Visiting Whitehaven Beach: Getting There, Hours and Tickets
Nobody sells a ticket to Whitehaven Beach. It is a national-park beach on Whitsunday Island, open 24 hours a day, and you reach it by boat or by air. If you are pricing tours to Whitehaven Beach, start with what the park charges, which is nothing, then decide what kind of day you want to pay for.
There is no gate and no ticket
The beach is a day-use area in Whitsunday Islands National Park, part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. There is no gate and no ticket office, so a Whitehaven Beach entry ticket does not exist. You pay the boat, the plane or the helicopter that gets you there.
Some fares name the park and reef charges inside them, and your card says so where the listing does. The walks on the island cost nothing. The Hill Inlet lookout track climbs from Tongue Point at the northern end, and the Solway circuit starts near the camping area at the southern end.
| What it is | What it costs | When it is open |
|---|---|---|
| Whitehaven Beach day-use area | Nothing. No gate, no entry ticket | 24 hours a day |
| The Hill Inlet lookout track, 1.3 km return | Nothing | Always; boats reach Tongue Bay from mid to high tide |
| The Solway circuit, 2.4 km, at the southern end | Nothing | Always |
| A night in the camping area | A camping permit from the park, booked ahead | Check in after 2pm, out by 11am; up to 36 people |
| The boat or flight that takes you there | The tour fare, and nothing else | Set by each operator |
Getting to the Whitsundays
By road, you drive the Bruce Highway to Proserpine, 125 km north of Mackay. From there Shute Harbour Road runs 25 km east to Airlie Beach and a further 10 km to Shute Harbour. Every road to the boat ramps suits a 2WD.
By air, Hamilton Island has its own airstrip, about 20 km south-east of Shute Harbour, and the private charter boards at its marina. The scenic flights leave from Whitsunday Airport at Airlie Beach.
There is no road to the beach
Whitehaven Beach is on an island, and nobody can drive to Whitehaven Beach. The park lists it as reached by boat, canoe or kayak. The sea route from Shute Harbour is about 40 km, or 21.6 nautical miles, going anticlockwise round the islands. Tongue Point, for Hill Inlet, is about 49 km.
Among the tours, only the helicopter lands on the sand from the air. The one-hour scenic flight passes over and does not land.
Where the tours leave from
Most boats leave Airlie Beach from Coral Sea Marina, and the marina has more than one meeting point, so read the one on your confirmation. The half-day catamaran and Camira leave from the Port of Airlie terminal, and SeaLink from Shute Harbour. Coral Sea Marina was once called Abell Point Marina, according to one operator, so an older map may use that name. Each spot is on the departure map.
| Where you board | Where it is | Who leaves from there |
|---|---|---|
| Coral Sea Marina, north | Shingley Drive, Airlie Beach: the Northern Village and Meeting Points B and D | Ocean Rafting's raft day, Red Cat, Iconic's speedboat and ZigZag |
| Coral Sea Marina, south | Meeting Point C in the South Village | OzSail's two-night sailboat and trimaran |
| Port of Airlie | The Cruise Whitsundays terminal, 24 The Cove Road | The half-day catamaran and Camira |
| Shute Harbour | About 10 km beyond Airlie Beach; coaches run from 13 stops | SeaLink's catamaran day |
| Whitsunday Airport | 12 Air Whitsunday Road | The scenic flight, the helicopter and the flight-and-raft day |
| Base Airlie Beach Resort | 336 Shute Harbour Road, with hotel transfers | Whitehaven Xpress |
| Hamilton Island and the resorts | Hamilton Island Marina, Daydream Island, Palm Bay on Long Island | The private charter, by arrangement |
Many tours collect you from your accommodation in Airlie Beach and drive you to the boat. Others meet you at the marina. The card for each tour says which, and a reviewer in the reviews was saved only because the driver phoned and waited.
What a day costs
The fare is the only cost of the day, so the choice is what the fare buys. The quickest comparison is the length of the day against the hours you get on the sand.
| The day | What you pay | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Half a day by catamaran | $89 per person, non-refundable | Up to two hours at the southern end, tea on board, no Hill Inlet |
| A full day by boat or sail | $169 to $236 per person | Lunch, a snorkel on most, the Hill Inlet walk on most, one to four hours on the sand |
| A flight | $257 to $1,112 per person | Heart Reef and Hill Inlet from above; only the helicopter lands |
| Two nights under sail | $372 to $471 per person | Bunks, meals, snorkel stops and the beach before the day boats |
| A private boat | $2,793 per group (up to 8) | Your own skipper and your own route for six or eight hours |
Drinks are extra on most boat days. Ocean Rafting adds a surcharge on Queensland public holidays, and the private charter charges its catering separately.
Not sure which kind of day you want?
A raft day reaches both ends of the beach. A catamaran is steadier, and a flight shows you Heart Reef as well.
Swimming, stingers and safety
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service says marine stingers, sharks and crocodiles can be in the sea at any time of year. Wear a stinger suit whenever you swim or snorkel. Most snorkelling fares include one.
- No lifeguards: the islands are remote, and medical help can be hours away.
- If someone is stung: get them out of the water, pour vinegar on the sting for several minutes, and get urgent medical help. Do not rub it with sand or rinse it with fresh water.
- Sun and heat: shade on the sand is scarce, so bring a hat and sunscreen.
- Wheelchairs: the park has no wheelchair-accessible facilities, so ask your operator how you would get from the boat to the beach.
When a tour is worth paying for
Without your own boat, a tour is the way to reach the beach at all. What separates one fare from another is the rest of the day. Hill Inlet at the right tide, a snorkel over the fringing reef, lunch on the sand and a crew who knows the channels are what the better fares add.
Book the Hill Inlet walk if you want the view the beach is known for. Go by air if you want Heart Reef too, and sleep on a boat if you want the sand before the day boats arrive.
Asked before you go
Do you need a ticket for Whitehaven Beach?
Can you drive to Whitehaven Beach?
Are there toilets on the beach?
Can you swim at Whitehaven Beach?
Is there mobile reception on the beach?
Are the tours wheelchair accessible?
Do the tours include hotel pickup?
Next: read the best time to visit for the months and the tide, see the Hill Inlet guide for the lookout walk, or compare every fare on Whitehaven Beach Tours.