If there are available seats then we will absolutely do our best to get you on to a tour! Depending on the type of tour, online bookings usually close 24 - 48 hours prior to the tour start time. There may still be seats available though, so it's worth dropping us an email at hello@upcloseandlocal.com.au or phone / SMS on +61 423 454 795

We recommend: 

Appropriate ID for proof of age – an Australian Driver’s License or Passport 
Hat and sunglasses 
Light jumper/cardigan in Spring/Autumn or a Weather proof jacket in Winter 
A love of good food and local produce 
Cash or credit card if you wish to purchase anything to take away 
Your camera!

We provide SPF50+ sunscreen and some umbrellas for inclement weather. Unless specified, venues do not allow you to bring your own food or beverages (other than water) on to their premises. Please note that any valuables that you bring with you are your responsibility.

For the Responsible Service of alcohol we do carry bottled water on board. However - this isn't particularly environmentally friendly (although we do recycle the empty bottles). So to do our part for the environment, we do encourage you to bring a reusable water bottle with you if you have one, which can be refilled along the way.

Our wine-based tours can cater to most dietary needs as long as these are provided to us well in advance of the tour. We can't guarantee that we can accommodate requests made on the day.

On our food-based tours, not all venues can cater for all dietary requirements. These tours have been designed around specific dishes which have been chosen specifically for the tour. In some cases there may not be a substitute dish, but if you have an allergy or intolerance we can certainly guide you to the foods that are suitable for you to eat. Read more about dietary requirements here.

IMPORTANT: If you have an allergy or medical condition (even if it's not food-related) please add it to the booking notes. It's important that we know these things in case something happens - for example if you have an allergy to bees, are diabetic, or are anaphylactic to nuts or seafood - amongst many other possibilities.

If you simply have a dietary ‘request’ rather than a strict requirement (ie you dislike seafood but are not allergic to it) you can let us know this in the ‘Booking Notes’ section of the booking form and we will do our best to cater to your request. If you are unsure if the tour can cater to your requirements, drop us an email at hello@upcloseandlocaltours.com.au and we will let you know if there are any issues.

Yes - tours go ahead rain, hail or shine! Our vehicles are air-conditioned (as are most venues in Perth) and we provide some umbrellas for rain or sun, plus SPF50+ sunscreen if you need it. You are welcome to bring an umbrella or jacket if needed, and please dress light if the weather is looking warm.

Definitely! Every venue we visit is pre-booked in advance so that they are able to provide us with great service when we arrive, cater to any dietary requirements or allergies, and provide you with the best possible experience on the day. 

Our cancellation policy is part of our Terms and Conditions which can be viewed at https://upcloseandlocaltours.com.au/booking-terms-conditions/

If there are available seats then we will absolutely do our best to get you on to a tour! Depending on the type of tour, online bookings usually close 24 - 48 hours prior to the tour start time. There may still be seats available though, so it's worth dropping us an email at hello@upcloseandlocal.com.au or phone / SMS on +61 423 454 795

You can join our online waitlist for tours once they are fully booked. Sometimes plans change, and seats can become available – so it’s best to put your name down just in case! You can join the waitlist on our booking page by selecting the tour and date you wish to join.
If you are on the waitlist and spots become available, before confirming your booking we will contact you to check that you would still like to proceed. If you have waitlisted you are not locked in and are welcome to change your mind.

When you make a booking online you will receive an instant email confirmation. Closer to the tour date (generally 2-3 days prior) we will send you a follow up email with the expected pick-up time for the pick up point that you selected, and detailed information about exactly where to meet.

If you haven’t received this information 2 days prior to your booked date please contact us in case your details are incorrect or the email is not going through (note: check your spam folder). If you have asked us to help you select the best pick-up location for you, then we will contact you 3-4 days before your tour to work out your pick up location.

Each tour has slightly different pick up and drop off options depending on where the tour goes. The pick up options we have selected for each tour are designed to make it quick and easy for us to get you on your way - so you spend more time on the tour and less time driving around picking people up.

All tours have the option of picking up at the Bell Tower (Barrack Square), near the Perth train station, and Crown Perth. Some tours will also have additional options - when you book your tour, the online booking form will show a list of available options for you to select from that are specific to that particular tour.

If you are unfamiliar with Perth and not sure which location to choose, select the ‘Please choose for me’ option and we will contact you to work out the closest and easiest place for you to get to, and then we'll provide detailed instructions on how to get there (if you need it).

Private tours have the option to add Fremantle pick up and drop off.

For shared group tours, we recommend using the train from Fremantle to get to Perth City (approx 30 mins). The train is faster than it would be for us to drive the same distance.

If arriving by train from Fremantle, select the Perth Station as your pick up point. In your pre-tour pick up email we will supply a map and instructions to get to the meeting point.

All tours have everything covered in the tour cost, with the exception of our Swan Valley Premium Winelovers Full Day Tour. This is a semi-private tour limited to just 6 people, meaning we have more time to enjoy a leisurely a la carte lunch rather than having to pre-order in advance. So for this tour only, lunch is at your own expense on the day with all other costs included.

For all other tours there is of course opportunities to grab a glass of wine with lunch, or sometimes a coffee or sweet treat along the way – or purchase some bottles to take home with you.

Each tour page states what is included for that particular tour.

All shared tours that are available 'by the seat' have a maximum of 11 people, with the exception of our Swan Valley Premium Wine Lovers tour which is a semi-private tour limited to just 6 people.

By keeping numbers smaller, we can ensure you get a unique and more personalised experience. It also gives us access to smaller boutique businesses that are not able to accommodate the larger bus groups, which means you often get a one-on-one tasting experience with the people who make the products and run the business.

