From 75 minutes
The one-way hop
Lowest fare
- DirectionEither way
- SeatingInside or on deck
- BackBy train or boat
See your group's price
Swan River cruise cost, from a short hop to a wine day
Swan River round trip between Perth and Fremantle
★ 4.5 · 553 written reviews
Side-by-side: 4 options
Price a cruise for your group
Enter your head count and line up the opening fare of every cruise.
- Round trip, our pick2.5 hours · per visitor from $42
≈
View - One wayFrom 75 minutes · per visitor from $32
≈
View - Lunch cruiseBuffet lunch · per visitor from $91
≈
View - Dinner cruiseBuffet and music · 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.
What a Swan River cruise costs depends on how long you stay aboard and whether a meal or a winery is part of it. Here is every fare, side by side, with what it buys.
Editorial team, swanrivercruise.click · Updated November 8, 2026 · 7 min of reading
Quick look
- Round tripFrom $42 for 2.5 hours between Perth and Fremantle, with the captain talking you through the sights.
- One wayThe cheapest cruise starts from $32, and its shortest leg is 75 minutes.
- Lunch or dinnerA buffet cruise starts from $91 at lunch and $112 in the evening.
- Wine dayThe full Swan Valley day with a river leg starts from $139 and lasts 6.5 hours.
- Ferry onlyA Transperth Go Anywhere cash fare is AUD 3.50, with no commentary on board.1
What the round trip on this site costs, and what it covers
The cruise this site books is a round trip on the Swan River between Perth and Fremantle, and it starts from $42 per person on GetYourGuide. The fare buys 2.5 hours afloat with the skipper narrating in English, and the boat can be joined at the city or the port. It is the listing with 553 reviews averaging 4.4, so it is not a niche product: it is the standard way to see the river from Perth.
Treat $42 as the entry point, not the bill: it is where fares begin, and your date and departure decide the rest. Payment can wait until nearer the day, and the money comes back in full if you call it off at least 24 hours before sailing. That matters in winter, when a grey morning can make you want to swap days, and in summer, when an afternoon of heat might push you toward a later sailing.
Sub-scores from guests run 4.4 for guiding, 4.6 for the ride itself and 4.4 for value. The record lists no meal or drink as part of the fare, so plan for it to be a sightseeing cruise first. Its fine print is short: no alcohol for anyone under 18, and the operator may switch boats or routes at short notice. Budget for food in Fremantle or back in the city, and the price you see is the price of the ride.
Every cruise fare
Swan River cruises by starting price and time
| Cruise | From | Time | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| One way | $32 | 75 minutes and up | 311 |
| Round trip, our pick | $42 | 2.5 hours | 553 |
| Lunch cruise | $91 | 2.5 hours | 344 |
| Dinner cruise | $112 | 2.5 hours | 269 |
| Wine day, cruise up | $139 | 6.5 hours | 318 |
| Wine day, cruise home | $140 | 8 hours | 108 |
| Wine day, both ways | $165 | 6.5 hours | 116 |
Each figure is the listing's own starting price; the date you pick sets the final fare.
Swan River cruise tickets for less: one way and the ferry
If the round trip is more river than you want, the one-way listing is the cheapest cruise in this guide, from $32. It runs between Perth and Fremantle in either direction, and its shortest option takes 75 minutes, while the longest return version stretches to 5.5 hours in all. It keeps the captain's commentary, and it offers air-conditioned seats inside as well as open decks.
Buying Swan River cruise tickets one way makes sense when you want to spend the afternoon in Fremantle and come back on your own schedule. The return leg then costs a train fare. On Transperth a single ticket carries you across buses, trains and ferries alike, and the Go Anywhere version is valid network-wide for three hours.3,4 In cash that fare is AUD 3.50, and a DayRider for unlimited travel that day is AUD 7.00.1
The ferry is the cheapest way onto the water of all, but it is a commuter boat, not a cruise. Paid in cash, the shortest ticket type, 2 Sections, is AUD 2.40 and is meant for journeys no longer than 3.2 kilometres.1,5 On Sundays, travel on every Transperth bus, train and ferry is free for anyone paying by SmartRider or contactless card.2,6 The ferry page of this guide explains where it goes and what it misses.
