Discover Rottnest with Ferry & Bus Tour

Discover Rottnest Island with Rottnest Express Ferry & Bus Tour

The sunshine turned up in all its glory and the ferry ride across Swan River took 1 hour 45 mins accompanied by insightful commentary. The Ferry and Bus tour is the ideal combination to see the whole Island from every angle. The crystal clear blue waters adorned with aqua patches are absolutely majestic. Full commentary on the history of the Island was provided as well as photo opportunities with the delightful Quokkas. Rottnest Island will leave you in awe of its natural beauty and you'll have plenty of free time to walk around, enjoy the surrounds and discover a choice of excellent eateries for yourself. We had a most beautiful meal at Isola Bar & Restaurant - an Italian establishment located right on the beach and just a short walk from the jetty - recommended to us by Sergio of Libertino Travel. We were warmly greeted by Giovanni and the meals were exceptional. We thoroughly enjoyed the Rigatoni with slow-cooked pork sausage ragu and the Burrata Panzanella plus a couple of glasses of lovely wines. The Rottnest Express staff were all friendly and very helpful from the office, tour guide and bus driver. The entire experience and round trip was absolutely excellent !!!!!

A good Rottnest day trip

Well organised tour from Perth via Fremantle to Rottnest and back. The Discover Rottnest bus tour was very good - lasting around 1.5 hours and our guide Leo was very informative. The bus tour is well worth doing if you don’t fancy cycling around the island.

Find Another Operator

The experience should have been a great one. The problem is the operator. I don’t even know where to begin. From being unfriendly and rude to unhelpful and arrogant and everything in between. Also, the information is not clear which caused us to miss the bus tour completely. We were left by ourselves to figure out where to go what to bring what not to bring in the downpour. It’s a pity this experience turned out to be the worst part of our entire trip.

Great time

Great time exploring the island. The ferry ride was calm and there were brief periods of explaining what we were passing. The bus tour was mostly those of a certain age who no longer bike, but a great option to learn about the history of the island. Plenty of stops for great photos along the way. There was only 1 ferry time option to return to Perth, I would have liked to return about 2 hours sooner since I did all I wanted to do in the island before 430pm

Really good day out

Coach tour was really good, Richard (tour guide) was very informative and had a good sense of humour.

Had a great day on Rottnest

This was a very good tour. The commentaries on the ferry and the bus tour were very informative and interesting. Enjoyed the bus tour around the island. The Quokkas are so cute. I found it frustrating to see the number of people trying to pat them even though they are told numerous times not to. Overall we had a great day on Rottnest island on this tour.

amazing island with so much history

Rottnest Island was absolutely beautiful, the history was amazing to learn and those Quokka's are adorable. Cant wait to bring my family back. A special mention to tour guide Mark his tour was so informative and fun. Highly recommend catching the tours next to the salt shop. If you can hire a bike spend the day and tour as much of the island as possible.

Quokkas and whales!

Interesting cruise down the Swan River past several points of interest, before a swashbuckling (rough) journey by sea to the island. Plenty to see and do on arrival including the ubiquitous Quokka who cooperated with many snapshots with Individuals contorting themselves into various poses to ensure they were in shot with the tiny marsupials. The bus tour around the island was also very informative, due mainly to the young female guide who made the journey most enjoyable. As an unexpected bonus, our guide spotted a humpback whale and calf breeching offshore, a very rare event at this time of year. Highly recommend this tour.

A very long day. Plan activities ahead

Guide was very knowledgeable. Unfortunately I felt rushed. Despite arriving promptly at 11.20 which was the time we were told to be there we waited at least 15mins for stragglers. One bus left ahead of us. They were lucky. Of course price was reduced the week after we took the excursion. Take your swimmers snorkel gear or cycle if you can. It's a very long day on the island otherwise

Fun Tour to Rottnest Island

We had a great day exploring Rottnest Island. Everything ran smoothly. We really enjoyed the excellent informative bus tour around the island. I highly recommend booking this tour

Great tour and a lot of fun.

