Perth Australia
Things to do in Perth in December 2026
By Tripsapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
Use this Perth guide to choose December sights, neighborhoods, and seasonal highlights worth putting on your shortlist. December in Perth averages 30°C / 86°F highs, 16°C / 60°F nights, and about 2 rainy days. Good starting points are Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Cottesloe Beach, and Elizabeth Quay. Paste your shortlist into Tripsapien to validate hours, closures, booking windows, and neighborhoods for your exact trip dates.
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Perth in December 2026
Weather
Temperature
86°F / 60°F
30.2°C / 15.7°C
Precipitation
2d
0.4in · 10mm
Daylight
14.1h
Sea
75.4°F
24.1°C
December is hot and dry, with holiday beach demand and strong sun precautions needed.
Planning checklist
- 1Use the Perth weather, seasonal timing, and top sights as the spine before assigning fixed sightseeing days.
- 2Check exact-date opening days for museums, markets, and major sights before locking the route.
- 3Group each Perth day by nearby neighborhoods, then validate saved places against your dates before exporting the checked route to Google Maps.
About Perth
City overview
Perth is the Indian Ocean capital of Western Australia, spread along the Swan River between the CBD, Elizabeth Quay, Kings Park, Northbridge, Fremantle, and long west-facing beaches. The city feels distinct because urban parkland, port history, beach sunsets, wine valleys, and Rottnest Island ferries all sit inside a dry-summer, remote-capital setting.
Food & drink
Perth food is coastal and west-Australian: western rock lobster is grilled or served cold with lemon, barramundi and fish-and-chips menus fit beach days, and Fremantle sardines, meat pies, flat whites, and Swan Valley wines cover the casual-to-cellar-door range. Fremantle Markets, Northbridge, Leederville, Elizabeth Quay, Swan Valley cellar doors, and Cottesloe beach restaurants add Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, seafood, and sunset dining routes.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- AKings Park and Botanic Garden
- BCottesloe Beach
- CElizabeth Quay
- DOptus Stadium and Matagarup Bridge
- ESwan River foreshore
- FFremantle Markets
- GPerth Mint
- HFremantle Prison
- IWA Museum Boola Bardip
- JArt Gallery of Western Australia
1Kings Park and Botanic Garden
4.8★ · 28,084outdoorOpen dailyKings Park was reserved in the late 19th century and now covers more than 400 hectares above the Swan River. The Western Australian Botanic Garden, war memorial, treetop walk, and skyline views sit just west of the CBD.
Wikipedia
2Cottesloe Beach
4.6★ · 3,864outdoorCottesloe is Perth's classic west-facing swimming and sunset beach, with Norfolk pines, grassy terraces, surf lifesavers, cafes, and Indian Ocean views. It is reachable by train and bus from the CBD.
Wikipedia
3Elizabeth Quay
4.5★ · 21,627outdoorOpen dailyThe waterfront redevelopment opened in 2016 to reconnect the CBD with the Swan River through promenades, restaurants, ferry docks, public art, and the bridge loop. It sits below St Georges Terrace and near Perth Station.
Wikipedia
Show 7 more sights
- 4Optus Stadium and Matagarup Bridge
- 5Swan River foreshore
- 6Fremantle Markets
- 7Perth Mint
- 8Fremantle Prison
- 9WA Museum Boola Bardip
- 10Art Gallery of Western Australia
Neighborhoods
1CBD and Elizabeth Quay
The center is office-heavy and river-facing, with St Georges Terrace, Perth Station, Hay and Murray malls, Elizabeth Quay, ferries, and hotel towers.
2Northbridge and Perth Cultural Centre
Northbridge is nightlife-heavy and multicultural, with the museum, art gallery, state library, Chinatown, bars, clubs, Asian restaurants, and late food.
3Fremantle
Freo is port-city and historic, with Fremantle Prison, markets, fishing boat harbor, heritage pubs, cappuccino strip, beaches, and Rottnest ferries.
4Cottesloe and Scarborough coast
The coast is beach-first and sunset-driven, with surf clubs, Indian Ocean swimming, fish and chips, beach bars, and windier afternoons.
5Subiaco, Leederville, and Mount Lawley
These inner suburbs are social and local, with cafes, small bars, boutiques, cinemas, music rooms, and neighborhood restaurants.
6East Perth and Burswood
The eastern river side is event-oriented, with Claisebrook Cove, Optus Stadium, Matagarup Bridge, Crown, river paths, and apartment blocks.
Day trips
19km / 30-45min by ferry from Fremantle, Hillarys, or Perth seasonal docks
Rottnest Island
The island has beaches, bike loops, Wadjemup history, car-free roads, and the famous quokka photo stop.
25km / 30min by car from Perth CBD
Swan Valley
Western Australia's oldest wine region adds cellar doors, breweries, chocolate, distilleries, and river scenery near Guildford.
200km / 2.5h by car from Perth to Nambung National Park
Pinnacles Desert
Limestone pillars, coastal dunes, Cervantes seafood, and clear-sky desert light make this a long but distinctive day north.
Getting around
Transperth trains, buses, ferries, CAT free buses, and SmartRider cards cover the core, with Fremantle, Cottesloe, Subiaco, and Burswood all rail-friendly. A car is useful for Swan Valley, Pinnacles, beaches beyond Cottesloe, and Margaret River extensions.
Check this shortlist against your dates
Tripsapien starts with the sights on this page or places you paste, then checks hours, closures, booking pressure, and neighborhoods for your exact December dates.
Check my Perth datesCommon questions about Perth in December
- Will the places on my list be open when I'm in Perth in December?
- Not always. Opening days and hours vary by weekday, season, and holiday. Paste your Perth list into Tripsapien and it checks every place against the exact dates you're there, flagging closures before the trip instead of at a locked door.
- How do I plan Perth days without crossing the city twice?
- Tripsapien groups your places by neighborhood so each day stays in one or two areas instead of zig-zagging. It also flags what needs booking ahead, so timed tickets and reservations don't fall through.
- What to pack for Perth in December
Pack for December's weather, not a generic Perth checklist.
- Light, breathable daytime clothes for average highs around 30°C / 86°F.
- A light evening layer because nights average 16°C / 60°F.
- Sun protection and comfortable walking shoes; rain is usually limited this month.
- How many days do you need in Perth
- 4 days covers the main Perth highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
- Is Perth worth visiting in December
- Yes. December in Perth averages 30°C / 86°F highs, 16°C / 60°F nights, and about 2 rainy days.