Planning a trip along Australia’s East Coast? This 2-week Queensland itinerary takes you from Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef all the way down to Brisbane, with tropical rainforests, islands, sailing trips, beaches, and plenty of opportunities for adventure along the way.

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 mention in this post are the most affordable options that I could find at the time. You can find a detailed breakdown of all my expenses in this post here.

Which direction should you travel on the East Coast of Australia?

The itinerary in this post goes from North to South, but it can also work the other way around. However, there are a couple of things to consider.

In general, the North is a lot warmer and more tropical than the South. Depending on the season, it might make sense to start in the North, which means you’ll give the South more time to warm up from spring to summer until you reach it. Or vice versa if you are there during the autumn months.

Alternatively, you could just decide that you want to end your trip in the warmer and more “paradise-like” environment and therefore decide to do the trip from South to North. But it’s basically up to you!

Best time to do this 2-week East Coast Australia Itinerary

The most important thing to consider is that November through May is considered the “stinger season” in Queensland. Stingers are very venomous jellyfish that limit the amount of freedom you have to enjoy the beaches in Far North Queensland specifically. If you like swimming, I’d recommend visiting the North as far away from those months as possible.

Additionally, the same period also covers the rainy season of Far North Queensland. It’s not unusual for heavy rains or even cyclones to impact the destinations mentioned in this itinerary.

How to get around the East Coast of Australia?

This itinerary assumes that you will be taking the Greyhound bus from place to place. If you are a solo-traveller or traveling on a budget in general, this is a great budget-friendly yet highly efficient and reliable option. There are different types of passes that you can purchase, depending on what your needs are. I recommend to check out the options on their website.

The most important thing however is to book your seats in advance! This itinerary is very popular, and buses tend to fill up (especially during high season)!

You can of course also rent a car or a van. However, keep in mind that some of the distances between destinations are quite vast! You might need to add a day or two if you self drive, because I personally don’t recommend to drive for that long. For example, the itinerary assumes an overnight bus ride of 11 hours from Airlie Beach to Noosa. The Greyhound Bus has a driver change midway, which might not be feasible if you’re self driving.

2-Week Queensland Itinerary at a Glance

Days	Destination	Highlights
Days 1–4	Cairns	Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, Palm Cove / Kuranda
Days 5–7	Magnetic Island	Koalas, beaches, snorkelling
Days 8–11	Airlie Beach	Whitsundays Sailing incl. Whitehaven Beach
Days 12–15	Noosa	Noosa National Park, surfing, K’Gari
Day 16 onwards	Brisbane & beyond	Brisbane, Gold Coast, Byron Bay

Day 1: Arrival in Cairns

Welcome to Cairns!

Use the first day to settle in and prepare for all of your action-packed days ahead. 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 for the next days are.

Here are some of my favourite things to do in Cairns:

• Swim and relax at the Esplanade Lagoon. Because Cairns’ beaches are not swimmable, the city has built a lovely lagoon close to the beach that is open to the public for free! It’s a lovely area for picnics, taking a swim, and just relaxing.
• Stroll along the Esplanade boardwalk and enjoy the coastal views. The area is especially lovely at sunset!
• Visit Rusty’s, a cute little market with fresh produce.
• Hit up the souvenir stores (my favourite is OK Gift Shop).
• Treat yourself to a nice meal at one of Cairns’ many cafes and restaurants. I can recommend Crave Cairns, La Pizza, and Waterbar Grill & Steakhouse.

I’d recommend having an early night on day 1 since you have a long day ahead tomorrow!

Where to stay: I’ve visited Cairns twice by now. The first time 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! The second time we stayed at Mad Monkey Waterfront, which has a much better location right along the Esplanade.

Day 2: Cape Tribulation Day Trip

Morning

Rise and shine, time to start your adventure bright and early at 7 AM today! Today you’ll be heading North towards Cape Tribulation, the Daintree Rainforest, and Port Douglas! Since I was solo-traveling, I decided to book an all-day Cape Tribulation & Daintree tour for the day. You can check it out here. Alternatively, you could also rent a car and follow the same itinerary by yourself.

After an initial 2h 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.

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 croc along the way!

The last stop before lunch is Alexandra Lookout, where you can see the merging of the vastness of the lush green rainforest with the deep blue sea.

Lunch

Your tour guide will stop for lunch around 1 PM somewhere along the way, 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 (like us!) to spot one on the side of the road 🙂

Evening

Once you’re back, if you’re still up for it, go party the night away at Gilligan’s or check out some of the lively bars and restaurants along the Esplanade!

Day Trip Tour Recommendation: Daintree Rainforest & Mossman Gorge Tour

Rental Car Recommendation: Enterprise Rent A Car Cairns City

After a full day exploring the Daintree, you’ve got a slightly slower day ahead tomorrow, with the choice between Palm Cove and Kuranda.

Day 3: Palm Cove or Kuranda

Option 1: Whenever you’re ready, take the bus to Palm Cove. I would check the timetable directly via Google Maps or ask at your accommodation for instructions. Palm Cove is a quaint little holiday town an hour North of Cairns. It’s not very big, and half a day is plenty for visiting Palm Cove.

