Right bank
Under Kings Park
Brewery and bridge
- Park400 hectares
- BreweryFrom 1879
- BridgeOpened 1959
Where is your stop
What you see on a Swan River scenic cruise
Swan River round trip between Perth and Fremantle
★ 4.5 · 553 written reviews
Summary
A Swan River scenic cruise from the city passes the Bell Tower, Kings Park, the Old Swan Brewery, the Narrows Bridge, the blue boatshed at Crawley, Blackwall Reach and Fremantle's inner harbour.
On the route
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
A Swan River scenic cruise between the city and Fremantle passes a brewery, a famous bridge, a blue boatshed, limestone cliffs and a working port. This is the route in order, with what each sight is and which side to watch.
Editorial team, swanrivercruise.click · Updated November 8, 2026 · 7 min of reading
Quick look
- StartBarrack Square, beside Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower.1
- Named sightsBell Tower, Swan Brewery, Kings Park, the yacht club, riverside homes, the inner harbour.
- DownriverBlackwall Reach cliffs and Point Walter Spit come before the port.
- WildlifeAbout 20-25 dolphins use the rivers daily.2
- Length2.5 hours for the round trip.
Leaving the city jetties
Every Swan River scenic cruise from the city starts in front of the skyline. The jetties of Barrack Square sit next to Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower, and the first minutes on the water are the best for photos of the towers behind the quay.1 The Bell Tower is on the list of sights our round trip covers, and the captain talks you through the view from here on. Find your spot at the rail before the boat leaves the pier.
The Bell Tower is worth knowing about before you sail past it. It is the home of the Swan Bells, and it bills itself as the only tower in Australia where visitors can watch change ringers pulling the bells round.3 From its Level 6 observation deck you look down on the same jetties you sail from.4 If your cruise leaves in the afternoon, a visit before boarding fits easily, as the doors are open 10am to 4pm on all 7 days.5
The water in front of the city is Perth Water, a broad basin with the South Perth shore opposite and the ferry crossing it. The city's own Nyoongar name, Boorloo, translates as big swamp or river.6 In Nyoongar story the waterways and wetlands here were made by the Wagyl, a creator being.7 Those stories belong to the river long before any of the buildings you are photographing, and they are worth keeping in mind as the towers slide past.
Sight by sight
What to watch for on the way to Fremantle
| Sight | Side going down | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Tower | Behind you | Home of the Swan Bells | Round trip |
| Narrows Bridge | Overhead | Opened 1959 | WA Government |
| Old Swan Brewery | Right | Brewery from 1879 | Heritage record |
| Blue boatshed | Right | Crawley Edge Boatshed | One-way cruise |
| Blackwall Reach | Left | Riverside cliffs | One-way cruise |
| Inner harbour | Ahead | The working port | Round trip |
Sights as the listings name them, with dates from the state heritage record and the WA Government.9,8
Under Kings Park: the brewery and the bridge
Heading west, Kings Park rises on the right as a wooded scarp above the water. It is a 400-hectare park that runs back into bushland, and from its top, on Mount Eliza, the view sweeps from the city to South Perth and along the river to the Darling Range.10,11 The park's botanic garden displays over 3,000 species of the state's flora.12 From the deck you see the scarp and the trees rather than the gardens themselves, and the park is best kept for a separate walk.
First the boat passes under the Narrows Bridge, which was officially opened in 1959.8 The original bridge measured 396.5m with five spans, the longest 98m, and in its day it was the world's largest precast, prestressed concrete bridge.13 A second bridge alongside it opened on February 25, 2001.14 Look up as you pass under: the scale is easier to judge from the water than from a car on the freeway above.
Just beyond the bridge, at the foot of the scarp, stands the Old Swan Brewery. It was set up on Mounts Bay Road in 1879 and had become the leading brewery in WA by the 1890s.9 In 1924 its share of the state's beer market had reached 50%.15 The site is older than the brewery: a spring here matters to Aboriginal people, and the heritage record links it with the Waugal, the Rainbow serpent.16 Stirling's 1827 survey party filled its water casks at the same spring.17
Downriver in order
From the city jetties to the port
Barrack Square
Leave the jetties
Cruises leave from next to the quay and the bell tower.1
The Narrows
Under the bridge
The Narrows Bridge opened in 1959.8
Mount Eliza
Pass the brewery
The Swan Brewery was set up on Mounts Bay Road in 1879.9
Crawley
The blue boatshed
Listed among the one-way cruise's sights.
