Airlie Beach, Whitsundays & the Great Barrier Reef: Travelling Australia aolo & on a budget

I began my Australian month in Brisbane, stayed there for a week, then flew to Proserpine (Airlie Beach). Taking the bus is another option. If I was doing it again, I think I would have gone by bus, and stopped off in Noosa or the Sunshine coast for a few days, since I met so many people who raved about those places.

So, why Airlie Beach? Airlie Beach is a real laidback backpacker spot and the gateway to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. It’s famous as the place to go to see the Great Barrier Reef (Cairns is the other famous place for this). Several people told me if I’m short on time, Airlie Beach has more to see than Cairns.. So that’s where I went!

In this guide, I cover:

Where to stay

If you want to stay in Airlie Beach, book your stay far in advance! I procrastinated and didn’t book my accommodation until around two weeks before. A friend recommended Nomads Hostel and Magnums resort, but they were full.

I checked out Airbnb and decided to stay with some locals instead. I was a bit aprehensive about staying with strangers, but the hosts Annie and Kenny (and their adorable pets!) were wonderful and made it feel like visiting family! They cooked me a delicious roast on my last night, gave me all the best tips and offered to drive me around. The room was super comfortable and quiet, as it’s more in ‘the countryside’ – but you’re only 1 minute from a bus stop which brings you everywhere you need to go. Airlie is tiny so you’re never far from the action, even if you don’t stay directly in town. I was so happy I decided to stay with them and would gladly do it again 🙂 

The Great Barrier Reef & Whitsundays

Airlie Beach is one of the 2 main towns people visit to see the Great Barrier Reef.

Seeing the Great Barrier Reef is on almost everyone’s bucket list, and for good reason. The reef is one of UNESCO’S seven natural wonders of the world and is actually the world’s largest reef system – it’s around the size of Italy, and can even be seen from space. Sadly the Great Barrier Reef is under threat from climate change and rising sea temperatures. It’s estimated it could completely disappear by 2050. 

Tour operators make it sound like you help the reef by going there, since some of their profits go towards conservation efforts. The general advice is to book an eco-friendly tour, not leave any litter, (come on, this one was a no brainer!), use reef-safe zinc sunscreen when swimming there, and take care not to step on or damage the corals. Really take care not to do that. The corals are surprisingly brittle and sharp and will tear through your skin! They’re full of microbes that will give you nasty infections. So be careful out there.)

Great Barrier Reef/Whitsundays 1 day tour

I was on a budget, so I went on a one-day tour with Whitsunday Bullet for €120.96 all-in, including snorkeling gear and a wetsuit, lunch and snacks, plus a courtesy bus to and from your accommodation. The crowd was pretty young, lots of solo travelers, couples, and some families. I was really happy with it! Some other options include:

Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park 

Sadly I don’t have pictures, but needless to say it was an incredible experience! I saw the reefs and so many different colorful fish. The boat supplies all snorkeling gear and wetsuits. I am a bad swimmer but no need to worry, they offer free life jackets and even pool noodles to help you stay afloat. You can technically still snorkel, even if you can’t swim at all. The tour makes it very easy for you. 

Source: Palm Bay Resort

Whitehaven beach

This glorious white sand beach was amazing, and we had perfect weather. I visited in June, which is winter in Australia, but it was around 27 degrees Celsius and sunny all day. Our tour operator provided free lunch here and also some stand-up paddle boards.

Hill Inlet Lookout

The last stop on our tour was a short hike (legit 10 minutes) up to this lookout – and the views were incredible.

Stuff to do in Airlie Beach 

Airlie Beach is a small town, and seems to be mostly populated by tourists and carefree, dreadlocked, nomadic backpackers strumming guitars on the beach on their greater quest for meaning. 

Most people use Airlie as a ‘base’ for visiting the Whitsundays, so it really has a ‘just passing through’ vibe. I think arriving in town 1 or 2 days before your Whitsundays tour is enough. All the activities you’d expect to see at a beach town (surfing, stand up paddle boarding, segway tour) are on offer here. Here are the ones I looked into:

Beach & lagoon – If you’re visiting other beaches in Australia (like Gold Coast, Bondi Beach, etc), the beach at Airlie is very small and underwhelming. There isn’t a LOT to do in this town aside from relax – which is just what I needed after a stressful few months at work. I spent 2 whole days migrating between ‘Airlie Beach’ and ‘the Lagoon’ reading books and snacking. It was a good time.

Nightlife – Airlie is hopping with backpackers and other revelers. Magnums is the most well-known resort/bar, and the main street (there’s really one street, you can’t miss it ) has plenty of bars you can check out.

Jet skiing – Jet skiing was on my bucket list since I was a child so I thought this was the perfect time to try it out! Jet skiing is a very fun and easy activity, you can learn the controls to operate one in 2 minutes. It’s almost impossible to fall off. There are several companies offering jet ski tours so it’s worth Googling and checking different providers. I did the ‘Jet Ski Safari’ (90 euros) and was pretty satisfied.

Skydiving – Several people told me Airlie is THE place to go skydiving, since you get epic views of the Reef and islands. In a tandem skydive, you fly up with a group, and you get strapped to an experienced skydiver who jumps out of the plane with you and releases the parachute. So if you’re paralyzed with terror, you can trust them to do it. This does sound incredibly cool and I ALMOST booked it multiple times.. But in the end, I was too chicken. 

This tour for 170 euros seems to be the most popular, but it’s worth shopping around. There are multiple tour companies on the main street in Airlie who will give you an overview of tours that still have space and possibly be able to get you a discount. As with most stuff in Airlie, book early as spots fill up fast.

Scenic flight – If you want to get much the same views you would get skydiving, without actually jumping out of the plane, most of those tour companies offer a more relaxed scenic flight option too. I didn’t do this as the scenic flights were actually more expensive than the flight I’d taken from Brisbane to Airlie, where I actually got some reef views anyway. But if you’re not flying in, this could be worth it.

Cheap Eats in Airlie Beach

I was on a budget, so I tried to cook at my Airbnb and avoid going out for food. Airlie is a really touristic town, so the main street is lined with eateries, open at all times of day.

Ramen in May – this one is not on the main street, so it’s a little tucked away. The ramen was tasty and cost less than 10 euros, so pretty affordable by tourist town standards.

Whitsunday Fish Bar – I treated myself to some fish and chips on the beach, and found out this was the cheapest spot. 

Mika Mexican Restaurant & Bar – I went for dinner and drinks with some people from my boat tour here. The food quality and prices were pretty standard, so I’d give it an okay review.

Transport in Airlie Beach

✈️Getting from Proserpine Airport to Airlie Beach: This was one of the easiest airport connections I’ve ever done! Proserpine is a tiny and very relaxed airport. The first thing I saw when I landed was the information desk for ‘Heart of the Reef’ shuttle buses. The shuttles don’t have a set schedule and just work around the flights, so you won’t be left stranded. 

Just tell the driver where you’re staying, and they literally plan the route so they can drop everyone off at their door. They also schedule a time to pick you up for your flight out of Airlie. It was around 25 euros return but honestly for a door-to-door service, this is really good value.


🚌Buses within Airlie: You might not need to take public transporation while in Airlie. The town is very small, and most Reef tour companies offer complimentary bus services (they come and pick you up right outside your accommodation). I had absolutely 0 stress getting around Airlie. There are also public buses which connect most accommodations with the town. Just make sure you have cash, as the buses don’t take cards.

Where to go next?

After Airlie, I flew on to Sydney. Other people head elsewhere in Queensland (the Sunshine Coast, Magnetic Island, or Cairns are all good options).

Get some more tips from the rest of the trip: