It’s hard to say no to a trip through the Whitsunday Islands after seeing even one photo of the area. Aerial shots of the Whitsundays are bright blue waters swirled into white silica-sand beaches. But then it comes to choosing a tour, that’s when things get confusing and overwhelming.
Before arriving to Airlie Beach, Queensland, where the Whitsunday Island tours depart from, I didn’t understand that much about the tours. I didn’t understand the distance or time to took to get to the islands or what was involved. But after sitting down for hours looking at different flyers, and going through the process of purchasing a trip, I wanted to share what I discovered to help others looking for a tour.
This article covers an in-depth view of what to think about for choosing a Whitsunday Islands tour. First I’ve included some important information about the Whitsundays related to tours. Then I’ve listed the most important factors to consider for purchasing a tour. Lastly there’s resources on how to get the best price for a Whitsundays tour. This guide should help you feel confident in choosing a Whitsunday Islands tour and explains how to do it.
Table of Contents
What are the Whitsunday Islands?
Before getting into tours, it’s important to know where you’re going, to understand the important of choosing a good tour. The Whitsundays are compromised of 74 islands off Queensland’s east coast. Airlie Beach is the beginning point for these tours and other activities in the area.
Because tours travel through islands, there’s no roads to get there, so you’re just dealing with ships and boats to see the islands. There’s also scenic flights of the Whitsundays, but that’s primarily just a view of the islands and reef.
Because the Whitsunday Islands are in the ocean and around reefs, there’s always dangers involved. This is mainly with stingers, there has been shark attacks, but it’s not common. Any accredited tour operator has knowledge on the dangers of the ocean and does everything to limit possible exposure to them. This is why stinger suits should be offered in the summer months for tours.
How to Choose a Whitsunday Islands Tour
There’s many things to consider when purchasing a Whitsunday Islands tour. It’s common to think about price only, but I’ll explain why that shouldn’t be the only factor.
Outlined here are the most important things to think about when choosing a Whitsundays Tour. Some factors may be more important to others but it’s good to consider everything before paying for a tour. Read through these categories to understand what a Whitsundays Island tour is made up of and how to choose one based on these factors.
Sleeping on a Boat
People often go about choosing a tour based on the amount of time they have to do a tour. This includes multiple nights of a tour, to get the most out of the Whitsunday Islands. First off, think about how enjoyable it is to sleep on a boat, especially if the ocean is rocky.
Tours show images of their sleeping arrangements, take a look at this before saying yes to a multiple nights tour. Having compact sleeping arrangements is important for a boat to fit lots of people in, but that doesn’t mean that it’s comfortable to sleep on. It’s better to choose less nights sleeping on the boat if this isn’t enjoyable. Because if you’re not sleeping well you won’t enjoy the tour as much.
What Activities are Offered?
Most tours of the Whitsunday Islands offer similar activities. That is, sailing through the islands, going to the Whitsundays National Park, Hill Inlet and more. Based on your fitness level and interests, review the activities offered on each tour. Don’t spend extra for a trip that does snorkelling or diving if you’re scared of getting in the ocean.
Activities such as sleeping on the deck of a boat, stand-up paddle boarding, and kayaking are what makes each tour unique and fun. It’s also a good way to break up the sights while sitting on the boat waiting to arrive somewhere.
Food Included on Tour
This may not matter to everyone, but on a tour, you need to feel fuelled for more adventures. It’s hard to do this with food that isn’t filling you up or that you don’t enjoy eating. Tour operators share a typical menu so you can decide if it’s enough, or if you need to bring some of your own food.
This is especially important for those with diet restrictions or allergies. It’s better to bring some snacks rather than not feeling satisfied throughout the tour.
Check the Vessel
Something I didn’t even imagine was that all the tours are on different types and styles of boats. Does it make a difference? Of course. It changes every part of the tour, and here’s why. Some boats are equipped with a proper seating area, undercover, on the deck (above the boat). If this isn’t available, imagine sitting on the deck feeling seasick, with the hot sun shining down and no shade—it wouldn’t feel great.
You spend most of the tour on the boat itself so it’s really important to have a boat which is comfortable to be on. It’s not practical to rely on the seating area below deck because that’s where the boat rocks the most. Which means that’s where you’ll feel most seasick, if it does happen. Do research about finding a boat with seating area on board and the option for a sheltered area away from the elements.
