Queensland is one of Australia‘s most famous travel destinations, popular with international travellers and interstate visitors alike. From the pristine natural wonders of Queensland’s tropical north to the soft sandy beaches, surf and vibrant cities in the southeast, Queensland offers a lifetime of adventure.

From the Great Barrier Reef to Whitehaven Beach, to sunny Brisbane and the dozens of beaches on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, there is so much to discover in Queensland!

I grew up in Queensland and return to the sunshine state several times a year. I’ve curated this Queensland Travel Guide as a concise starting point for travellers planning their first, or next trip to Queensland.

Best Time to Visit Queensland

In a nutshell, Queensland has sunny weather year-round, but with frequent summer storms from December through to February. While you can visit year-round, there is nothing like winter in Queensland!

North Queensland: Cairns, Great Barrier Reef & Whitsundays

Queensland’s tropical north has wet & dry season.

Dry season runs from May to October and is the best time to visit north Queensland, when the weather is cooler, drier and less humid. Dry season is the peak period in tropical Queensland, so you’ll find higher prices.

Wet season runs from November to April, and can bring summer storms, heavy rains and even cyclones. Wet season is off season in north Queensland, so you’ll get lower prices.

Southeast Queensland: Brisbane, Gold Coast & surrounds

Southeast Queensland has four seasons, but autumn and spring are a bit like summer but with less rain and lower humidity.

Brisbane, the Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast are sub-tropical, so while you’ll see some summer storms, particularly in January, there’s no bad time to visit. However, be prepared for some serious heat & humidity from October-March!

Getting Around Queensland

Queensland is enormous. It’s 7x bigger than the UK and more than twice the size of Texas! 

With this in mind, it is often best to fly between regions of Queensland, especially if you want to visit North Queensland and Southeast Queensland in the same trip. 

Driving is the best option between Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.

Flight Times

• Brisbane to Cairns: 2 hrs 15 minutes
• Brisbane to Hamilton Island: 1 hr 45 minutes
• Cairns to Gold Coast: 2 hrs 30 minutes

One major pain point is that there are no direct flights from Cairns to the Whitsundays. When I visited both regions in one trip, I took a Greyhound Bus (via an overnight stay in Townsville). My advice is to pick one region per trip, or spend some time in Brisbane in the middle, as you’ll need to fly via Brisbane airport anyway.

Drive Times

All drive times are a minimum, allow for extra time for breaks, and for additional time due to traffic during peak hour, weekends and school holidays

• Brisbane to Gold Coast: 50 minutes
• Brisbane to Sunshine Coast (Noosa): 2 hours
• Brisbane to Sunshine Coast (Mooloolaba, Caloundra): 90 minutes
• Gold Coast to Sunshine Coast (Mooloolaba): 2 hrs 20 minutes
• Townsville to Airlie Beach: 3 hrs 15 minutes
• Townsville to Cairns: 4 hrs 20 minutes
• Airlie Beach to Cairns: 7.5 hours

Suggested Itineraries

5 Days in Queensland

• Brisbane (2 Days) + Noosa OR the Gold Coast (3 Days)
• The Whitsundays (5 Days)
• Far North Queensland (5 Days)

7 Days in Queensland

• Gold Coast (3 Days) + Brisbane (2 Days) + Sunshine Coast (2 Days)
• Far North Queensland (4 Days) + Brisbane (3 Days)
• The Whitsundays (3 Days) + Brisbane (2 Days) + Gold Coast (2 Days)

Read more: Itinerary for One Week in Queensland from the Whitsundays-Cairns

Best Places to Visit in Queensland

Far North Queensland

Tropical Far North Queensland is home to some of Australia’s greatest natural wonders, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state, drawing more than 2 million visitors every year. 

Highlights: Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, Kuranda Skyrail

How to get there: Fly to Cairns

Where to Stay: Cairns is the largest town and a tourism hub, but chic Port Douglas and Palm Cove are more relaxing.

The Whitsundays 

The Whitsundays is Australia’s dreamiest holiday destination, home to the world-famous Whitehaven Beach, and 74 tropical islands dotting the Great Barrier Reef.

The Whitsundays islands are synonymous with luxury, thanks to five-star resorts like qualia on Hamilton Island and the Intercontinental on Hayman Island. However, you can find accommodation at a range of price points, across Hamilton Island, Daydream Island and Airlie Beach on the mainland.

Highlights: Whitehaven Beach, Great Barrier Reef, Sailing

How to get there: Fly directly to Hamilton Island & book a boat transfer if staying on another island. Alternatively, fly to Proserpine and pre-book a transfer to Airlie Beach, but this will be slower.

Where to stay: We stayed at Intercontinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef which was heaven, but you can also find accommodation on Hamilton Island, Daydream Island or Airlie Beach.

