From the Pinnacles to Karijini's Gorges: A 10-Day 4WD Adventure from Perth
Staff review by Pamela Mahar, trip began 1 August 2026. Details last checked September 2026.
If you want to see the Coral Coast and the Pilbara in one trip without the cost of a luxury tour, this 10-day return journey from Perth to Exmouth and Karijini is worth a look. It travels by 4WD bus with a driver, cook and guide in one, and the route takes in the Pinnacles, Kalbarri National Park, Monkey Mia, Coral Bay, Exmouth, Cape Range National Park and the gorges of Karijini National Park before the long drive back to Perth.
10 Day Perth, Exmouth, Karijini Return: key details
- Tour: 10 Day Perth, Exmouth, Karijini Return, run by Adventure Tours Australia
- Regions: Australia's Coral Coast and Australia's North West, starting and finishing in Perth
- Length: 10 days
- Starts: 7:00am pickup from Barrack Street Jetty, Perth
- Transport: Off-road 4WD Isuzu 20-seater bus with a built-in trailer, seat belts, and large viewing windows with curtains
- Accommodation: 5 nights in hostels, 3 nights camping and 1 night in a swag
- Meals: Most meals included, and many dietary requirements can be catered for
- Style: Budget travel, with an Australian-run company
- Optional extras: Abseiling at Z-Bend Gorge, manta ray swim, whale shark swim
- Book: Book through the WA Visitor Centre
The route, day by day
Day 1: Perth to Kalbarri. A 7:00am pickup from Barrack Street Jetty, then north to the Pinnacles for the first main stop. Lunch is at the beach in Green Head, with a quick stop at the Pink Lake on the way. Dinner is provided, and the night is at Kalbarri Backpackers.
Day 2: Kalbarri to Monkey Mia. After breakfast, the group explores Kalbarri National Park, including the Skywalk and Nature's Window, with an optional extra to abseil into Z-Bend Gorge. Lunch is in the park, and the day ends with sunset at Monkey Mia, dinner and a night at Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort.
Day 3: Monkey Mia to Coral Bay. Breakfast, then the dolphin feeding at Monkey Mia and Shell Beach. Lunch is at Hamelin Pool, home of the stromatolites, and the night is at Ningaloo Backpackers in Coral Bay.
Day 4: Coral Bay to Exmouth. Breakfast, with an optional manta ray swim. Lunch and dinner are provided, and the night is at Exmouth Escape Backpackers (Pot Shot).
Day 5: Exmouth. Breakfast, with an optional whale shark swim, then a visit to Cape Range National Park. Dinner is provided and the night is in Exmouth.
Day 6: Exmouth to Karijini. A big day of driving, with breakfast and lunch provided. There's time to spot road trains and wildflowers, with stops at Tom Price and Paraburdoo, before camping in Karijini National Park.
Day 7: Karijini National Park. After breakfast, the group visits Dales Gorge, Fern Pool and the Joffre Gorge lookout, with lunch provided and a stop at the Karijini Visitor Centre. Dinner is provided and the night is camping in the park.
Day 8: Karijini National Park. Breakfast, then Hancock Gorge, Kermit's Pool and Weano Gorge. Lunch and dinner are provided, and the night is camping in the park.
Day 9: Karijini to Cue. Another big day of driving, with all meals provided and a night camping in a swag at Cue.
Day 10: Cue to Perth. A great breakfast to start, then more road trains, a stop at a quirky outback roadhouse and lunch before the return to Perth.
Your guides
The guides are passionate and experienced, and each one is the driver, the camp cook and the guide, with deep knowledge of the regions, plants and history. Adventure Tours Australia's WA Operations Manager, Mark Raine, has been guiding since 1994.
Food on the road
There is a lot of variety, with plenty of snacks and fruit on board. Everyone helps with preparing meals and cleaning up, which is part of the fun of travelling in a group.
What I loved
- Hiking the Karijini gorges. Exploring the gorges on foot was one of my favourite parts of the whole trip. The time spent in Karijini made the trip.
- Dolphins at sunset. I loved seeing the dolphins at sunset at Monkey Mia.
- The food. There was a great variety of food on the tour.
- The people. I met so many people from all different parts of the world.
Good to know before you book
- Days 6 and 9 are long driving days, so the bus is where you'll spend a lot of the trip
- Accommodation is a mix of hostels, camping and swags, so it suits budget travellers and those who like a bit of adventure
- Everyone pitches in with meal prep and clean-up
- Optional extras (the Z-Bend Gorge abseil, manta ray swim and whale shark swim) are available on the route
In summary
With experienced guides, plenty of variety in the food and a route that links the Pinnacles, Ningaloo and Karijini, this tour is a good-value way to see a big slice of Western Australia in 10 days.
This review was written by the WA Visitor Centre team. See more Staff Reviews | Book the 10 Day Perth, Exmouth, Karijini Return tour