The best tours in Airlie Beach for your next getaway

Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
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There’s so much to do and see in and around Airlie Beach and the best way to see all the region has to offer is on tours which range from a one hour boat trip to full day waterfall tours…

Airlie Beach – located halfway between Brisbane and Cairns on Queensland’s picturesque northern coastline – is one of the most iconic tourist towns anywhere in Australia. It’s also the launching spot to the Whitsunday Islands – 74 islands that create one of Earth’s best marine playgrounds.

With so much to experience, the best way to ensure you don’t miss a thing on your holiday is by taking tours which showcase the magic of what’s up here. Here are the best ones to choose…

1. Take a very quiet turtle tour

Choose between a one-hour sightseeing tour – or a 90-minute sunset tour – in the region’s only electric boat. You’ll cruise in absolute silence with no fumes looking for endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles with Whisper Cruises.

guests aboard Whisper Cruises at sunset
Join a 90-minute sunset tour with Whisper Cruises.

With room for a maximum of eight passengers, you’ll have an intimate tour past the superyachts of the Coral Sea Marina into bays and around islands where turtles like to feed. You’ll be aboard a comfortable 22-foot Duffy electric boat (called Tallulah), enjoying the silence and the views as turtles bob up and down around you.

guests aboard Whisper Cruises, Airlie Beach
Keep your eyes peeled for turtles as you sit comfortably aboard the Tallulah.

2. Take a fast boat to paradise

Choose between two all-day tours aboard a thrilling semi-rigid inflatable boat that’ll take you out to the very best areas of the Whitsunday Islands with Ocean Rafting.

people aboard an inflatable boat with Ocean Rafting, Whitsunday Islands
Explore the Whitsunday Islands aboard a thrilling semi-rigid inflatable boat. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Both tours will get you to beautiful Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet where you’ll have lunch by the beach and get to spend hours on one of the world’s top-rated beaches.

an aerial view of Whitehaven Beach
Laze on the beautiful Whitehaven Beach. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

The boat is driven by 700 horsepower engines and is capable of up to 30 knots of speed, you’ll see a lot in a day, including having time to snorkel pristine reefs in hard-to-get-to bays on Hook Island and the Whitsunday Islands.

snorkelling at Whitsunday Islands with Ocean Rafting
Snorkel around the pristine reefs. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

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3. Catch the fish of your life

There are over 1300 different species of fish within the waters off Airlie Beach and you have a chance to catch them with the best fishing charters in the region: Airlie Beach Fishing Charters.

a man holding a huge fish, Airlie Beach Fishing Charters
Cast a line with Airlie Beach Fishing Charters.

Book either a half or full-day charter and you’ll ride aboard their custom-built nine-metre aluminium plate boat powered by two 300-horsepower engines to where the fish are biting.

You’ll be mostly reef fishing and bottom bashing, looking for everything from giant trevally to sweet lip, coral trout and bigger species of fish too, like dogtooth and yellowfin tuna. Choose between private or shared charters.

4. Explore one of the world’s top marine sanctuaries

Cruise Whitsundays offer everything from island escape cruises aboard their motor catamaran to two Whitsundays icons in a day – Hamilton Island and Whitehaven Beach – to scenic cruises all around the islands where you don’t have to get off at all.

kids playing on the beach, Cruise Whitsundays
Take your kids on a beach holiday with Cruise Whitsundays. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Or you could take a day cruise aboard their 85-foot sailing catamaran, Camira, for a BBQ lunch on Whitehaven Beach and a guided hike to a lookout above where traditional owners, the Ngaro people, used to walk. The tour also includes snorkelling on the fringing reef.

5. Go chasing waterfalls

For a total change of pace – to extremely chilled out – take a tour to a waterfall 30 minutes beyond Airlie Beach with Falls To Paradise. Swim in the rockpools of Cedar Creek Falls and relax for a few hours amongst white cedars, Alexandra palms, wild orchids, butterflies and tropical bird species.

the Cedar Creek Falls during a tour with Falls to Paradise
Cool off at Cedar Creek Falls. (Image: Red Cat Adventures)

Then drive back to a huge isolated bay north of Airlie Beach to relax with drinks and a meal at the region’s best beach bar and restaurant, Northerlies Beach Bar and Grill.