The minimum required numbers are; 

The Asian Street Food walking tour requires a minimum of 6 people
Hands-on wine tours require a minimum of 8 people
For all other tours, a minimum of 4 people booked is required for the tour to go ahead

If it looks like minimum numbers may not be met, we will contact you with advance notice to let you know so that you have time to find another tour.

No level of fitness is required. Some tours may have small amounts of leisurely walking (for example a vineyard tour) included but this will not be strenuous activity. Participation is not mandatory so you are more than welcome to sit this out if you prefer. If you have any mobility issues please include this in your booking notes, visit our Accessible information page, or contact us at hello@upcloseandlocaltours.com.au to check tour suitability.

Our wine-based tours are strictly for adults 18+ only. This is a point of difference on our tours and means that you can relax and enjoy an adults-only day out with like-minded people. Our food tours are suitable for 16 years+. 

If you would like to bring children, please take a look at our private tour options, where we can personalise a tour that is more family-friendly and suitable for your group.

For our public tours we need to stick to the tour as described so that it is fair for everyone that is onboard. If you want to deviate from what is in the tour description then we recommend booking a private tour where we will craft the itinerary to suit your taste.

On our shared tours space is limited for carry-on items, so this will only be able to be accommodated by prior arrangement and will depend on how full the tour is. We also need to factor in that people may make purchases while out on the tour. You can also check if your hotel can store your bags, most Perth hotels do offer a luggage storage service free of charge for guests after check-out or before check-in.

Our aim is to showcase the best of what Perth offers, and we will only take you to places that we would (and do) go to ourselves. We have spent a lot of time researching and selecting the places to be included on our tours, and working with these businesses to create unique experiences that are exclusive to us. We have a quality over quantity approach, and our small group sizes also gives us access to the venues that can't - or won't - accommodate big tour buses. We hope that everyone discovers something new and walks away knowing something they didn’t know yesterday!

We sure do. We have a range of private tours that can be booked online, with customisation options during the booking process so that you can tailor the tour and provide us with information that assists us to personalise your experience.

There are no minimum numbers for a private tour, we run many private tours for just one or two people. The maximum for private tours is 10 guests.

The cost of a private will depend on the number of people, what area we are going to and what the itinerary is. We include all of your tastings, entry fees and sometimes meals in the tour cost, so every private tour is different. To see the costs for each of our private tours click on the 'Book Now' button on the tour page and select the total number of people in your group.

Yes, we definitely do.

We have a range of Private tours options for sightseeing tours in Perth, Fremantle and Swan Valley, or to the Margaret River region. We also have options that do not include alcohol.

You can view our Private Perth tours here and our Margaret River tours here.

Our private tours allow you to have a tour tailored to the experience you are after, at your own pace so you can spend the most time at the places you enjoy.

When booking a private tour you will have options to customise the tour, and the ability to provide information about the travellers and their individual needs so that we can tailor the day to suit you.

Please note that we are not a taxi/on demand service and all tours must be pre-planned and booked.

Children of all ages are welcome on private tours.

Note that younger children are required to be seated in an Australian approved car seat appropriate to their age, as per West Australian laws.

When booking, if you have children in the group please ensure their ages are indicated accurately so that we can arrange for a seat to be supplied and fitted prior to your pick up. This is included in the tour cost.

For private tours we offer door-to-door pick up at your Perth CBD hotel/accommodation. This includes Crown Perth hotels or accommodation within 5km of the Perth CBD.

For Fremantle accommodation, you will need to select the Fremantle pick up option when booking.

Please ensure your accommodation name and address is noted in your booking notes.

Yes - we do! These are only available as private tours so that we can tailor the tour to suit the experience you want.

Being a three-hour drive from Perth, we want you to get the most out of the time you have and there as there are many different ways to explore the region. By taking a private tour, you get to focus only on the activities that interest you.

Take a look at our Margaret River tours here which have customisation options during the booking process.

Yes - we have many tour options for people who do not take alcohol.

Take a look at our Private Perth tours here and our Taste of Margaret River tour here.

Our private tours can cater to almost any dietary need if this information is provided to us at the time of booking.

Being a private tour, we can adjust venues if necessary to offer you the most suitable food choices. If you simply have a dietary preference rather than a strict requirement or allergy (ie you dislike seafood but are not allergic to it) you can let us know this in the ‘Booking Notes’ section of the booking form. Read more about dietary requirements here.

We can't guarantee that we can accommodate any dietary requests that are made on the day.

IMPORTANT: If you have an allergy or medical condition (even if it's not food-related) please add it to the booking notes. It's important that we know these things in case something happens - for example if you have an allergy to bees, are diabetic, or are anaphylactic to nuts or seafood - amongst many other possibilities.

Our vehicles are not fitted with ramps or a lift to enter the vehicle.

We are sometimes able to accommodate wheelchairs (on private tours only) if they can be folded down for storage. Guests will need to be mobile enough to get in and out of a van with little or no assistance, and be able sit in a regular car seat whilst travelling.

If you have any accessibility requirements please read our Accessible information page prior to booking, or contact us at hello@upcloseandlocaltours.com.au to check tour suitability.

If this information is provided to us at the time of booking, we can adjust most tours to suit people who have a limited ability to walk distances or those who need to avoid stairs.

If you are bringing walking aids, please include this information in your booking notes to ensure we have adequate space for them.

Please read our Accessible information page prior to booking, or contact us at hello@upcloseandlocaltours.com.au to check that your requirements can be met.