The Whitsundays are paradise, no two ways about it: white sand beaches, turquoise water, beautiful reefs, and islands where the only form of transport is golf buggy. Here's our four day itinerary for a short break in the Whitsundays, one of the most beautiful places in the world.
An epic 4 day Whitsundays itinerary
Here’s our favourite 4 day Whitsunday itinerary:
Day 1: Chill at Catseye Beach and Sunset at One Tree Hill
Day 2: Explore the Great Barrier Reef
Day 3: Whitehaven Beach
Day 4: Hire a private boat and find your own island!
Understanding the Whitsundays
The Whitsunday Islands are based on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, mid way up the Queensland coast. This set of islands is surprisingly spread out, so where you choose to stay can have a big impact on your trip.
The main port for the Whitsundays on the mainland is Airlie Beach, which is a favourite hangout of budget travellers. The compromise is that you are between 1-2 hours away from all the main activities in the Whitsundays. Airlie Beach has its own airport - Prosperine Airport - which has regular flights from Sydney and Brisbane.
Our favourite base is Hamilton Island, as not only is it in the islands, but it has a good blend of accommodation options and is developed enough to have a few different dining options as well. Hamilton Island also has its own airport with regular flights from Sydney and Brisbane. You can also get here via a ferry from Airlie Beach.
Those looking for the true island experience should look at either the super luxurious Hayman Island or the mid-range Daydream Island that has recently been refurbished. Both are accessible via ferry from Hamilton Island, but you can also get to Daydream Island by ferry from Airlie Beach.
Day 1: Slow down to island pace
Your flight to Hamilton Island will arrive in the early afternoon at the earliest, so jump in the golf buggy and head straight to your accommodation.
There are no cars on Hamilton Island, so golf buggy is the way to go if you want to get around under your own steam and most hotels and airbnb's will include this in the cost of your stay.
PM: Chill at Catseye Beach
The best place to get your bearings is to take your golf buggy down to Catseye Beach and investigate the area.
On this side of the island you’ll see the popular outdoor swimming pools, a few restaurants, mini golf and the beautiful bay itself.
After the flight in, why not chill on the beach, grab a snorkel and head out in search of turtles (though they'll probably find you first!) or take a kayak out for the rest of the day.
Evening: Sunset at One Tree Hill
There’s no better place to be at sunset than One Tree Hill, so grab a drink (the $10 passionfruit cocktails were a winner!) and watch the sky turn beautiful shades of gold and purple as the sun goes down.
If you aren't in the mood for a drink, this is still a great spot, there's a grassy verge where you can enjoy the sunset for free.
Day 2: Check out the Great Barrier Reef
The Whitsundays is a brilliant place to explore one of the true wonders of the natural world: The Great Barrier Reef.
On our visit to the Whitsundays, we had our young niece and nephew with us so we were looking for a family friendly reef option. We took a trip with Cruise Whitsundays, which was a great way to explore the reef with young children, or those not as confident with snorkelling.
They take you out on a big catamaran to a pontoon where you can snorkel safely (there’s ropes and platforms to help), take a semi-submersible to explore underneath the water or scuba dive.
You can find out more about the tour by clicking here.
You have lunch on the pontoon and can admire the views and birds that fly by. If you look over the side you may even get lucky and see a turtle swim by, as we did.
If you want to splash out, you can add on a scenic helicopter flight on the way back. Our family did this and the photos were incredible! It’s the best way to see the Heart Reef and you can also go and fly past the magnificent Whitehaven Beach.
If you are a confident snorkeller and looking for a more wild experience we would suggest checking out the trips to Bait reef which sounded amazing, we'll be back to try it next time!
Booking your adventures on the Great Barrier Reef
Reef Sleep
The Whitsundays are the perfect place to explore the Great Barrier Reef, and you can do this in so many different ways.
There's the iconic Reef Sleep experience, where you can stay on a pontoon overnight and sleep on the Barrier Reef! It includes a scenic boat trip, gourmet meals, snorkeling on the reef and star gazing on this natural wonder.
Scenic Seaplane over the reef
Seeing the reef from above is another incredible experience, and you can also combine a scenic seaplane and snorkelling the Barrier Reef with this tour by Get Your Guide. It flies over the incredible Heart Reef and drops you to a quiet spot to snorkel.
Day 3: Whitehaven Beach & Hill Inlet
A trip to the Whitsundays isn’t complete without visiting Whitehaven Beach, a place with the whitest sand we’ve ever seen. You can visit for a whole day or half a day depending on your preference.
