Review: Perth Laneways Walking Tour
Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Perth tours and experiences. You can book this tour here.
Everyone knows that Perth is famous for beaches and blissful weather, but what visitors may not know is that the city centre is a web of arcades and alleyways — making the Western Australian capital interesting and buzz-worthy.
Now I’ve been to Perth many times, but I’ve never really taken the time to get to know the CBD. That’s all about to change, because today I’m joining Two Feet and a Heartbeat on their popular Perth Laneways Walking Tour.
I meet tour guide Ben at the Town Hall. He’s a true-blue Perthite who has spent years working as a concierge at swanky hotels — so he’s accustomed to knowing his way around big cities. As we stroll through Cathedral Square between the Town Hall and the iconic heritage-listed former government State Buildings, Ben narrates some of Perth’s history. I’m embarrassed by how little I actually know about the area’s Aboriginal heritage and its settler and convict beginnings. Luckily I don’t have to sit for a citizenship test any time soon!
Top 10 Perth Walking Tours
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We venture into the State Buildings and downstairs to trendy Long Chim Thai restaurant. The decor hooks me, but Ben says the food is amazing too (he recommends reserving a table in advance). I add it to a mental wish list: ‘Places to eat when next in Perth’. As we snake our way through high-end shops, cafes, bars, I’m gasping and gaping at all the shiny places I’ve never seen before. We exit through the six-star Como The Treasury hotel. I didn’t even know six stars were a thing!
By the time we get to St Georges Terrace, I’m hopelessly and deliciously lost! We arrive at London Court — an English-themed shopping lane built in 1937 to encourage British investors. The Tudor-style architecture inspires a trip to the UK, if only in my mind. Jolly good, I say.
As we mosey down bustling Hay Street Mall, Ben explains the city’s ploy to attract more visitors by reinventing the inner-city lanes and alleyways. The City of Perth Public Art Strategy has funded lighting and cobbled strips down the centre of some alleys to encourage exploration. It’s all part of a big push to make Perth more engaging (and interesting) by the bicentenary in 2029, and you’ll find murals and other urban art-scapes in every nook and cranny. Grand and Wolf Lanes are heavily decorated with wall paintings and random art. The Lego Jesus tile and the floating women mural by Argentinian artist Hyuro are my favourites.
Ben leads me along busy Wellington Street — the main drag on the northern side of the CBD. Stall holders are setting up in Forrest Place for the popular Twilight Food Market, which operates on Friday evenings in the warmer months.
We pass Bambamboo in funky Globe Lane and I decide to come back here later for dinner. After strolling through Trinity and Piccadilly Arcades (two words for you — Roc Candy!), the tour wraps up with a wander along ultra-ritzy shopping strip King Street.
It’s amazing what you can discover about a city in two or three short hours. This Perth Laneways Walking Tour is well worth doing — and I can’t wait to delve back into these thoroughfares on my next visit.
Note: I did go back to Bambamboo to eat. It offers modern Chinese food in an up-market, communal-style setting. The duck spring rolls rule!
The writer travelled as a guest of Two Feet and a Heartbeat. You can book this tour here.
Browse our full range of Perth tours and experiences here. We offer a Best Price Guarantee.
Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Jennifer Morton is a freelance writer and photographer. The Canadian expat has lived all over Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. She also spent six months working on a cruise ship in Europe. When Jennifer is not writing about travel, you may find her lounging on the beach, fishing with her son, sipping coffee at a cafe, reading a book, or zooming in on a beautiful scene.
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