If you ask me, a road trip along the Coast of Queensland is definitely a once in a lifetime, bucket list experience! There are so many unique places to see, and the nature is just simply phenomenal! Keep reading to find out what a perfect 2 Week Queensland Itinerary looks like 🙂
Some notes about the itinerary before we start.
travel style: mostly budget, with some splurges here and there
Since I had just finished university when I did this trip, naturally my style of travel was mostly budget travel. The tours I went on and the accommodation and transport options I have chosen are mostly the most affordable options that I could find. I cooked most of my meals in the hostels I was staying at, which is why you will find few restaurant recommendations in this itinerary.
You can find a detailed breakdown of all my expenses in this post here.
what time of year you should go
The most important thing to know is that November through May is considered the “stinger” (Jellyfish!) season in QLD. There are two dangerous stinger species in the waters during this time, namely the Box jellyfish and the Irukandji. So if you like to spend some time in the water, I’d recommend to visit the North as far away from those months as possible.
direction of travel
My itinerary runs from North to South, which means it starts in Cairns and ends in Brisbane. However, the itinerary can of course also be done in the opposite direction. There are different things to consider when choosing where to start. First of all, the stinger season. If you are in the shoulder months, you might want to lay out your itinerary to be as far away from the stinger season as possible.
Otherwise, in general the North is a lot warmer and more tropical than the South. Some people prefer to start in the North (when the South is still cold), and work their way down to give the South more time to warm up. This would be true if you are traveling in the Australian spring (= Northern hemisphere fall). The opposite is true, if you are there during the autumn months (=Northern hemisphere spring).
Another point of view, is that some people simply prefer to end their trip in the more tropical, “paradise like” Northern Queensland. But that’s really a personal preference 🙂
summary of the 2 week itinerary
- Days 1-4: Cairns
- Days 5-7: Magnetic Island
- Days 8-11: Airlie Beach
- Days 12-15: Noosa
- Day 16 and onwards: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Byron Bay (check out my other post!)
For some days you will find a very detailed, almost hour by hour itinerary. On other days, which are slower and there’s more flexibility in what you can and want to do, I will only broadly state what there is to do 🙂
day 1: arrival in cairns
Welcome to Cairns!
Since Cairns is so far North, no matter where you are coming from you’ll likely only be arriving around noon. Use the first day to settle in and prepare for all of your action packed next days.
accommodation
I stayed at Gilligan’s Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns, which is THE party hostel of the city. If you’re into that, I’d recommend it – I had a really fun time!
what to do in cairns
If you have the energy, you can start exploring the city (it’s not very big!) and use the time to figure out where the starting points of any potential tours of the next days are.
My personal highlight in Cairns is the Esplanade Lagoon and its surroundings (there’s even a Ferris Wheel!). Something very important you need to know, is that Cairns’ waters are not swimmable!! That’s why the city has built a lovely lagoon close to the beach that is open to the public for free! It’s a great area for picnics, taking a swim and just relaxing. There is also a board walk along the coast, where you can enjoy the sunset during an evening walk.
I’d recommend to have an early night since you have a long day ahead tomorrow!
day 2: cape tribulation & Daintree Rainforest
7 am – start of the tour
Rise and shine, time to start your Cape Tribulation & Daintree Rainforest adventure! I personally decided to explore the area by booking an all-day Cape Tribulation & Daintree tour for the day, you can check it out here.
10 am – mossman gorge
After an initial 2-3h drive, the first stop of the day is going to be Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest. Your stop will start with a smoke ceremony by the local Kuku Yalanji people, before you get some free time to swim in the gorge.
You can also get breakfast and/or a coffee at this stop, if you need a little pick me up.
12 pm – daintree river cruise (crocodile spotting!)
Once you get back to the bus, a one hour drive later you’ll arrive by the Daintree River. Here you will board a boat and go on a crocodile spotting cruise. The local rangers are so knowledgeable, you are very likely to see at least one specimen along the way!
