Tropical Queensland: Gold Coast to Cairns
Tropical Queensland: Gold Coast to Cairns
Tropical Queensland: Gold Coast to Cairns
10 Days Starting in Gold Coast, Australia and ending in Cairns, Australia
Visiting: Gold Coast, Airlie Beach, Magnetic Island, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef
Tour operator:
Tour code:
QGCC25
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable adventure through Tropical Queensland, from the vibrant Gold Coast to the lush landscapes of Cairns. This tour offers a perfect blend of relaxation and exploration, with opportunities to choose your own adventures in the Gold Coast, Whitsundays, and Cairns. Discover the wonders of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland. Enjoy a responsible marine wildlife viewing cruise around Magnetic Island, and explore the ancient rainforests surrounding Cairns. With comfortable accommodations and a specialist team of experienced guides, this tour ensures a seamless and enriching experience. Whether you're hiking, snorkeling, or simply soaking up the sun, this journey promises breathtaking natural beauty and unforgettable memories.
Make Travel Matter
Your Great Barrier Reef cruise operator on Magnetic Island strictly follows guidelines for responsible marine wildlife viewing, aiming to protect the diverse marine life of this natural wonder.
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome To The Gold Coast
Location: Gold Coast
Accommodation Name: Novotel Surfers Paradise
Meals Included: Dinner
The Gold Coast boasts a sparkling reputation – for good reason. It enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year, which you can bask in when you touch down in the Queensland city and start to take its pulse at your leisure. But before you do, we have lofty treat for you. Join a guide to head 77 stories up into the air in the iconic Q1 building, where the city unfolds before you from the SkyPoint Observation Deck. At your Welcome Dinner we’ll give you tips on how to spend tomorrow, whether padding along beaches (there’s 57km of coastline to explore), discovering colourful neighbourhoods or heading to the hinterland.
Day 2: Gold Coast Free Time
Location: Gold Coast
Accommodation Name: Novotel Surfers Paradise
The Gold Coast may have a laid-back vibe, but this is Australia’s sixth-largest city. There’s a lot to pack in, so bring your stamina. The hardest thing you have to do is decide today which direction to set your compass. Begin the day on the sand, perhaps, whether at legendary beaches like Surfers Paradise or further afield in hamlets of the south or along calm estuaries. Foodie? Hop between cafes, restaurants, bars and vibrant markets. Discover the city’s cultural vibe browsing museums and galleries. Or feel the cool of the Gondwana rainforest in the hinterland, where walking tracks lead to distilleries and wineries between time-forgot villages (own expense). We challenge you to do it all.
Day 3: Gold Coast - Airlie Beach
Location: Airlie Beach
Accommodation Name: Mantra Club Croc
Say farewell to the Gold Coast and fly north to Airlie Beach, the gateway to the dazzling 74 tropical islands of the Whitsundays. Life moves at a slow pace in Airlie, in keeping with the balmy climes. Follow the lead of locals and soak it all in – slowly – while getting a taste for the produce of the region at any number of alfresco restaurants and bars. Or splash about in Airlie’s enormous man-made lagoon, particularly pretty at sunset. The choice is yours this afternoon and evening.
Day 4: Airlie Beach Free Time
Location: Airlie Beach
Accommodation Name: Mantra Club Croc
The Whitsundays is home to some big-name islands, Hayman, Hamilton and Daydream among them. But there are endless others to discover, whether from the air or the water. Today we’re letting you choose. Perhaps rise early for a scenic helicopter ride over Heart Reef. Or catch a catamaran to Whitehaven Beach, with sand so high in silica it squeaks underfoot. You can also opt to go chasing waterfalls in the lush hinterland, where hiking trails weave through the emerald canopy and lead to gem-like waterholes (all own expense). Whichever way you go, be sure to pack your swimsuit.