We would suggest booking your trip early as the spots go quickly and we actually couldn't take the trip we wanted to. If you have time this area really is worth the full day trip.
Start with a short walk up to Hill Inlet. The view from the platform will take your breath away. There are stunning views of the river that flows down to the sea, creating stunning blues and green swirls that mix into the bright white silica sand.
To us, this is arguably the best view in Australia.
After this, most tours give you time to explore the beach itself. The stroll down from Hill Inlet leads onto the white sand that is cool, no matter how hot it is outside (something that still confuses us!).
You can take a dip in the turquoise water, look out for cute sting rays, or just sit and take in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Tours to Whitehaven Beach
By Helicopter
There are a few ways to explore Whitehaven, but you will need a tour to get you there.
A bucket list experience is going to Whitehaven by helicopter which includes a scenic flight over the Whitsundays.The tour includes 1.5 hours on Whitehaven beach and views of the iconic Hill Inlet and the neighbouring islands.
Ocean Rafting
If you're staying in Airlie Beach, you can take a day trip on a fast boat to Whitehaven Beach with Ocean Rafting.
The trip includes snorkelling, a walk to the viewpoint at Hill Inlet and some time on Whitehaven.
Cruise Whitsundays
If you're staying in Hamilton Island, then hop on the tour by Cruise Whitsundays. The trip guarantees 2 hours on Whitehaven Beach and a 2 course lunch on Daydream Island.
Day 4: Find your own private beach or go for a hike
The great thing about The Whitsundays is that most of the islands have little to no development on them, giving a real Robinson Crusoe feel. If you fancy something a little bit more active, why not do one of the hikes on Hamilton Island for some more fantastic views?
AM: Hire a boat and explore
Hire a small boat from the Marina (we hired ours from Hamilton Island Dinghy Hire and it cost $145 for four hours) and head out of Hamilton Island to start exploring. We went to Beautiful Beach on Dent Island which was a lovely spot and pretty quiet.
A perfect way to relax after the last couple of days of activities! if you're really keen you can hire the boat for the whole day and explore further afield. Some areas are off limits but they'll explain all that before hand. The boat was really easy to drive and it was great being able to take off on our own.
OR
AM: Hike up Passage Peak
If even the thought of a morning lying on the beach is making you fidgety, then take on one of Hamilton Island’s walking trails. They’re not too strenuous, and so worth it. You'll probably spot a wallaby or two as well.
Our favourite was the 2.5km Passage Peak trail which offers some beautiful views of the surrounding islands. It’s one of the steeper walks on Hamilton Island, but can be done by most people of average fitness and you can take your time.
Despite visiting during the busy Easter holidays we only saw two other people on this track and had at least half an hour at the peak all to ourselves, which was a pretty magical experience. The view is one you will never forget.
PM: Sadly it's time to get the flight back. Grab a window seat and take in the views from above!
Scenic flights
You haven't truly seen the Great Barrier Reef until you've seen it from the air from the Whitsundays. The views from these scenic flights are incredible, as you see the iconic heart reef and take in the sheer scale of the Great Barrier Reef. It makes you understand just why this is a wonder of the world.
We did a scenic flight from Airlie Beach that went over both Whitehaven and the Great Barrier Reef, and it was one of the best of our lives.
Places to stay in the Whitsundays
You can check out our in-depth guide to Whitsunday accommodation, or read a couple of our choices below.
Beachfront Apartment
This is the place that we booked Joe’s mum and dad into and they absolutely loved it. It’s a modern top floor apartment with a truly sensational view. You can cook your own meals and are just a stone’s throw from Catseye Beach. The host will meet you at the airport and take you to the apartment free of charge.
Check the latest prices on:
Hamilton Island - Reef View
If you like your hotel with a view, then the Reef View is for you. It's very close to Catseye Beach and is a magical place to be at sunrise or sunset.
Other important information to help you plan your trip
How many days do you need in the Whitsundays?
You need between 3-5 days in the Whitsundays as there is a lot to do here! Tours to places like Whitehaven Beach or Hardy Reef take between half and a full day, so you need at least 3 days to cover the main attractions. You also don’t want to rush a trip here as it is paradise!
When is the best time of year to go to the Whitsundays?
We’d recommend visiting the Whitsundays outside of the Queensland rainy season (November - February), so any time between March and October is good. Be aware that cyclone season runs until May, so the best time to visit is between June and September, as this is the time when you’ll get the best weather.
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