The last stop before lunch is the Alexandra lookout, where you can see the merging of the vastness of the lush green rainforest with the deep blue sea.
pic
2 pm – lunch & rainforest walk
Your tour guide will stop for lunch along the way somewhere, before continuing on a guided rainforest boardwalk tour. The guide will teach you all sorts of interesting facts about the rainforest, its inhabitants and the local plants.
You’ll now start slowly making your way back to Cairns. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to get some ice cream from the Daintree Ice Cream Company.
On the way, keep your eyes out for Cassowaries! You might just be lucky enough to spot one on the side of the road 🙂
5 pm – port douglas & flagstaff hill lookout
Your last stop is going to be Port Douglas. Here you’ll have a moment to walk around, and you’ll also stop at the Flagstaff Hill lookout to see the area from above!
10 pm – party at gilligan’s!
Once you’re back, if you’re still up for it, go party the night away at Gilligan’s! You have to do it at least once while you’re there 😉
day 3: palm cove or kuranda
Today you can either have a chill day around Cairns (which is what I did and that’s what I’ll outline below). Or you can have another action packed day by visiting Kuranda, a small mountain village where you can take a scenic, historical train journey. Check this option out here!
9 am – morning in cairns
After a long night spend an easy morning in Cairns. You can visit Rusty’s, a cute lil’ market with fresh produce and some cute souvenir options. If you have the budget, treat yourself to a nice breakfast or cup of coffee in one of Cairns’ many cafés. I can recommend Crave Cairns.
12 pm – drive to palm cove
At noon, take the bus to Palm Cove. Palm Cove is a quaint little holiday town an hour North of Cairns. I would check the timetable directly via Google Maps or ask in your hostel for instructions. Once you arrive in Palm Cove, spend the afternoon walking along the beach, checking out the Shopping Village and (if it’s not stinger season) going for a swim. Make sure to check with the local lifeguards whether the conditions are safe, and perhaps wear a stinger suit if necessary.
5 pm – early dinner by the beach
I chose to have an early dinner by the beach in Palm Cove in a restaurant called Chill At Portofino. Somehow this day turned out a to be a “treat yourself” day, which is why I ended the day with some ice cream from Numi.
After that, I went back to Cairns by bus and had a quiet evening in. Tomorrow is a big day, so make sure to be well rested!
Day 4: great barrier reef!!!
8 am – boat departure
Today is the big day, you’ll FINALLY get to see the Great Barrier Reef!!! THE biggest highlight of the area, if you ask me! I booked my tour with Passions of Paradise, and I had a great experience overall. I would highly highly highly recommend them again.
10 am – 1st dive of the day
After a 2h drive to the Outer Great Barrier Reef, it’s time for the first snorkel or diving stop of the day, which in our case was the Club 10 reef. Since I am a certified diver, I obviously chose the diving option! The great thing, is that you can even choose an introductory dive without having any prior diving experience! I cannot recommend enough to choose the diving options, the experience is surreal!!!
12 pm – lunch & 2nd dive of the day
After some time in the water, you’ll head over to the second diving spot of the day. During the transfer, they will serve your lunch. Perhaps this was the lunch with the best view in my life, I was really in awe all day long.
Once you reach the second reef of the day, it’s time for your second dive or snorkelling experience. In my case the second location was the 3 Sisters reef. Once again, just breathtaking!
5 pm – back in cairns
On the way back, you get the opportunity to learn about the marine life at the Great Barrier Reef in a presentation by some crew members. You’ll have some coffee and cake, and before you know it you’ll be back in Cairns.
Once you’re back, you should go out to the Esplanade for one last sunset in Cairns, before leaving for Magnetic Island early the next day.
Day 5: off to magnetic island
Take the early morning Greyhound Bus to Townsville, and directly hop on the ferry to Magnetic Island (or as the locals lovingly call it, Maggie Island).
accommodation
I stayed at Nomads near Nelly Bay, which is a beachfront hostel with views on the ocean from your hut! Honestly, a 10/10 budget accommodation!
