Voted by Lonely Planet as the best beach in the World for 2025, no trip to Queensland’s gorgeous Whitsunday Coast would be complete without a visit to the stunning Whitehaven Beach. Airlie is a beautiful base to explore the Whitsunday Coast, and this fantastic day tour to Whitehaven Beach is the best way to kick off your Whitsunday adventure!
How to get to Airlie Beach
The closest airport to Airlie Beach is Proserpine airport which services the whole Whitsunday Coast. Although the airport is quite a distance from the beach, there are regular buses and shuttle services that operate from the airport. We prebooked a return shuttle service with Airlie Airport Bus for around $40 each. There are several shuttle services available, here are some options for you to look at.
The beauty of the shuttle service is that they drop you and pick you up at the door of your accommodation. They also have your flight details, so are able to adjust pick-up times if your flight is delayed. They actually contacted me before I was even aware of our flight delay to pushback our pick-up time, which gave us more time to relax by the pool!
Where to Stay in Airlie Beach
We chose to stay close to the Coral Sea Marina, which is the pick-up point for a lot of the boating adventures and island tours. I actually thought at Marina Shores where we stayed, would be further away than the map suggested because of the fantastic price. It turned out to be the perfect location for us! Literally a 5–10-minute walk to the marina with marina views in one direction and stunning sunset views in the other!
Staying on the main strip in Airlie is convenient if you like shopping and bars etc but friends who have stayed there before reported how noisy it was and consequently, how little sleep they got. If you do want to head into the main strip, the bus stop is literally across the street…. alternatively, a nice walk along the Bicentennial Walkway will get you there.
We loved our room at Marina Shores, a very spacious, fully airconditioned, 2-bedroom unit with a balcony, 2 bathrooms and a laundry. Considering that ocean swimming in Airlie is fraught with risk due to stingers, a pool is a must! We enjoyed an early morning dip and an afternoon cool down in the resort pool. A great stay at a great price point.
Fantastic Day Tour to Whitehaven Beach
As I mentioned earlier, no visit to the Whitsunday Coast would be complete without a visit to the picture-perfect Whitehaven Beach. It’s pure white sand and turquoise waters, so clear you can see fish swimming around your ankles, helped to earn this beach the title of the best in the world for 2025. So of course, a tour to Whitehaven Beach was at the top of our Airlie Beach agenda.
We booked a fantastic day tour with ZigZag Whitsundays, and we simply had the best day I’ve had in a long time. There are many tour operators to choose from, but ZigZag Whitsundays are a family run business with a swag of tourism awards under their belt as well as thousands of amazing reviews from previous guests.
There are a few different day tour packages to choose from, we chose one that included snorkeling. We are on the Great Barrier Reef after all; it would be a crime not to snorkel!
My friend and I were praying for a sunny day and the weather Gods smiled on us, giving us an absolute cracker! Here’s what your day out to Whitehaven Beach with the Zig Zag crew will look like.
ZigZag Whitsundays Itinerary
Check-in for your tour to Whitehaven Beach is at the Coral Sea Marina, meeting point D. Here, a couple of the lovely crew members will issue you with a wrist band indicating which snorkeling session you are scheduled for.
After check-in, you will be directed to the pier where another crew member will greet you and welcome you aboard. After being issued with a stinger suit for the day, find a seat inside the airconditioned cabin for the 1 hour and 15-minute ride out to Whitehaven Beach.
Morning tea buffet of cakes, muffins and biscuits is served on the trip out. Once speed is reduced, guests can make use of the outdoor seating and lounges. Not much time to lounge about yet though, there was snorkeling to do!
Snorkeling
We were in the first snorkeling group. Others went to the beach first, but we boarded the transfer boat to head over to nearby Hazelwood Island, for an hour-long snorkel off Chalkies Beach. On the transfer boat, the crew will give a brief talk about safety and how to communicate with them if needed. They were always close by on a stand-up paddle board to help out if you got into any trouble.
Wriggle into the very attractive stinger suit, which is a must when swimming in north Queensland oceans. They actually have other advantages too…. they help prevent sunburn and they conveniently cover up all the pale wobbly bits! My husband recently bought a waterproof camera, and this was my first opportunity to use it. A lot of the footage I took isn’t very good because I am still learning how to use it. But I managed to get a couple of decent videos and will be much better at it next time …. look out Cook Islands in January!
The snorkeling location was excellent for all ability levels as you enter the water at your own pace from the beach. We opted to use pool noodles to help with buoyancy. I had enough to worry about trying to use the camera without having to worry about staying afloat! Floatation vests are also available to those less confident in their swimming ability. With lots of colourful fish and coral to look at, the time just flew by and soon it was back to the big SuperCat Catamaran for lunch.
Lunch
You won’t go hungry on this tour! A delicious buffet lunch of various cold cuts, chicken, and salads were on offer. We took our plates up to the upper sundeck – which is an adult only area, probably for the children’s safety but as a person that works with kids, sometimes a little distance can be a good thing 😁
The amazing crew once again, step up, taking your plate away when you are finished, leaving you to just relax and wait for the afternoon session to begin.
Whitehaven Beach
Words don’t do this place justice…. it is stunning! I am just going to let my pictures do the talking.
