Great Barrier Reef tours

There is no road: you go by boat or from the air. Boat day trips in this catalogue run roughly 6.5 to 11 hours, and the crossing takes anywhere from about half an hour on a fast boat to a couple of hours under sail, depending on the vessel. Some trips start on Hamilton Island instead.

Heart Reef is seen from the air; the scenic flights here fly over it, and no tour in this catalogue lands there. If snorkelling the outer reef matters more than the view, look at the reef category instead.

The Whitsunday snorkel stops are fringing reefs around the islands. Trips to the outer Great Barrier Reef are longer days: the outer-reef trips listed here take 8 to 11 hours.

Sources give slightly different dates, roughly late October or November to May. Outside that window stings are far less likely. Ask each operator whether stinger suits are provided, and check the booking page.

Whitsunday Coast Airport is about 35 minutes by road from town, and the airport transfers listed here quote about that long. Hamilton Island has its own airport, but it is on an island and needs a boat to the mainland.

The town has a free public lagoon in the centre rather than a surf beach. For white sand you need an island such as Whitehaven, reached by boat or from the air.