Blackwall Reach
Cliffs and the spit
Both appear on the one-way cruise's list.
Fremantle
The inner harbour
The round trip names the harbour as a sight.
Crawley, Matilda Bay and the blue boatshed
Past the bridge the shore curves into Crawley, and the small blue boatshed on its jetty comes into view. Visit Perth pairs it with the city skyline as the classic riverside photo, and the one-way cruise lists the Crawley Edge Boatshed among its sights.18 From the boat you see it side-on with the city behind, a different picture from the one people take on the shore, and well worth having your camera ready.
Matilda Bay Reserve follows, a grassy riverfront with a swimming spot and a jetty to leap from; from its lawns you can watch yachts, the odd dolphin and pelicans landing at nearby Pelican Point.19,20 Short-stay public moorings at Matilda Bay let boaters stop here for a meal ashore.21 Royal Perth Yacht Club sits along this stretch, and the round trip's captain names it among the sights. Look for the masts packed along its marina.
This reach is where the river opens up. The estuary here is more than 10,000 years old, and it stays open to the sea all year: its water runs fresher through winter and spring and saltier from summer into autumn.22,23 The change shows in the colour of the water and in who lives in it: more than 80 species of waterbirds use the rivers, the black swan among them.24 Pelicans and cormorants are the easiest to pick out from a moving boat.
What to watch for
Which part of the route will you love?
Tell us what you enjoy and we will point you to the right stretch.
If Architecture and engineering
The Narrows Bridge
It was the largest precast, prestressed concrete bridge in the world.13
If History
The Old Swan Brewery
It held 50% of the WA beer market by 1924.15
If Wildlife
The wide reaches
About 20-25 dolphins use the rivers daily.2
If Photography
Crawley and the boatshed
Visit Perth pairs the blue boatshed with the skyline.18
If Ships and ports
Fremantle's inner harbour
The round trip names it as a sight.
Reach by reach
The cruise in chapters
Right bank
Crawley shore
Boatshed and bay
- SwimMatilda Bay
- BirdsPelican Point
- ClubRoyal Perth Yacht Club
Left bank, then ahead
Towards the sea
Cliffs, spit, harbour
- CliffsBlackwall Reach
- SandPoint Walter Spit
- PortInner harbour
The wide reaches: homes, cliffs and the spit
Downstream of Crawley the river spreads out between the western suburbs and the southern shore, and the scenery turns to gardens, jetties and big houses. The round trip's record names the riverside homes among its sights, and the one-way cruise names the riverside mansions. Commentary on this stretch turns to the river's people and property, and it is a relaxed part of the trip to sit back and listen.
Point Walter Spit and the cliffs of Blackwall Reach are both on the one-way cruise's list of sights. The spit is a sandbar reaching out into the river, and the cliffs rise straight from the water a little further downstream. Watch the southern bank, on your left heading towards Fremantle, for both. Ospreys live along the rivers, and these quieter reaches are a good place to scan the sky.54
Keep an eye on the water too. Dolphin Watch counts about 20-25 dolphins using the rivers each day, and many were probably born right here.2,55 Beneath them swim more than 200 kinds of fish, bull sharks among them.56 A sighting is luck, not a promise, but on a calm day a dark fin breaking the surface makes the whole trip. Keep scanning the calm patches, and if one appears, enjoy it from the boat while it keeps its distance.
Price the scenic cruise
What the river costs for your group
Set the group size and see what the route costs everyone, from price.
Side-by-side: 2 options
What the river costs for your group
Set the group size and see what the route costs everyone, from price.
- Round trip2.5 hours · per visitor from $42
≈
View - One way or return75 minutes and up · per visitor from $32
≈
View
Starting prices as on the booking platform, converted at the ECB reference rate. You see the exact price at booking.
