Airlie Beach Tour Prices

Airlie Beach tour prices run from $68 for the Cedar Creek bus to $2,793 for a private boat for the day. This guide sorts every fare by what it buys: the short trips, a Whitehaven Beach day, the sailing days, the flights, two nights at sea and the charters. It then covers what the fares leave out and which ones refund. For the fares side by side, see the Whitsundays tours from Airlie Beach.

How much does an Airlie Beach tour cost?

Most day tours cost $172 to $187 a person, and that buys a full day to Whitehaven Beach with lunch. The short trips cost less than $100. The flights, two nights at sea and the private boats cost more. The table sets out the main fares with what each one includes.

Every fare here is in US dollars and per person, except the private charters, which are per boat for up to eight.

Under $100: the short trips

The cheapest tour is the Cedar Creek bus, at $68 for three hours with about an hour and 40 minutes at a rainforest swimming hole. The falls themselves are free; the fare pays for the ride, the guide, water shoes and banana bread.

The jet boat costs $71 for 30 minutes on the bay, which makes it the dearest short trip by the hour, at about $144. The hinterland bus costs $78 for four hours, the sunset sail $87, the jet ski $93 and the Segway $97 with dinner.

These are the fares to fit around a boat day, or to fill a free afternoon. The Airlie Beach half-day tours page compares them all.

A Whitehaven Beach day for $172 to $187

A full day to the beach costs $172 to $187 a person, and every one of them includes lunch. The difference is in the details. Ocean Rafting costs $180 for seven hours, about $26 an hour, with about two hours on the sand. Red Cat's snorkel cruise costs $181 for eight hours, with two snorkel stops and about an hour on the sand.

ZigZag costs $173 and gives you up to four hours on the beach, but no inlet. Big Fury costs $174. The full-day cruise from the harbour costs $172 with a free bus. Camira costs $187 for ten hours with drinks in the fare, about $19 an hour.

Price is close across the board, so you can pick by the ride and your time on the sand. Airlie Beach tours to Whitehaven Beach sets them out side by side.

Sailing days

A day under sail costs you about the same as a powered day. Tongarra costs $142 for eight and a half hours to Langford Island, with a stinger suit and snorkel gear. Wings III costs $174 for six hours and a quarter, with paddle boards and a clear-bottom kayak. Camira costs $187 and is the only day sail to Whitehaven Beach.

On Tongarra and Wings III you bring your own drinks, so add those to your budget. The Airlie Beach sailing tours page compares every sail.

Flights from $253 to $1,112

The small planes cost $253 to $257 a person for an hour in the air. They do not land. The fly-raft package costs $401 and adds the full raft day to the flight.

The helicopter costs $1,112 a person, for two or three, and at least two must book. It lands on Whitehaven Beach for about 90 minutes, with snacks and drinks. The Airlie Beach flight tours page sets out weight limits and check-in times.

Two nights at sea from $434

Two nights on a sailing boat cost $434 to $506 a person. Avatar costs $434, 'Spank Me' $471, and the Prosail yachts $506. Meals and bunks are in every fare; drinks are not.

Across three days that is good value, because you sleep and eat on board. But check your terms before you pay: the Prosail yachts are non-refundable, and 'Spank Me' needs four days' notice.

Private charters, priced per boat

Your own boat and skipper for up to eight costs $2,769 to $2,793 for six or eight hours. For a full boat of eight, that is about $346 to $349 a head, before catering at $30 a head.

You choose the route and the start point, in town or at the island resorts. Neither charter refunds if you cancel, so book once your dates are fixed.

What does the fare leave out?

• Drinks: on most boats, sold on board or bring your own. Camira is the exception.
• A public holiday surcharge: Ocean Rafting adds $20 per adult, $10 per child or $50 per family on Queensland public holidays.
• A prescription mask: $25 to hire on the raft day. Red Cat does not supply one.
• Fins: not supplied on Red Cat or Tongarra.
• Catering: $30 a head on the private charters.
• Parking: the jet boat's marina charges for it.
• Lunch on the hinterland bus: the diner stop is at your own cost.

What do children pay?

Most fares are sold per person, and the child price appears when you pick a date and enter ages, so you see it before you pay. Ocean Rafting's public holiday surcharge shows that children count: $10 per child against $20 per adult.

Age limits matter more than the price. The jet boat takes riders from age five and 120 cm tall. Tongarra takes ages 12 and over, and the Segway riders from 12. Jet ski drivers must be 16, though riders can be 8. 'Spank Me' sells places to ages 16 to 80, and the Prosail yachts are normally 18 and over.

At the other end, Fly Australia seats infants on laps and has infant seats, and Big Fury takes children from three. If you are travelling as a family, check the ages before you compare the fares, because the cheapest day may not take your youngest. The post on Airlie Beach with kids sorts the days by age.

How can you spend less?

You can cut the bill without cutting the best of the trip. Spend your free days on the free things: the lagoon, the boardwalk, the beaches and the walks cost you nothing. Save your money for the one day you cannot do alone, the crossing to Whitehaven Beach.

If you drive, you can reach the waterfall yourself and skip the bus fare. If you bring your own drinks on the boats that allow it, you avoid the bar. If you book a fare with an offer, you pay the offer price shown on its card.

On a Whitehaven day, you get the most sand for your money on ZigZag's beach ticket, up to four hours for $173. You give up the inlet in return, so weigh that before you book.

Which fares refund late, and which never?

Most fares refund in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before. Camira needs three days, and 'Spank Me' four. Both Prosail yachts and both private charters never refund.

So book the 24-hour fares as soon as your dates are fixed, and the others once they are certain. Our guide to choosing a tour sorts the rest of the choice.

Our value picks

For the least money, the Cedar Creek bus at $68. For a Whitehaven day, the ocean-raft day at $180 gives you the lookout, a snorkel, lunch and about two hours on the sand. For two nights, the Prosail yacht Condor at $506 puts the lookout walk and the beach on day two, with a bed and meals. All three are in the block below.

Frequently asked questions

Value across the range

Airlie Beach: 3-hour Cedar Creek Small-Group Eco Half-Day Tour

Three hours out to the rainforest swimming hole and back, with about an hour and 40 minutes at the water. Water shoes, pool noodles, banana bread and coffee are in the fare, with an eco-certified guide.

From $68 per person

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Ocean Rafting: Whitehaven Beach, Snorkelling & Hill Inlet Lookout

Seven hours by semi-rigid ocean raft to the beach and the inlet, with the guided lookout walk, a reef snorkel in a sunsuit or wetsuit and a tropical lunch on the sand. A courtesy bus collects you in town.

From $180 per person

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2 Day/2 Night Prosail Whitsundays Sailing Adventure on Condor

Three days and two nights on a maxi yacht, sleeping in a bed with linen, with meals, snorkel gear and three crew. The lookout walk and the beach come on day two; bring your own drinks. Non-refundable.

From $506 per person

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