How to get to Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach

Quick answer: There’s no scheduled public ferry from Airlie Beach to Whitehaven Beach. Most visitors go on a day trip by boat from Airlie Beach. GSL Marine’s Whitehaven tours leave Port of Airlie at 9:00am on the catamaran Pina Colada, reach Whitehaven in just over an hour and get you back at about 4:45 to 5:00pm. You can also go on an overnight sailing trip, skipper your own boat or take a scenic flight.

Is there a ferry from Airlie Beach to Whitehaven Beach?

It’s one of the most common questions we get at the marina, and the honest answer is no. The public ferries in the Whitsundays link the mainland with the resort islands. Whitehaven Beach sits on Whitsunday Island inside Whitsunday Islands National Park, and there’s no town, jetty or shop there. Getting there means a tour boat, a sailing trip, your own boat or a plane.

That’s a big part of the appeal. Whitehaven stretches for more than seven kilometres of white silica sand, and it’s protected national park from end to end. Queensland Parks puts the national park about 25 km east of Airlie Beach.

Option 1: a Whitehaven day trip from Port of Airlie

For most people this is the simplest way to go. You walk to the marina in the morning and come back in time for dinner on the main street.

Here’s how a day with us works:

1. 8:30am: check in at Rufus & Co Cafe, 33 Port Drive. The cafe opens at 7am if you want breakfast or a coffee first.
2. 9:00am: Pina Colada leaves Port of Airlie.
3. Mid-morning: you arrive at Whitehaven in just over an hour. The boat has a bow ramp so you can step straight onto the sand. On low tides we use a tender instead.
4. Through the day: beach time, plus the Hill Inlet walk or snorkelling, depending on the tour you choose. Lunch is served buffet-style on the beach when weather and conditions permit.
5. About 4:45 to 5:00pm: back at Port of Airlie.

National Park fees are included, so there’s nothing extra to sort out on the day. Compare the four tours on our Whitehaven Beach tours page.

Option 2: an overnight sailing trip

Tourism Whitsundays lists overnight sailing as another way to reach Whitehaven, and most multi-day trips stop there. It suits people with two or three days to spare who want to sleep on the water. The trade-off is time and cost, and you’ll usually have less control over how long you get on the sand.

Option 3: skipper your own boat

Bareboat charters (hiring a yacht or motor cruiser and skippering it yourself) are popular in the Whitsundays. Queensland Parks says you can anchor off Whitehaven Beach at all tides, and the nearest public moorings are in Tongue Bay, at the Hill Inlet end. If you go this way, you’ll need to check the weather, tides and charter company rules yourself.

Option 4: a scenic flight

Seaplanes and helicopters fly over Hill Inlet and Whitehaven, and some land on or near the beach. It’s quick and the view from above is unforgettable. If you go this way, check how long the flight actually spends on the ground.

How long does it take to get to Whitehaven Beach?

On Pina Colada it’s just over an hour from Port of Airlie to Whitehaven. Our tours run about eight hours in total, and between four and five hours of that can be on the beach, depending on which tour you pick. Sailing trips take longer because they travel under sail and usually stop at other spots on the way.

Which Whitehaven day trip should you pick?

All four of our tours use the same boat and the same timings. The difference is what you do once you’re there:

• Whitehaven Beach Club Pass, from $159 adult and $109 child (4 to 14): four to five hours on the sand with shade, paddle boards and beach games.
• Whitehaven Wanderer, from $188 adult and $138 child: the guided walk to the Hill Inlet lookout, plus two to three hours on the beach.
• Reef & Beach Experience, from $188 adult and $138 child: snorkelling at a fringing reef, plus two to three hours on the beach.
• Ultimate Whitehaven Experience, from $217 adult and $167 child: snorkelling and the Hill Inlet walk, with about an hour on the beach for lunch.

Children under 4 travel free. Prices are from the live booking pages, checked 31 October 2026. The booking page always shows today’s price.

Check Whitehaven tour dates and book online

Getting to Port of Airlie

Port of Airlie is on Port Drive, about five minutes’ walk from the Airlie Beach main street, and there’s parking at Port of Airlie. Come to Rufus & Co Cafe to check in, not straight to the boat. If you’re staying out of town, hotel transfers aren’t included, so allow time to get to the marina.

A few local tips

• Book ahead in busy periods. Popular days fill up, so booking early gives you the widest choice of tours and dates.
• Plan for tides. Tides decide when we do the Hill Inlet walk and the snorkelling, so the order of your day can change. Our Hill Inlet tides guide explains why.
• Pack properly. There are no shops on Whitehaven, so read our Whitehaven packing list before you go.

Frequently asked questions