Spend the rest of the day at the beach, just enjoying the surroundings 🙂
day 6: magnetic island tour
Time to start exploring the rest of the island! Personally I booked a tour to take me around the island, but retrospectively I believe you could easily do this with public transport as well!
10 am – picnic bay jetty
The tour first takes you to the Western part of the island. The Picnic Bay Jetty is an old, historic jetty with beautiful views of the water and “mainland” Australia.
12 pm – geoffrey bay & rock wallabies
This is one of my personal highlights!! Close to Geoffrey Bay there are some large rocks, which Rock Wallabies call their home. So cute!!
1 pm – horseshoe bay
This is a really nice beach (which also has Stinger nets), and there are also several nice restaurants where you can stop for lunch.
3 pm – snorkelling
This is not part of the tour, but you will still have time to go snorkelling after the tour if you want to. There are two “official” snorkel trails on the island. Check them out here! Just make sure to ask the locals beforehand whether it is safe to swim at the time you are visiting. Because as mentioned, there is a distinct stinger season in QLD.
8 pm – good vibes at nomad’s
If you’re staying at Nomad’s, spend your evening in the common area with the other travellers! The vibes are great!
day 7: forts walk koala spotting
5 am – sunrise over the ocean (optional)
During my trip I wanted to see the sun rise above the water at least once. Hence, I decided to wake up bright and early once again to marvel at the beautiful colours in the morning. If you’re not up to it, you can of course skip this 🙂
8 am – forts walk & koala spotting
It’s finally time to see Koalas!!! That’s right, REAL Koalas in their natural habitat, how exciting!! Take the bus to “The Forts” bus station and start the Forts Walk. Since Koalas are slightly more active during dawn and dusk, I’d recommend to start the walk as early as possible. You’ll also thank yourself later to have started early once the sun starts glaring down stronger and stronger throughout the day.
The round trip should take you around 2 hours. Keep an eye out for Koalas on the trees all the time. Ask fellow hikers for hints, and also be nice enough to share when you spotted one. The walk in called “Forts Walk” because there are many bunkers and other remnants from Australia’s involvement in WWII.
11 am – lunch & snorkelling
Once you’re done with the Forts Walk, make your way back to the hostel. You can use the rest of your time on the island to do the second Snorkelling Tour (I repeat, only IF it is safe stinger wise), which is located right in front of the hostel.
4 pm – ferry to townsville
I’d recommend to take the ferry back in the late afternoon, before it gets dark. In my experience, there’s really nothing to see and do in Townsville. So really just come back to crash for the night (ideally close to the Greyhound Station) and get ready for the drive to Airlie Beach tomorrow.
day 8: drive to airlie beach
Your bus from Townsville departs really early and will arrive around noon in Airlie Beach.
accommodation
I decided to stay in Base Airlie Beach. Once again, a lovely hostel with good vibes and within walking distance from the Greyhound station AND the Coral Marina (this is where the sailing trip will start tomorrow!). Another plus is that this accommodation offers luggage storage. This will come in handy since most sailing tours only allow a small, zipper-less piece of luggage on board!
what to do in airlie beach
- Lagoon: Like many other Aussie cities, Airlie Beach also has a lagoon in the city that is safe to swim in. Check it out!
- Hike: There are several hikes around Airlie Beach that lead to great lookouts. Some to consider are: Airlie Creek Track, Conway National Park Head, Honeyeater Lookout Trail.
- Coral Sea Marina & Bicentennial Walk: A nice and easy walking trail along the ocean leading to the Coral Sea Marina. There are some amazing yachts in this Marina, very fascinating to look at!
- Shopping: Airlie Beach has some amazing boutiques!! If you have some space in your suitcase, be sure to check out the local shops 🙂
- Prepare for sailing trip: Most sailing trips operate on a BYOB (bring your own booze) principle, and the booze can’t be in glass bottles! So come prepared if you want to enjoy a nice drink during sunset tomorrow…
day 9: first day of sailing trip
Today it’s time for sailing! Personally I booked a 2 day 1 night sailing trip on the Siska. The Siska is one of the cheapest options, which means that the people on board are mostly younger travellers, which was great for me. Get ready for two very relaxing, laid back days.
