Seventy-four islands off Airlie Beach, and on the largest, Whitehaven Beach: 7 km of white silica sand.
Watch the tide swirl sand through turquoise water at Hill Inlet, snorkel a coral reef, then wade into water clear enough to count your toes.
Which end of WhitehavenHill Inlet or the south beach, spelled out
Real guest ratingsLive GetYourGuide figures on every tour page
Free cancellation24 hours before on most, 2 days on a few
Snorkel gear on boardMask, snorkel and a suit on every snorkel trip
Tours
Choose your Whitsundays day tour
In the centre, the fast inflatable that covers Hill Inlet, Whitehaven and the reef in one day. Either side,
a fast catamaran with two snorkel stops and a sailing day with lunch and drinks. Every card opens a full tour page.
A custom fast catamaran with a fringing-reef snorkel, a second stop off Hook Island and the Hill Inlet walk. Lunch at Whitehaven, bus back to your door about 5 pm.
What's included
Bus pickup and drop-off in Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and Jubilee Pocket
Two snorkel stops, mask, snorkel and stinger suit or wetsuit
An 11 m semi-rigid inflatable built as a rescue craft gets you out fast. Pick the north option for Hill Inlet and two reef snorkels, or the south one for more sand.
What's included
Guided national park walk to the Hill Inlet lookout (north option)
Over an hour of snorkelling, gear and stinger suit
A big purple sailing catamaran, one of the fastest commercial ones afloat, with a BBQ lunch and drinks. The tide decides the north or south end of Whitehaven.
What's included
Return sail to Whitehaven, Hill Inlet walk when the tide allows
Three questions sort it out. Do you want the Hill Inlet lookout or just the beach? Will you snorkel? And would
you rather fly across the water or sail across it?
Most of these tours cancel free up to 24 hours before; the three Cruise Whitsundays trips (Camira,
the half-day cruise and the reef cruise) need 2 days. A stinger suit or wetsuit comes with every trip that snorkels.
Before you book
Every boat goes to Whitehaven. Not every boat goes to Hill Inlet.
Whitehaven Beach runs for about 7 km down the east side of Whitsunday Island, and the boats split it in two. Most
tours drop you at the southern end: calm, shallow water and a short walk to the southern lookout. The famous view,
the one on every postcard, is at the northern end. There, boats anchor in Tongue Bay and you walk the Hill Inlet
track, 1.3 km return and about 40 minutes according to Queensland Parks, to lookouts over the swirls.
The half-day cruise from Airlie Beach does not go there at all. Camira goes north or south depending on the tide. The
fast boats and the Island Connections catamaran build the day around it. Read the itinerary, not the photo, because
nearly every listing uses a Hill Inlet picture.
74
Islands in the Whitsundays, most of them national park. Day tours mostly
stick to Whitsunday, Hook and Haslewood, and you will see Hamilton and Daydream from the water.
Fast inflatableFast catamaranSailingReef pontoonScenic flight
Hill Inlet from the Tongue Point lookouts: the pattern changes with every tide.
01
Which end?
North means the Hill Inlet walk. South means more swimming and a gentler lookout.
02
Do I snorkel?
Fast boats and most sailing days stop at a fringing reef. Two cruises here do not snorkel at all.
03
How fast?
A fast boat takes about 1.5 to 2 hours from Airlie. A sailing boat 3 to 4, one booking agency estimates.
04
Who should skip it?
Pregnant travellers and anyone prone to seasickness should skip the fast inflatables, their listings say.
Your day
How a Whitehaven day runs
Seven to ten hours from check-in to the bus home, depending on the boat. This is the shape of it.
01
Check in at the marina
Port of Airlie, Coral Sea Marina or Shute Harbour, usually between 7:15 and 9 am. Several tours collect you from your hotel by bus.
20 to 30 minutes
02
Cross to the islands
Past the Molle islands and through the passages, with commentary from the crew and, from June to September, whales.
1 to 4 hours
03
Hill Inlet and the beach
The lookout walk at the north end, then swimming, lunch and free time on the silica sand.
2 to 4 hours
04
Snorkel, then home
A stop on a fringing reef off Hook or Haslewood Island in a stinger suit, then back by about 5 pm.
Season, prices, where the boats leave from and what to pack: one tab each.
May to October: the dry season. Lower humidity, little rain and highs around 22 to 27°C.
June to September: humpback whales calve in the sheltered waters; boats keep 300 m away, but you still see them.
November to May: stinger season peaks. You swim in a full-body suit, which the snorkel tours here provide.
January to March: the wettest months, inside the cyclone season (1 November to 30 April).
Half-day Whitehaven cruise (south end only): from $86.
