Broome sits at the edge of the Kimberley, where red pindan cliffs meet turquoise water and the pace of life slows down in the best possible way. It’s a place that works for families with toddlers, tweens, and everyone in between, mixing beach days with wildlife, history, and some genuinely memorable natural events. Whether you’re planning your first visit or coming back for more, here’s everything you need to know about things to do in Broome, Western Australia.
What’s the Best Things to Do in Broome with Kids
Broome is one of those places that doesn’t need much selling. The combination of a long, calm beach, rich multicultural history, and wildlife you won’t find anywhere else does most of the work on its own.
What makes it work so well for families is the range. On any given day, you could be watching camels walk along the shoreline at sunset, spotting crocodiles at a wildlife park, or standing on red cliffs looking at dinosaur footprints that are millions of years old. That variety means there’s rarely a day when someone in your family doesn’t have something to look forward to.
This guide covers the full spread of kids’ activities in Broome, from beach and water-based options to cultural precincts, wildlife encounters, indoor alternatives, and day trips further into the Kimberley. It’s organized so you can scan for what suits your family’s ages, energy levels, and the weather on any given day.
A few things worth knowing before you go:
- Broome has two distinct seasons that shape what’s possible, covered in the FAQ section at the end
- Some experiences, like whale watching and the Staircase to the Moon, are seasonal
- A car makes a real difference for reaching spots outside town, though the Broome Explorer Bus handles the main stops well
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Relaxing Beach and Swimming Activities
Broome’s beach and water options span a wide range, from open-ocean swimming to shaded pools, and the best choice on any given day often depends on the weather and how much energy your family has.
Town Beach
Town Beach sits closer to the center of Broome and has a different feel to Cable Beach. It’s sheltered and calmer, which makes it a good option for younger kids. The free water playground on site is a real draw in its own right, with water jets and splash features that keep children occupied for a solid stretch. It’s also a good base for watching the Staircase to the Moon when it’s in season, since the beach faces east across Roebuck Bay.
Cable Beach: Broome’s Most Iconic Destination
Cable Beach stretches for around 22 kilometers north of Broome’s town center, and its sheer scale means it rarely feels crowded, even during peak season. The water is generally calm in the dry season, which makes it manageable for kids who are still building confidence in the ocean. The beach is patrolled in sections, so it’s worth checking the flags before you head in.
Watching the Sunset at Cable Beach
The sunset at Cable Beach is one of those things that live up to its reputation. The sky turns through deep orange and red against the flat horizon, and the wide beach gives your family plenty of room to spread out and watch without jostling for position. It’s a low-effort, high-reward end to a day.
Camel Rides Along the Shoreline
Camel rides along Cable Beach at sunset have become one of the most recognizable things to do in Broome with kids, and it’s easy to see why. The rides are gentle and slow-paced, which makes them suitable for younger children, and the combination of camels, beach, and fading light is genuinely hard to replicate anywhere else. Tour operators run rides in the late afternoon to coincide with sunset, so check ahead for current availability and booking requirements.
Whale Watching and Water-Based Activities
The waters around Broome support a range of activities across the year, from seasonal whale watching to year-round watersports and cruises. What’s available shifts depending on the season, so it’s worth building your water-based plans around when you’re visiting.
Whale Watching Season in Broome
Humpback whales migrate through the waters off Broome during the cooler months of the year, generally from around mid-year through to early spring. It’s a genuine wildlife spectacle, with whales often visible breaching and traveling in groups close enough to shore to be seen from boats. Tours run from Broome during the season, typically as half-day or full-day boat trips. Since the season has a defined window, check ahead for current tour availability if this is a priority for your family.
Sunset Cruises and Fishing Charters
Sunset cruises run year-round from Broome, offering families a relaxed way to see the coastline from the water. The late-afternoon light is particularly good, and the calm conditions in the dry season make for a comfortable ride, even with younger kids on board. Fishing charters are also available for families who want something more active on the water. Check with local operators for current schedules and what’s suitable for your family’s ages.
Watersports and Adventure on the Water
Broome’s coastline and nearby waterways support a range of watersports, including kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and kitesurfing. Kitesurfing in particular has a strong following in Broome due to the reliable winds during the dry season, though it’s better suited to older kids and adults with some prior experience. Kayaking and paddleboarding are accessible to people of all ages and can be a good way to explore the calmer sections of the bay at your own pace.
Wildlife Encounters and Experiences Suitable for All Ages
Broome’s wildlife experiences go well beyond the beach. Two of the most worthwhile stops for families sit outside the town center and give kids a close look at animals and industries that are genuinely specific to this part of Australia.