What an amazing visit!! So much history to absorb. The Quoka's entertained us a lot, and the tour around the island gare us great context and a better understanding of the history.

Rottnest trip

Seeing the quokers up close and hearing about the history of Rottnest Island and the piece and relaxing feeling you get. Thanks AW

Good

It is fantastic experience I just recommended this tour for visit perth And 100% you can see quarka it is very quiet

Fun day

We took a later ferry so we didn't do the bus tour but the hill tour. That was very interesting. Going on the steam train up the hill. The views were beautiful, and the stories about the ammo storage. We enjoyed our day Rottnest and ofcourse the Quoka's (they are so cute).

Rottnest.

Our guests loved the trip from Perth on the ferry and the bus around the island. They loved meeting and greeting the quokkas.

Great choice to tour the island in comfort.

I was stuck between renting a bike and taking the bus tour at first, but in view of the children and an elderly with us, the bus tour seemed to be the better option. the ride was comfortable, the guide was friendly, the ride was smooth and it was an enjoyable tour. plus point, the lunch was magnificent! btw, if you are going to cycle, be prepared for lots of slopes.

Beautiful island and cute Quakka

The boat tour was very nice, bus tour was little rush, not enough time to get off the bus to take pictures. Quakkas are so friendly and cute. I even got a kiss from him, but my husband was not quick enough to take picture. The island was beautiful, unfortunately we did not have time to stay longer.

Rottnest Island Day trip

Great relaxing day to enjoy the sights of Rottnest Island. The ferry was packed but still enjoyed the commentary from Perth along the Swan River. The island was beautiful and we had great weather. A couple more stops would have been better on the bus tour, was a bit rushed, but tour guide was informative and made it enjoyable. We even saw dolphins on the trip. The Basin for swimming and relaxing was the best for me. The lunch was delicious and great service at Frankie’s. The Quokka’s were around the main precinct in the afternoon so don’t stress you will get a selfie with a quokka, so cute. Really enjoyed the day for a no stress relaxing time.

Great day at Rotto

The island lived up to its hype. Rottnest express had great staff that also did our bus tour. Malcolm was very informative and Mark our driver, did a great job dodging all the bike riders. The quokka's were a plenty and very friendly. Happy to see that the sovereigns were not expensive. Thoroughly recommend a trip to Rotto.

Wonderful day at Rottnest

Excellent experience. Bus trip especially. Very knowledgeable guide and helpful, patient driver. Beats cycling - esp if travelling with a senior! Great food and cocktails at Frankies restaurant. 10/10.

We were fine but not sure about those that didn’t get on the bus

Our experience was very good. Not so sure about the people that didn’t arrive 20 minutes early. We stood in line to observe the closed door discussions when the bus arrived - no communication to anyone outside the closed doors. Finally just a count off to let half the waiting customers on and the rest left waiting. Either overbooked or a bus size error but we will never know. The guide on tour was very good and told stories of Rottnest that were very interesting and the made the tour very interesting. We hope those that weren’t allowed on the first bus got their tour as well.

Beautiful experience

The bus tour was very informative and the guide was extremely knowledgeable of the island. We also purchased the lunch time meal and that was flawless too. All in all it was a fantastic experience and a thoroughly enjoyable day out

A professional and lovely trip!

Awesome, eventful, and a fun trip! Filled with excitement and joy thanks to the expertise showcased by the tour guides!

Great tour with informative commentary

Great tour overall. The bus tour was great. You get your tickers from the Rottnest Express shed. They give you all the information when you arrive. I'd recommend getting to the bus around 11am so you can get a seat on the left. But you get to stand up for photos, as the bus will stop several times, if you sit on the right. The food at Frankie's was amazing! We didn't get the lunch deal but there was enough space. Highly recommend the gnocchi and pizza! There are free tours run by volunteers. This is right near the Island Gypsy shop. We went on a quokka walk and saw so many!

A goo all rounder.