Once you arrive in Palm Cove, here are some of my favourite activities to do:

• Walk along the beach boardwalk.
• Check out the Shopping Village (my favourite shop is Island Boho).
• Go for a swim. However, make sure to check with the local lifeguards whether the conditions are safe, and perhaps wear a stinger suit if necessary.
• Enjoy some yummy seafood at one of the many restaurants along the beachfront.
• Treat yourself to some ice cream from Numi.

After that, it’s time to head back to Cairns by bus. Tomorrow is a big day, so make sure to be well rested!

Option 2:

Alternatively, you could also do a day trip to Kuranda, a small hippie mountain village. There are many options for day trips, which you can check out here!

Popular things to see in Kuranda are:

• Hop on the Kuranda Scenic Railway
• Visit the Kuranda Original Market & Kuranda Heritage Market
• Check out the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

Can I combine both options in one day?

If you rent a car – absolutely! On our second trip to the area, this is exactly what we did. The total driving time for Cairns – Palm Cove – Kuranda – Cairns is less than 2 hours. With some good time management and perhaps a mindset that you don’t absolutely have to see and do everything, it’s easily doable 🙂

Personally, I wasn’t really impressed with Kuranda. Therefore, I think there’s no need to rent a car and only focus on Palm Cove with public transport – it’s the better value-for-money option!

After a more relaxed day around Cairns, it’s time for the big one tomorrow: the Great Barrier Reef!

Day 4: Great Barrier Reef

Morning

Today is the big day, you’ll FINALLY get to see the Great Barrier Reef! Make sure to book your GBR tour well in advance because they do sell out quickly! I booked my tour with Passions of Paradise, and I had a great experience. I would highly recommend them again.

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 chose the diving option! Even if you are not a diver, you can choose an introductory dive without having any prior diving experience. This was definitely the highlight of my trip and the reason that I came back to Cairns 3 years later again 🙂

Lunch

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 – the water is just so insanely blue!

Once you reach the second reef of the day, it’s time for your second dive or snorkeling experience. In my case, the second location was the 3 Sisters Reef. Once again, just breathtaking!

Evening

On the way back, you get the opportunity to learn about the marine life at the Great Barrier Reef in a presentation by the 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.

After four days of exploring Cairns and its surroundings, it’s time to continue south towards Magnetic Island!

Day 5: Arrival in Magnetic Island

Take the early morning Greyhound bus to Townsville, and directly hop on the ferry to Magnetic Island.

Spend the rest of the day at the beach, just enjoying the surroundings 🙂

Where to stay: I stayed at Nomads near Nelly Bay, which is a beachfront hostel with views of the ocean from your hut! Honestly, a 10/10 budget accommodation!

Now that you’ve settled into Magnetic Island, it’s time to explore more of the island tomorrow.

Day 6: Magnetic Island Tour

Time to start exploring the rest of the island! If you’re solo traveling, I recommend booking a tour to take you around the island. If you’re traveling in a group, a rental car might be the more flexible option.

Some of the stops you should hit today are:

• Picnic Bay Jetty
• Geoffrey Bay: Close to Geoffrey Bay there are some large rocks where you can find Rock Wallabies – they are so cute! This is one of my personal highlights!
• 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.
• Snorkel Tour: There are two “official” snorkel trails on the island. Check them out here! 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.

If you’re with a tour, the guide will determine the pace of your travel. But in my experience, the itinerary is pretty chill and laid back, just as everything on the island 🙂

If you’re staying at Nomad’s, spend your evening in the common area with the other travelers! The vibes are great!

Tomorrow you’ll get one last chance to explore Magnetic Island before heading back to Townsville and continuing towards Airlie Beach.

Day 7: Forts Walk & Back to Townsville

Morning

Get up bright and early, it’s time to see Koalas! Take the bus to “The Forts” and start the Forts Walk. Since Koalas are slightly more active during dawn and dusk, I’d recommend starting the hike as early as possible. You’ll also thank yourself for having 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 at all times. When I was there, sometimes hikers would make arrows on the trail indicating where they saw Koalas earlier in the day. It’s also okay to ask fellow hikers for hints, and also be nice enough to share or mark where you spotted one.

Besides the Koalas, the walk is called “Forts Walk” because there are many bunkers and other remnants from Australia’s involvement in WWII.

Lunch

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 Snorkeling Tour (if it is safe stinger-wise), which is located right in front of the Nomads hostel at Nelly Bay.

Evening

I’d recommend taking the ferry back to Townsville in the late afternoon, before it gets dark. In my experience, there’s 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 the following day.

And with Magnetic Island behind you, tomorrow you’re heading towards the Whitsundays!

Day 8: Drive to Airlie Beach

Your bus from Townsville will arrive around noon in Airlie Beach, which is also the starting point for all the Whitsunday excursions.

Now it’s time to spend the rest of the day exploring Airlie Beach.

