Kings Park: Exploring One of the World’s Largest Inner-city Public Gardens

Let Perth local Carmen be your tour guide to one of the world’s largest inner city parks as she combines a visit to Kings Park with a stay in the nearby Vibe Hotel Subiaco. Get ready for spring blooms, egg-shell blue skies, and dazzling city and river views.

We acknowledge that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Whadjuk Noongar people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

About Kings Park

You might assume New York’s Central Park is the largest inner-city park in the world. But who would’ve thought that Perth, the world’s most isolated capital city, beats the record by 60 hectares?

If first impressions count, then Kings Park dazzles when approaching it along the lemon-scented gum tree-lined Fraser Avenue. The sweeping city and river views from this vantage point are the makings of Instagram dreams, picnics, and romantic occasions. The views of Kings Park from the CBD and the south Perth foreshore are just as impressive, especially when those towering gum trees light up the night sky.

Kings Park spans across 400 hectares of natural scrub, kilometres of walking and cycling trails, and 17 hectares of botanical gardens. Two-thirds of the park consists of protected bushland adorned with 327 species of native plants, such as banksia woodland trails and tuart, jarrah, and marri tree forests.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

Water garden pavilion

Kings Park’s History

Kings Park has a rich European and Aboriginal history dating back thousands of years when the Aboriginal people visited the land once known as Mooro Katta or Kaarta Gar-up before the scarp was renamed Mount Eliza. The land was gazetted by Governor Frederick Weld and Surveyor General Malcolm Fraser in 1890, and development began a couple of years later when it was named The Perth Park in 1895. The name was later changed to Kings Park after the accession of King Edward VII to the British throne following Queen Victoria’s death – her memorial statue can be seen on Fraser Avenue.

An Avenue of Honour was planted on May Drive in 1919 with oak and plane trees to honour those lost in World War I, and the War Memorial on Fraser Avenue is an official ceremony site on Anzac Day.

The evolution of the park includes the Royal Kings Park Tennis Club (1899), Botanic Garden (1965), DNA Observation Tower (1966), Arthur Fairall Playground (May Drive, 1967), Ernst Wittwer Playground (Saw Avenue, 1975), a restaurant complex (Fraser Avenue, 1993), and the Lotterywest Federation Walkway (2003), to name a few of the attractions.

Kings Park celebrated its centenary in 1995 with the Centenary Enhancement Project, upgrading the existing infrastructure, amenities, and attractions.

Today, dozens of memorials are dotted throughout the park, such as the 10th Light Horse Regiment Memorial, the Bali Bombing Memorial, Flame of Remembrance, and the Kokoda Memorial in the Fraser Avenue Precinct alone.

How to Get to Kings Park

Kings Park never closes and is open 24 hours every day of the year.

By car

Free parking is provided across multiple car parks throughout the park and the main access points are via Fraser Avenue from Kings Park Road and Thomas Street.

By bus

The Transperth bus route 935 travels from St Georges Terrace into the Fraser Avenue precinct, or the free Blue Cat bus leaves from the Perth Busport.

By tour bus

The double-decker Perth Explorer Bus operates a hop-on/hop-off tour along Fraser Avenue, Roe Gardens, and May Drive Parklands offering panoramic views.

Check. It. Out! Phwoah! | Photo by J. Thomas

Where to Stay in Kings Park

There’s no accommodation in the park itself, however, there’s a plethora of hotel options available nearby.

Vibe Hotel Subiaco

The Vibe Hotel Subiaco is the perfect spot to base yourself for luxury and floor-to-ceiling windows offering birds-eye views of the city and Kings Park.

A 15-minute stroll brought us to the edge of the park on the corner of Thomas and Kings Park roads where we were presented with several walking trails. After all that walking, the cloud-like mattress was well appreciated, as were the stylish and spacious rooms, a rooftop pool, and The Storehouse restaurant with panoramic views as we tucked into the Chef’s Table degustation menu.

The Vibe Hotel Subiaco is also perfect for digital nomads thanks to the fast internet, generous desks in the rooms, and St Marks Road Co. café on the ground floor.

Kings Park Motel

Situated across the road from Kings Park, the newly renovated Kings Park Motel is the perfect base to explore Perth’s most iconic inner-city park. They also have rooms with kitchenettes and family rooms, offering plenty of space for groups eager to share the costs while taking advantage of the optimal proximity to the park.

