Brisbane to Cairns Experience: Sand Dunes & the Whitsundays
10 days from Brisbane to Cairns
From $ 1462
Duration10 days

You can get a sense of just how huge Australia is by looking at a map, but once you’re there, the vastness really hits home. For travellers long on ambition but short on time, this extensive and compact journey up the East Coast of Queensland is nothing short of ideal. Employing a diverse range of transport — yachts, trains, truck, and private vehicles — you’ll visit Fraser Island and the Whitsundays, go snorkelling, and sleep on the banks of the Noosa River. Your time here may not last long, but your memories will last forever.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 10 days
    Service level: Basic
  • Starts in: Brisbane
    Physical Grading: Average
  • Ends in: Cairns
    Ages: 18+
Brisbane to Cairns Experience - Tour Map

Itinerary

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Day 1: Brisbane

Start place: Brisbane

Arrive in Brisbane at any time. There are no planned activities during the day, so check into the hotel and explore the city.

If you arrive early enough, you'll have time to head into the city. Opt to visit the Botanical Gardens, admire views of the city from Mt Coot-tha, or relax at Streets Beach on the South Bank.
Arrive at any time.

End place: Brisbane

Day 2: Brisbane/Noosa Everglades

Start place: Brisbane

Set off to the Noosa Everglades for an evening surrounded by stunning wilderness. Please note that due to operational reasons, this night and the following night may be reversed. All activities and inclusions will remain the same.

End place: Noosa River

Meals: B, L
Day 3: Noosa Everglades/Fraser Island

Start place: Noosa River

Once on the island, enjoy a 4x4 tour of Fraser Island, driving along over 100km of beach. Go for a swim in Lake McKenzie, and enjoy a rainforest walk along the way.
Travel by private vehicle and ferry to reach Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island. Explore the island by 22-seat 4x4 truck. While on Fraser Island, main luggage will be stored in a secure storage facility. Each person will need to pack an overnight bag with max weight of 5kg, as access to main luggage will not be available again until the next day. This is due to luggage capacity restrictions in 4x4 vehicles.

End place: Fraser Island

Meals: B, L
Day 4: Fraser Island/Airlie Beach

Start place: Fraser Island

Enjoy a morning of exploring by 4x4 to hit the remainder of Fraser Island's highlights, before hopping an overnight train north to Airlie Beach.

End place: Airlie Beach

Meals: B, L
Day 5: Airlie Beach/Whitsunday Islands

Start place: Airlie Beach

After arriving in Airlie Beach and some time for brunch, head to the marina and embark on a maxi yacht which will be our home for the next two nights. Set sail to a secluded cove in the Whitsunday Islands where you will drop anchor for the night.
Embark on a 3-day maxi yacht sailing adventure. Enjoy beach visits, island bush walks, and time to snorkel the reefs. Anchor off of secluded tropical islands at night.

End place: Whitsunday Islands

Meals: D
Day 6: Whitsunday Islands

Start place: Whitsunday Islands

The sailing route today allows us to follow part of Captain Cook's route up through the Whitsunday Islands.

Planeterra has partnered with Reef Ecologic, a nonprofit specialized in creating innovative solutions to challenges facing coral reefs. In the Whitsundays they are working to engage the community and travellers to restore the reef following the 2017 cyclone. Reef Ecologic's new coral gardens in the Whitsundays foster natural coral fragments to be replanted into the reef for a healthy marine environment.
Hike to an island lookout over Whitehaven Beach, known for its stunning white sand, then enjoy free time on the famous beach. Learn about community efforts to protect and restore coral in the Great Barrier Reef before heading out to snorkel over a Planeterra-supported coral garden. Anchor off of a secluded tropical island at night. Please note that snorkelling over the Reef Ecologic Coral Restoration project may occur on the first or last day of your Whitsunday Islands excursion, if weather conditions or tides are not ideal on this day.

End place: Whitsunday Islands

Meals: B, L, D
Day 7: Whitsunday Islands/Airlie Beach

Start place: Whitsunday Islands

After three days at sea, we sail back to Airlie Beach for a night on land in a local beach hostel. Feel free to relax by the pool at the end of the day.
Continue sailing through the gorgeous backdrop of the Whitsunday Islands. Sail to the resort town of Airlie Beach for a night on the town.

End place: Airlie Beach

Meals: B
Day 8: Airlie Beach/Cairns

Start place: Airlie Beach

Admire the scenery on the train north to Cairns. Get ready for an early morning wake-up today for the journey to Cairns. Make sure to stock up on snacks and bring personal entertainment – it may be one of the longer travel days on this trip, but it's worth it to reach The Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef!

End place: Cairns

Meals: L
Day 9: Cairns

Start place: Cairns

Opt to pre-book the "Great Barrier Reef Snorkelling" activity on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.
Enjoy a free day to visit the Great Barrier Reef or get the adrenaline pumping by whitewater rafting or bungee jumping. Cap it all off with a Big Night Out in Cairns.

End place: Cairns

Day 10: Cairns

Start place: Cairns

Depart at any time.

End place: Cairns

Inclusions

Included

  • Your G for Good Moment: Reef Ecologic Coral Restoration, Whitsunday Islands Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group Your Discover Moment: Cairns Your Big Night Out Moment: Cairns
  • Fraser Island excursion
  • Noosa Everglades overnight experience
  • Noosa Everglades canoeing excursion
  • Entrance fees to Cooloola Recreation Area and Fraser Island in Great Sandy NP
  • Whitsunday Islands sailing excursion (3 days)
  • Whitehaven Beach visit
  • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
  • Transport

    Private vehicle, Maxi yacht, Boat, Train, Truck, Ferry
  • Accommodation

    Hostels (5 nts), Cabin (1 nt), Overnight train (1 nt), Maxi yacht (2 nts) All nights multi-share

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