Some of the things you could do include:

• Lagoon: Like many other Aussie cities, Airlie Beach has a lagoon in the city that is safe to swim in.
• 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 🙂

If you plan on doing a sailing trip to the Whitsundays (as suggested in this itinerary), make sure to book your trip ahead of time! You can find a wide range of Whitsunday Sailing options here. As a 25-year-old at the time I booked one of the cheapest 2-day, 1-night sailing trips that I could find. Which is how I ended up on the Siska. I personally loved my experience, the crowd was generally young and the crew was fun. The sleeping arrangements were basic, but the food was very good.

Things to organize BEFORE your sailing trip:

1. Check where you can store your luggage for the duration of your sailing adventure. Most sailing boats only allow a small, zipper-less piece of luggage on board! In my experience, most accommodations in Airlie Beach will let you keep the luggage with them for a small fee, but it’s better to ask anyway!
2. Some sailing trips operate on a BYOB (bring your own booze) principle, so if you think you’ll fancy a nice drink during sunset on your trip, make sure to buy something in the local liquor store beforehand! My sailing boat had an additional rule of “no glass containers allowed”.

Where to stay: I decided to stay in Nomads Airlie Beach – good vibes and a good location!

Tomorrow it’s finally time to get out on the water and sail through the Whitsundays!

Day 9: Sailing Trip – Day 1

Today it’s time for your sailing adventure! The next two days will be very laid back. And besides the beautiful scenery around, you’ll have time to get to know the other people on the boat 🙂

We had two snorkel stops on the first day, and then we slowly started sailing towards our anchor point for the night. If you just visited the Great Barrier Reef a couple of days ago, you won’t be super impressed with the snorkeling here, but that’s not the main selling point of this trip anyway 🙂

After a relaxed first day on the water, tomorrow brings the highlight of the sailing trip: Whitehaven Beach.

Day 10: Sailing Trip – Day 2

On the second day of your sailing trip, you’ll get to visit the world-famous Whitehaven Beach! The great thing about an overnight tour is that you will reach 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 while you’re on the island:

• 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 stingrays.
• 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!

Once you’re back on land, 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 🙂

Tomorrow is your last day in Airlie Beach before heading further south to Noosa.

Day 11: Airlie Beach / Bus to Noosa

Spend your last day in Airlie Beach relaxing, buying souvenirs, shopping at the cute boutique stores, swimming in the lagoon, or doing whatever else your heart desires.

In the afternoon, make your way to the Greyhound Bus Station and take the overnight bus to Noosa (woop woop, you’ll save on accommodation this way).

After the overnight bus, you’ll arrive in one of my favourite places on the East Coast: Noosa!

Day 12: Arrival in Noosa

Morning

You’ll arrive bright and early in the morning in Noosa Heads – my favourite place on the East Coast of Australia!

Spend the day exploring this little town and all its shops along Hastings Street 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, and sharks are also not common in this area. Can you believe it – a beach on the East Coast of Australia without warning signs!?

Where to stay: I stayed at the Halse Lodge, which has a great location very close to the beach. It was my favourite accommodation of this trip (even though it’s a little pricier!) and I would highly recommend it. I even came back and stayed here again 3 years later 🙂

After your first day getting to know Noosa, tomorrow is all about slowing down a little and enjoying the area.

Day 13: Exploring Noosa

Morning

Start your day with some morning yoga by the water. You can book your session here.

Lunch

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. Otherwise, just take your swimming stuff and enjoy the views along the way.

Evening

Watch the sunset by the beach and relax the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow is another big adventure, with a day trip to K’Gari (Fraser Island)!

Day 14: K’Gari (Fraser Island) Day Trip

Morning

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 and the stops, make sure to keep an eye out for Dingoes and for humpback whales!

After such a big day, you’ll have one final day in Noosa tomorrow – and there’s no better way to finish it than with a surf.

Day 15: Surfing in Noosa

Morning

On day 15, it’s finally time for a surf! After all, you can’t leave Aussie land without having tried surfing, right? You can book 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 down under 😀 The waves along the main beach are very mellow, and I thought that it’s a great beach for a first-timer!

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!

Alternative option: If you don’t surf, you could also opt for a 2-day K’Gari Tour instead.

And just like that, two weeks on the Queensland coast are almost over. Tomorrow it’s time to leave the beach behind and head towards Brisbane.

Day 16 and onwards: Bus to Brisbane

Today is the day where you leave the coast after 2 weeks to smell some city air. You can hop on a final short Greyhound bus ride and you’ll soon be in Brisbane! Check out my other Australia itineraries for Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney right here!

Final thoughts

Two weeks definitely isn’t enough time to see everything along Australia’s East Coast, but this itinerary gives you a pretty amazing taste of what Queensland has to offer. From the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest to Magnetic Island, the Whitsundays and Noosa, every stop has gives you a completely new experience.

If I could do the trip again, I’d probably slow down in a couple of places and spend even more time in Noosa to just relax. But for a first trip down the coast, I think this itinerary is a great mix of adventure, beaches and nature – and the great thing is it’s adjustable to lots of budgets and travel styles! If you have more disposable income, you can choose nicer accommodations or choose more expensive day trips or do the excursions with your own rental car 🙂

And honestly, that’s exactly what makes travelling along the East Coast so much fun – because there’s truly something for every type of traveler out there!