Kings Park and Botanic Garden: what to see, where to walk and how to plan your visit

The view from Kings Park explains Perth almost at a glance: the city towers beside the Swan River, the broad water opening towards South Perth, and the hills beyond. It is a good place to begin a visit to the city, but the lookout is only the beginning. Behind it are Western Australian wildflowers, bushland trails, memorials and places where children can climb, build and get muddy.

For a first visit, concentrate on Fraser Avenue and the Western Australian Botanic Garden. Add a bushland walk if plants and birds interest you, or choose a separate family precinct if the children need room to play. Trying to cover every corner in one afternoon usually means spending too much time moving between them.

Access update checked 16 October 2026: BGPA now lists demolition of Arthur Fairall Playground following an engineering assessment; choose another play area. For Dawnbreak, Forrest Carpark is listed as closed from 6am on 16 October to 6pm on 17 October, with early-morning road closures on 17 October. The official park notices give the affected roads and times. Check them for later visits rather than relying on these event dates.

Begin with the view and the State War Memorial

Fraser Avenue makes an impressive entrance, lined with tall, pale-trunked lemon-scented gums. Head towards Kaarta Gar-up Lookout to get your bearings, then walk to the State War Memorial. This is the easiest way to combine the familiar Perth panorama with something of the city's history.

The memorial deserves more than a photograph. Its granite Cenotaph was unveiled in 1929, initially commemorating those who died in the First World War. The wider precinct includes the Court of Contemplation, Pool of Reflection and Flame of Remembrance. The flame's four torches represent the Navy, Army, Air Force and Women's Services. Pause here quietly before returning to the lawns and viewpoints.

If someone in your group has limited walking stamina, make this precinct the core of the visit. You can enjoy the skyline, visit the memorial and stop for food without committing to a long garden circuit. Fraser Avenue visitor information includes the information centre and nearby facilities.

Explore Western Australia through its plants

The Western Australian Botanic Garden brings plants from across a vast state into one place. More than 3,000 species of Western Australian flora are represented. The appeal is in the detail: the shape of a banksia cone, the colours of kangaroo paws, and the different ways plants cope with dry summers and poor soils.

The beds are arranged partly by region and partly by plant group. You can move between plantings associated with the Kimberley, Goldfields, Wheatbelt, Stirling Ranges and south coast, as well as collections of grevilleas, hakeas, boronias and other genera. Read a few labels rather than trying to identify everything. They make the garden a useful introduction to plants you may encounter on later travels around WA.

Spring is the main wildflower season, with September particularly rewarding, although the garden has flowers throughout the year. The Botanic Garden maps help you choose a section that matches your interests.

Meet Gija Jumulu, the giant boab

Gija Jumulu is one of the garden's most memorable individual trees. Estimated to be more than 750 years old, it travelled over 3,200 kilometres from Warmun in the Kimberley to Perth in 2008. The Gija people gave the tree to the people of Western Australia, marking its departure with a farewell ceremony.

The official account of Gija Jumulu explains the journey and the meaning of its name.

Walk through the treetops

The Lotterywest Federation Walkway passes through the Botanic Garden and across a glass-and-steel bridge among the eucalypt canopy. Its 620-metre journey includes a 52-metre elevated bridge, with views across the rivers and gardens. BGPA suggests about 40 minutes for the return journey.

Start east of Forrest Roundabout and follow the signed route towards Beedawong Meeting Place. This is a good complement to the open city lookouts: you move closer to the trees and see the garden from another height.

The walkway is wheelchair accessible, although assistance may be needed on the arched section. Bikes, scooters and dogs are not permitted on it. Its normal 9am-5pm opening means it should come before dinner or sunset plans. Walkway details and access.

Choose a walk that suits your day

Kings Park stands on Whadjuk Noongar Country. The Boodja Gnarning Walk introduces traditional uses of plants for food, medicine, tools and shelter. After the common section, the signed route divides into the 800-metre Yorgra track and the longer, 1.4-kilometre Maarm track. The latter includes soft ground and more demanding slopes. Allow additional time for either branch.

For a different landscape, take the Bushland Nature Trail. Tuart, jarrah, marri, banksias and lower flowering plants form a very different scene from the formal gardens. Watch and listen for birds, but keep to the paths so the plants beneath them remain undisturbed.

