Jewel Cave

Admire Jewel Cave on a guided walking tour, exploring three underground caverns linked by a series of boardwalks. An on-site interpretive center offers further insight into the cave’s natural wonders and houses an ancient Tasmanian tiger fossil that was unearthed in the cave.

Day tours of the Margaret River region from Perth often include a visit to the Jewel Cave alongside regional attractions such as the Busselton Jetty, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, or wine tasting at the Margaret River wineries. Combination tickets are available for Jewel Cave, Mammoth Cave, Lake Cave, and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.

• Cave visits are by guided tour only and take around an hour. Advance bookings are recommended.

• Visitor facilities include a gift shop and the Jewel Cave Cafe.

• Wear comfortable shoes and bring a sweater—it can get cool inside the cave.

• The cave is not accessible for wheelchair users.

Jewel Cave is located along Caves Road, around 28 miles (45 kilometers) south of the town of Margaret River—about a 35-minute drive. There’s no public transportation to the cave, so you need to drive or to join a guided tour.

The cave is open daily, year-round. The busiest time to visit is in summer (January and February), when an early-morning or late-afternoon visit is best for avoiding the crowds.

Jewel Cave is one of a series of natural caves dotted along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge, part of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. There are a number of other caves worth visiting in the region, including Mammoth Cave, known for its ancient fossils of extinct animals including giant kangaroos; Lake Cave, with its spectacular underground lake; and Giants Cave and Calgardup Cave, where it’s possible to take part in caving excursions and adventure tours.

You can explore Jewel Cave on a 1-hour fully guided tour, which takes you through the cave’s three chambers and the interpretive area. For the whole experience, combine it with a stroll along the self-guided Karri Walk afterward, an about 20-minute circuit through the surrounding Karri forest.

Visiting Jewel Cave is generally an easy-level activity, suitable for anyone with good mobility, including children and elderly visitors. There are about 250 steps down into and out of the cave, but handrails are provided throughout, and tours stop at six different points.

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for walking when visiting Jewel Cave, as there are quite a few steps on the way into and out of the cave. Remember that temperatures will always be cooler within the caves, so it’s worth wearing light layers even if it’s hot outside.

Tours of Jewel Cave last under an hour, with six stops to admire the stalagmites, stalactites, and other rock formations along the way. You can also tag on a walk through the Karri Forest, a half-mile (1.1-kilometer) loop that typically takes just under 20 minutes.

No, Jewel Cave has no elevator, and the only way to explore the cave is on a guided walking tour. Tours take an hour and include 250 steps on the way in and out, but don’t worry—there are plenty of stops along the way!

Yes, Jewel Cave is the largest cave in the Margaret River region and is home to the longest straw stalactite of its kind in Australia—a whopping 17 feet (5.4 meters) long! Tours take you through three spectacular caverns, where you can admire dramatic stalagmites, helictites, flowstones, and crystals.