Time for your money
Hours out on each listing
- Round trip2.5
- Lunch cruise2.5
- Dinner cruise2.5
- Wine day, cruise up6.5
- Wine day, both ways6.5
- Wine day, cruise home8
Durations as each listing states them; the wine days include coach legs and winery stops.
Swan River cruises prices with a meal on board
Two listings put a meal at the centre of the cruise. At $91 and up, the midday sailing runs 2.5 hours and pairs a booked table with hot dishes, salads and sweets from a buffet, while drinks are an extra at the bar. It has 344 reviews averaging 4.7, the highest score of the shorter cruises in this guide. Its boarding pass comes from the Captain Cook Cruises ticket desk at Pier 3, Barrack Street Jetty.
The dinner cruise starts from $112 and also lasts 2.5 hours. Its record lists a hot buffet with salads, cold dishes and dessert, live music and a full bar with drinks to buy, and it notes gluten-free and dairy-free items on the buffet. In Tourism Western Australia's words, there is no other dinner cruise on the Perth stretch of the Swan.7 It has 269 reviews averaging 4.4.
So the meal adds roughly the cost of a restaurant main and dessert to the price of the ride, and the drinks are on top. Compare like with like: the round trip and the lunch cruise last the same 2.5 hours, so the gap between $42 and $91 is the buffet and the reserved table. If you would rather eat at a Fremantle cafe, the plain round trip and a lunch ashore usually work out as the better deal.
Pick by budget
Which fare fits your day
Say what you want from the river and see which fare keeps the bill sensible.
If I want the lowest cruise fare
The one-way cruise
It starts from $32, and a train fare brings you back.1
If I want the whole river with commentary
The round trip
From $42 for 2.5 hours, boarding at either end.
If I want lunch on the water
The lunch cruise
From $91, with a reserved table and a buffet.
If I want a night out
The dinner cruise
From $112, with live music and a buffet after dark.
If I only need to cross the river
The Transperth ferry
Cross for AUD 2.40 cash on a short 2 Sections ticket, minus any narration.1
Ways to pay
Cheapest ride, whole river or a meal aboard
The whole river
The round trip
Our pick
- Time2.5 hours
- CommentaryLive, in English
- Board atPerth or Fremantle
Table reserved
The lunch cruise
Buffet on board
- Time2.5 hours
- FoodHot and dessert buffet
- DrinksBought at the bar
The wine days upriver and what they cost per hour
The most expensive cruises in this guide are full days to the Swan Valley wine region. The listing with the most reviews starts from $139, lasts 6.5 hours and has 318 reviews averaging 4.5. The fare covers a morning on the boat, 2 hours of it, with 3 local wines poured and a platter to share, and an afternoon of cellar doors, chocolate and beer by coach.
Pay from $165 and you travel by river in both directions on a 6.5-hour day, with macarons matched to wine at Mandoon Estate; this one is for over-18s only. A third goes out by coach and comes home on a 2-hour afternoon cruise, and it starts from $140 for 8 hours. Spread across the day, these fares buy far more hours than any short cruise does.
If the river is not the point, a coach wine tour is cheaper. Road-only options open at $77 for a 5-hour half day with pickup, or $112 for a 7-hour day of vineyards. Neither includes a cruise. Our Swan Valley page takes each one apart, winery by winery, and shows which suits a couple, a group of friends or a half-day plan.
Where the money goes
From booking to the last drink
At booking
Reserve your seat
The round trip starts from $42, and you can reserve now and pay later.
Getting there
Train or bus to the jetty
AUD 3.50 in cash buys a Go Anywhere ride; tap a card on Sunday and it costs nothing.1,2
On board
The ride itself
Commentary from the captain comes with the fare on the round trip.
At the bar
Drinks if you want them
Wine and beer cost extra at lunch, and only over-18s may order.