Thoroughly enjoyed the day at Rottenest Island. Picking up the tickets, catching the ferry, the bus tour & lunch were seamless. Bus tour was very enjoyable, interesting & informative. Rob the driver was very good given the bikes on the road! The tour guide Richard was very knowledgable about the varied history of the island . Very relaxed and welcoming to all. The bus tour is a must do to find out all about Rottnest. Lunch was very yummy and I dinned with Quokkers! I had plenty of time to walk around on my own and enjoyed a pleasant walk to Longreach Bay including plenty of time for a swim at The Basin and checked out the Bathurst Lighthouse. A must !

Recommended, but pls know where to board the bus!

Choosing the day tour bus was the best decision ever. I have 2 kids (3 and 5 years old) and an elderly with me. The bus was a comfortable way to tour the island as most parts are inaccessible except if you were to cycle. The only thing that wasn't that perfect today was the pickup point for the bus. As this was our first time here in Rottnest, we were unsure on where we should be waiting for the bus. The booking details also did not mention anything about the pickup. It was after several rounds of asking around, did we know that the pickup is round the corner from the Main Bus Stop. I felt this could be done in a better way by being specific on this. First timers like my family, wouldn't have any idea. Aside from this, sceneries were beautiful. It was a relaxing day for us.

Nice day out

Nice day out. Quokka’s are adorable. I chose to have lunch at Frankie’s included and was delighted with the meal served, great verity, something for everyone. Only complaint was the bus tour was a bit short and would benefit from a few opportunities to get off and take some pictures as the surroundings are beautiful.

Happy Quokka day out in the sun

We loved the river cruise down the Swan River with its fabulous sites. The highlight of the trip was seeing all the Quokka. They were cute and friendly and easy to spot all over the island. The discovery coach tour was awesome too.

A fun day

We had an amazing day. From the ferry ride, the bus tour & interacting with the Quokkas. Highly recommend this tour.

A worthy trip

It was a great trip. We took cruise to Fremantle, then to Rottnest Island. Once we arrived there, we went to toilet first. It was a bit queue. The good thing was that the bus tour around the island was at 11:30 so we had enough time to walk there and look around. The bus tour is a guided tour so you need to sit on the bus around the island and only allowed you to walk and photo at Cape Vlamingh but it was great being inside as it was hot when visited on 6th April. After the bus tour, we went to Frankie’ Cafe for lunch as included in the tour. There are choices for food and drinks and their food are quite nice. You can see quokkas nearby the cafe. The quokka toys are not very good so we did not buy any for memory which was a pity. It’s a bit waiting to depart the island at 5pm.

The whole trip was great...

The whole trip was great but the bus tour was excellent The tour guide certainly kept us well informed

Great

Very well organised. Island is fabulous. Quakka’s are definitely a lot different in person to the photos you’ll see online.

Must see in Perth

I would take the hop on and off bus as you get to swim and spend time more of the spots you like. Biking it only for professional cyclists as it’s very hilly. Good choices of places to eat. The only sad part was that we only saw 3 quokkas around the bakery area.

Wasted time

Showed up with our booking confirmation from Viator and tour operator said sorry we are sold out. We sowed them the confirmation from Viator and they just that we would have to request a refund from them. We have done many tours with Viator and been pleased, but obviously their relationship with with this tour operator needs improvement.

On the bus tour enjoyed...

On the bus tour enjoyed learning about the island and the beautiful bays.family had a great time.just bikes get in the way

Wonderful experience

When you just thinking good but its way beyond your expectation that's what I feel overwhelming joy.

Rottnest Island

The island is cute and quaint, typical tourist island. If you are not going to bike or surf, there isn’t much to do. The Rottnest Express has only 2 trips out and 2 trips back which makes for a very long day on an island without much to do. The ferry company provides a buffet of snack sandwiches etc on both legs of the trip which was nice. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 4.

