Visitor Information

The Western Australian Visitor Centre, 55 William St, Perth (tel. 1800/812 808 in Australia; www.wavisitorcentre.com), in the city center, is the official visitor information source for Perth and the state. It's open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm, Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm, and Sunday 11am to 4:30pm year-round.

The City of Perth's i-City Information Kiosk, in the Murray Street Mall, near Forrest Place, is open Monday to Thursday and Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm, Friday 9:30am to 8pm, and Sunday 11am to 3:30pm (closed public holidays).Volunteers provide free 90-minute guided tours around the city from the Kiosk, Monday to Friday at 11am and 2pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 2pm. The morning and Sunday sessions are general city orientation tours, while the other afternoon tours are more heritage-oriented, or you can do the walking tours yourself, using the guides available at the Kiosk.

The city also provides information on parking, toilets, churches and disabled access, as well as useful maps on www.perth.wa.gov.au/documentdb/59.

For an untouristy lowdown on the city's restaurants, cultural life, shops, bars, nightlife, concerts, and the like, buy the excellent glossy quarterly magazine Scoop (www.scoop.com.au; A$11.95), available at bigger newsdealer stands.

City Layout

The city center is 19km (12 miles) upriver from the Indian Ocean, on the north bank of a broad reach of the Swan River. Four long east-west avenues run between riverside parkland and the railway reserve. St. Georges Terrace (it becomes Adelaide Terrace at Victoria Ave.), known colloquially as "The Terrace," is the main thoroughfare and commercial and banking address, while Hay Street and Murray Street are the major retail avenues with pedestrian malls in the central blocks. All three, plus Wellington Street (which has Perth's suburban railway station on its northern side), are linked by the main north-south streets of Barrack and William, plus several shop-lined arcades.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.