Mandurah Christmas Lights, the Canals and the Cruises

If you want to feel the Christmas spirit, and share it with your family and friends, Mandurah is the place to be. Our aquatic paradise comes alive in the warmer months, and particularly over summer and the festive season, with a Christmas lights trail through the Mandurah canals and another on foot along the Eastern Foreshore, the Mandjar Bay boardwalk entertainment precinct and the marina and Dolphin Quay precincts.

You won't miss out if you don't have a boat or don't book a tour. If you do, though, you will get a rather magical up close experience from the waterways. This is our guide to the Mandurah Christmas lights, written from our Mandurah accommodation on the Port Mandurah canals in Old Halls Head, where the cruise boats pass right by the resort.

The Christmas light decorations start appearing on the canal homes from October onwards, and the cruise operators run their Christmas lights tours from the start of December through to early January. The City of Mandurah's free Christmas Lights Trail on foot runs from 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.

The Mandurah Christmas Lights Cruises

The easiest way to see the lights is to book a Christmas lights cruise and let somebody else do the driving. The operators run through December and into early January, and the popular nights sell out, so book early. These are the operators we point our guests to.

• Mandurah Cruises. Christmas lights cruises on the Reel Affair, departing from Stingray Point, just around the corner from the Mandjar Square jetty. Mandurah Cruises also runs the dolphin cruise and the Eco BBQ Boats. mandurahcruises.com.au
• Mandurah Pirate Ship. A 1.5 hour Christmas lights cruise with two departures a night, 7pm and 8:45pm, from the Eastern Foreshore jetty opposite Mandurah Terrace. The kids love this one. pirateshipmandurah.com.au
• Mandurah Estuary Dolphin Cruises. A private one hour Christmas lights cruise from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, cruising December to January. mandurahestuarydolphincruises.com.au
• Boating West. Private one hour Christmas lights charters from the Mandjar Bay jetty on Mandurah Terrace, from 1 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. boatingwest.com.au
• Eco BBQ Boats. Self drive barbecue boats through the canals, no skipper's ticket needed, from Mandurah Cruises. mandurahcruises.com.au/bbq-boats

Some cruises come with all the bells and whistles, including food and drinks and stop offs at other attractions. Others are private tours, or self drive, with the option to hire your own boat, or any vessel really, and cruise yourselves around. Dates, times and prices change from season to season, so always check the operator's own booking page before you plan your night around it. We keep a longer list of Mandurah tours, cruises and hire operators on our website for anyone who likes to plan ahead.

Hire a Boat and Cruise the Lights Yourself

Yes, you can hire a boat in Mandurah and cruise the Christmas lights at your own pace. Two local operators hire self drive boats, and no boat licence is needed for their smaller vessels.

• Mandurah Boat Hire. Boats, kayaks and stand up paddle boards for hire in the centre of town. mandurahboathire.com.au
• Blue Manna Boat Hire. Pontoons, bow riders and fishing boats for 4 to 12 guests, with seasonal evening hires to glide past the canal light displays. bluemannaboathire.com.au

If you're super adventurous you could consider Mandurah Jet Ski Hire, who have set up on the Western Foreshore beside the Mandurah Bridge, across the road from our Mandurah apartment resort. Almost all of the cruise and hire depots are within close walking or driving distance of us, so you can leave the car at the resort and stroll across the bridge to pick up your boat.

Bringing Your Own Boat to Mandurah

For the boaties planning to bring a boat, we offer a free boat pen per apartment, by appointment only and subject to availability. Make a note that you are bringing your boat when you make the reservation, and follow up with us a few days before you arrive so we can give you all the information you need. Our facilities page has the full list of what is on site, including the pens, the pool and the heated spa.

The boat ramp is a short drive from the resort at the Mary Street Lagoon, off Mary Street in Old Halls Head, and there is trailer parking there. We also have overflow parking out the front of the resort, but please do not rely on a guaranteed park, as it can get very hectic when the resort is full of the leisure crowd. It's all fun and games until you can't find a park for your extra car or trailer. There is also a public car park across the road. Trailers are not to be parked in the parking bays inside the resort.

Once you are on the water, you will be amazed by our aquatic environment: the Port Mandurah canals, the Peel-Harvey Estuary and Inlet, and the Murray and Serpentine Rivers. The resort is built beside the canals, so if you are staying in one of our waterfront or 2 bedroom waterview apartments you will see all the boats pass by, lights and all.