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS

There was no single thing - every aspect was fantastic. Staff, facilities, bus trip, history and then there was Frankie's! We had one gripe and that was the amount of people ignoring the dismount your bike signsssss. Perhaps a little "policing" of this would help others to enjoy the crowded settlement area more.

Great full day out

Brilliant day out. Swan River cruise to Freemantle and the to Rottnest Island with a bus tour round the Island. As a first time visitor this was perfect for us. Plenty of time for a meal with the Quokkas, a wander around the jetty area and a drink before the return trip. Would thoroughly recommend 👌

Do not miss

The scenery is beautiful. Warm water, beautiful beaches and no cars. The Bus tour was very informative. One negative is the inability to take pictures. Only those on the left side of the bus were able to view many of the attractions.

Don't miss this one!

The history and beauty of Rottnest was amazing. It was interesting to see/experience Australia personally!

Excellent service and facilities

Excellent tour and experience. I booked the ferry from Perth city, with bus pick-up. The bus pick-up was on-time, and straight onto the ferry. There was a guided commentary during the journey down to Fremantle, with some great insight into the area. The ferry was comfortable and felt safe. On arrival at Rottnest Island wadjemup, I had time before the bus tour. The bus tour also departed on time, and the tour guide was expert and very informative, including adding some humour. They were happy to try to answer questions at any point. My only feedback would be to tone down the gendered greetings (ladies and gentlemen), and to be a little more sensitive and informative about the Aboriginal history. All facilities were clean and comfortable, and the ferry home departed on time. There is no bus drop-off after getting back into Perth, which was clearly communicated to passengers.

I'd always known quokkas...

I'd always known quokkas were cute, but I had no idea the island was so beautiful. The bus tour was informative and the lunch was fine

Amazing to see a sleepy quokka

Went with my elderly husband on a Sunday with Viator Tour. There was a cruise on the Swan River, a bus tour round Rottnest Island with commentary by the driver cum guide. Then we were treated to lunch on Frankies. A main, drinks and dessert. I had the salad and my husband had the squid and chips. For dessert we had lemon tart and chocolate brownies. Brownies was wonderful but the tart wasa bit too sour for us. We had fanta orange juice to wash the food down. It was a delightful lunch. Saw a sleepy quokka and took a photo of it. Sat by the sea-side and it was a pleasant day out. Left the island at 5pm. It was a lovely outing.

Interesting and memorable trip to Rottnest Island.

Love the hunting and photographing of quokkas. Coming very close to these little creatures. Happiest animal on earth I heard. The commentary on the ferry was informative. Lunch at Frankies was delicious.

Wouldn't recommend.

No clear instructions. You get to the ferry stop 30 mins erarly and no one to meet or instruct next step. Staff are unapproachable and are not interested in helping. Bus tour was a rip off. Hop on hop off bus tour is better. Absolutely the worst tour of my life and worst experience in otherwise lovely WA.

Great tour

Great way to see the Island. Our guide Leo was very knowledgeable about the history of the island and overall was a fun tour.

History and quoakkas

I picked the reservation that included a commentated ferry ride and bus tour of island with commentary and a few photo ops. You have more than enough free time after the bus tour to explore the island and get food or lounge on the beach somewhere. I enjoyed the freedom to walk around or rent a bike after the bus tour. You are able to stick around for the quoakkas to wake up and start looking for food. Definitely a fun experience and the tour guide made it worth it. I am a sucker for history and back stories so that made this booking chef's kiss*

Beautiful island, great...

Beautiful island, great white sand beaches and the cute quokkas. Tour guide was very informative nice bus tour around the island

Disappointed

Have been trying to get in touch with you. The trip over to Rottnest Island no trouble. When we arrive we were told our bus would leave at 11.20 so we lined up for 30 minutes to be told no we were on the late bus and on the 4,30 return ferry. As we had a disable man with us who couldn’t stay out that long. We had to return to Fremantle on the 11.45 ferry. So we saw nothing. Sent you a message from ferry but have heard nothing. Please get in touch. Thanking you Jeanette Williams