Into Fremantle's inner harbour
The last stretch carries you from the river into the port. The round trip's record names Fremantle's inner harbour as a sight, and here the scale changes, with ships, cranes and sheds lining the quays. A bar across the river mouth kept the Swan largely brackish until settlers cleared it in the late 1800s.53 Dolphins use the harbour as well: the Dolphin Watch catalogue covers the Fremantle Port Inner Harbour along with the river.57
On the shore you can pick out Fremantle's old stone buildings, among them the WA Maritime Museum on Victoria Quay Road, and on Arthur Head the Round House, which the state heritage record names as WA's oldest building.33,58 It dates from 1831, and its walls of local stone still face the sea.37,38 Beyond the harbour mouth, the Swan meets the Indian Ocean, and the light changes as the open sea comes into view.52
What happens next depends on the ticket you bought, and with Swan River boat tours it is worth deciding before the day. The round trip turns for the city, and you watch the same sights from the other side of the boat. The one-way cruise lets you step off in Fremantle and explore the port at your own pace. Rottnest ferries carry on past the harbour mouth and out to the island.25 On the round trip, watching the skyline grow ahead on the way back rounds the day off nicely.
Video
A scenic cruise on the Swan River, Perth
AmyLivingAbroad on YouTube · The video stays unloaded until you press play.
Measuring 396.5m with five spans, the longest span being 98m, the original Narrows Bridge made history as the largest precast, prestressed concrete bridge in the world
On the day
What to bring for the scenic cruise
Pack3
- Hat and sunscreen for the open deck
- Something warm for the wind on deck
- Binoculars for birds and the far bank
On board3
- The round trip takes 2.5 hours: plan the day around it
- Watch the right bank going down for Kings Park
- Expect changes: the route can change without notice
Getting the most from the cruise
Choose your side before you board, as the good spots at the rail go quickly. On the way to Fremantle, Kings Park, the brewery, Crawley and Matilda Bay are on the right; the spit and the cliffs at Blackwall Reach are on the left. On the way back the sides swap. Stand on the open deck for the bridge and the boatshed, and use the inside seats on the long middle reaches. The one-way cruise offers air-conditioned seating inside as well as open decks.
Pack a hat, sunscreen and something warm: the wind on the water cools you fast, while the glare off the surface burns. Binoculars help with the birds and the far bank. Keep in mind that the operator can change the vessel or the route without notice. The captain's commentary is the guide, and if you cannot hear it outside, move closer to a speaker for the main sights or step inside for a few minutes.
For a longer look at any of these places, combine the cruise with time ashore. Kings Park, Matilda Bay and the Fremantle museums reward a visit on foot after the cruise has shown you where they are. Free guided walks in Kings Park leave every day at 10am and 1pm.59 Boat trips on the Swan River in Perth fit neatly around those walks, and the map on this page places every sight on the river.
FAQ
Brief questions, brief answers.
What do you see on a Swan River cruise?
The skyline, Kings Park and the port.
Its record lists the Bell Tower, Swan Brewery, Kings Park, the yacht club, riverside homes and Fremantle's inner harbour.
Which side should I sit on going to Fremantle?
The right for Kings Park.
Kings Park and Crawley are on the right heading downriver; Blackwall Reach is on the left.
Will I see dolphins?
Possibly, never guaranteed.
About 20-25 dolphins use the rivers on a daily basis.2
How old is the Narrows Bridge?
What is the blue boatshed?
The Crawley Edge Boatshed.
It is one of the sights listed for the one-way cruise.
How long is the scenic cruise?
2.5 hours round trip.
The round trip runs from Perth to Fremantle and back.
Can the route change?
Yes, without notice.
The operator may change the vessel or the route if needed.
Sources
- Government of Western Australia · Major revamp on the way for Jetty One at Barrack Square ↩
- River Guardians (DBCA) · Dolphin Watch Perth ↩
- 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 ↩
- The Bell Tower (Swan Bells Foundation) · The Bell Tower, home of the Swan Bells ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Aboriginal culture ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Perth history ↩
- 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) · Kings Park ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Kings Park ↩
- Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (WA) · 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 ↩
- State Heritage Office of Western Australia (inHerit) · Old Swan Brewery Precinct ↩
- 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 ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Explore Perth / Boorloo by boat and ferry ↩
- 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) · Explore Perth / Boorloo by boat and ferry ↩
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Elizabeth Quay
- 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) · Explore Perth / Boorloo by boat and ferry
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Explore Perth / Boorloo by boat and ferry
- Visit Perth (City of Perth) · Kings Park
- 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 ↩
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA) · Discover the Swan Canning Riverpark ↩
- River Guardians (DBCA) · Dolphin Watch Perth ↩
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA) · Discover the Swan Canning Riverpark ↩
- River Guardians (DBCA) · Dolphin Watch Perth ↩
- State Heritage Office of Western Australia (inHerit) · Round House and Arthur Head Reserve ↩
- Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (WA) · Kings Park ↩