Fremantle walking tour & city guide

Convict and maritime history

Fremantle Prison, built by convicts in the 1850s and used until 1991, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing of Australian convict sites, and tours explore its cells and underground tunnels. The Round House, from 1831, is the oldest surviving public building in Western Australia, with views over the sea.

The Western Australian Maritime Museum, on Victoria Quay, tells the story of the Indian Ocean and displays the yacht that won the America's Cup in 1983.

Markets and the Cappuccino Strip

Fremantle Markets, in a Victorian hall opened in 1897, are busy every weekend with food, crafts and produce. South Terrace, nicknamed the Cappuccino Strip, is lined with cafés and terraces, a legacy of the Italian fishermen who settled here.

A classic walk through Fremantle

Start at Fremantle Markets and walk along South Terrace past the cafés. Head up to Fremantle Prison for a tour, then down through the old streets to the High Street Mall and the Round House.

Below the Round House, Bathers Beach has a small beach and a lively strip of bars, and the Fishing Boat Harbour is the place for fish and chips. The walk is about 4 kilometers.

Visiting tips

Spring and autumn are lovely, and summers are hot but cooled by the afternoon sea breeze, known locally as the Fremantle Doctor. Ferries leave from here to Rottnest Island, famous for its beaches and friendly quokkas. Trains link Fremantle with Perth in about 30 minutes.