Where to Eat in Kings Park

Fraser’s Restaurant

As one of Perth’s premier restaurants and function centres, Fraser’s Restaurant takes pride of place along Fraser Avenue with panoramic views. The produce-driven menu serves a range of high-end ingredients, such as Black Angus sirloin and chargrilled octopus, accompanied by European and Western Australian wines. It’s easy to see why the function room is so popular for weddings, school balls, and gastronomic extravaganzas. Open for lunch and dinner, if you’ve been out walking, you might want to swap your trainers and workout clothes for more elegant attire.

Botanical Café

Situated next door to Fraser’s, the Botanical Café offers equally spectacular views in a more casual setting. Perfect for coffee, breakfast or lunch, the menu includes all the eggy options, nasi goreng, burgers, pizzas, and fresh salads. It’s also licensed and there are few things as relaxing as chilling out over a Western Australian wine or cocktail overlooking the city’s throng below.

Zamia Café

Overlooking the epic May Drive Parkland, Zamia Café is a firm favourite for families and groups any time of the year, with or without the kids. The seasonal menu includes a delicious range of salads and hearty options you can either dine in or take away to enjoy in nature. During the warmer months, an outdoor cinema pops up in the park beneath starry skies.

Things to Do in Kings Park

• Walk along the hiking trails within the park
• Take a forest bathing tour
• Go on a bike tour
• Take a Karrgatup Walking Tour
• Visit the giant boab
• Go bird and flower watching
• Come for one of the many events of festivals held in the park
• Grab a coffee or lunch at one of the cafes nearby

Blooms for DAYS

Essential Gear for Kings Park

• Sturdy, closed-in walking shoes
• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Water
• Raincoat in winter
• Camera

What It’s Like to Visit Kings Park

When I visited Kings Park in spring 2023 during the Everlastings Kings Park Festival, the park was ablaze with Everlasting daisies, Geraldton Wax, and Kangaroo Paws. I was immersed in incredible beauty while surrounded by over 100 bird and reptile species within a stunning understorey of flowering plants.

With my husband in tow, we followed the Law Walk, which officially starts at the Karri Pavilion, but we couldn’t get enough of those city and river views, so we started along Fraser Avenue with photo stops at Kaarta Gar-up Lookout, Two Rivers Lookout, and the Mount Eliza Lookout.

Despite my fear of heights, I bravely stepped onto the Lotterywest Federation Walkway. I distracted myself from the gentle sway with the towering karri forest and the glistening river in the background. We looped back through the Western Australian Botanic Garden, meandering among marri and jarrah woodlands and the water garden to admire the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Fountain, designed by Perth architect Geoffrey Summerhayes and sculptured by Margaret Priest in 1968.

Kaarta Gar-up Lookout

Western Australia Botanic Garden

Voted as Australia’s Best Botanic Gardens by Wotif in the 2023 Uniquely Aussie Awards, the Western Australia Botanic Garden boasts over 3,000 species of native flora, including a giant 750-year-old boab tree from the East Kimberley region, a floral clock, the Pioneer Women’s Memorial and the Lotterywest Federation Walkway. Since opening in 1965 and encompassing ancient Noongar history and contemporary displays showcasing Western Australia’s unique wildflowers in one place, the botanic gardens are horticultural leaders in conservation. The botanic gardens are planted in regions and take visitors on a floral journey through the state from the Kimberley, Wheatbelt, and Rottnest to the Southwest region.

Ooft, he’s a big ‘un

Guided Tours

Several guided tours are available, including a Forest Bathing experience to reconnect with nature by the Mindful in Nature tour company. Or you can join a bike, segway, cultural or guided hike through the Western Australia Botanical Garden with operators like The Hike Collective, Nyungar Tours or Segway Tours WA. Or save those feet and jump onboard the Perth and Kings Park Hop-on, Hop-off open-top bus tour. For something more immersive, join a free guided walk with Discover Kings Park leaving daily (except Christmas Day) outside of Aspects of Kings Park Gallery Shop at 10am.

Perth skyline

Lotterywest Federation Walkway

If you have a fear of heights like me, this one might challenge you, and I recommend focusing on the birds-eye river views and the heady aroma of eucalyptus. The first time I walked across the Lotterywest Federation Walkway was at night during the Lightscape festival, and I was grateful I couldn’t see how far I was off the ground, which is 16m at its highest point. The glass and steel arched bridge suspends for 620m within a canopy of towering eucalypts and abundant birdlife.