Brisbane

Brisbane is Queensland’s capital city, with an enviable subtropical climate that means many of the best things to do in Brisbane embrace the great outdoors. 

Whether walking or cycling along the River Walk, exploring Southbank Parklands, shopping on leafy James Street or drinking & dining on the waterfront under the Storey Bridge at Howard Smith Wharves, chances are, you’ll find the best of Brisbane in the great outdoors.

North Stradbroke Island & Moreton Island are Brisbane’s two largest and most popular islands, which are perfect for an island getaway.

Highlights:  Southbank, Howard Smith Wharves, James Street, Moreton Island, North Stradbroke Island

How to get there: Fly to Brisbane, which has a domestic & international airport

Where to stay: The Calile, Hotel X or Voco Brisbane City Centre

Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is one of the most famous beach destinations in Australia, with miles of deep, soft sandy beaches, popular surf spots & beautiful national parks. 

Once a sleepy beach town, the Gold Coast is now a vibrant major city, with highrises lining the coastline. The Gold Coast is busy these days, but there’s always plenty of room on the beach.

Highlights: Burleigh Beach, Burleigh Heads National Park, whale watching, Skypoint Observation Deck

How to get there: Fly to Coolangatta airport (OOL) or drive from Brisbane (90 mins)

Where to stay: QT Gold Coast, The Langham in Broadbeach 

Sunshine Coast

On the opposite side of Brisbane to the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast is a laidback alternative to the Gold Coast’s glitz and glam. 

The Sunshine Coast is made up of several small beach towns and villages spanning the coastline, including holiday hotspots like Noosa, Mooloolaba and Caloundra. Some of the best beaches on the Sunshine Coast include Kings Beach, Mooloolaba and Noosa Main Beach.

The Sunshine Coast hinterland is a mountainous region covered in warm subtropical rainforest, famous for the striking Glasshouse Mountains and the quaint mountain villages of Montville, Maleny and Eumundi. 

In Beerwah, you’ll find Steve Irwin’s legacy, Australia Zoo, which is one of the best zoos in Australia.

Highlights: Noosa, Noosa National Park, Glasshouse Mountains, Mooloolaba, Eumundi Markets, Montville, Australia Zoo

How to get there: Fly to Sunshine Coast Airport in Marcoola or drive from Brisbane (2 hours)

Where to stay: Noosa, Mooloolaba or Caloundra

Best Things to Do in Queensland

Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and one of the most precious sites in the state. Book a day tour to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef from the Whitsundays, Cairns & Townsville.

Hit the beach

Queensland has more than 1700 beaches to explore, from popular city beaches to remote, hidden beaches. Some of the best beaches in Queensland can be found on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Southeast Queensland has strong currents, which can make great conditions for surfing, but can be dangerous. Always swim at patrolled beaches, and swim between the flags.

Go whale watching

Humpback whale watching is one of the best things to do in Queensland, during whale watching season between June to November. The best places to go whale watching in Queensland are in southeast Queensland, in Hervey Bay, the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. You can also go whale watching in the Whitsundays from July-September.

I’ve been whale watching in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, and both tours have been an unforgettable day out.

Find whale watching tours:

Best Islands in Queensland

There are nearly two thousand islands in Queensland: 1,955 to be precise! Queensland’s coastline is dotted with islands big & small, but there are a few special places that stand out amongst the crowd.

Hayman Island

Hayman Island is one of the 8 inhabited islands in the Whitsundays region, which has 74 islands in total. Hayman Island only has one resort, the InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef, which is one of the most luxurious resorts in the state.

From Hayman Island, you can arrange day tours to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, sail the Whitsundays and visit Whitehaven Beach.

How to get there

Fly with Jetstar to Hamilton Island. Pre-booked boat transfers run from Hamilton Island airport to Hayman Island, and take around 40 minutes.

K’Gari (Fraser Island)

K’Gari (Fraser Island) is the largest sand island in the world. You can camp on Fraser Island, if you have a 4WD, or you can stay at Kingfisher Bay Resort and book guided tours around the island. If you’re not an experienced 4WDer, I’d recommend staying at the resort instead.

How to get there

To get to Fraser Island, it’s a 3 hour drive from Brisbane to Inskip Point, where the 10-minute ferry departs.

Moreton Island

Moreton Island is one of Brisbane’s two major islands, in Moreton Bay. Like Fraser Island, it’s very popular with campers, and the only way to get around the island is with a 4WD.

If you don’t have your own 4WD, the best option is to stay at Tangalooma Resort, which is famous for its wild dolphin feeding in the bay, which is included as part of the accommodation package. The dolphin feeding is managed by eco rangers, to ensure the safety of the dolphins.

How to get there

The passenger ferry from Brisbane to Moreton Island leaves from Pinkenba and takes approximately 75 minutes

Have you been to Queensland? Are you planning a trip? Let me know in the comments!

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