Season of the Tour
Choosing the best Whitsunday Islands tour isn’t just about the price, ship chosen, or the food included on board. The season in which the tour is done makes the biggest impact than anything else on this list. During the hot summer months tours should have stinger suits available to those aboard a tour, when entering the water. Early summer is also one of the most popular times to visit the Whitsundays, so tours may be busy and more expensive.
January until May tours slow down first with the rainy season, then with cooler temperatures. Although this may be a good time of year to get a lower price for tours, it’s for a reason. During rainy season and onwards, the ocean tends to be a lot rougher. This means the tour itself may be less enjoyable and it’s easier to get seasick. But, it’s not a reason to skip the trip, just take along some medication, if necessary.
Time Length of the Tour
Tours of the Whitsundays are generally broken down on the amount of days and nights of a tour. Next to thinking about sleeping on the boat, consider the amount of time you will be on the boat and the tour. This is important for what activities are on the tour, if there’s a lot of activities in one day then you won’t get to spend as much time on each.
It’s important to think about this factor because the Whitsundays are far apart from each other. It’s interesting to drift through them but it takes hours to arrive somewhere to do something.
Value versus Price
Although price may seem like the most important reason to choose a Whitsundays tour, think about value as well. This is why I haven’t included this category first on the list of how to choose a Whitsunday Islands tour. I recommend looking at all of the other factors first, then looking at price last. It can be the final factor in choosing a trip but it shouldn’t be the first.
This is because of the value of choosing a good tour. Yes, with a cheap tour you see the same views, but if you feel tired, hungry, and sunburnt the entire time, it won’t be a good tour. Paying a bit more for a tour can be what leads to having a positive experience, but still focus on your budget. See below for further details on how to choose the best price, including where and how to get the best price!
How to Get the Best Price for a Whitsunday Islands Tour
Price is often the biggest differentiating factor between tours in the Whitsundays. But there are a few ways to get the prices down or find your way around the get the best price. These tips may not work for all times of the year or itineraries, but it’s worth it to try and get a good price.
Hold off on Buying Online
If choosing a Whitsundays tour is part of a compact travel schedule, you may be looking online to choose a tour before arriving in Airlie Beach. I found online the prices weren’t that good and not accurate. Many tours looked the same and the prices quoted where much higher than I saw once arriving in Airlie Beach.
If you have the time and the tours you’re interested in aren’t sold out, consider waiting until you’re in Airlie Beach to speak to booking agents.
Book in Person Through Agents
Normally I don’t like to buy anything from agents. They’re biased, pushy and it can be an uncomfortable experience. However, shopping around for the best prices is done best by going to multiple agents around Airlie Beach. This can all be done by walking in and asking for the best tours and prices. Every agent will give different opinions and options.
More importantly, different agents give different prices for the same tours. This is a quick way to save money and there’s no obligation by asking for prices and tour flyers. If you’re staying at a hostel, some give discounts for your stay there if you book a tour through them.
Last Minute Deals do Happen
Tours have to make a certain sell a certain amount of spots to actually profit from the tour. This means that if the tour doesn’t have enough people they may sell the last seats for the tour cheaper, just to save from a loss. This is why it’s possible to take advantage of last minute deals.
Sometimes good prices can be found online, but more often they’re found through agents, the day before a tour. Agents are also hoping to make last-minute commission as well on the tours. It may not be convenient to rely on this always though, because if a tour isn’t booked enough it may be cancelled with sufficient time. So, it’s a bit of a hit-or-miss for saving on the price of a tour.
Prices Depend on the Season
Coupled with the Whitsundays tours being less busy in the months of the rainy season, January onwards, the prices are also lower. The difference of prices is more than you may think though. A tour I purchased was advertised online for A$400 during the summer and about A$370 during the winter months, but I paid close to A$200 in the winter.
Tours are often booked out in advance through the busy seasons, so there’s no reason to drop the price like this. In other seasons, the company is at risk at losing profit, and even with a significant price drop, they will still make money. This is also why it’s good to not go with prices online, they vary so much across different sources.
Buy Packages
The final note to saving money on your Whitsunday Islands tour is to buy package deals. There’s so many tour agencies throughout Australia that sell tours. Agents make more commission by selling multiple trips together, and they can give better prices for doing this.
If you’re considering buying different tours throughout Australia, especially on the east coast, talk to an agent about this option. You may be surprised at the money and time you could save from booking trips together.
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