2.5 hours
Buffet lunch
Pier 3
- PassFrom the ticket desk
- AccessWheelchair accessible
- TableReserved
Where is your stop
Boarding a Swan River cruise from Elizabeth Quay
Swan River round trip between Perth and Fremantle
★ 4.5 · 553 written reviews
Summary
Swan River cruises from Elizabeth Quay board at the Barrack Square jetties beside the quay and the Bell Tower; the lunch, dinner and Swan Valley cruises use Pier 3 at Barrack Street Jetty.
Boarding
View 27 stops
The Swan River, jetty to harbour
Select a route, then tap a marker or stop to see its note and open Google Maps.
Rottnest ferries leave this jetty and follow the river out to the Indian Ocean; the buffet lunch and dinner cruises board at Pier 3.
Google MapsOne-and-a-half hectares of inlet, island and riverside gardens, with trains, buses, ferries and free CAT buses stopping beside the water.
Google MapsOpen 7 days from 10am to 4pm, last entry 3.45pm, with an observation deck on Level 6.
Google MapsTrains on the Mandurah and Yanchep lines stop here, and it sits inside the free travel area for trains.
Google MapsThe Transperth ferry lands here after its 10-minute hop from Elizabeth Quay.
Google MapsVisit Perth suggests the ferry as a cheap way to start a family day at the zoo.
Google Maps
A 400-hectare park above the city; the free Blue CAT bus gets there in five minutes from the CBD.
Google MapsOpened in 1959; the original bridge measured 396.5m, with a longest span of 98m.
Google MapsSet up on Mounts Bay Road in 1879, and by the 1890s the leading brewery in WA.
Google MapsThe little blue boatshed on the Crawley shore that Visit Perth pairs with the city skyline.
Google MapsA riverside reserve where people swim and jump off the jetty, and where dolphins may surface offshore.
Google MapsPelicans and migratory birds land and take off from this sandy point beside Matilda Bay.
Google MapsThe site tour's captain names the yacht club among the sights on the way down to Fremantle.
Google MapsPoint Walter Spit is one of the sights listed for the one-way river cruise.
Google MapsThe cliffs of Blackwall Reach are named among the sights of the one-way river cruise.
Google Maps
The working waterfront of the port; the WA Maritime Museum stands on Victoria Quay Road.
Google MapsOpen daily 9.30am to 5pm; standard entry is AUD 15, and the America's Cup yacht Australia II is inside.
Google MapsCompleted on 18 January 1831; its 7 cells and gaoler's quarters ring a courtyard.
Google MapsFree entry with a suggested donation of AUD 5, open daily 9.30am to 5pm, inside the old Commissariat stores.
Google MapsTrading since 1897; open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday Mondays.
Google MapsBuilt by convicts between 1852 and 1859, and on the World Heritage List since 31 July 2010.
Google MapsThe rail link from the city ends here; City West, McIver and Claisebrook stations connect to the port town.
Google MapsA swimming enclosure is in place at this beach for the 2026-27 season.
Google Maps
The estuary reaches up to this park; above Walyunga the same river is called the Avon.
Google MapsA river town on the upper estuary. In summer the salty wedge from the sea can sit up to 55km upstream.
Google MapsThe East Perth foreshore loop crosses the island and its kangaroo sanctuary.
Google MapsThe river reaches the Indian Ocean here; settlers removed the Fremantle bar in the late 1800s.
Google Maps
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
Taking a Swan River cruise from Elizabeth Quay starts at the jetties of Barrack Square. This guide covers which pier, the free train and bus links, parking, arrival time, access on board and boarding at the Fremantle end.
Editorial team, swanrivercruise.click · Updated November 8, 2026 · 7 min of reading
Quick look
- The jettiesBarrack Square's jetties sit beside Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower.1
- Lunch and dinnerThese cruises board at Pier 3, Barrack Street Jetty.
- By trainElizabeth Quay station is inside the free travel area for trains.2
- By carParking near the jetty is limited and paid; public transport is advised.
- Other endFremantle is a boarding point for the round trip too.
Which jetty, and which pier
Perth's cruise boats leave from Barrack Square, a cluster of jetties on the city waterfront that the state government counts among the busiest tourism spots on the river, right beside Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower.1 On tickets and listings the boarding point is usually written as Barrack Street Jetty, followed by a pier number. When people talk about a Swan River cruise from Elizabeth Quay, this is the spot they mean, and the inlet of the quay itself is a short stroll away along the promenade.