Willie Creek Pearl Farm Tour
Willie Creek Pearl Farm sits north of Broome and offers guided tours that walk visitors through the entire process of pearl cultivation in the waters of the Kimberley. The tour covers the biology of the oysters, the mechanics of seeding and harvesting, and the grading of the finished pearls.
For kids, the hands-on elements and the chance to see a working farm in a remote coastal setting make it more engaging than a standard museum visit. The drive out is part of the experience, passing through pindan scrub and coastal country.
Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park
Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park is located on the edge of Broome and gives families a close look at saltwater and freshwater crocodiles in a managed setting. Saltwater crocodiles are among the largest reptiles on earth, and seeing them up close gives kids a real sense of scale that photographs don’t convey. The park also houses other native wildlife. For families with younger children, the enclosures are well-structured, and the experience is contained and manageable. Feeding sessions run at set times during the day, so check the current schedule when you arrive.
Must-See Natural Landmarks and Scenic Spots
Two natural landmarks around Broome are worth planning your itinerary around rather than just slotting in if you happen to be nearby. Both are specific to this part of the world and genuinely hard to replicate elsewhere.
Staircase to the Moon
The Staircase to the Moon is an optical phenomenon that occurs when a full moon rises over the exposed mudflats of Roebuck Bay at low tide. The moonlight reflects off the rippled mud, creating the appearance of a staircase rising toward the moon. It only happens on a handful of nights each month during the dry season, so it requires a bit of planning to catch.
Gantheaume Point and the Dinosaur Footprints
Gantheaume Point sits a few kilometers south of Cable Beach and is worth the short drive for the red pindan cliffs alone. The color of the rock against the turquoise water is striking, and the point offers a different perspective on the coastline than the long flat stretch of Cable Beach.
At very low tides, dinosaur footprints are exposed in the rock shelf below the cliffs. The prints are millions of years old and belong to several dinosaur species. Tide timing matters here, since the prints are only visible when the water is low enough. Check a local tide chart before you go if seeing them is a priority.
Broome’s Historic Chinatown and Cultural Precinct
Broome’s Chinatown precinct is compact and walkable, and it carries a history that’s genuinely distinct from most Australian towns. The area developed during the pearling boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when workers from Japan, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines settled alongside European and Aboriginal communities. That layered history is still visible in the architecture, the street names, and the cultural mix of the area.
Sun Pictures Outdoor Cinema
Sun Pictures has been operating as an outdoor cinema since 1916, making it one of the oldest operating picture gardens in the world. Deckchairs and bench seating sit under an open sky, and the experience of watching a film outdoors in the warm Broome evening is something kids tend to remember. It’s a relaxed, low-key option that fits naturally into an evening in Chinatown. Check the current screening schedule before you go, as programming varies.
Exploring Chinatown’s Shops and History
Chinatown’s main strip, centered on Carnarvon Street, is short enough to walk end to end in a few minutes, but there’s enough to look at to fill a comfortable half-hour. The architecture reflects the multicultural history of the pearling era, and several shops sell locally produced pearls and Kimberley-specific goods. It’s a good area to wander with kids without a fixed agenda, letting the streetscape do the work.
Streeter’s Jetty and the Pearl Lugger Heritage
Streeter’s Jetty sits at the edge of the Chinatown precinct and is one of the few remaining physical connections to Broome’s pearling past. Pearl luggers, the wooden boats used to harvest pearl shell, once operated in large numbers from this area. The jetty and the surrounding heritage area give families a tangible sense of the industry that shaped the town. It’s a short stop but a grounding one, particularly if your family has already picked up some context from the Willie Creek Pearl Farm Tour.
Broome Historical Museum
Broome Museum is located at Town Beach Reserve rather than on the Chinatown strip itself, so it works well as a nearby addition to a half-day that starts in Chinatown and ends at Town Beach. The museum covers Broome’s pearling history, its multicultural settlement, and the broader story of the Kimberley region. It’s a manageable size for families with kids who have limited patience for long museum visits, and the content is specific enough to Broome that it adds real context to the rest of what you’ll see around town.
Parks and Playgrounds
Broome has a handful of parks and green spaces that make for low-key stops, particularly for families with younger children who need to burn off energy between bigger activities.
Minyirr Park, which runs along the dunes behind Cable Beach, is a good option for a shaded walk or a quiet sit-down after time on the beach. The park sits within a coastal reserve and has a natural, unfenced feel that’s different from a standard suburban playground.
