for the evening →

Day 10 Exmouth (Ningaloo)

1 curated stop

Transit: 2h12
Finish: ~16:15
Temperature: 17.7°C–25.2°C
Rainy days: ~6
Daylight: 10.7h

10:15

Cape Range and Vlamingh Head circuit exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au map ↗

Finish with a condition-led Cape Range day, linking the World Heritage coast and limestone range to Vlamingh Head’s lighthouse view.

360 min · Exmouth (Ningaloo) · Current fees or admissions may apply; check the named source

🚗 Rental cars for this trip →

🔍 Check before you book

Every stop is a real, sourced place, but opening hours change, roads close and businesses move. Check anything you're paying for before you book.

Sources (9)

Perth and Kings Park orientation — dbca.wa.gov.auPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose
Pinnacles Desert and Lake Thetis circuit — exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.auPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose
Geraldton maritime heritage circuit — visitgeraldton.com.auPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose
Kalbarri coastal cliffs circuit — australiascoralcoast.comPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose
Kalbarri Skywalk and inland gorge circuit — exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.auPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose
Monkey Mia conservation park morning — exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.auPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose
Carnarvon Gwoonwardu Mia and heritage walk — carnarvon.org.auPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose
Coral Bay shore and reef orientation — exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.auPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose
Cape Range and Vlamingh Head circuit — exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.auPublished facts; original paraphrase, no reproduced article prose

View ready-made plans