How Much Is a Whitehaven Beach Tour?
Whitehaven Beach tour prices on GetYourGuide in October 2026: US$137 half days from Hamilton Island, US$154-234 full days from Airlie Beach, flights from US$249, sails to US$491.
A Whitehaven Beach tour costs from about US$137 a person for a four-hour trip from Hamilton Island, and from about US$154 to US$234 for a full day from Airlie Beach, on GetYourGuide in October 2026.
Check dates for the Hill Inlet and Whitehaven cruise
Scenic flights start at US$249, a flight-and-boat package at US$397, and overnight sailing trips run from US$343 to US$491. On a full day the price nearly always includes lunch, national park fees and the loan of a stinger suit, so the real differences are the boat, the time on the sand and whether you snorkel.
The price ladder
From-prices a person as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026, for the cheapest option and date. Peak dates and add-ons cost more.
What the price includes
On the full days the listings mostly agree: a lunch (a buffet on board, a picnic on the beach or a barbecue), morning and afternoon tea, national and marine park fees, and the snorkel gear and stinger suit if the tour snorkels. Most include a bus from the Airlie Beach hotels; ZigZag does not. Island Connections’ cruise, the one this site puts first, includes the bus to Shute Harbour, the buffet and both teas, but no snorkelling, and it does not supply towels or sunscreen.
The extras that are not in the price
- Public holidays. Ocean Rafting's listing adds a Queensland public holiday surcharge, payable at check-in: A$20 an adult, A$10 a child and A$50 for a family of two adults and two children.
- Drinks. Most boats sell alcohol and soft drinks on board; Big Fury sells water and chocolate bars for cash only. Camira and Lady Enid include drinks, Camira with beer and wine from 11 AM and Lady Enid with a glass of sparkling wine.
- Parking and gear. Big Fury's listing gives marina parking as A$12 for the day and a winter wetsuit as A$20; the OzSail listings give Coral Sea Marina parking as A$13 a day. Red Cat does not include fins.
Also in the Whitsundays
More Tours From Airlie Beach and the Islands
Reef trips, island days and sailing in the Whitsundays, for a second day or if Whitehaven is booked out.
The cheapest good options
The lowest price from Airlie Beach is the schooner Providence, from US$154 for nine hours with a snorkel and the Hill Inlet walk. It is the lowest-rated tour on the list at 4.3, it needs 15 passengers to run (you are moved to another day or refunded if it does not), and the day is slower because it sails. For more beach for the money, ZigZag's beach-only ticket gives four to five hours on the sand from US$168, without a hotel pickup.
If you are on Hamilton Island, the four-hour Whitehaven dash at US$137 is the cheapest tour on this list, and it reaches the Hill Inlet beaches as well as the lookout. It is a newer listing with few reviews so far.
Which price fits which day
Pick by what you want from the day:
Hill Inlet Lookout and Whitehaven Beach Cruise
The guided Hill Inlet walk and up to two hours on the beach, lunch on board. For non-snorkellers.
See dates →Red Cat Whitehaven Eco-Cruise
Two snorkel stops, the Hill Inlet walk and a buffet on the beach, on a stable catamaran. The most reviewed Whitehaven day.
See the eco-cruise →Ocean Rafting Fly Raft Package
A one-hour scenic flight over Hill Inlet and Heart Reef plus the full fast-boat day on the beach. Small group of up to 12.
See the Fly Raft dates →Prices, ratings and review counts from GetYourGuide, checked October 2026; operators price by season and date, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Is the dearer tour worth it?
The money mostly buys time and comfort, not a different beach. The three tours between US$175 and US$186 are all rated 4.8 from more than a thousand reviews, and any of them is a safe choice; pick by whether you want to snorkel and how fast you want to get there. Paying more makes sense for three things only: drinks included (Camira, Lady Enid), the outer reef as well as Whitehaven (the Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven tour), or seeing Hill Inlet from the air. The Hill Inlet guide explains why the lookout is the part not to miss.
The Lookout and the Beach, Lunch Included
Island Connections' Hill Inlet Lookout and Whitehaven Beach Cruise leaves Shute Harbour at 9:00 AM with bus transfers from Airlie Beach, walks you to the Hill Inlet Lookout and gives you up to two hours on the sand, with lunch and both teas on board. Rated 4.8 from more than 1,100 reviews, from US$186 a person as of October 2026, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check Hill Inlet Cruise Dates