For a more structured play space, the water playground at Town Beach is the standout option in town. It’s free, partly shaded, and well-suited to kids who want to cool down without going into the ocean. The proximity to the beach and the museum makes it easy to combine with other stops in the area.
Most of Broome’s parks are open and exposed, so early-morning or late-afternoon visits are more comfortable during the dry season, when the midday heat is at its peak.
Shade/Wet Weather Indoor Activities
Broome’s heat and occasional wet season rain mean that having a solid indoor plan is genuinely useful, not just a backup. The options below work as real destinations in their own right.
Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre
On days when the sun is too intense for extended beach time, the Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre gives your family a practical alternative. It has a pool suited to lap swimming and recreational use, and it’s a good option for families who want water time without full sun exposure.
Broome Library
When the heat gets too much or the wet season rolls in, Broome Library gives your family a genuinely comfortable place to wait it out. It’s air-conditioned, quiet, and stocked with a solid range of books and reading corners for kids, making it an easy stop to pair with a Chinatown wander or a break from Cable Beach. On a day when nothing else feels right, it’s the kind of low-key option that can save the day.
Day Trips and Scenic Excursions from Broome
Broome sits at the gateway to the Kimberley, and some of the most memorable experiences in the region require a day trip or longer excursion to reach. These options range from a few hours to a full day, and some involve flights or 4WD access.
Horizontal Falls Tour
Horizontal Falls is one of the more unusual natural phenomena in the Kimberley, where tidal water is forced through narrow gorges in the McLarty Range, creating a powerful rush of water that appears to flow horizontally. Tours to Horizontal Falls operate from Broome. Check with local operators for current tour formats and options.
Cape Leveque and the Dampier Peninsula
Cape Leveque sits at the northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula, a few hours’ drive north of Broome along a peninsula road that mixes sealed and unsealed sections. Road conditions on the Dampier Peninsula can vary, particularly during the wet season, so check current conditions before you go.
The cape itself has red-and-white cliffs, clear water, and a remote feel that’s hard to find anywhere closer to town. The drive passes through several Aboriginal community lands, and some offer cultural tours and experiences, which add real depth to the drive for families who want more than a scenic destination.
Bungle Bungles Day Trip
The Bungle Bungles, located within Purnululu National Park in the eastern Kimberley, are a significant distance from Broome and require a full day to visit properly. The distinctive beehive-shaped sandstone domes are unlike anything else in Australia, and the gorges within the park are worth the effort to reach.
Day trips from Broome typically involve a scenic flight, which reduces the driving time but adds cost. If your family is considering this as a day trip, plan for an early start and a long day.
Scenic Flights Over the Kimberley
Scenic flights from Broome give families a perspective on the Kimberley that’s simply not possible from the ground. The coastline, the tidal flats, the gorges, and the sheer scale of the landscape read very differently from the air.
Flights range from short coastal circuits to longer routes that take in the Horizontal Falls or the Bungle Bungles. Most operators welcome families with children, though it’s worth checking minimum age requirements for specific aircraft types before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Broome
The dry season, which runs roughly from April through to October, is the most popular time to visit and the most comfortable for outdoor activity. The wet season brings heat, humidity, and heavy rain that can limit access to some roads and outdoor experiences, though it also brings a dramatic landscape and fewer crowds.
Broome is served by regular flights from Perth and other major Australian cities, making it accessible without a long drive. Once you’re in town, the Broome Explorer Bus runs a year-round loop connecting Cable Beach, Chinatown, Town Beach, and most major accommodation options, giving your family a practical car-free way to move between the main stops. For reaching more remote spots like Cape Leveque or the Dampier Peninsula, hiring a car, ideally a 4WD, is the most flexible option.
Final Thoughts
Broome rewards families who come with a loose plan and a willingness to let the place set the pace. The combination of beach time at Cable Beach, a wildlife encounter at Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park, and an evening watching the Staircase to the Moon covers a lot of ground without feeling rushed. For families looking for things to do in Broome that go beyond a standard beach holiday, day trips into the Kimberley add a layer hard to find anywhere else in Australia. Start with the seasonal highlights that fit your travel window, build the rest around your family’s energy, and check ahead for anything time-sensitive before you go.
Where are the best places to visit in Western Australia?
Western Australia stretches 1,000+ km beyond Broome in the tropical north, all the way down and around the coast to Albany and Esperance in the south (and another 450 km to South Australia!). It’s the country’s largest state, and the landscape shifts dramatically along the way: red desert, coral reef, wild southern coastline, and karri forests, all in one region. If you’re in this region or considering a trip there, check out our Western Australia activity guides for family-friendly stops all along this vast coastline.
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