Best Time to Visit Perth

Summer: long, dry and sunny (December to March)

This is Perth at its most beach-ready. Days are warm, mostly rain-free and long on sunshine, with highs of 25 to 27°C. Evenings stay mild, so Cottesloe and Scarborough beaches are lively until dark. Late afternoons often bring the Fremantle Doctor, a cooling sea breeze that arrives right when you need it.

It's also the busiest time. Australian school holidays run over Christmas and January, and locals head to Rottnest Island, so ferries and accommodation fill up. Perth Festival runs through February and March, with open-air film and music. If you want quiet, try early December or March. The sea is still warm and the crowds thin out.

Autumn and spring: the sweet spots

April and May cool down gently. Rain creeps up, with about nine wet days in May, but you'll still get plenty of bright hours. It suits walking through Kings Park, cycling the Swan River paths or tasting wine in the Swan Valley without the heat.

September to November may be the best of all. Rain drops away, days warm up, and Kings Park hosts its Wildflower Festival in September. Wildflowers also bloom further out, so it's a good time for a road trip. October and November are comfortable for the Margaret River region, a few hours' drive south. Whale watching off the coast is also good in spring, as humpbacks head south with their calves. Travelling with kids? The mild weather and uncrowded beaches make this a relaxed pick.

Winter: wetter, cosy and cheaper (June to August)

July is the wettest and coolest month, with 122 mm of rain over 15 days and highs of 18°C. It's not freezing, but it is grey and damp, and storms can roll in off the Indian Ocean. June and August are a little drier and rated Good.

Winter suits a city break. Spend your days in the Western Australian Museum, the Art Gallery of WA or the cafés and bars of Northbridge and Fremantle. Accommodation is generally easier to find and often cheaper. Beach swimming isn't really on the cards, but a dry winter morning on the Cottesloe sand can be lovely.

If you want one answer, pick October or November. You'll get warm days, low rain and no peak-season crush.