In Fremantle
Lunch ashore
The round trip lists no meal, so eat in port or back in the city.
Children, groups and the fares nobody advertises
The listings in this guide show adult starting prices only, so check the booking box for any child price on your date. What the records do say is who may come. The adults-only wine cruise accepts no bookings for anyone under 18, and another wine day is strictly 18 and over. The shorter cruises welcome families and simply set 18 as the minimum age for alcohol on board.
Getting a family to the jetty can cost very little. Seven travellers can share one AUD 7.00 FamilyRider, bought with cash, provided the group holds no more than a pair of adult-fare passengers.8,1 On a Sunday, families paying by SmartRider or contactless card ride free.2 Driving in is the false economy here: bays near the pier are scarce and metered, and the cruise's own notes steer you to trains, buses or a ride share.
Groups of friends should look at the dinner cruise, which Tourism Western Australia pitches at special events and group nights out.9 Hiring a whole boat is another matter entirely, priced by quote, and we cover it on the charter and party page. For a handful of people, multiplying the shared fare in this page's group calculator is the honest way to compare.
Video
A day cruise on the river through Perth
Trisha Lauricio on YouTube · The video stays unloaded until you press play.
Our fare system lets you use any combination of bus, train and ferry service anywhere on the Transperth network for one flat fare, until the time limit expires.
Before you pay
Covered by the fare, paid on the day, ways to save
In the round-trip fare3
- 2.5 hours on the river
- Live commentary in English from the captain
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Paid on the day3
- Drinks at the bar on the meal cruises
- Limited paid parking near the jetty
- A train fare back if you sail one way1
Booking, refunds and the costs on the day
Each cruise listing here refunds in full if you cancel 24 hours or more before departure, and each lets you defer payment. The coach-only full-day winery tour is the exception on cancellation: its free window closes 3 days before. Read that line before you book a combination of tours in one week.
On the day itself, the costs that catch people out are small but real. Drinks on the meal cruises come from the bar and are paid for on board. Metered parking by the pier is scarce. Food on the scenic round trip is not part of the fare, so a coffee or a lunch in Fremantle belongs in your budget. Sunscreen and a refillable water bottle cost little and save buying overpriced extras on a hot day.
There is no cheaper season to wait for in the records we read: the listings quote a starting price and let the date set the rest. The best value comes from matching the cruise to the day you want. A short hop and a train back cost the least, the round trip gives the whole river for a modest fare, and the meal and wine cruises turn the river into a long lunch or a day out.
FAQ
Brief questions, brief answers.
How much is a Swan River cruise from Perth?
From $42 for the round trip.
That covers 2.5 hours between Perth and Fremantle with live commentary from the captain.
What is the cheapest Swan River cruise?
The one-way cruise, from $32.
Its shortest leg is 75 minutes, between Perth and Fremantle in either direction.
Is food included in the round-trip cruise?
No meal is listed.
The record names no food or drink in the fare; the lunch and dinner cruises are the ones with buffets.
How much is the Swan River dinner cruise?
From $112.
An evening of 2.5 hours, buffet and band included, drinks extra.
How much does the ferry cost instead?
Can I cancel a Swan River cruise for free?
Yes, up to 24 hours before.
Every cruise compared here returns the whole fare when cancelled 24 hours or more ahead.
Can children go on the wine cruise?
Not on the adults-only one.
One wine cruise accepts no bookings under 18, and another is strictly 18 and over.
Sources
- Transperth (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) · Transperth Fares ↩
- Transperth (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) · Transperth Free Travel ↩
- Transperth (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) · Transperth Fares ↩
- Transperth (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) · Transperth Fares ↩
- Transperth (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) · Transperth Fares ↩
- Transperth (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) · Transperth Free Travel ↩
- Tourism Western Australia (westernaustralia.com) · Swan River Dinner Cruise ↩
- Transperth (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) · Transperth Fares ↩
- Tourism Western Australia (westernaustralia.com) · Swan River Dinner Cruise ↩