A manageable first visit

Allow approximately three hours for this suggested morning, including stops. The sequence is a planning suggestion, not a guided tour timetable.

1. Fraser Avenue and the lookout, 20-30 minutes. Arrive at Wadjuk Way or Wadjuk Carpark, collect a map and take in the city view.
2. State War Memorial, 15-20 minutes. Walk through the memorial precinct before entering the Botanic Garden.
3. Garden beds and Gija Jumulu, 30-45 minutes. Follow your interests rather than trying to inspect every collection.
4. Federation Walkway, about 40 minutes. Include time to pause on the bridge and read the interpretation.
5. Return through the gardens for lunch. Leave the rest of the day flexible, especially with children or in warm weather.

Alternatively, join a free volunteer-led walk at 10am or 1pm, departing outside Aspects of Kings Park. These 90-minute walks cover the garden's plants, history and memorials. BGPA grades the route easy to moderate and advises that it is not suitable for wheelchairs or prams. Walks are cancelled at 37°C or above. Daily guided walks.

Kings Park with children

Poolgarla for younger children

On the northern side of the park, Poolgarla Family Area is particularly useful for children under six. Ivey Watson Playground includes a pirate ship, castle and fire truck for imaginative play. Koorak Cafe opens towards the playground, and the wider precinct has lawns, picnic tables, shelter and free electric barbecues.

Enter from Kings Park Road and use the Poolgarla parking areas. This is a sensible destination in its own right when a long botanical walk would not suit your family. Poolgarla Family Area.

May Drive for a picnic and older children

May Drive Parkland, on the western side, combines lawns, an ornamental lake, Lycopod Island and large replicas of extinct Australian animals. BGPA recommends the precinct particularly for children aged seven and older. Zamia Cafe, picnic tables and free barbecues make it a practical place to settle for lunch.

Use Zamia Carpark, reached via the western park entrances. Arthur Fairall Playground's current closure means families should focus on the other open facilities rather than promise children the full usual playground experience. May Drive Parkland.

Naturescape for muddy, adventurous play

Rio Tinto Naturescape offers climbing structures, rope challenges, cubby-building and shallow creek exploration in a bush setting. Paperbark Creek, the Python and the Bungarra give children very different ways to explore. Bring spare clothes and supervise closely around climbing features and water; it is not a swimming area.

Entry is free. April-October hours are 9am-4pm; November-January and March hours are 8.30am-12.30pm. It closes on Mondays, public holidays and throughout February, with additional closures during specified heat, fire and severe-weather conditions. Paths and boardwalks are generally accessible, but the play challenges vary. Naturescape opening and entry conditions.

Four details worth knowing

• The name honours Edward VII. Perth Park became Kings Park in 1901 following his accession to the throne. Park history.
• Most of the park is bushland. About two-thirds is protected as managed bushland, rather than lawns and planted displays. Kings Park bushland.
• The boab travelled by truck. Gija Jumulu weighed about 37 tonnes when it made its remarkable journey south. Gija Jumulu.
• The DNA Tower has a French connection. Its double staircase was inspired by a staircase at a château in Blois. The 15-metre tower has 101 steps and is the park's highest viewing point. DNA Tower.

Getting there and using the park comfortably

Catch a 935 bus displaying Kings Park, rather than the service terminating at Parliament House, or take the Blue CAT. Both reach Wadjuk Way beside the main carpark. The city journey to Kings Park is free. Walking up via Fraser Avenue is another option, but the climb matters if it is hot or you have limited mobility.

Parking is free for people visiting the park. Wadjuk Carpark serves the main precinct; it cannot be used as free city parking while you leave the park. Signed areas, including Wadjuk, Poolgarla and Jorang carparks, have four-hour weekday limits from 7am-4pm, excluding public holidays. ACROD bays are available at several visitor precincts. Transport and parking.

Use the visitor map to locate toilets and drinking-water points before a longer walk. Choose a precinct first, then its nearest parking or bus stop, rather than treating the whole park as one accessible destination. The DNA Tower requires stairs, bushland routes vary in slope, and the park does not hire mobility scooters or buggies.

Bring water, a hat and comfortable shoes. For picnics, use the provided electric barbecues; portable barbecues are not allowed. Dogs must remain on a lead, and several attractions exclude them.

Official visitor information

• Kings Park and Botanic Garden
• Visitor maps
• Current closures and notices
• Visitor FAQs