Northies beach Bar & Grill
Relax with drinks and a meal at Northerlies Beach Bar and Grill. (Image: Red Cat Adventures)

There’s an open-plan restaurant and picnic tables under coconut trees (with hammocks attached) where you’ll have a great view of the northern Whitsunday Islands.

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6. Snorkel and experience Whitehaven Beach

Take a trip to Whitehaven Beach on one of the fastest boats in the Whitsundays region with Thundercat Whitehaven Full Day Eco-Cruise (it also has the highest level of ECO certification in Australia).

the Thundercat Whitehaven Full Day Eco-Cruise passing by the Mantaray Bay, Whitsundays
Swim and snorkel with tropical fish and manta rays. (Image: Red Cat Adventures)

You’ll spend two hours on the beach famous for its silica-smooth white sands, and walk above the beach to see all seven kilometres of it spread out below at a look-out above Littoral Rainforest.

Red Cat Adventure, Airlie Beach
Marvel at the pure white sand of Whitehaven Beach. (Image: Red Cat Adventures)

Because the boat’s so fast, you’ll easily be able to access some of the region’s most pristine beaches and bays along the northern coast of Hook Island where there are underwater valleys and caves among colourful coral surrounded by hundreds of species of marine animals.

guests sharing food on the bow of the boat during the Thundercat Whitehaven Full Day Eco-Cruise
Hop aboard Thundercat Whitehaven Full Day Eco-Cruise. (Image: Red Cat Adventures)

Now check out the best things to do in Airlie Beach.

Craig Tansley
Craig Tansley has been a travel writer for over 20 years, winning numerous awards along the way. A long-time sucker for adventure, he loves to write about the experiences to be had on islands, on the sea, in forests or deserts; or anywhere in nature across Australia, and the world.
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7 wellness experiences on Hamilton Island for complete rejuvenation

(Credit: Riley Williams)

    Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
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    Conjuring calm and active adventure in equal measure, Hamilton Island is a tropical tonic for body and mind.

    Hamilton Island knows a thing or two about indulgence. There are long lunches to linger over, seafood towers to savour and poolside loungers designed for guilt-free idling. But for health-minded travellers wanting to feel energised inside and out, this sliver of the Whitsundays takes wellbeing just as seriously. Think yoga mats rolling out at dawn, kayaks skimming turquoise water, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and spa therapists working tropical magic. These Hamilton Island wellness experiences promise to restore, rebalance and leave you feeling brand new.

    1. E-Mountain biking

    mountain bikers on Hamilton Island wellness
    Follow Hamilton Island’s mountian biking trails. (Credit: Harry Gruttner)

    For travellers with an appetite for adrenaline, Hamilton Island’s new self-guided e-mountain biking experience is worth carving out a morning for. Start at HI Trails HQ, where you’ll be fitted with a full-suspension, pedal-assisted e-mountain bike and given a run-through of a nine-kilometre section of the island’s 25-kilometre trail network. The electric boost makes the ride more accessible (and the climbs more manageable), though an intermediate level of fitness is still recommended.

    As a first-time mountain biker, I start off wobbly – taking my time to get used to switching gears and electric modes – and wonder if I’ve overestimated my coordination. But soon something clicks. Suddenly we’re zooming through pockets of eucalyptus and out onto ridgelines with sweeping views of electric blue waters, catching our breath at hidden bays with barely another soul in sight. More than 70 per cent of the island remains untouched, so witnessing these lesser-explored pockets feels like a blessing. It’s the kind of adventure that leaves you buzzing, accomplished and blissfully tired out.

    2. HI Fitness Club

    HI Fitness Club reformer pilates
    Stretch out with reformer pilates.

    If mountain biking isn’t quite your speed, there are plenty of other ways to stay active on the island. One of the newest Hamilton Island wellness experiences, HI Fitness Club now has 24-hour access, offering a fully equipped modern gym, group classes spanning HIIT to yoga, plus two bubbling spas and a sauna waiting to loosen sore muscles.

