Queensland’s east coast has it all — reef, rainforest, beaches, and boutique coastal towns — and this nine-day journey connects them effortlessly. Starting in Brisbane and ending in Cairns, it’s a relaxed yet immersive trip through Australia’s most tropical landscapes. Designed for comfort and connection, it brings together the must-see icons — Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef, and Daintree — with the smaller, local touches that make the region so memorable.
Fly north to island-hop across turquoise water, cruise coral reefs teeming with life, and wander through the oldest rainforest on Earth. Meet First Nations guides, discover waterfalls in the Atherton Tablelands, and travel in small groups where there’s space to breathe, connect, and explore. It’s an easy, well-paced adventure that blends Australia’s raw natural beauty with a touch of comfort and calm.
Days
- 9 days, 8 nights
Group size
- Max 21
Start / finish
- Brisbane / Cairns
- Cairns, after the Daintree day on day 9
Return
- Cairns, after the Daintree day on day 9
Accommodation
- 8 nights in boutique hotels and resorts, twin share. Named on the page as The Point Hotel Brisbane, Mission Beach Resort, Crystalbrook Flynn in Cairns and Paradise Links Resort at Port Douglas, or similar, plus two nights on the Whitsunday coast. Rooms have ensuite facilities.
Transport
- A coach with your tour leader, and the Brisbane to Proserpine flight is included. Day trips use their own transport — a speedboat in the Whitsundays, a catamaran to the reef, the Skyrail gondola to Kuranda and a boat on the Daintree River.
Meals
- Eight breakfasts and three lunches.
Route
Included experiences
- Whitsunday Islands — a full day speedboat cruise to Whitehaven Beach and the Hill Inlet walk
- Great Barrier Reef — a day cruise with snorkelling, a glass bottom boat and a buffet lunch
- Daintree and Cape Tribulation — a guided rainforest walk and an eco crocodile cruise
- Mossman Gorge — a Kuku Yalanji First Nations cultural experience and a rainforest walk
- Kuranda — the Skyrail gondola over the rainforest canopy, and the markets
- Port Douglas — two nights, with an orientation of the town
- Atherton Tablelands — a plunge waterfall, Lake Eacham and the Curtain Fig Tree
- Mission Beach — a quiet afternoon by the pool, with a chance of wild cassowaries
- Brisbane — a welcome meeting and an orientation of the city
- Optional on the reef day — scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef
Reviews
5.0
Based on 6 reviews
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Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
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“Me and my wife did this trip…”
Me and my wife did this trip early January and had a great time. Despite the volatile weather, we were still able to complete all aspects of the itinerary and were will looked after by the lostinaustraia team. Thanks so much for helping us on our east coast journy of australia!
“Wonderful”
We had a great time thank you!
“Highly recommend!”
Highly recommend! Great mix of activities, indigenous culture, wildlife and beautiful scenery including coastal areas, tablelands and rainforests. The snorkel trips on the reef and Whitsundays were highlights. Very comfortable accommodations and buses. Guides Jason and Chris did a great job ensuring everyone in our small but diverse group was engaged and felt welcome. Pre-trip communication with Tara was the best - A+++ for responsiveness, humor, and patience.
“highly recommend”
I actually only did the Brisbane to cairns portion of this tour, but had others in our group who completed the entire thing. They pack so much fun times into for my group only a week, but I never felt rushed at any of the locations. They always gave us ample time to see everything and enjoy the sites. From Fraser Island, to the Whitsundays, the Atherton Tablelands, and a day on the Great Barrier Reef. As a small group tour your able to get close knit with everyone and meet many people from all around the world. Our tour guide Justin was amazing, so informative, full of energy, and one of the best tour guides making sure everyone had the best time. I’m fact one day we were supposed to be having a long driving day, and our bus broke, we waited at the hotel for some time, but Justin problem solved until he was able to find us another form of transportation. The included meals were great, and the locations Justin picked to give us as an option for dinners on our first night somewhere was always great food. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone, especially if you get Justin as a guide.
“Most amazing time”
I had a fantastic time on Australia's East Coast. A must for anyone who enjoys traveling in small groups and truly getting to know the country and its culture.
I would definitely recommend! I had the most amazing time on the East Coast. A must for anyone who likes to travel in small groups and enjoys experiencing real culture instead of just tourist attractions.
“The best tour I've ever taken. ”
Very professional and natural. We ate at local places and some very good Asian restaurants.
I loved the east coast of Australia. The tour was very well organized. All but one of the short trips were less than 4-5 hours per day, covering 3,000 km. They were very well organized. I loved the organic farm in Bayron Bay and the city and beach. Noosa and Dorrigo were very beautiful.
Very good. their people were professional and very natural.