Day 5: Airlie Beach - Townsville - Magnetic Island
Location: Magnetic Island
Accommodation Name: Peppers Blue on Blue, Magnetic Island
Just off the coast of Townsville, to which you've travelled by coach, Magnetic Island is a very special pocket of national parkland. In fact, more than two thirds of the land here is protected, woven with 25km of hiking trails. Alight your ferry and get your bearings with a local guide, to glimpse palm-fringed beaches backdropped by enormous granite boulders, hidden waterfalls and forests of lush hoop pines and eucalypts where koalas like to hang out. Fun fact: the island is home to the largest population of koalas in northern Australia. It’s all enveloped by opaline lagoons that glimmer in Queensland’s tropical sun.
Day 6: Magnetic Island
Location: Magnetic Island
Accommodation Name: Peppers Blue on Blue, Magnetic Island
Those gleaming coral reefs you glimpsed yesterday? Today on our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, you’re getting a close-up look on a cruise around Magnetic’s 23 bays and endless beaches. Jump aboard your floating chariot to glide across the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, learning about what’s being done to protect this fragile ecosystem. It can get warm in these parts; thankfully you’ll have plenty of time to cool off with a dip or snorkel before heading back to land. Tonight, discover the island’s restaurants and bars at your own pace.
Day 7: Magnetic Island - Townsville - Cairns
Location: Cairns
Accommodation Name: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns
From the reef to the rainforest – today you’re heading even deeper into Tropical North Queensland. Return by ferry to dry land and travel by coach from Townsville to Cairns, a place where two World Heritage Sites converge: the Great Barrier Reef meets the Wet Tropics of Queensland. Needless to say, it’s a pretty special destination. Touch down and take your time soaking up the tropical surrounds of this city, whether you’re wandering along the buzzy Esplanade, enjoying seafood by the marina or checking out one of the hip bars and lounges that now call Cairns home.
Day 8: Cairns & Surrounds
Location: Cairns
Accommodation Name: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns
Things cool down when you journey to Kuranda, set high on the eastern edge of the Atherton Tablelands. This village in the rainforest comes with personality to spare. It’s also an important floral and faunal corridor, as you’ll discover when you arrive and explore at your leisure. You’ll take in the natural drama from your ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, offering you a bird’s-eye view over strangler figs, orchids and palms, not to mention gushing waterfalls. Keep watch for the elusive cassowary, which calls this part of the world home. The rest of the day and evening is at your leisure.
Day 9: Great Barrier Reef
Location: Great Barrier Reef
Accommodation Name: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest of its kind in the world. Today you’ll get to dive into part of it on a high-speed catamaran cruise over the Coral Sea. Pull on your mask and snorkel (equipment provided) to swim with turtles, moray eels, giant clams and a menagerie of tropical fish. Your guides will tell you how important this ecosystem is to the biodiversity of the planet. If you prefer to keep your hair dry, the marine wonderland can also be glimpsed from an underwater observatory and glass-bottom boat. A tropical buffet lunch will be served before you return to Cairns. Endless sunshine, countless beaches, memories of coral reefs and tropical fish, rainforests and waterfalls... you'll be glowing when it's time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers after your Farewell Dinner.
Day 10: Farewell From Cairns
Location: Cairns
Meals Included: Breakfast
We bid you farewell after breakfast. We wouldn’t blame you for lingering to catch a final few rays before you fly home, though.
What's Included
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Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver
A specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver will accompany you throughout the tour.
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland, including Barron Gorge National Park and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
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Comfortable accommodation
Enjoy comfortable accommodation with easy access to city centres, including stays at Novotel Surfers Paradise, Mantra Club Croc, Peppers Blue on Blue, and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns.
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Internal-holiday airfare
The tour price includes internal-holiday airfare, with flights arriving at Gold Coast Airport and departing from Cairns Airport.
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Great Barrier Reef cruise
A cruise around Magnetic Island's 23 bays and beaches, with opportunities to snorkel and learn about marine wildlife protection.
