Your Weekend Itinerary: 48 Hours in Bunbury

Bunbury is only two hours from Perth and somehow still one of Western Australia’s best kept secrets. Dolphins, beaches, great food, colourful sunsets and a chilled-out way of life that you don’t get in the big city. Head down for the weekend! We dare you not to love it. Here’s your 48 hours in Bunbury, sorted.

Your coastal weekend in Bunbury starts here

Two hours from Perth and most people still drive straight past it to Margaret River. But that’s their loss! Bunbury is a coastal city with wild dolphins rolling past the beach, some great spots for sunset dinners, proper surf beaches and a slow way of life that makes your weekend feel twice as long.

Pop down for a weekend from Perth and in no time at all you’re sitting at a waterfront bar watching the sun go down over the Indian Ocean wondering why you don’t come here more often.

So here is your 48 hours in Bunbury sorted. We’re about to tell you where to eat, where to stay, the best things to do and yes, how to get up close with the dolphins at the Dolphin Discovery Centre, all within 48 hours.

Your 48 hour Bunbury weekend itinerary

Bunbury has been waiting for you. It’s about time you showed up and experienced what it has to offer!

Friday evening

The best thing about visiting Bunbury from Perth is that you can leave the city after work on a Friday and be checked in well before dinner. The drive takes around two hours along the South Western Highway, and by the time you pull up at the Lord Forrest Hotel in the heart of the city, the weekend is officially underway.

Get settled, head out for a drink and have an early night, because Saturday is a big one!

Saturday in Bunbury

Morning: Backbeach and breakfast

Start the day at Backbeach, one of Bunbury’s best sandy spots. Wild and rarely crowded, this iconic beach is located on Geographe Bay and it’s absolutely idyllic, excellent for swimming, building sand castles, snorkelling as well as surfing.

Take a walk, breathe in the Indian Ocean air and work up an appetite before heading to a local café for breakfast, or just a coffee somewhere in the city.

Day time: A day at the dolphin Discovery Centre

Clear the rest of Saturday for the Dolphin Discovery Centre at Koombana Bay, and we mean the whole day, because there is a lot to this place.

Start early with the free Wild Dolphin Interaction Zone when it is at its best before 12pm. In the morning hours the wild bottlenose dolphins are most likely to come into the shallows. You’ll wade in, wait and let them come to you.

Then, once you have had your time on the beach, head inside to the Marine Discovery Centre. There are 14 aquarium tanks to explore, a 360 degree Digital Dolphinarium that is the only one in the world, interactive displays and four daily feeding sessions with the resident turtles, sharks and an entertaining octopus.

Then, for the main event! Book onto the four hour Swim With the Dolphins tour that takes you out into Koombana Bay to get into the water with wild dolphins in their natural habitat. It’s something you’ll never forget. You won’t have a guaranteed sighting but the chances are high, and when it happens it’s incredibly special.

By the time you are done at the Dolphin Discovery Centre, you will have more than earned dinner.

Evening: dinner with a view

For dinner, head to Vat 2 on Jetty Road, one of Bunbury’s favourite spots for a reason. Located right on the waterfront with outdoor tables overlooking the bay, Vat 2 does modern Australian food really well, but doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Order a bao bun, the pork belly and whatever the seafood special is, and wash it down with a cocktail as the sun goes down over Koombana Bay.

Sunday in Bunbury

Morning: Marlston Hill and the Lighthouse Loop

Start Sunday with breakfast before heading up to Marlston Hill Lookout for panoramic views over the city, Koombana Bay and the Indian Ocean. From there, pick up the Lighthouse Loop walking trail around the historic Bunbury Lighthouse; a breezy coastal walk with great views and that distinctive black and white striped lighthouse as your landmark.

Stop for a well earned coffee on the way back into town before your next stop!

Late Morning: Bunbury Regional Art Galleries

Before you write off Bunbury as a beach and dolphin town, the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries, known locally as BRAG, will change your mind. Housed in a beautifully restored heritage building, it hosts rotating exhibitions of contemporary art from local and international artists and is genuinely one of the best regional galleries in Western Australia. Make sure you give yourself an hour or so to wander.

Afternoon: late lunch and Big Swamp Reserve

For a late lunch, head back into town and find a spot to sit and eat before your drive home. Then, before you hit the highway, make one last stop at Big Swamp Reserve, a peaceful wetland tucked close to the city centre with easy walking trails through bushland and wetlands.

Keep an eye out for native birds, turtles and wildlife as you wind down from the weekend.

Where to stay in Bunbury

Right in the heart of Bunbury’s city centre, the Lord Forrest Hotel is a brilliant base for a weekend away. All 115 rooms and suites come with private balconies, free WiFi and many have ocean views, so you can wake up on Saturday morning already feeling like you are on holiday.

The hotel is a short walk to the beach and Leschenault Inlet, which means everything on your Bunbury itinerary is either walkable or a short drive away.

There is an indoor heated pool and gym on site, and the on-site restaurant and bar, Unwind on Symmons, serves breakfast through to dinner so you are covered from the moment you arrive Friday night to the moment you check out Sunday morning.

Check out the Lord Forrest Hotel here.