Whitsundays itinerary — 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
Three days, two nights is what most people book. A day sail reaches Whitehaven Beach and one snorkel stop, from $199. Two nights gets you two different bays and the mornings, which is the part people remember. Four days and you are genuinely sailing.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
Every boat out of Airlie Beach does broadly the same circuit, because the good anchorages are where they are. What changes with length is how much of it you see and how long you spend not moving.
A day — Whitehaven and back
What the day holds
- Out from Coral Sea Marina in the morning, under sail once you clear the headland.
- Whitehaven Beach — seven kilometres of silica sand, and time to walk it.
- A snorkel stop on a fringing reef off one of the islands.
- Back to Airlie Beach in the evening. There is also a two-hour sunset sail at $87 if that is all the time you have.
Two days, one night
Day by day
- Day 1 — sail out, Whitehaven Beach in the afternoon, then into a bay to anchor for the night. Dinner cooked on board.
- Day 2 — breakfast at anchor, one or two snorkel stops depending on the tide, and back to Airlie by evening.
Three days, two nights — the usual choice
Day by day
- Day 1 — out to the islands and the first snorkel, anchoring in a bay for the night.
- Day 2 — Whitehaven Beach and the Hill Inlet lookout, where the tide pushes white sand through turquoise water. Two more snorkelling stops, a different bay that night.
- Day 3 — a last morning in the water, then back to Airlie Beach.
The second night is what makes this the common choice. One night goes quickly; by the second morning most people have stopped checking their phone.
Four days, three nights
Only Condor runs four days. By then you have had three mornings at anchor and you are taking a turn on the winches rather than being taken sailing.
Every length, with prices
| Boat | Length | On board | Sleeping | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon Sunset Sail - Providence | 2 hours | Max 24 | Day sail — two hours at sunset | $87 |
| 1 Day Whitsunday - Providence | 1 day | Max 24 | Day sail | $199 |
| 1 Day Whitsunday Sail - Lady Enid | 1 day | Max 24 | Day sail | $259 |
| 3 Day Whitsunday Sail - Solway Voyager | 3 days, 2 nights | 18 to 32 | Cabin Style | $439 |
| 2 Day Whitsunday Sailing - Habibi | 2 days, 1 night | Max 26 | Cabin Style | $445 |
| 2 Day Whitsunday - Waltzing Matilda | 2 days, 1 night | Max 14 | Cabin Style | $459 |
| 2 Day Whitsunday Sail - Summertime | 2 days, 1 night | Max 19 | Cabin Style | $479 |
| 2 Day Whitsunday Sailing - Prima | 2 days, 1 night | Max 12 | Cabin Style | $579 |
| 3 Day Whitsunday Sailing - Avatar | 3 days, 2 nights | Max 26, ages 18 to 35 | Cabin Style | $599 |
| 3 Day Whitsunday Sailing - Spank Me | 3 days, 2 nights | Max 27, all ages welcome | Cabin Style | $645 |
| 3 Day Whitsunday Sailing - Broomstick | 3 days, 2 nights | Max 25 | Cabin Style | $649 |
| 4 Day Whitsunday Sail - Condor | 4 days, 3 nights | Max 29 | Cabin Style | $649 |
All leave from and return to Airlie Beach. Prices update on their own.
Things that change the trip
- The weather and the tide set the day. Guides swap the order of stops rather than skip them, so no two trips run identically.
- Group size matters more than length. Twelve people on a small yacht is a different holiday from twenty-nine on a racing maxi — which boat to pick goes through it.
- Some boats are 18 to 35 only. Worth checking before you fall for one.
- You sleep in cabins on board, not on deck, on every overnight trip here.
The trips
People also ask
- Which Whitsundays boat should I pick?
- Are the Whitsundays worth visiting?
- Great Barrier Reef itinerary — 3, 7, 10 or 14 days
- What is the best way to travel the east coast of Australia?
Where this comes from. Each vessel's own itinerary, capacity and cabin description, as held on that trip's page here. Prices are the current from price and update on their own.