    I drop in for a Reformer Pilates class. Each of the four machines has its own mini screen with a wide selection of high-quality virtual classes, meaning I can select one that suits my level and mood that day. Beyond Pilates, the virtual library is like a choose-your-own adventure for fitness enthusiasts: dance, Body Pump, Body Combat and GRIT Cardio are among the options. Or perhaps challenge a family member or friend to a hit of tennis at one of the three courts.

    3. Walking trails

    runners on hamilton island
    Get the blood pumping on a morning run.

    We set out early. By 6:45am, we’re halfway up Passage Peak, the highest point on Hamilton Island and widely considered its most impressive vantage point. From the Scenic Trail Entrance, the viewing platform takes around an hour to reach by foot, with moderate inclines that will get your heart pumping without feeling too punishing. The payoff at the top is immediate. Bush-clad Whitsundays islands scatter across the horizon in every direction, the sunrise brushing the scene with soft melon and gold tones. I take my time soaking up the 360° panorama, remembering how powerful an active start in nature can be for clearing the mind and energising the day ahead.

    While Passage Peak is one of the most popular hikes on Hamilton Island, Flat Top Hill Lookout and the longer Southeast Head Trail are also excellent choices.

    4. Spa wumurdaylin

    Spa Wumurdaylin on hamilton island wellness experiences
    Feel your worries melt away at Spa wumurdaylin.

    In a tranquil treatment room at Spa wumurdaylin, the world disappears. The space is all brown stone tiles, bamboo racks and lush garden views, setting the tone for my Soul Temple treatment. My therapist, Kass, begins with a full-body, exfoliating orange buff sugar scrub that feels divine. Next comes the vertical Vichy shower and underwater massage to knead out muscle knots. The sound of cascading water is reminiscent of a tropical rainstorm, and stress becomes a distant memory.

    It’s a prime example of the transportive power of the island’s spa, where guests can come to reset the mind and loosen tension in the body. The menu spans radiance facials to deep release rituals and mud wraps, all using products from pH-balanced skincare brand LaGaia Unedited. Concluding with herbal tea, I leave in a blissful daze.

    5. Sunrise yoga

    sunrise yoga session at the sundays on hamilton island wellness experiences
    Start your day on the right foot.

    Morning movement doesn’t get more surreal than sunrise yoga on The Sundays’ seaside terrace. As we roll out our mats, morning light spills across Catseye Beach below, turning the water into a sheet of molten gold. But the setting only does half the healing. I match my breath to the rhythm of the waves and feel my body gradually lengthen and wake as instructor Tyla Rae guides us through a slow, mindful flow.

    Available exclusively to guests of The Sundays, this session captures the spirit of wellness on Hamilton Island – immersion in nature, slowing down by the sea, recalibrating both body and mind. To round out the experience, the perfect ocean cool-off awaits just steps away.

    6. Getting out on the water

    people on sup boards at the sundays hamilton island
    Try your hand at a host of watersports.

    Speaking of ocean delights, Catseye Beach’s host of watersports delivers spades of fun and rejuvenation. Glide over the crystalline water in a kayak, test your sailing skills in a mini catamaran, spot schools of fish (and a turtle if you’re lucky) from a stand-up paddleboard, or slip into an underwater wonderland when you snorkel off the beach.

    Out here, the water is so clear it feels like floating in glass, and the green silhouettes of the Whitsunday Islands rise on the horizon. Half an hour on the water here is all you need to reset your entire mood.

    Guests staying at qualia, Beach Club, The Sundays, Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows and Hamilton Island Holiday Homes have complimentary access to all these water activities, making it easy to dive right in.

    7. Take a swing

    Dent Island Golf course
    Enjoy incredible views with a swing of golf.

    For others, mindfulness comes from calm concentration – and golf fits the bill to a tee. Designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, Hamilton Island Golf Club is perched along the scenic ridges of Dent Island. It’s Australia’s only golf course on its own island, making it one of the most scenic golf courses in the world. The experience is suitable for golfers of all skill levels, with spectator bookings also available for those simply wishing to take in the views. Follow the game with a well-earned lunch at the Clubhouse restaurant.

    Find out more ways to unwind in the Whitsundays at hamiltonisland.com.au.