Once ashore, a crew member escorts whoever wants to go on a guided walk up to the Whitehaven Beach lookout. Another crew member stays with the gear and whoever doesn’t want to walk, down on the beach. I recommend going on the walk, it is not difficult, just a few stairs, and the view is incredible!
You may even by lucky enough to spot the beautiful Ulysses butterflies that hang around up there – early morning or late afternoon are the best times to see them.
After taking too many photos of the view, head back to the beach for a swim. Again, stinger suit is a must while in the water. The waterproof camera came out again and we had some fun clowning around, as you do.
A couple of hours pass quickly, and it is soon time to head back to the boat. My friend and I couldn’t wipe the smile off our faces, it was just a wonderful, bucket list kind of day. But the day wasn’t over yet … did someone say frozen cocktails??!! A cool beverage, to go with an afternoon tea of fruit and crackers with cheese and dip, was the perfect way to end our day tour out to Whitehaven Beach.
Back to the Marina in Time for Happy Hour
The boat docks back at the Coral Sea Marina around 5pm, just in time for happy hour at some of the restaurants and bars lining the waterfront. Well played ZigZag Whitsundays…. well-played!
We couldn’t think of a better way to end this diamond day than with a glass of bubbles ($7.50 during happy hour!) and the most delicious calamari, at the gorgeous Garden Bar & Bistro. Cheers, to a top day!
Why Book with ZigZag Whitsundays?
Value for Money
When you consider the coast of a private boat charter, the tour to Whitehaven Beach with ZigZag Whitsundays was excellent value for money. All your gear – stinger suit, snorkel masks, flippers, floatation devices are included, as well as all of your food. Cool water is readily available with other drinks available for purchase.
Fantastic Crew
I can’t praise these guys enough. They obviously love what they do and go out of their way to ensure you have the best day possible, making wonderful memories. They look out for the littlies on board, check in on how everyone is feeling, keep the day running smoothly and all with a smile on their face.
The Boat
The advantage of a fast boat is that it gets you to your destination quickly and also it helps reduce the chance of seasickness. The ride out to Whitehaven beach was very smooth and to my knowledge, no-one on board got seasick. I loved the adult only sunbed deck on the upper level, but the airconditioned cabin was lovely too, for some relief from the sun.
Ok, so now you’ve ticked Whitehaven Beach off your bucket list, what else should you do while you are in Airlie Beach?
Things to do in Airlie Beach
Airlie beach is known as the gateway to the Whitsundays, and you can use it as a base to explore many other islands on the Whitsunday Coast. In Airlie Beach itself, I recommend doing some of these things before you leave.
Walk the Bicentennial Walkway and Catch the Sunset
The Bicentennial Walkway is a 3.7km scenic boardwalk that stretches from the Airlie beach lagoon to Cannonvale Beach – which just happens to be next to our accommodation at Marina Shores and is the best spot to watch a stunning sunset. Along the way, you will see art installations as well as glorious ocean views.
Cool Off in Airlie Lagoon
Start your walk on the Bicentennial Walkway at the lagoon and cool of in the free patrolled pools. It’s a popular swimming spot with everyone from young families, teenagers and couples enjoying one of several pools.
Give yourself time to get to Cannonvale Beach along the Bicentennial Walkway to catch the sunset.
Be One of the First to Walk the New Ngaro Track!
I am a bit excited about this, because I love a multi-day walk and the Whitsundays has a new one opening soon! My husband and I have completed the Routeburn Track in New Zealand, the Three Capes Walk and most recently, The Overland Track in Tasmania. We will definitely be adding the Ngaro Track to our list because it looks spectacular!
The Ngaro track is a 32km walk from Whitehaven Beach across Whitsunday Craig then down towards Hill’s Inlet. It is an independent 3-day hike taking you through diverse ecosystems and sacred Ngaro Country with the most spectacular viewpoints in the Whitsundays.
Day 1 of the Ngaro Track
The walk starts at Whitehaven Beach and I ‘ve already talked about how stunning that is! A boat will drop you there and then it is an 8.7 km walk to camp 1 – Bowarri yamba (Moon Camp). There are plenty of photo opportunities along the way as well as Ngaro family art installations to view.
Day 2 of the Ngaro Track
A longer walk on day 2 of 10.8km to the Tree Camp (Dhula yamba). Climb to 353 metres above sea level to Whitsunday Craig, for sweeping panoramic views.
Day 3 of the Ngaro Track
The final day’s walk is the longest at 12.8km, through mangrove boardwalks and wetlands, to reach your final destination of Tongue Bay. After the obligatory photo at the Ngaro track photo post to mark your achievement, a boat will pick you up to take you back to Airlie Beach.
Sounds amazing! It is a one-way only, grade 4-5 track, and limited to just 15 people a day. The Ngaro Track opens for bookings in April – so mark it in your calendars!
For more details and information about the Ngaro Track click on this link.
Airlie Beach Weekend
Sometimes all you need is a weekend away with good friends, sun, sand and sea to feel completely relaxed and recharged. Airlie Beach is the perfect place to do just that. I’ll be back for more of the same…. with a little extra walking next time!
Deb Morrow is a wife and mum of two in her 50’s, who works in education. She has a passion for travel and through sharing her travel experiences, tips and recommendations, wants to encourage other women her age to start making time for themselves, grab their besties, and go see the world!
