Last updated: 10 August 2026
The Bowls Australia Nationals run in Perth from 2 October 2026 through late October: three weeks of national titles across three City of Stirling clubs, North Beach, Mount Lawley and Osborne Park, with free admission at every venue. The clubs sit 4 to 14 km from the Perth CBD, so travelling players, officials and family mostly base themselves in the city, and everyone ends up with free time between sessions. Here is the local plan for it. For an afternoon off, book a spot on Perth's Premier Pathways, our relaxed 2.5-hour city walk: it departs Perth Town Hall at 2:00 pm, takes in laneways, arcades and street art, and includes a drink along the way. Evenings belong to the small bars, and a spare morning belongs to Fremantle. Below: where the gaps in the program fall, a one-day itinerary, and the walks that fit around bowls.
Where your free time falls
The program runs in blocks, per the official Bowls Australia Nationals page:
- Champion of Champions: 2 to 4 October, North Beach Bowling Club
- Under-18s: 5 to 8 October, Mount Lawley Bowling Club
- Para Nationals: from 6 October, North Beach Bowling Club
- Senior Sides: 10 to 13 October, Osborne Park Bowling Club
- Australian Sides Championships: 15 to 18 October, Osborne Park Bowling Club
- Australian Championships: from 19 October, Mount Lawley Bowling Club
One changeover day, 14 October, sits between blocks for most sections; check your own draw. Admission is free at all three clubs, so watching other divisions is a fine way to fill a day. It is not the only way to fill three weeks.
A full day off the green
The classic Perth day out, in one block:
- 10:00 am: Fremantle: Convicts, Culture and Street Art, a 2-hour walk through the port city's convict streets and street art. $65 adult, $45 child, morning beverage included.
- 12:00 pm: Lunch in Fremantle's West End.
- 1:15 pm: Train back to Perth, about 30 minutes.
- 2:00 pm: Perth's Premier Pathways from Perth Town Hall. 2.5 hours of laneways, arcades and street art, finishing about 4:30 pm at Yagan Square. $69 adult, $45 child.
- 4:30 pm: Back to the hotel for a breather.
- 6:30 pm: Eat Drink Walk Perth bar tour. Three small bars in three hours, two drinks and grazing food included. $89 adult. Done by 9:30 pm.
That is the full day. On a three-week campaign, most people pick two of the three and sleep well.
Perth's Premier Pathways: the natural fit
If you book one walk, make it this one. Two and a half hours at a genuinely relaxed pace, from Perth Town Hall to Yagan Square through London Court, the State Buildings and Wolf Lane: arcades, laneways, street art and the stories behind them. $69 adult, $45 child, with a beverage stop built in. It typically departs at 2:00 pm and finishes about 4:30 pm, so the evening stays yours.
Ideal timing: the changeover day of 14 October, or any afternoon your section is not listed to play. It is walking, not marching, and you are off your feet by late afternoon.
Eat Drink Walk Perth: the proper night off
Three of central Perth's small bars in three hours, about 40 minutes in each, with two drinks and grazing food included; extra rounds are at your own cost. $89 per adult. It leaves Perth Town Hall at 6:30 pm and wraps up about 9:30 pm in the city, an easy walk from CBD hotels. Reserve your evening on the Eat Drink Walk Perth bar tour.
Ideal timing: any evening of your stay. The 6:30 pm start keeps the whole day clear for the greens, and a 9:30 pm finish is respectable company form.
True crime, on select evenings
Crimes of Perth and Crimes of Fremantle are two-hour true-crime walks, $60, led by specialist guides on selected Saturday afternoons, 4 to 6pm. If a date lines up with your stay, they cover the darker side of both cities' histories. Check the schedule before you plan around one.
A Fremantle morning, if you only have a morning
The Fremantle: Convicts, Culture and Street Art walk runs for 2 hours from 10:00 am. $65 adult, $45 child, with a morning beverage included. Convict-built streets, port history and some of the best street art in the state.
Ideal timing: the morning after your section finishes, or a spare day before it starts. Add lunch at the port and you are back in Perth by mid-afternoon.
Teams, Companion Card and access
Every walk also runs privately for groups, up to 100 people by arrangement, and our private-only Scavenger Hunt is $35 per person. Both suit a state squad or a big family contingent wanting their own guide; enquire through our contact page.
Two Feet & a Heartbeat is a registered WA Companion Card affiliate. The card covers the companion's place on the tour; it does not automatically cover food, drink or tastings, which the companion pays for if they join in. Companion Card bookings are made by contacting us directly; the detail is in our Companion Card guide, and pace and surface notes are on the accessibility page.
Lock in your afternoons
The Nationals run to late October and every section's free time falls differently. Check live availability across all our walks and match a tour or two to your draw before the family votes for three straight days of bowls.
FAQs
Is entry free at the 2026 Bowls Nationals venues?
Yes. Bowls Australia has free admission at all three host clubs: North Beach, Mount Lawley and Osborne Park.
How far are the Nationals clubs from central Perth?
Between 4 and 14 km. All three sit in the City of Stirling, inner-metro Perth, so a CBD base works for both the bowls and everything in this guide.
Which walking tour fits a competition day best?
The evening bar tour. Eat Drink Walk Perth departs Perth Town Hall at 6:30 pm and wraps by about 9:30 pm; check your section's draw, but evenings are the safest window.
Can a state team book a private tour?
Yes. Every walk runs privately for groups of up to 100 by arrangement, and the private-only Scavenger Hunt is $35 per person. Enquire via our contact page.