Full days with Hill Inlet and snorkelling: $173 to $201.
Outer reef pontoon day: from $229.
Heart Reef scenic flight, about an hour: from $244.
The Reef charge is $8.50 (AUD) per full day in 2026, usually already in the ticket.
Port of Airlie: the Cruise Whitsundays terminal on The Cove Road, for Camira, the half-day cruise and the reef.
Coral Sea Marina: Shingley Drive, for Ocean Rafting, ZigZag and Lady Enid.
Shute Harbour: east of town, rebuilt after Cyclone Debbie and reopened in December 2021.
Hamilton Island marina: for guests staying on the island, the shortest run to Whitehaven.
Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat that ties on, sunglasses and a towel.
Swimwear on under your clothes, and a light jacket: fast boats get cold and wet.
Shoes you can walk in for the Hill Inlet track, not just thongs.
A dry bag for your phone. The fine silica sand gets into everything.
Whitehaven BeachAbout 7 kmOn Whitsunday Island, inside the national park. Not on Hamilton Island.
Hill Inlet walk1.3 km returnAbout 40 minutes from Tongue Bay to the lookouts, graded moderate.
Silica sand98% silicaFine and soft, and it stays cool underfoot even at noon.
Reef charge$8.50 AUDPer full day in 2026, set by the Marine Park Authority.
Heart ReefAir onlyNo snorkelling or diving there. You see it from a plane.
Refund24 h or 2 daysFree cancellation on every tour here, by operator rules.
Where it happens
Where the boats leave from
Airlie Beach, three marinas
Port of Airlie (24 The Cove Road), Coral Sea Marina (Shingley Drive), Shute Harbour Marine Terminal
Almost every day tour starts in or near Airlie Beach, a small town on the mainland about 40 minutes by road from
Whitsunday Coast Airport at Proserpine. The Port of Airlie and Coral Sea Marina are a short walk from most hotels, and
Shute Harbour is a short drive east, with bus transfers on the tours that use it. You do not need a car: several tours pick you up, and the rest are walkable.
Staying on Hamilton Island instead? Boats leave from its own marina.
Whitsunday Coast Airport to Airlie Beach: about 40 minutes
Airlie Beach to Whitehaven by fast boat: about 1.5 to 2 hours
No boat can take you to Heart Reef. It is a protected patch of Hardy Reef, closed to snorkellers and divers, and you see it from a plane window or not at all. This hour-long flight also passes Whitehaven and Hill Inlet, with a window seat for everyone.
Dozens of boats leave Airlie Beach every morning for the same beach. They are not the same day out.
Here is how to read them.
The beach and the lookout
Whitehaven Beach sits on Whitsunday Island, the largest of the 74 islands, and it belongs to Whitsunday Islands National
Park. Queensland's tourism body puts the sand at 98% silica, fine as flour and cool underfoot even in the midday sun. There
is no road, no bridge and no public ferry. You get there on a tour boat, your own boat, a kayak or a seaplane.
The view everybody wants is from the north end. Boats anchor in Tongue Bay and you walk the Hill Inlet track through
eucalyptus forest to two lookouts above the inlet, where the tide drags white sand through channels of turquoise and blue.
Queensland Parks lists the walk at 1.3 km return and about 40 minutes. It is not hard, but it climbs, so wear shoes.
The Hill Inlet lookouts sit on Tongue Point, at the north end of Whitehaven Beach.
Fast, big or under sail
The boats fall into three kinds. Fast inflatables, like Ocean Rafting's 11 m semi-rigid boats, cut the
crossing to about 1.5 to 2 hours and leave more time on the sand and in the water. They are wet, bumpy and loud, and
their listings rule out pregnant travellers. Fast catamarans, like Red Cat's Thundercat, are drier and
steadier, with a toilet on board. Big cruise catamarans, like the Island Connections boat from Shute Harbour, are the
calmest ride of all and suit older travellers and non-swimmers.
Then there is sailing. Camira, the big purple catamaran, and Lady Enid, a classic timber ketch, make the journey part
of the day. The day runs 9 to 10 hours instead of 7 or 8, and in return you get lunch on deck, a glass
of something cold, and no engine noise for much of it.
The honest small print: nearly every listing shows the Hill Inlet swirls, but not every tour goes
there. The cheapest half-day cruise stays at the southern end, and Camira picks north or south on the day by the tide.
Each of our tour pages says which end you get.
