Experience Rottnest with Ferry & Bike Hire

Great day on Rottnest Island

My friend and I had a fantastic day on Rottnest. The trip was well organised and the instructions on where to meet and what to expect on the day were clear and easy to understand.

Good but bikes weren’t

A great experience - transfers were on time and comfortable - however of the 6 bikes we were given - only 2 worked effectively which disadvantaged our tour capabilities of Rottnest - gears didn’t change / gears slipped/ seats not adjustable - I understand that robust bikes are required - but this affected our tour of the island -

Easy

The ferry was clean and comfortable. We had perfect weather so the ferry ride was calm and scenic. We hire pedal bikes which were in great condition, easy to pedal and comfortable. I hired 4 bikes but maybe I should have hired an e-bike for my friend which you can hire . Easy boarding , no stress. We will be back

Ferry & bike with family in may 2024

Rottnest island is a fantastic island and cycling is the best way to enjoy it. The ferry journey is pleasant from Perth. The rented bikes are a bit old (brake and speed problems on some) and they don't have bikes for children.

Do not get bikes from this mob

The bicycles were a disgrace. Tyres not inflated and gears did not work correctly. Not bothered when we returned them

Great day out

Got the ferry from Fremantle and hired a bike to travel around the island, it was a really great day, with amazing views, definitely recommend if you are staying in Perth. The wildlife was also amazing and so was the food!

Rottnest such a surprise, super day out

fabulous day out we hired bikes on the Island, enjoyed picnic lunch on the beach and enjoyed the Swan river cruise from downtown Perth. Unfortunately we paid for express ferry home but this was cancelled due to unforseen circumstances. No communication from Ferry company so ended up very late back to Perth.

Fabulous day out

Had a fantastic time on Rottnest island. Catching the ferry from Perth gave us an opportunity to cruise down the swan river which was a bonus. Staff were friendly and getting off and on and picking up our bikes was seamless. The island itself is amazing and so picturesque. Plenty of food options, they even have subway. The Quokkas are so cute and friendly. The only thing that could be improved is street signage to make it easier to ride around and whilst they offered a bus transfer to the jetty in the morning you have to make your own way home in the evening which wasn't a big deal for us but might be for some. Overall it was a fantastic day out and I thoroughly recommend it.

Great way to spend the day

Really nice day. Just cruising around the island on a bike at our own leisure was nice and then a nice lunch in the afternoon. Only saw 2 quokkas out in the wild as the vast majority hang around the main settlement. You can also take your own picnic to the island if you want to do it on the cheap.

Rottnest and quokkas by bike. Fun.

Scenic ride around or across the island via different paths or catch the bus if your peddle power is lacking. Lots of coves or beaches along the way for a picnic or swim. A grocery store at The Settlement and several food shops will keep you fed and hydrated. The bike was in good condition and quite good to ride, mostly in low gear for us, make time to photograph the seascape and the quokkas that are abundant, even in the town mall.

amazing

Everything was amazing the snorkelling ,swimming around the beach’s and the skydive. Bikes were so handy too for getting around the island

Good trip but bad agent and ticketing

I booked via Viator and chose the pickup option from Perth city area but ticket issued via Fremantle area! When I called them they said I booked from Fremantle but I showed them the screen shot when I chose the pickup point! Ie city! They said I had to contact the tour operator directly and they were not interested! I could not cancel it as I booked it the day before less than 24 hours; I asked them if I could change it they said no! I said I was willing to pay more for pickup they said no! I went to the city area and they did not help me and the tour was full so I had to get an Uber $38 to go to Fremantle When I read the other review it seems I was not the only one and some other people had the same issue So the computer booking system between Viator and the Rottnest Express need to be improved as the pickup point has been ignored when going through the payment! the island was good and enjoyed the 25km bike ride despite having only 3 gears! Book DIRECTLY would have been better than using Viator! Once it is booked not much support or power to change anything Ended up paying for my transfer back as well Instead of having a good relaxing day it became a frustrating annoying experience!

amazing

bike together with my wife and the light house. and the boat ride and the people and the quokka. all of it

Lunch with a quokka.

We went for a great ride around the island stopping at some beautiful beaches and looking for quokkas. Didn’t see any. Maybe too hot for them. Stopped for lunch at the hotel and were visited by a quokka at our table. Made for some great photos. A great day had by all.

Qooker

Meeting the Qookers People will tell you they are nocturnal,which they are, but they will make time to come out and visit around noon Never feed a Qooker

easiest trip ever

the most memorable part was snorkelling and bike riding with my boyfriend, so easy to book and collecting tickets were perfect

Excellent

I recommend arriving early so you can sit in the top deck. Staff very friendly and helpful. Boat was clean with refreshments and ample seating.

Chilled place, fab beaches, fun to cycle

Getting the tickets and into the ferry was super easy. Everything ran on time both ways. We didn’t know you couldn’t get e-bikes until it was too late - which was a shame. The snorkel, mask and flippers were all in great condition. One of the bikes in our party had slipping gears - we told the operators and they put it to one side to fix. The island is fab - need to stay over night if you can. Go to the Basin - great swimming. The quokkas look like they’ve had a hard season and need a rest from the tourists. Highly recommend.