The buffet lunch and the evening dinner cruises both board at Pier 3 on Barrack Street Jetty, where the operator's ticket desk hands out boarding passes. The all-water Swan Valley wine cruise also leaves from Pier 3. Rottnest Express runs its own ferry terminal at Barrack Street Jetty on Elizabeth Quay, and that is where its island day trips meet. The public Transperth ferry to South Perth leaves from Elizabeth Quay, a few steps along the same waterfront.3
For the round trip sold on this site, the listing itself does not print a jetty or a pier: take the departure point from your booking confirmation and keep it on your phone. The same listing notes that parking near the departure point is limited and paid, and recommends public transport or a ride share. If the confirmation names Barrack Street Jetty, allow time to find the right pier: the jetties sit close together, and a quick look at the signs saves a jog along the boardwalk with a coffee in hand.
Who boards where
Departure points on the city waterfront
| Trip | Boards at | Check-in | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffet lunch cruise | Pier 3, Barrack Street Jetty | Ticket desk | Listing |
| Dinner cruise | Pier 3, Barrack Street Jetty | Ticket desk | Listing |
| All-water wine day | Pier 3, Barrack Street Jetty | At the pier | Listing |
| Rottnest ferry day | Barrack Street Jetty terminal | Terminal | Listing |
| Transperth ferry | Elizabeth Quay | Tap on | Visit Perth |
Boarding points as the listings and Visit Perth state them; the round trip sold on this site names its jetty in the booking confirmation.3
Getting there by train, bus and free CAT
Public transport drops you at the water. Trains, buses, ferries and the free CAT buses all stop right beside Elizabeth Quay, by day and after dark.5 Elizabeth Quay station sits on the Mandurah and Yanchep lines, and Perth Underground station serves the same lines.6 Both are within an easy walk of the jetties, and the route from the platforms to the riverfront is short, well signed and flat, which helps if you are carrying a bag or pushing a pram.
Train rides into the centre can cost nothing. Visit Perth explains that the free travel area for trains reaches City West, Elizabeth Quay and Claisebrook stations, provided you tag on and off.2 The free CAT buses criss-cross the centre, and during peak hours they run every 5 to 15 minutes.7 Most Transperth buses end at the Wellington Street or Esplanade bus stations, a five-minute walk from the heart of the city.8 From the Esplanade side, the river is in sight almost as soon as you step off.
If you are asking for directions to the Swan River from a city hotel, the simplest answer is to walk south. The city grid runs down to the water, and the quay, the Bell Tower and the jetties are all on the same stretch of riverfront. On a Sunday every Transperth bus, train and ferry trip is free with a SmartRider or a contactless card, which makes the trip to the jetty free too.9 Weekday visitors can still ride free inside the central zone.
Boarding day
From your hotel to the gangway
Before you leave
Read the confirmation
The site tour's listing names no pier: note the departure point.
Getting there
Ride the free zone
Elizabeth Quay station is inside the free travel area for trains.2
Arriving
Walk to Barrack Square
The jetties sit beside Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower.1
At the desk
Collect your pass
Lunch guests collect passes at the Pier 3 ticket desk.
Waiting
Climb the Bell Tower
Open 10am to 4pm, last entry 3.45pm.4
At the gangway
Mention access needs
Vessels differ in access, and toilets may be below deck.
Driving and parking
Driving is possible, but it is not the easy option in the centre of Perth. The site tour's listing warns that paid parking near the departure point is limited, asks you to allow plenty of time to park, and suggests public transport or a ride share instead. The lunch and dinner listings say the same, adding that Barrack Street Jetty is a short stroll from the city centre and easy to reach by public transport. Taken together, the operators' advice points the same way: leave the car at the hotel if you can.
If you do bring a car, the City of Perth runs multi-storey and open-air car parks across the centre. On weekends and public holidays, selected City of Perth car parks give two hours of free parking.10 In the evening, City of Perth car parks charge AUD 5 any night of the week, which suits a dinner cruise.11 Parking meters take contactless cards, and the EasyPark app lets you find and pay for parking from your phone.12
A round trip of 2.5 hours plus the walk to and from the jetty will run past a two-hour free window: check the exit time on the ticket machine.10 For a Swan River boat cruise in Perth at night, the evening flat rate is the simpler deal. Set a reminder on your phone for the car park closing time before you board, and keep the parking receipt somewhere you will find it after a glass of wine.
Getting to the jetty
How should you get to your cruise?
Choose by where you are staying and when your cruise sails.
If I'm staying in the city centre
Walk or take the train
Elizabeth Quay station is in the free travel area for trains.2
If I'm coming by bus
Get off at the Esplanade
Most buses end at the Wellington Street or Esplanade stations, a five-minute walk from the centre.8
If I'm driving on a weekend
Use a City of Perth car park
Selected car parks give two hours free on weekends and public holidays.10
If I'm going to a dinner cruise
Use the evening rate
City of Perth car parks charge AUD 5 any night.11
If I'm staying in Fremantle
Board at the Fremantle end
Fremantle is a boarding point for the round trip too.
Leaving from Barrack Street
Cruises that start at the city jetties
2.5 hours
Dinner cruise
Pier 3
- EveningCity lights
- AccessWheelchair accessible
- MusicLive entertainment
9 hours
Rottnest day
Ferry terminal
- River1-hour run to Fremantle
- ThenOn to the island
- BikeHire included
When to arrive, and what to do while you wait
Aim to be at the jetty early enough to collect a boarding pass, find your pier and use the toilets on land, without rushing the last stretch along a crowded promenade. The morning wine cruise opens check-in from 10:00 AM and sails at 10:30 AM, which gives an idea of the margin to allow. If you have not received a boarding pass for the lunch cruise, the ticket desk on Pier 3 will issue it.
Early arrivals have plenty to do, and almost all of it is within sight of the gangway. The Bell Tower stands in Barrack Square on Riverside Drive and opens 7 days from 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3.45pm.46,4 Inside, the Level 6 observation deck looks straight down on the jetties, and the tower bills itself as the only spot in Australia to see ringers at work with the bells swinging over.15,47
Elizabeth Quay itself covers one-and-a-half hectares of inlet, island and riverside gardens, with an island playground for children.14,48 Waterfront venues serve everything from a boardwalk brunch to a slow lunch.49 Visit Perth gives the quay's Noongar name as Goomup, and names the Whadjuk Nyoongar as the Traditional Custodians of Boorloo.50,51 Find a shady bench there before a long afternoon on the deck, with time for a last coffee before you board.
Price your cruise
Cruises from the city jetties, priced for your group
Enter how many are travelling to see each cruise priced for the group.
Side-by-side: 3 options
Cruises from the city jetties, priced for your group
Enter how many are travelling to see each cruise priced for the group.
- Round trip, Perth or Fremantle2.5 hours · per visitor from $42
≈
View - Buffet lunch cruise2.5 hours · per visitor from $91
≈
View - Dinner cruise2.5 hours · per visitor from $112
≈
View
Starting prices as on the booking platform, converted at the ECB reference rate. You see the exact price at booking.
Access, prams and toilets on board
The vessels on this river are not all built the same. The site tour's listing asks anyone travelling with a wheelchair, a walking frame or a pram to contact the operator before the day, as each vessel has a different level of access, and it warns that toilets may be downstairs on the lower deck. Ask which boat will run on your date, whether you can board at deck level, and where a wheelchair can sit with a view of the water.
The buffet lunch cruise and the dinner cruise are both listed as wheelchair accessible. Even so, confirm a space for the chair when you book, and ask where the accessible toilet is on that particular boat, since a listing describes the product and not every vessel that may run it. The jetties themselves are being renewed: Jetty One at Barrack Square has served for more than 50 years, nearly double its 30-year design life.52
The state set aside AUD 18.7 million to replace Jetty One, with construction set to begin in 2025-26.53,54 The government says the upgrade is meant to support tourism and charter operators.55 If building work is under way around the square, read your confirmation carefully for the pier. If anyone in your group needs extra time to board, tell the crew at the gangway early, before the queue forms, and ask where the calmest seats are for the trip.
Video
A walking tour of Elizabeth Quay in Perth
Walking Tours Across the World on YouTube · The video stays unloaded until you press play.
Barrack Square and its jetties form one of Perth's busiest waterfront tourism locations, neighbouring Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower
Boarding checklist
What to sort before you reach the jetty
Before the day3
- Note the departure point from your confirmation
- Call the operator about wheelchairs, frames or prams
- Free cancellation runs to 24 hours before
Boarding at the Fremantle end
You do not have to start in the city, and for some visitors the port is the better place to begin. The round trip on this site can be boarded at either end, Perth or Fremantle, and comes back to where you began. The one-way cruise works the same way, running in both directions. For travellers staying in Fremantle, that saves the train ride in and gives you the river with the city skyline as the destination rather than the starting point.
Fremantle's waterfront is the working side of the port, with ships, sheds and ferries side by side along the quay. The WA Maritime Museum is on Victoria Quay Road, and Rottnest Express runs a terminal in B Shed, one of its three departure points in Fremantle and central Perth.25,56,57 As in the city, take the exact boarding point from your confirmation, and leave time to walk along the quay to find it.
Fremantle has its own station near the waterfront, with trains back to the city's stations, City West, McIver and Claisebrook among them.38 If you cruise one way, the train is the natural way back to your hotel, with no booking needed. Check the last cruise of the day before you plan a late lunch in the port, and keep a contactless card handy for the ride home. On a Sunday that train ride is free with the card.9
FAQ
Brief questions, brief answers.
Where do Swan River cruises leave from in Perth?
Barrack Square, by Elizabeth Quay.
The lunch, dinner and Swan Valley cruises board at Pier 3 on Barrack Street Jetty.
Where does the round trip on this site leave from?
Check your confirmation.
The listing names no jetty; it notes limited paid parking near the departure point.
Which train station is closest to Barrack Street Jetty?
Is there parking near the cruise jetty?
Limited, and paid.
The listing recommends public transport or a ride share instead.
Can I board the cruise in Fremantle?
Yes, for the round trip.
The round trip takes passengers from either end of the river.
Are the cruise boats wheelchair accessible?
It depends on the vessel.
Contact the operator first; vessels differ and toilets may be on the lower deck.
Sources
- Government of Western Australia · Major revamp on the way for Jetty One at Barrack Square ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Buses and trains ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Explore Perth / Boorloo by boat and ferry ↩
- The Bell Tower (Swan Bells Foundation) · The Bell Tower, home of the Swan Bells ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Elizabeth Quay ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Buses and trains ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Buses and trains ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Buses and trains ↩
- Transperth (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) · Transperth Fares ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Parking ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Parking ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Parking ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Explore Perth / Boorloo by boat and ferry
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Elizabeth Quay ↩
- The Bell Tower (Swan Bells Foundation) · The Bell Tower, home of the Swan Bells ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Explore Perth / Boorloo by boat and ferry
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Kings Park
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Kings Park
- Government of Western Australia · Perth's Narrows Bridge celebrates 50 years
- Government of Western Australia · Perth's Narrows Bridge celebrates 50 years
- State Heritage Office of Western Australia (inHerit) · Old Swan Brewery Precinct
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Crawley and Nedlands
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Crawley and Nedlands
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Crawley and Nedlands
- Western Australian Museum · WA Maritime Museum ↩
- Western Australian Museum · WA Maritime Museum
- Western Australian Museum · WA Maritime Museum
- Western Australian Museum · WA Maritime Museum
- State Heritage Office of Western Australia (inHerit) · Round House and Arthur Head Reserve
- State Heritage Office of Western Australia (inHerit) · Round House and Arthur Head Reserve
- Western Australian Museum · WA Shipwrecks Museum
- Western Australian Museum · WA Shipwrecks Museum
- Western Australian Museum · WA Shipwrecks Museum
- Fremantle Markets · Fremantle Markets
- Fremantle Markets · Fremantle Markets
- Fremantle Prison (WA Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage) · A Brief History
- Fremantle Prison (WA Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage) · Heritage Significance
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Buses and trains ↩
- City of Fremantle · City of Fremantle official website
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA) · Discover the Swan Canning Riverpark
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA) · Discover the Swan Canning Riverpark
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA) · Discover the Swan Canning Riverpark
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · East Perth
- Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (WA) · Swan-Coastal: Healthy Rivers
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA) · Discover the Swan Canning Riverpark
- The Bell Tower (Swan Bells Foundation) · The Bell Tower, home of the Swan Bells ↩
- The Bell Tower (Swan Bells Foundation) · The Bell Tower, home of the Swan Bells ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Elizabeth Quay ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Elizabeth Quay ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Elizabeth Quay ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Explore Perth / Boorloo by boat and ferry ↩
- Government of Western Australia · Major revamp on the way for Jetty One at Barrack Square ↩
- Government of Western Australia · Major revamp on the way for Jetty One at Barrack Square ↩
- Government of Western Australia · Major revamp on the way for Jetty One at Barrack Square ↩
- Government of Western Australia · Major revamp on the way for Jetty One at Barrack Square ↩
- Rottnest Express · Rottnest Express ferry and experiences ↩
- Rottnest Express · Rottnest Express ferry and experiences ↩