Whitehaven Beach Day Tour from Airlie Beach: BBQ & Hill Inlet

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.95 (231 reviews) 97% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/7

Duration8h

GroupUp to 37

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

You choose how long to stay at each beach—the boat waits while you swim, hike or rest

You get hotel pickup, a fast boat to two separate islands with guided walks at each, five hours of beach time split between Hill Inlet and Whitehaven, a full beach BBQ lunch with steaks cooked to order, stinger suits, morning and afternoon refreshments, and a return transfer to your accommodation — all in one day without arranging transport or timing yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Whitsunday Islands tour with BBQ lunch

Pick up from Airlie Beach
Depart Coral Sea Marina to Whitsunday Island
Cruise past Daydream and Hamilton Islands
Guided bushwalk to Hill Inlet Lookout and beach
Enjoy Beach BBQ on Whitehaven Beach
Optional hike to Whitehaven Lookout or relax
Prime rump steaks and salad buffet served

The Experience

The boat fills up fast at Coral Sea Marina, and you realize halfway through the safety briefing that you're about to spend the next five hours on the water with sixty other people — which sounds crowded until you actually get there and the Whitsunday Islands swallow the noise. Complimentary pickup from your Airlie Beach accommodation means you don't have to figure out parking or timing; the boat leaves at a set hour, and you're on it. The fast catamaran has indoor, semi-outdoor and rooftop seating, so you can move around underway instead of being locked into one spot for the whole trip.

Hill Inlet comes first. The guided bushwalk takes you to the lookout — that famous turquoise-and-white view you've probably seen in photos — and then down to Hill Inlet Beach itself, where the water is so clear you can see the sand shelf drop away. Spend about two and a half hours here, swimming or just sitting with your feet in it. The guides are locals (the company's been run by Capt. Dan and Capt. Shane for years), and they move at a pace that doesn't feel rushed. After that, you cruise past Daydream and Hamilton Islands on the way to Whitehaven Beach South, where the real anchor of the day happens: the beach BBQ. Prime rump steaks cooked to order, sausages, chilli burgers, salad buffet, fruit. Dietary needs get handled if you mention them at booking. You get another two and a half hours here — enough to swim, hike up to the Whitehaven Lookout if you want, or just lie on the sand and let the day happen around you.

Stinger suits are included during stinger season, which matters if you're visiting between November and May — the suits aren't glamorous, but they work, and you don't have to rent them separately. Morning tea and coffee, afternoon cheese and biscuits, refill water station, all included. The boat itself has a licensed bar if you want something beyond tea. By the time you're heading back to Airlie Beach in the late afternoon, you've hit both of the Whitsundays' most photographed spots and eaten better than you expected to on a day tour.

What’s included

Your day includes complimentary hotel pickup from Airlie Beach, fast boat transport to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach, guided bushwalks at both locations, stinger suits during stinger season, a full beach BBQ lunch with steaks cooked to order plus salad and fruit, morning tea and coffee, afternoon cheese and biscuits, refill water station, and return transfer to your accommodation.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Whitehaven Xpress

Is this one for you?Book this if you want both of the Whitsundays' main beaches in a single day without arranging your own boat, timing the stops, or paying extra for lunch — the fixed schedule and included meals are what make it possible to see two islands properly instead of rushing between them.