Our Tips for a Mandurah Christmas Lights Cruise

If you do embark on a Mandurah Christmas lights cruise through the canals, here are a few tips from the locals.

• Allow extra time. The waterways can get very busy and speed limits apply, so it's not something you can rush through. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Pack food and drinks, including water.
• Enjoy the entertainment. There is often live entertainment at some of the canal homes. We don't promote it as such, as it really depends on who is organising what with whom. Sometimes charities perform for donations.
• Kayaks and paddle boards go early or late. If you're going by kayak or stand up paddle board, try to do so outside the peak periods. The wake from larger vessels is real, and there is a very good chance you will not have smooth sailing!
• Be mindful with music. There is a lot going on and others are trying to enjoy the sights too. Local residents live in many of these canal homes. They are not all holiday homes, and not everyone is in party mode.
• Watch out for the wildlife. Please look out for our local dolphins, swans and other bird and marine life. Don't approach or feed them. We don't want them to feel overwhelmed or frightened. This is their home too.
• Bring a layer. A lightweight jacket or cardigan, because it can get cooler at night, particularly when the wind is up.
• Do the safety checks. Check your navigation lights are working, your life jackets and safety devices are on board and in working order, and your phones are charged.

The Mandurah Christmas Lights Trail on Foot

Not planning to hire a boat or book a cruise? You can still experience the Christmas spirit from the Eastern Foreshore, the Mandjar Bay entertainment boardwalk and the marina precincts on the Mandurah Christmas Lights Trail. Presented by the City of Mandurah, the trail is free and runs from 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, with more than 30 illuminated installations between the Kwillena Gabi Pool precinct, the boardwalk and Mandjar Square and the Mandurah Ocean Marina. Go after sunset.

We used to book an evening walking the light trail with friends and our young children, back in the day, and enjoy a meal in one of the many wonderful restaurants on, or close to, the beautiful Mandurah waterways. It's a fantastic family friendly night out. In fact, a wonderful night out for the young and the young at heart!

If you are walking the trail, it will probably take 1 to 1.5 hours once you stop to admire all the displays and let the kids wander around and play on the nature playgrounds along the way. There is one on each side of the inlet, on the Eastern and Western Foreshores. Our local's guide to things to do in Mandurah has more on the foreshores, the playgrounds and where to eat along the way.

Walking to the lights from the resort

We are in the heart of Mandurah, in Old Halls Head, built on the banks of the Port Mandurah canals. From the resort it's a short 7 to 10 minute walk across the road, past the wonderful Western Foreshore and Hall Park, and across the bridge into the CBD. A walking path then runs all the way along the Eastern Foreshore to the cruise and boat hire depots out the front of our waterside Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. In total it is about a 30 minute walk at most, depending on your speed.

Parking and Getting Around Mandurah at Christmas

Parking can be a bit tricky in the Mandurah CBD during peak holiday periods, particularly through summer, so we recommend leaving the car behind. If you are riding in, take a lock with you. Like all beautiful destinations, theft happens. You'll find bike racks throughout the city in the public places.

If you are driving through central Mandurah during the holidays, here are some tips.

• Allow extra time if you want to drive through the heart of Mandurah on Mandurah Terrace. It's beautiful, yes, but it can get very bumper to bumper.
• Give way to pedestrians and to cars trying to turn onto Mandurah Terrace where you can, within the road rules of course.
• Be patient, breathe. There are often times when there is literally no parking. This happens almost every weekend and any day in the holidays, particularly the peak holidays in the warmer months.
• Park further away and allow extra time to walk to your destination from the car park.
• Don't leave valuables visible, and always lock your car.
• Share a ride with friends and family rather than taking a car each.

Better still, consider not taking the car at all. We have free parking on site at our apartment resort and so much is within walking or riding distance. Think of the exercise. Slow down and enjoy the experience. The bus stop is also out the front of the resort, and it connects to Mandurah train station if you want to head up to Perth for the day. The bus will also take you all around Mandurah and surrounds. Public transport is quite good.

Summer and the Festive Season at the Resort

It's difficult to describe the Mandurah experience in summer and over the festive season. It is so memorable that we have regulars coming back year after year, staying with friends and family in the resort. Our summer dates opened on 1 October for direct online bookings only, and if you subscribe to our newsletter, which is free, you can enjoy 10 per cent off your stay. Minimum nights apply at different times, and pricing is dynamic depending on supply and demand. It's a first in, best dressed process, so have a look at our holiday apartments in Mandurah and lock your dates in early.

