Whitehaven Beach sailing tours take you there under sail, on a ten-hour day or over two nights on board. You trade speed for time on deck, and the overnight boats let you sleep among the islands.
Two nights on the 82-foot sailboat 'Spank Me', sleeping on board, with breakfast, lunch and dinner, snorkel gear and park fees in the fare. Ages 16 to 80. Cancel four days out for a refund.
From $471 per person
Free cancellation up to 4 days in advance
A day under sail from the Cruise Whitsundays terminal: about three hours at the northern end, an hour for the inlet when the tide allows, and a snorkel. Drinks with alcohol pour from 10am or after snorkelling. Cancel three days out.
From $187 per person
Free cancellation up to 3 days in advance
Three days and two nights with OzSail, back at the marina about 8 or 9am on day three. Meals, a wetsuit and snorkel gear are included; snacks, drinks and marina parking at $13 a day are not.
From $372 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Two nights on the sailing trimaran Avatar for up to 26, with all meals and activities, park fees and a toilet on board. About three hours on the beach, and refunds up to 24 hours ahead.
From $434 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Camira's full day, with lunch, soft drinks and water in the fare, and beer and wine from 11am. Check in at 7:30am. The inlet walk is tidal, and this listing refunds up to two days ahead.
From $184 per person
Free cancellation up to 2 days in advance
An 82-foot sailboat from Coral Sea Marina, with breakfast, lunch and dinner, snorkel gear and park fees in the fare. Ages 16 to 80, and a four-day cancellation window.
See this tourA sailing tour takes you to the beach under sail, not engine. That makes it slower, and it is meant to be. You get time on deck, a crew that works the sails, and a pace that feels like a holiday rather than a transfer.
A sailing tour lasts a day or two nights. A day sail on Camira, a sailing catamaran, leaves from the Port of Airlie and takes ten hours there and back. The overnight trips spend two nights among the islands on a sailboat or a trimaran, with meals on board, and bring you back on the third day.
The overnight boats give you the islands at a slower pace. Avatar gives you about three hours on the beach and snorkels away from the crowded day boats. OzSail's two-night seat includes the short walk to the lookout.
On a raft the crossing is something to hold on through. Under sail it is part of the day. You can sit on deck and watch the islands pass. On OzSail's two-night seat you even help the crew cook dinner.
Camira moors at the northern end of the beach for about three hours, and adds an hour for the walk to the inlet when the tide allows. You are there before a snorkel, not squeezed between two.
Camira's fare includes lunch, soft drinks, beer and wine. On most powered boats you buy your drinks at the bar, so a day sail can cost less than it looks.
The two-night trips are the only way to sleep out among the islands without your own boat. You eat on board and wake up at anchor. The day boats all go home each evening.
Here are the sailing tours beside the rafts and catamarans that run under engine, from the listings' own figures.
| Camira day sail | Two nights under sail | A powered day boat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How long | 10 hours | Two nights | 6.5 to 8 hours |
| Time on the beach | About 3 hours | About 3 hours on Avatar | About 1 to 4 hours |
| Drinks in the fare | Yes, beer and wine too | No | No, on most |
| Ages | From 4 | 16 to 80 | Most take children |
| Fare, per person | $184 to $187 | $372 to $471 | $169 to $236 |
| Free cancellation | 2 or 3 days ahead | 24 hours, or 4 days on 'Spank Me' | 24 hours |
If you want the beach and the sea in the fewest hours, a raft or catamaran is quicker. Compare the Whitehaven Beach day tours for the powered options.
Ten hours from the Port of Airlie, with lunch, drinks, a reef snorkel and about three hours at the northern end of the beach. Cancel three days ahead.
Check availabilityIf you would rather go without a tour at all, read Whitehaven Beach without a tour.
Would a faster boat suit you better? Every tour is compared on Whitehaven Beach Tours.