Worst bicycle I have ever ridden

Worst bicycle I have ever ridden… gears not functioning, unsafe brakes. I had to wait to swap it when another ferry arrived. Next bike was a little better but no seat slant adjustment. Very uncomfortable to ride.

Great destination.

The island itself is well worth the trip. We left from the Barrack St jetty because we specifically wanted to hear the commentary about the Swan River. Unfortunately the sound quality of the speakers was so bad that I, even as an English speaker could only pick up about every 10th word. Maybe the ferry company could invest in headphones like they have in museums where the commentary could be also offered in different languages. However, the staff on the ferry were friendly, helpful and knowledgable. The bikes could do with a good audit and service. I had to return my first bike as the seat kept on swivelling and then the bike I ended up with only had 2 gears out of 3 which meant I had to get off and walk my bike up several hills. The food at the Rottnest Pub was really good and overall I would recommend this experience.

Cycling Rottnest

Well organised regarding ferry and bike hire. Dome cafe a bonus. Great general store with a surprisingly good selection of wine (and food). Major deficit is lack of clear direction signage when cycling. Maps were good but no signs on roads to link with these. Lots of hills if cycling, hard wok for oldies like us.

Great trip

Everything as stated on ticket. Get your ticket at the booth before you get in line for the ferry. It is about 1 block before the entrance for ferry. Would have liked to have electric bikes. Lots of hills on island. We did see one quokka ( as they are nocturnal).

Don't use this company, especially in Summer!!!!

We were so excited to go to Rottnest as it was a bucket list experience for me! The trip over was long and a little hot, but we could handle it. Had a wonderful day and it was time to go home and we bordered the ferry for the long trip back to Perth. Once we boarded it was hot!! Disgustingly HOT!! They had 4 Air conditioners going that made no difference at all! Kids on board were sweating while they slept after an exhausting day! The rest of us, trying to get outside on a tiny back area to get some air flow so we dont pass out! For over $100 per person, we should be AT LEAST comfortable! as we were no where NEAR comfortable!!! Even the staff members were outside as it was too hot inside for them! I would not recommend this company as we had an amazing day, but this ruined the day! Defiantly don't take someone elderly on the boat, they are likely to kill them in that heat!! Get some decent ACs Rottnest Express!!!

Perfect for the Adventurous family

An amazing experience with the family on hire bikes around the island. We loved the quokka. We saw the whole island, didn't climb the light house as too busy but found amazing turquoise waters to swim in.

Ferry and bike hire

Straightforward and easy ferry to and from the beautiful island. Bike hire was easy. Decent quality bikes but would have preferred my own or something better quality as its a very hilly island to cycle round. All in all though. Very good

Ferry& bikes

Great little island, hired bikes so we could cycle round. We found we needed an earlier ferry back as weather wasn’t so good.

Rottness island

Everything about the island was amazing, would definitely recommend visiting so much to see and do. The only downfall we had was the hiring of the bikes, it was far to hot to be cycling around the island, wouldn't recommend hiring the bikes if it's very warm. But would be a great job if not warm.

Beautiful island, bikes disappointed 😔

The bikes were horrible no maintenance, rusted and one gear worked. I would recommend renting from the island when you arrive.

Rejuvenate on Rottnest

Rottnest Island is such a great place to relax and have fun..Whether it’s with friends or family it’s such a great place to unwind and get back to a relaxing atmosphere of sun and surf

Good

Wasnt rough it was good confy friendly staff very helpful i enjoyed myself definately recomed it to other people that love traveling

Love the Quokkas!!

Everything about this day was amazing. The ferry service was super organised and a quick 30-minute trip. We hired bikes and I would recommend this for the ability to explore a lot of the island. The Quokkas were amazing - so friendly and cute. Plenty of photo opportunities. They tend to hang around the main section where all the food is. Plenty of options to eat and get ice cream etc.

VIATOR - FIX YOUR BOOKING CONFIRMATION

Issue is with Viator vs the actual tour, which was well organised and a fun day on Rottnest. HOWEVER ultimatley if Rottnest Express want to partner/ advertise with Viator, then the onus is on this company to ensure that the pickup information provided is correct. Similar to another reviewer below, the pickup location is completley inaccurate. The email confirmaiton I recieved from Viator said to go to Perth for pickup multiple times - see attached. When I arrived at stated pickup location, I am told I need to get over to Freemantle (a 45 minute journey away). The girl at Perth informed me this is a frequent occurence, yet they allow Viator to continue to relay the incorrect info? Whilst I made it by the skin of my teeth (with an additional taxi expense) this resulted in an extremeley stressful morning, not what you want on the start of a day out. All of which could be avoided if the correct was provided upfront.

Unreal

The bike ride around the island was the best. Would recommend everyone to hire the bike or scooter. Seeing quokkas is always the best.