If you do manage to secure accommodation, we recommend you stay for a few days or more to fully immerse yourself in the Mandurah experience. The waterways are sensational for boating, paddling, fishing, crabbing and cruising. Then there are the beaches and the sunsets over the Indian Ocean, the riding paths including the Halls Head Coastal Path, the Giants of Mandurah nature based art trail, and the trails in the hills up through the historic timber towns of Pinjarra and Dwellingup and Lane Poole Reserve, or south to the Thrombolites and Yalgorup National Park.

There is so much on offer within a 5 kilometre radius of the resort that you could really just leave the car at home and walk, ride, scoot or paddle to see and experience it all. So many cafes, restaurants, pubs, retail therapy and unique workshops, including pottery classes with Get Muddy in the Smart Street Mall. Go to a live show at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, catch a film at Reading Cinemas, or visit the CASM art gallery in the Mandjar boardwalk entertainment precinct. The community markets are on at the weekends in a few locations as well. Our Mandurah attractions page is a good place to start planning.

Our Corner of Old Halls Head

The resort is built beside the Port Mandurah canals, so you will see all the boats pass by if you are staying in one of our waterfront or waterview apartments, or maybe just when you are wandering the grounds through the tropical gardens and along the waterside boardwalk.

Across the road is the Western Foreshore and Hall Park, an A class recreation reserve with grass, trees, paths, barbecues, toilets, a large competition size skate park and a fabulous nature playground, with shady foreshores and safe swimming areas. It's a lovely place to take family and friends for a picnic, and community events are often staged in the park. We are so lucky to have it close by.

Next door there is a shopping village with a doctor's surgery, a pharmacy, an award winning bakery and cafe, a pub, an IGA supermarket, hair and beauty and takeaway meals. It is handy when you are self catering in one of our 1 bedroom apartments or larger, each with a full residential style kitchen.

Our location is really unique. We are in the oldest part of Mandurah, in a lovely little pocket on the headland that was once the old European settlers' farm of the Hall, Cooper and Sutton families, on land occupied for thousands of years before that by the Bindjareb Noongar people.

The coast, the paths and a round of golf

If you follow Mary Street, which turns into Halls Head Parade, you'll pass an eclectic mix of modern homes, old beach shacks, grand holiday homes and pockets of shady parks with playgrounds. There are great paths and beaches along the way, including the Halls Head Coastal Path, which connects with the Mary Street path. TODS Cafe sits at the famous Doddi's Beach, and further south is our favourite, Blue Bay. Swimming, fishing, surfing, amazing!

You can experience all of this as you walk or ride the Halls Head Coastal Path, which extends south along the Falcon and Dawesville coastlines to the Dawesville Cut. You'll see at least one Giant on that adventure, possibly two if you stroll along the rocky sides of the Cut near the cafe in the marina. There are a few cafes along the path, including TODS, Spill the Beans and Falcon Bay Cafe.

And just a short distance away is the Mandurah Country Club golf course, which is open to the public. It's so close you could put your golf bag on the trolley and walk there, up Mary Street to the top of the hill.

Mandurah Christmas Lights at a Glance

Where to Stay: C Mandurah Apartment Resort

C Mandurah Apartment Resort is in central Mandurah at 20 Apollo Place, Halls Head, built alongside the Port Mandurah canal system, across the road from Hall Park and the Western Foreshore and next to the Old Coast Plaza. We offer studio and hotel style rooms and 1, 2 and 3 bedroom self contained apartments, with servicing available.

Guests have free parking for cars and boats, free wifi, a pool, a heated spa, alfresco barbecues, a gymnasium and boat pens by appointment. There is a bus stop out the front, and we are a 7 to 10 minute walk across the bridge from the heart of our great city. For the whole extended family over Christmas, our 3 bedroom apartments have a full residential style kitchen, dining and lounge area.

Don't leave it too long to book your accommodation, though. Mandurah books out quickly at any time, and especially in summer and over the festive season. Right now our November special is stay 3 nights in a Studio and pay for 2, for stays from 16 November to 13 December 2026 on direct online bookings, and you'll find it with the other current offers on our Mandurah accommodation deals page. Or call us on (08) 9535 9599 and we will help you plan your stay.

Frequently Asked Questions