Whitehaven Beach Tours

A half-day boat tour is the cheapest way to travel from Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach or Daydream Island to Whitehaven Beach.

Whitehaven Beach is located on the eastern side of Whitsunday Island in Queensland, Australia. Click here for a map view.

Prices start at
$140 for a half day.
$159 – $279 for a full-day tour
$395 – $899 for an overnight sailing tour 

If you are worried about seasickness, choose a fast boat like ZigZag Whitsundays, fast boats sit on top of the water and do not get the rolling motion that causes seasickness.

When the tour boats stop at each location it’s away from the wind so you don’t need to worry about a rocking boat.

Inside a small daypack, we recommend you should take the below on any Whitehaven Beach Tours.

• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Towel
• Change of clothes
• Water bottle and snacks
• Camera

Choosing the best Whitehaven Beach Tour comes down to what you want for a day in the Whitsunday Islands, here are my 3 recommendations

1. ZigZag Whitsundays – for visiting the south end of Whitehaven Beach and the south Lookout, they also include Chalkies Beach, Haslwood Island Lookout and 1 Snorkel Location.
   Pros – Fast boat, more locations, inclusive ticket pricing, small group tour of 30 people, very comfortable boat seats, very low seasickness probability.
   Cons – does not visit hill inlet lookout
2. Thundercat Whitsundays – for visiting the north end of Whitehaven Beach, hill inlet lookout, they also include 2 snorkel locations.
   Pros – fast boat, 2 snorkel locations, hill inlet lookout.
   Cons – does not visit the south end of the beach, no dietary requirements provided, plastic seating.
3. Cruise Whitsundays Half Day Tour – perfect for guests low on time and just want to visit Whitehaven Beach without snorkelling.
   Pros – Half day tour, south end and lookout, an air-conditioned ferry ride.
   Cons – Large group numbers in the 100s, no snorkelling or lunches.

There are no shops on Whitehaven Beach the island is uninhabited. 

Visitors can spend time walking the beach or the tracks at each end of the beach which leads to the lookouts.

In my opinion, the best spot on Whitehaven Beach is the south end, specifically the South Lookout. This area offers stunning views of the pristine beach and is considered the true Whitehaven Beach.

On the other hand, the northern end accessed through Tongue Bay, known as Betty’s Beach and Whitehaven Bay, can get quite crowded between 10am and 4pm. While still beautiful, and you will see Hill Inlet (at the right tide) there is no beating standing on the named beach.

Unfortunately no, there is no wheelchair access on the beach

Whitehaven Beach’s sand is cool to touch on hot days and perfectly compliments the turquoise waters of the Whitsundays. Made up of 98.9% pure silica, it has a unique white colour and powdery texture. The sand is so fine that it can easily get into and harm electronic gadgets.

You can swim at Whitehaven Beach all year round due to the warm tropical waters. There are no large waves or rips and the shoreline is shallow with a light decline.  However, during the months of November To April, it is advised to use a stinger suit due to jellyfish.

Dangerous marine stingers can be found in the waters all year round but mostly from November to April, like any ocean there are sharks, and saltwater crocodiles can be in the sea at all times of the year, but is very rare to see them around the islands

Public restrooms are available at the South end of Whitehaven Beach only. These are hybrid compostable toilets.

The south end of Whitehaven Beach has picnic tables with sunshade roofs, there is also shade under the trees that line the beach. Some tours also provide shade tents.