How to Spend 3 Days in Margaret River

With three days in Margaret River, you can take a deep dive into wine making (and tasting),  go surfing or whale watching, and maybe even glimpse a woylie. Here are our favorite ways to spend 72 hours in this Western Australia hot spot.

Day 1: Intro to wine country

Get oriented with the Margaret River wine region on a half- or full-day tasting excursion that covers a few wineries and other culinary attractions. Some tours include lunch; others stop at breweries or beaches as well as wineries. If you’re a coffee lover, join the “coffee safari” at  Yahava KoffeeWorks to learn all about the roasting process.

Day 2: Outdoor adventures

Margaret River boasts a prime setting on the southwestern coast of Australia, where the Indian and Southern oceans meet—so take your pick of white-sand beaches and rugged coastal scenery. Go whale watching during migration season (typically May to September—cruises depart from Augusta and Dunsborough), learn how to surf, or explore the river in a canoe. At night, keep your eyes peeled for kangaroos, woylies, and other marsupials on a wildlife tour, when the animals tend to be most active.

Day 3: More wine

Gain more insight into the local wine and food scene at a winery like Vasse Felix, Leeuwin Estate, or Voyager Estate. Besides tastings, you might get a behind-the-scenes tour of the property, check out grape varietals in the vineyard, indulge in a multicourse lunch, meet the winemakers, or watch a cooking demo. In the evening, relax over dinner—and maybe another glass of wine—in downtown Margaret River or nearby Dunsborough.