Whitehaven Beach Tour Prices

A Whitehaven Beach tour costs from $89 to $1,112 a person, and $2,793 for a private boat. The spread is wide because you are not buying a ticket to the beach: there is none. You are buying the ride, and the ride decides the price. Here is what each fare buys, what it costs by the hour, and what it leaves out.

How much does a Whitehaven Beach tour cost?

The beach has no gate and no admission, so every dollar goes on the boat or the aircraft. Several fares fold the park and reef charges into the price: Ocean Rafting lists all fees and taxes, ZigZag the park fee and the reef charge, and the half-day catamaran the reef charge.

Here is every kind of trip in one table, from the listings' own figures. The per-hour figure is the fare divided by the length of the day, and it is a rough guide rather than a verdict.

The fares are per person on everything but the private charter. They are "from" fares, so your date and your options can move them, and child fares appear when you choose a date.

The half day: $89 and what it leaves out

The cheapest way onto the sand is Cruise Whitsundays' morning or afternoon catamaran, at $89 a person. You get just over six hours on an air-conditioned boat, up to two hours at the southern end of the beach, a self-guided bush walk, tea on board and a stinger suit. The reef charge is in the fare.

What it leaves out is what many people come for. There is no lunch, no snorkel and no lookout: the listing excludes Hill Inlet by name. There is no pickup, gratuities are extra, and the fare is non-refundable. Travelers rate it 3.8. Every short option is on the half-day Whitehaven Beach tours page.

Day tours from $169

A full day by boat costs $169 to $236 a person. The cheapest is SeaLink's catamaran, at $169, with the lookout, lunch and up to two hours on the sand but no snorkel. ZigZag and Whitehaven Xpress cost almost the same and give you more time on the beach.

The raft day costs $180 and adds a snorkel and both ends of the beach. Red Cat, at $181, stops to snorkel twice. Iconic is the dearest boat day, at $236, and the only one that snorkels the outer reef. Camira costs $187 for ten hours under sail, with drinks in the fare, which makes it the lowest per hour of any full day. The Whitehaven Beach day tours page compares them all.

Flights, from $257 to $1,112

The one-hour flight costs $257. It is the quickest way to see the whole beach, but it does not land. The fly-raft package adds a full raft day to the same flight, for $401 to $401, which is less than the flight and the raft day booked separately.

The helicopter costs $1,112 a person and needs at least two to book. It lands on the sand for about 90 minutes, and it serves snacks, soft drinks, water and alcohol. It is the only way onto the beach without a crossing, and the price reflects that. The Whitehaven Beach scenic flights page sets them side by side.

What do two nights at sea cost?

The two-night sailing trips cost $372 to $471 a person, with your bed and your meals on board. OzSail's two-night seat is the cheapest; 'Spank Me' is the dearest, and the trimaran Avatar sits between them.

For that you get two nights' sleep and every meal, as well as the days on the water. Drinks are extra on all of them, and OzSail's seat charges $13 a day to park at the marina. The Whitehaven Beach sailing tours page has the ages and the refund windows.

The private charter, priced per boat

The Rayglass charter costs $2,793 for the boat, for a group of up to eight, for six or eight hours. It is the only fare here priced per group rather than per person.

Split eight ways, that is about $349 a person, before catering. For a full boat, it costs less per head than the fly-raft package and gives you your own route. For a couple, it is the dearest way to go. It is non-refundable.

What extras does the fare leave out?

• Drinks: sold on board on most boats. Camira pours soft drinks, beer and wine in the fare, and the helicopter serves drinks.
• A public holiday surcharge: Ocean Rafting adds $20 per adult, $10 per child or $50 per family on Queensland public holidays, paid at check-in.
• Catering on the charter: $30 a person.
• Kit: a prescription mask costs $25 on the raft, fins are not included on Red Cat, and Whitehaven Xpress hires out winter suits.
• Parking: $13 a day at the marina for OzSail's overnight guests.
• Gratuities: excluded on the half-day catamaran and on Camira.

How can you pay less for the same day?

Start by checking whether the day you want is sold twice. Some operators list the same day under more than one listing, at slightly different fares. Ocean Rafting's raft day shows $180 on one and $177 on the other, ZigZag's eco-cruise $173 and $170, and Camira $187 and $184. Compare both, and read the cancellation terms too, because Camira's differ from one listing to the other.

Then look at the extras. If you book Ocean Rafting, avoid a Queensland public holiday and you skip the surcharge. If you drink, Camira's fare includes beer and wine, which you would buy at the bar on most other boats. If you can walk to Coral Sea Marina, ZigZag's missing pickup costs you nothing. And if a fare is non-refundable, only book it once your dates are fixed, because a lost fare is the dearest outcome of all.

Which fares refund late?

Most refund in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. That includes every flight, the raft days, SeaLink, Red Cat, ZigZag, Iconic, Whitehaven Xpress, Avatar and OzSail's two-night seat.

Camira needs two or three days' notice, depending on the listing, and 'Spank Me' four. The half-day catamaran and the private charter do not refund at all. If your dates might move, that difference is worth more than the few dollars between two fares.

Is the cheapest worth it?

It depends on what you want from the day. If you want to stand on the sand and swim in a stinger suit, the half-day catamaran does that for less than any full day. If you want the lookout, it cannot give it to you at any price.

For most first visits, a full day is the better buy. SeaLink costs about double the half day and adds lunch, the lookout and a refundable fare. The raft day adds a snorkel and both ends of the beach for a few dollars more. Our post on whether the beach is worth it weighs the hours.

Our value picks

For the least money on the sand, the half-day catamaran. For the most in one fare, the ocean-raft day: the lookout, both ends of the beach, a snorkel and lunch for $180. For a steadier day with no swim, the big-catamaran day at $169.

If you are going to spend big, spend it on the thing no boat can give you. The helicopter lands you on the sand for about 90 minutes with nobody else from a tour boat beside you. All three picks for this guide are in the block below.

Frequently asked questions

Three fares, three budgets

Whitehaven Beach Morning or Afternoon Tour

A morning or afternoon catamaran of just over six hours, with up to two hours at the southern end of the beach and a stinger suit. No lookout walk, and no refund if you cancel.

From $89 per person

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Ocean Rafting: Whitehaven Beach, Snorkelling & Hill Inlet Lookout

Seven hours on an open ocean raft: a reef snorkel in a sunsuit or wetsuit, the guided lookout walk, lunch on the sand and about two hours on the beach. Not recommended in pregnancy or with a bad back.

From $180 per person

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Heart Reef & Whitehaven Rest and Relax - ~2.5Hr Helicopter Tour

A private helicopter for two or three that flies over the reef and lands on the beach for about 90 minutes. Snacks and drinks are included, and at least two must book together.

From $1,112 per person

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