We had two snorkel stops on the first day, and then we slowly started sailing towards our anchor point for the night.
day 10: second day of sailing trip
On the second day of your sailing trip, you’ll get to the Whitsundays!! The great thing about an overnight sailing tour is, that you will reach the world-famous Whitehaven beach before all the day-trippers can arrive. You won’t be alone, but it will certainly be less crowded than 2-3 hours later.
things to do in the whitsundays
- Hill Inlet Lookout: You have the best views over Whitehaven Beach and the surroundings from this lookout!
- Take pictures with the most photographed dead tree trunk
- Look out for sting rays
- Swim in the crystal clear sea (here again, check if it is stinger season with your captain, you might want to wear a stinger suit)
After a few hours on the island, you’ll slowly start sailing back to Airlie Beach. What an amazing 2 days! Check into your accommodation for the night (ideally the same as the one you had on your first night in Airlie Beach) and relax the rest of the evening 🙂
day 11: airlie beach & overnight bus to noosa
Spend the day relaxing, buying some souvenirs, shopping at the cute boutique stores, swimming in the lagoon, or doing whatever else your heart desires.
In the afternoon, take the overnight Greyhound Bus to Noosa (woop woop, you’ll save on accommodation this way).
day 12: arrival in noosa heads
You’ll arrive bright and early in Noosa Heads!
accommodation
I stayed at the Halse Lodge, which has a great location very close to the beach. There are many hostels which are closer to the Greyhound Bus station, further inland. But if you plan to spend several days in Noosa, I’d highly recommend to stay by the beach. The hostel I stayed in is quite calm and relaxed, if you’re looking for a party hostel this is not the place for you!
Spend the rest of the day exploring the city and the shops, and chill out by the beach. You can also hike up to the Laguna Lookout for a panoramic view of the area.
FYI, you’ll finally have left the stinger areas behind you, so one less thing to worry about 🙂
day 13: explore noosa heads
9:30 am – morning yoga by the beach
I decided to change things up today and start the day with some morning yoga by the water. I really enjoyed this experience, it was very serene and good for the soul. After spending so much time on the go it was nice to relax body and soul a bit differently for once. I booked my session here.
12 pm – coastal walk
In the afternoon it’s time to explore the coastal walk in Noosa National Park. There’s a 6 km (roundtrip) long trail along the coast, which will take you past several different beaches. If you’re a proficient surfer, you might want to take a board with you, as there are some nice surf spots along the way.
5 pm – sunset by the beach
Spend the evening at the beach and watch the sunset 🙂
day 14: fraser island day trip
Today is another big day! Time to visit the largest sand island in the world: Fraser island! Most tours have a similar itinerary. But just in case, make sure to book a tour that hits the following spots while you are there:
- Shipwreck of the SS Maheno
- Lake McKenzie
- Rainforest walk
- Eli Creek
During the drive, make sure to keep an eye out for Dingoes and for humpback whales!
day 15: surfing in noosa
On day 15 it’s finally time for a surf!! After all, you can’t leave Aussie land without having tried surfing, right? I decided to book myself a lesson, since I was not comfortable enough on the board yet to go in the water completely by myself. I booked a beginner group lesson through Merrick’s Learn To Surf. Don’t be surprised if you land in a group with a bunch of 8 year old Australians, I guess kids start early in down under 😀 haha
If you’re not dead tired after your morning surf session, get back in the water in the afternoon to further work on your skills!
If you don’t surf, you could also opt for a 2 day Fraser Island Tour instead.
day 16 and onwards: brisbane, gold coast & byron bay!
Today is the day where you leave the coast for the first time after 2 weeks to smell some city air. Check out my other itinerary for Brisbane & Gold Coast.