Snorkelling: fringing reef or outer reef
The snorkel stops on a Whitehaven day are on fringing reefs, the coral that grows close to the islands around Hook and
Haslewood. The water is a little murkier than out on the reef proper, but there is plenty to see: parrotfish, clams
and, with luck, a turtle. For the outer Great Barrier Reef you need a separate day, about 39 nautical miles out to a pontoon on
Hardy Reef, with clearer water and an underwater observatory. Heart Reef is right there too, but you can only see it from
the air.
Fringing reefs off Hook Island are the usual snorkel stop on a Whitehaven day.
Timing it
August to October is the sweet spot: Bureau of Meteorology averages show about 25 mm of rain a month and highs in the
mid-twenties. June to September brings humpback whales. From November to May, stingers are around, so you swim in the suit
the boat gives you, and January to March is wet and sits inside the cyclone season. Whatever the month, book the big
Whitehaven day for early in your stay, so a windy morning can still be moved.
About 7 km of sand: there is room for every boat, even in peak season.
Straight answers to what people ask most about day tours in the Whitsundays.
What is the best day tour in the Whitsundays?
For most first-timers, a tour that does all three of the big things in one day: the walk to the Hill Inlet lookout, time on Whitehaven Beach and a snorkel on a fringing reef. The Ocean Rafting north option and the Thundercat eco-cruise both do it. Want to sail rather than speed? Look at Camira. The full comparison is in the best day tours guide.
Is Whitehaven Beach on Hamilton Island?
No. Whitehaven Beach is on Whitsunday Island, the largest of the 74 islands, inside Whitsunday Islands National Park. There is no road, bridge or public ferry: you go by tour boat, private boat, kayak, seaplane or helicopter. Hamilton Island is simply one of the places the boats leave from, about 30 to 45 minutes away by fast boat. More in the Whitehaven and Hill Inlet guide.
What is the best month to go to the Whitsundays?
August to October. Bureau of Meteorology figures for Hamilton Island put rainfall at about 25 mm a month then, against 230 to 300 mm a month from January to March, and days still reach 23 to 27°C. June to September adds humpback whales. Details in the best time to visit guide.
When should you avoid the Whitsundays?
January to March is the wettest stretch and sits inside the official cyclone season (1 November to 30 April). Marine stingers peak from November to May too, so you swim in a stinger suit. Trips still run most days, but a cyclone warning can cancel tours outright.
Is it safe to swim in the Whitsundays?
Yes, with care. Wear the stinger suit your tour hands out, which the local council says is the best protection against box jellyfish and Irukandji, and stay out of Cid Harbour, a declared no-swimming zone after three shark attacks in 2018. Queensland Parks also posts crocodile warnings at Whitehaven. See is it safe to swim.
Can you see Heart Reef on a boat tour?
No. Heart Reef is a small heart-shaped patch of Hardy Reef, and its protected status means no snorkelling, diving or boat visits. You see it from the air: the Heart Reef scenic flight takes about an hour from Shute Harbour.
How much does a full day Great Barrier Reef tour cost?
On GetYourGuide, the full-day Cruise Whitsundays reef trip from Airlie Beach starts at $229 per person (USD, 2026). Every visitor also pays the Reef charge, which the Marine Park Authority sets at $8.50 (AUD) for a full day in 2026; most operators fold it into the ticket. Whitehaven tours with a fringing-reef snorkel start lower, from about $173.
What is the cheapest way to see Whitehaven Beach?
The half-day cruise from the Port of Airlie, from $86. You get up to 2 hours on the southern end of the beach and a short walk to the southern lookout, but no Hill Inlet and no snorkel. For the swirls from the lookout, budget about double.
How many days do you need in the Whitsundays?
Three days covers it: one full day out to Whitehaven and Hill Inlet, one for the outer reef or a scenic flight, and one spare for weather, since boats can be cancelled for wind. Five days lets you add a sailing trip and a lazy day at the Airlie Beach lagoon. See Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island.
Is it better to stay at Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island?
Airlie Beach for choice and budget: almost every tour leaves from its marinas, with free bus pickups. Hamilton Island for a car-free resort stay with its own airport, golf buggies and a shorter boat ride to Whitehaven, at resort prices. Our comparison goes through it.
What movie was filmed on Whitehaven Beach?
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Screen Queensland lists Whitehaven Beach among its locations, and the production moved to the Whitsundays for its final shots.
Can I cancel a Whitsundays day tour?
Most tours on this site cancel free up to 24 hours before. The three Cruise Whitsundays trips (Camira, the half-day cruise and the reef cruise) need 2 days. If the operator cancels for weather, you get a refund or a new date.
Ready to book
Pick your boat, pick your end of the beach.
Snorkel gear and stinger suits on board, and free cancellation on every tour on this page.
Two snorkel stops
★ 4.88 hoursFree cancellation