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Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Experience the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway for a bird's-eye view over the rainforest and waterfalls.
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Snorkeling equipment
Snorkeling equipment is provided for the Great Barrier Reef experience.
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Tropical buffet lunch
A tropical buffet lunch is served during the Great Barrier Reef cruise.
What's Not Included
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Return airport to hotel transfers
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price.
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Optional activities
Optional activities such as helicopter rides, catamaran trips to Whitehaven Beach, and hinterland hiking are at your own expense.
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Meals
Meals are not included unless specified in the itinerary.
Mode of Transport
Travel includes internal-holiday airfare, with flights arriving at Gold Coast Airport and departing from Cairns Airport. Return airport to hotel transfers are not included.
Accommodation
Enjoy comfortable accommodation with easy access to city centres, including stays at Novotel Surfers Paradise, Mantra Club Croc, Peppers Blue on Blue, and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns.
Dining Summary
- 2 Dinner (D)
- 9 Full Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- 1 Farewell Dinner (FD)
Fitness Requirement
- Low level of fitness required.
Flexible Holidays
- Choose your own optional adventures on the Gold Coast, in the Whitsundays and Cairns, where surf and sand meet rainforest hinterland. Hike, swim, snorkel, cruise, repeat.
Flight information
- Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 1.00pm into Gold Coast Airport Day 10 – flights to depart anytime from Cairns Airport Tour price includes internal-holiday airfare. Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price.
Iconic Sites
- How many people get to say they visited two World Heritage Sites on a single holiday? You can: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland.
Natural Wonders
- Some of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest envelops Cairns, this verdant tangle of ferns and palms, a natural magnet for native wildlife.
What to Bring
- Comfortable walking shoes Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat Water bottle Warm layers in cooler months Camera
Check out our Q&As
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What kind of activities can I choose from during the tour?
During the tour, you have the option to choose from various activities such as hiking, swimming, snorkeling, and cruising. You can also opt for optional activities like helicopter rides, catamaran trips to Whitehaven Beach, and hinterland hiking at your own expense.
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Are there any special experiences included in the tour?
Yes, the tour includes a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where you will have a cruise around Magnetic Island's 23 bays and beaches, learning about the conservation efforts for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
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What kind of wildlife might I see on this tour?
You may encounter a variety of wildlife including koalas on Magnetic Island, which has the largest population of koalas in northern Australia. In the rainforest near Cairns, you might spot the elusive cassowary. While snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, you can see turtles, moray eels, giant clams, and a variety of tropical fish.
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What is the level of fitness required for this tour?
The tour requires a low level of fitness, making it accessible for most travelers.
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What are the accommodation options during the tour?
The tour includes comfortable accommodation with easy access to city centers, including stays at Novotel Surfers Paradise, Mantra Club Croc, Peppers Blue on Blue, and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns.
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What is the policy on responsible wildlife viewing during the tour?
The Great Barrier Reef cruise operator on Magnetic Island follows strict guidelines for responsible marine wildlife viewing to protect the diverse marine life of this natural wonder.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
The beauty of taking a holiday with us is you’ll have the opportunity to meet and travel with people from all over the globe.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
It is important to adhere to departure times while on tour for the comfort of everyone on-board, and to make sure no one misses out on the planned experiences. The coach will not be able to wait for you, and in some instances, if you miss a departure time you will need to make your own way to the next destination to re-join the tour.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
AAT Kings operated Guided Holidays have competitive single supplement rates available if you prefer to confirm your own room. Or we can match you to share with a guest of the same gender at no extra cost. If we fail to match you, we will accommodate you in a single room at no extra cost.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Over 100 years
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
We will email your documents to you approximately four weeks before your departure date provided you have completed your pre trip registration using the My Travel Portal. If you’ve booked through a travel agent, your documents will be emailed directly to your agent.
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Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
AAT Kings requires a minimum deposit of 100 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of aat kings charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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