Tourism Western Australia suggests 17 days and almost 4,000 km to go from Perth to Broome with all the stops. Without detours, the road is about 2,200 km, and that same source speaks of at least two days just to get there. The window where the northern and southern seasons overlap is May to August, and that is our own reading of its dates.
How many kilometres is it?
It depends on which way you go:
| Route | Distance | Source of the figure |
|---|---|---|
| Inland, Great Northern Highway | About 2,200 km | Our sum using Wikipedia and Australia's North West |
| Coastal, without going into the towns | A little over 2,300 km | Our sum using Wikipedia |
| West Coast Explorer, with detours | Almost 4,000 km | Tourism WA |
We have not found an official figure for Perth to Broome by road. The first sum starts from the 2,161 km that Wikipedia gives from Midland, in eastern Perth, to the Roebuck junction, plus the 35 km to Broome.
Sections with figures
| Section | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Perth to Pinnacles | About 200 km | Tourism WA |
| Perth to Cervantes | About 2 h | Australia's Coral Coast |
| Perth to Jurien Bay | 2.5 h | Australia's Coral Coast |
| Perth to Exmouth, Coral Coast Highway | 1,250 km | Australia's Coral Coast |
| Exmouth to Learmonth airport | About 36 km | Tourism WA |
| Port Hedland to Pardoo | 150 km | Australia's North West |
| Roebuck Plains to Broome | 35 km | Australia's North West |
How many days does it usually take?
- Full route: 17 days on the West Coast Explorer. It goes through Pinnacles, Cervantes, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Carnarvon, Coral Bay, Exmouth, Karijini, Millstream-Chichester, Point Samson and Port Hedland.
- Only as far as Exmouth: many people take 10 to 14 days on the Coral Coast Highway, according to its official website.
- Without sightseeing: Tourism WA speaks of two relaxed days to Exmouth and two days to Karijini. For Broome it says "at least two days", in a text that appears cut off on its page. With 2,200 km, that is more than 1,000 km a day, by our calculation.
When to go
| Place or plan | Dates | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Broome, dry season | May to October | Tourism Australia, Visit Broome |
| Broome, peak season | Late April to September | Visit Broome |
| Kimberley and north-west, dry season | April to September | Tourism WA |
| Ningaloo | March to October | Australia's Coral Coast |
| Karijini | May to August | Tourism WA |
| Wildflowers | July to October | Australia's Coral Coast |
| Whale shark | March to July | Australia's Coral Coast |
| Humpback whale | July to October | Australia's Coral Coast |
The sources do not give the same dates for the dry season. All three agree on May to September, and Karijini narrows that window to August.
Temperatures. At Coral Bay and Exmouth, the seasonal average is 37 °C from December to February and 25 °C from June to August. In Broome, July has highs of 28.8 °C and 5.9 mm of rain. January rises to 33.3 °C and 175.1 mm. In Karijini, summer usually exceeds 40 °C.
Cyclones. The Western Australian emergency service puts the season in the north-west at November to April, although it warns that they can occur outside those months. Visit Broome adds that in the wet season some places are cut off by closed roads and floods.
Can you go without a car?
- Flying: Qantas and Virgin Australia fly direct from Perth to Broome in about 2 h 35 min. Airnorth flies daily from Darwin, with a stop at Kununurra.
- Coach: Integrity Coachlines leaves for the north along the coast from East Perth on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm. It goes as far as Broome.
- Coach pass: it covers 1,500 km for A$269, 3,000 km for A$399 and 6,000 km for A$724. It expires after 12 months and works in both directions. Kalbarri and Monkey Mia need a separate connecting service. Prices seen on 5 November 2026.
Fuel, 4WD and road conditions
Australia's North West describes the Great Northern Highway as the main sealed road from Karratha to Kununurra. It also lists fuel stops at Nanutarra, Auski, Pardoo, Sandfire and Roebuck Plains, and warns that availability and opening hours can change in remote places. That source refers you to the Main Roads website to check roads before you set off.
The Gibb River Road, from Broome towards Kununurra, is a 4WD route and falls outside this trip. We could not confirm the condition of the inland tracks in Karijini: check it on the park's website.
The general driving rules are in the east coast route. Tourism Australia asks you to avoid night driving in rural areas, because of kangaroos.
Stops with information
- Perth: starting point.
- Karijini: entry costs A$17 per vehicle of up to 12 people, seen on 5 November 2026.
- Cable Beach: 22 km of beach, about 10 minutes by car or coach from the centre of Broome.
- Staircase to the Moon: it can be seen on specific dates from March to October, when a full moon and a low tide coincide in Roebuck Bay.
Sources
All opened on 5 November 2026.
- West Coast Explorer, Tourism WA (official)
- Itineraries of two weeks or more, Tourism WA (official)
- Broome, Tourism WA (official)
- Travelling to and around the north-west, Tourism WA (official)
- Travelling to and around the Coral Coast, Tourism WA (official)
- WA weather, Tourism WA (official)
- Coral Coast Highway, Australia's Coral Coast (official)
- 14-day itinerary, Australia's Coral Coast (official)
- Nature's calendar, Australia's Coral Coast (official)
- Weather, Australia's Coral Coast (official)
- Fuel stops, Australia's North West (official)
- Getting around the north-west, Australia's North West (official)
- Climate, Visit Broome (official)
- Flights, Visit Broome (official)
- Broome guide, Tourism Australia (official)
- Driving in Australia, Tourism Australia (official)
- Cyclones, DFES Western Australia (official)
- Karijini, Parks and Wildlife WA (official)
- Coach pass, Integrity Coachlines (company)
- Northbound timetable, Integrity Coachlines (company)
- Great Northern Highway, Wikipedia (third party)
- North West Coastal Highway, Wikipedia (third party)
- Brand Highway, Wikipedia (third party)