A guide to the best things to do in Fremantle on your day ashore

Warm Western Australian sunshine, honey-colored heritage buildings and the scent of fish and chips drifting from Fishing Boat Harbour. Cruises to Fremantle take you into the heart of this bohemian city, where you get maritime character alongside incredible architecture and landmarks. Browsing market stalls, stopping for coffee or following the waterfront toward the Indian Ocean — there are endless options on land.

That makes choosing among the many things to do in Fremantle a particularly pleasant challenge. A day ashore can move from convict-era history and maritime museums to local seafood, craft beer and the beaches just beyond the town center. You can even trade the mainland for an island escape before returning to your ship. Princess® Fremantle excursions offer several ways to make the most of your time in port.

Built by convicts more than 170 years ago, Fremantle Prison still stands as one of the clearest reminders of Western Australia’s convict era. Construction began in 1852, and the first prisoners moved into the Main Cell Block in 1855. The prison was part of a much larger chapter in Western Australian history, when just over 9,700 convicts were transported to the colony between 1850 and 1868.

The prison remained in continuous use until 1991 and today forms part of the UNESCO-listed Australian Convict Sites. Guided tours take visitors through spaces including the Main Cell Block and prison yards to see how the complex changed during more than a century of incarceration. Princess guests can explore this history on the Convicts of Fremantle and the Maritime Museum excursion.

The second half of that excursion trades prison walls for Fremantle’s seafaring history at the WA Maritime Museum on Victoria Quay. Its galleries range from handcrafted sailing boats to commercial pearl luggers, but one vessel has an especially famous story: Australia II. The yacht won the America’s Cup in 1983, ending a 132-year winning streak by the United States. The museum was purpose-built to house the yacht, which is displayed heeled over as it was in the deciding race. The Local Connections: Historic Fremantle and the America’s Cup excursion adds a talk from a local guide about the 1983 race.

For guests interested in seeing more of the region in one day, Best of Perth and Fremantle drives past Fremantle landmarks, including the prison and Round House, before continuing to Perth for about two hours of free time and a riverboat cruise back to Fremantle.

Shopping in Fremantle comes with more than a century of history underfoot. The Fremantle Markets were established in 1897, when Western Australia’s gold rush was helping transform the port into a busy center of trade. Look beneath today’s market, and there’s an even more literal connection to the past — original granite cobblestones remain under parts of the paving, once crossed by horse-drawn carts delivering goods to traders.

Today, more than 170 traders, makers and food destinations fill the historic market. The Hall is the place to browse independent fashion, art, gifts and locally made finds, while the Yard leans into fresh produce and street food. Buskers and other performers are also part of the weekend atmosphere.

The markets are open Friday through Sunday and on public-holiday Mondays, so check your ship's call date before planning a visit.

Come hungry to Fishing Boat Harbour. What began as a working harbor for Fremantle’s fishing fleet is now one of the city’s best-known places to sit by the water with fish and chips, grilled seafood or locally caught fish on the table. Fishing vessels still use the harbor, keeping its connection to the industry that gave the precinct its name.

Fremantle has also built a strong reputation for craft beer. Breweries around the city pour everything from pale ales to seasonal releases, and several occupy distinctive Fremantle spaces, including former industrial buildings and waterfront sites. Around Fishing Boat Harbour, a cold beer and a seafood lunch make an easy pairing before heading back into town.

Coffee has its own address here, too. South Terrace is home to Fremantle’s Cappuccino Strip, a café-lined stretch where tables spill onto the sidewalk. Nearby High Street and Wray Avenue add more independent cafés, restaurants and bars, so a simple coffee stop can turn into a longer wander through central Fremantle.

You don’t have to leave Fremantle’s historic center far behind to put your feet in the sand. Bathers Beach is about a 10-minute walk from Fremantle Station and sits beside the heritage-rich Manjaree precinct, where the Round House, Whalers Tunnel and Bathers Beach Art Precinct are all nearby.

Farther south, South Beach has calm water, broad lawns and shade from mature Norfolk Island pines. It’s roughly a 30-minute walk from central Fremantle or a short bus ride, ideal for guests who want to spend a little more of their day along the coast.

Another famous stretch of sand lies north of Fremantle. Princess's Easy Fremantle and Kings Park excursion includes a photo stop at Cottesloe Beach, along with free time at Kings Park for views across Perth and the Swan River.

Rottnest Island sits just a 30-minute ferry ride from Fremantle. The island, also known as Wadjemup, has 63 beaches and 20 bays spread around its Indian Ocean coastline. The Basin draws swimmers with clear, protected water, while Parker Point has an 800 m (0.5-mile) snorkel trail marked by 12 interpretive plaques on the seabed.

Then there are the quokkas. Rottnest Island has the world’s largest wild population of these small marsupials, and family groups live across the island. They may have a famously cheerful appearance, but visitors should admire them from a distance and never touch or feed them.

Princess guests can explore farther across the island on the Rottnest Island Discovery excursion. The 7.5-hour tour includes a 90-minute panoramic drive, a ride on the historic train to Oliver Hill and a light lunch. Guests who would rather explore at their own pace can choose Best of Rottnest Island On Your Own, which includes the ferry and a hop-on hop-off bus pass.

Fremantle's creative side isn't confined to gallery doors, since the streets themselves are full of art. Murals appear across the city center and surrounding streets, including Fintan Magee’s Escape Artist on Bannister Street. The enormous 2020 mural depicts a man floating in the ocean with six geese in flight above him, a reference to six Irish prisoners who escaped Western Australia in 1876.

High Street and the surrounding West End add galleries, studios and shops devoted to Western Australian artists. Even vacant storefronts have become exhibition spaces through the Street Gallery Fremantle Project, which displays work by local artists in shop windows around the city.

There’s a soundtrack to all that art, too. Fremantle has a long-established busking culture, with designated performance spots at High Street Mall and several other public spaces. Depending on when you wander through, that might mean a solo musician, a small group or a street performer turning an ordinary walk through town into part of the show.

Fremantle makes it easy to shape a day around what interests you, with plenty to see close to port and even more within a short trip of the city. Choose the experiences that appeal to you most, then let Princess take care of getting you there.