Brave souls on the Lotterywest Federation Walkway | Photo by J. Thomas

Bushland Walking and Cycling Trails

The park has a range of bushland walking trails, including the 2.5km (one way) Law Walk, rewarding walkers with scenic views of the Swan River, black cockatoos, and forests of marri and jarrah trees. Beginning at Karri Pavilion, follow the path to Dryandra Lookout and loop back via the Lotterywest Federation Walkway.

The easy 1km Bushland Nature Trail takes you through fields of wildflowers and you can download a pocket guide to see what’s in bloom. There are kilometres of other marked trails and you can download a map to check them out. For the intrepid, the Kokoda Track is dedicated to our Australian troops who fought in PNG during World War II and begins at Kennedy Fountain on Mounts Bay Road for a steep 150-step climb to the Law Trail.

The only ‘law’ on this walk is to leave no trace… pick up the poop people

Fraser Avenue Precinct

Fraser Avenue greets visitors with a grand gum-tree-lined avenue and spectacular views of the city, Swan River and the Darling Range. The Fraser Avenue Precinct is where you’ll find Fraser’s Restaurant, the Botanical Café, Aspects of Kings Park Gallery Shop, the Visitor Information Centre, and the State War Memorial.

One of my favourite things to do is to flop on the shady lawn with a picnic, good company, and those epic vistas. Other times, I can’t resist the aspects of Kings Park Gallery Shop for its range of unique Western Australian art, fashion, and homewares.

Get your nature fix AND brush up on history

Lookouts

You don’t need to look far for an incredible view, engulfed in such natural beauty. There are lookouts throughout the park, including the Dryandra Lookout and the Kaarta Gar-Up Lookout, with sweeping views of the Swan and Canning Rivers, often used for weddings and special occasions. One day, I’ll summon up the courage to venture 101 steps to the top of the 15m DNA tower for the highest viewing spot in Kings Park.

Views from the Fraser Avenue Precinct | Photo by J. Thomas

Events and Festivals

A year-round calendar entertains with music, theatre, film, art, wellness, and horticultural events and festivals. During July 2023, and with a glass of mulled wine to keep me warm, I marvelled at Lightscape where the trees and flora came alive at night in a twinkly wonderland.

Moonlight Cinemas run during the warmer months in the May Drive Parkland and many Australian and international concerts and theatre performances entertain in the Western Australian Botanic Garden. The Everlasting Kings Park Festival runs in September in a blast of pink Everlasting daisies, workshops, walks, art displays, and tours.

It’s a whole different world at night

Tips for Visiting Kings Park

• Make a day of it! Bring a picnic and a book to laze away the day on the grass in the shade
• Check out if any events are happening during your visit

Drop a rug, bring the salami, and hang with your mates | Photo by J. Thomas

FAQs Kings Park

Where is Kings Park located?

Kings Park hovers high above Perth’s CBD.

How do you get to Kings Park?

By car

Free parking is provided across multiple car parks throughout the park and the main access points are via Fraser Avenue from Kings Park Road and Thomas Street.

By bus

The Transperth bus route 935 travels from St Georges Terrace into the Fraser Avenue precinct, or the free Blue Cat bus leaves from the Perth Busport.

By tour bus

The double-decker Perth Explorer Bus operates a hop-on/hop-off tour along Fraser Avenue, Roe Gardens, and May Drive Parklands offering panoramic views.

When is Kings Park open?

Kings Park never closes and is open 24 hours every day of the year. However tours are not always running during this time.

Do I need to book my visit to Kings Park?

If you’re heading to Kings Park for a self-guided walk or to admire the flowers, you don’t need to make a booking. However if you’re keen to go on a guided tour, you’ll need to book this in advance.

When is the best time of year to visit Kings Park?

Any time of year is great, but during September is when the most native flowers are in bloom and events like the Everlastings Kings Park Festival is on.

How many days should I spend at Kings Park?

You can spend anywhere from an hour to a whole day in Kings Park. And it’s always worth coming back for multiple trips to experience the park at different times of year.

Is Kings Park good for beginners?

Kings Park is great for beginners as it’s close to the city and the walking trails are moderately easy and well marked.

Can you swim at Kings Park?

Unfortunately, there’s nowhere to swim at Kings Park

Do you need a 4WD to get to Kings Park?

Nope! It’s 2WD accessible

Is Kings Park open?

Kings Park is always open! However there may be parts of the park that are sometimes closed for various reasons. Check the Kings Park website beforehand if in doubt.

Is Kings Park free?

Yes! Visiting Kings Park is free, however some attractions, like tours and events may cost their own costs.

Header and table of contents images by @fluffytoweltravel