Amazingly tired

The view of the island is beautiful. But you really have to keep in mind that you will ride a bike for quite a few kilometers. If you are someone who is sedentary, you should consider that you will get tired and then you will want to return by the bus (like in my case) but in general the island is very beautiful and after riding the bike you will find a very nice spot where all people go to swim and rest there. You have to go eat ice cream, it's really tasty 🤤

Easy Way to Explore

Friendly staff and easy experience to visit and explore Rottnest Island. The bike and snorkel equipment were in good condition.

The ticket had the wrong...

The ticket had the wrong meet up location, wasted 1 hr of driving and paid an parking ticket to then be told we had to meet at b shed at Fremantle. We had to catch a later ferry and ruined the experience, not happy

Great, careful with bikes

The island itself was great, the beaches pristine - I highly reccomend going past the first spots and further into the island as that’s where you’ll often meet 0 people on a perfect paradise beach. Cycling is really fun and I got also the snorkel equipment , I will say the fish weren’t that many not that impressive but still as a first time snorkeler it was a great experience. Quokkas are extremely cute, shame you’re not supposed to touch them. The urge to pet was real! The downside I’d say is the bikes - my bike actually broke - the chain fell off and I was kinda stranded alone in a 38 degree , solo travelled , no reception situation . But before you worry, there’s the 000 you can call even with no reception which I did and they instructed me to call the company which I did. They were moderately helpful and were sending help that would’ve arrived in 35 min with new bike , but miraculously when I dropped my bike 10 min later it somehow fixed it self so off I went with my adventure. Also the bike leg is very flimsy and with any weight at the rack on the back the bike would fall over which was very annoying as I had to keep picking it up all the time . I very highly advise to have a bike on the island, you’ll only see a snippet of it otherwise besides it’s most fun! Overall I would definitely go back again and explore even more areas and beaches .

Never again

Couldn’t get any more people on the ferry, was like sardines. Ferry went at unbelievable speed. Left to sort bikes yourself

Bike Rental- Hilly!

I rented a bike and rode around Rottnest. The ferry ride was easy and I appreciated the refreshments offered on the way back. Personally, I found the island quite hilly. I am in-shape and in my 30s. I would suggest an e-bike, if possible for most (unless you are looking for a good workout). There were a few interesting spots to see, but not a ton. Also, the bike (specifically the brakes) were not in great condition.

Holiday away from darwin

Was really good, enjoyed the bike hire where we get to explore the island, the shops were amazing enjoyed the food and the little quokkas running around. The ferry to the island was great, the ferry coming back was good just a tad sea sick

poor quality of the bikes destroyed the experience

The island is wonderful but the bikes they provide are crap you can’t get over the hills as there aren’t enough gears and they are too heavy, better rent better quality bikes in toxn or an ebike

Bike ride around Rottnest island

Do it! An experience you must have while in this city. The length of your bike ride is up to the individual but you won’t be disappointed.

Can be very crowded

Was a lovely place but the day we went it was absolutely packed so was very crowded on beaches that had snorkelling etc. Didn’t spoil it but made it a bit more difficult to get a space. Our only complaint was the bikes, which have seen better days!

When you monopolise you don't need to be better

Website is trash, literally have to keep reloading the page as it's prompts don't work. Slightly annoyed since spending hundreds of dollars just to catch a 20 min ferry ride is pretty average but atleast the website is frustrating.

Great day trip

Amazing experience, cycled around the island and snorkelled. Could be a little cheapest though and unneccesarily expensive

Great day out fir everyone

Rottnest Island was definitely a highlight. We took the Ferry from Perth and after 2 hours arrived on the island. We got bikes and snorkel gear that we had reserved and then off we went. The bike ride is absolutely beautiful and even though the beaches were pretty busy, we did not have the feeling that it was crowded anywhere. Snorkeling is super easy as the waters are flat and there is fish everywhere. Make sure you bring enough water as there are no cafes or restaurants away from the settlement. In the settlement you can meet plenty of quokkas, they roam around and ate pretty docile.

Beautiful island

We had an amazing day, me my husband and 3 kids15, 13, 11. We hired bikes and stopped of at beaches along the way. Beautiful place. We had lunch at one of the bars and a jug of cocktail for myself after all the bike riding. Definitely recommend taking a trip to Rottness

Not what I expected

An average day out. We did get a commentary on the trip from Perth to Freemantle, but it was very difficult to hear, so missed most of it. A little disorganised on arrival at Rottnest as we were not given any instructions regarding bike or snorkel gear pik up. If you aren't used to bike riding don't use these bikes they are very basic and although they have 3 gears the terrain is a little hilly in places if you are not fit or used to biking. By the time we organised ourselves out of the Settlement, had a quick snorkel at one bay, checked out the light house, it didn't really leave time to bike the full length of the island. In hindsight, the bus would have been a better option, and that would have given us more time to explore and swim. Very windy when we were there and the trip back was rough with water coming into the rear of the ferry.

Place to be

It was such ab incredible Day - Rottnest Island is the place to be if you are seeking recovery and relax-time !!! The bikes were o.k. , only the time was a little bit to short but it was still amazing !!!

Rottnest visit - ticked it off

Great beaches. Quokas a delight. Snorkel gear and bikes very poor quality. I appreciate it’s a high turnover activity but would have expected bike gears to work and the snorkel to have a bite grip.