Just us on an incredible 1 Day sailing experience on the beautiful Whitsunday Islands.
Whether you're learning how to hoist a sail, or sitting back with a classic cocktail Espresso Martini, or taking a dive on one of the Whitsundays many coral reefs, your day will be a journey to remember.
Days
- 1 day
Group size
- Max 24
Start / finish
- Airlie Beach / Airlie Beach
- Airlie Beach, around 4:30pm
Return
- Airlie Beach, around 4:30pm
Transport
- The yacht Providence, leaving Coral Sea Marina at 7:30am daily. Transfers from your Airlie Beach accommodation are included, and the bar is licensed.
Meals
- Morning tea and coffee on the way out, a picnic lunch on board after snorkelling, and a fruit platter on the way home.
Route
Included experiences
- Hill Inlet lookout — Whitehaven Beach from above, after anchoring in Tongue Bay
- Whitehaven Beach — time on the white silica sand
- A fringing reef — snorkelling with all gear provided
- Whitsunday Passage and Hook Passage — the sail across to Whitsunday Island
- Turtles and whales — watched for along the way
- Taking a turn hoisting a sail, or lying on deck on the way home
Reviews
5.0
Based on 20 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 20 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the friendly, knowledgeable crew and the relaxed atmosphere of sailing in a small group aboard the character-filled Providence V, with many noting the tasty lunch and the crew's willingness to cater for dietary requirements such as gluten-free and vegetarian requests. The most frequently mentioned highlights are the beauty of Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, the snorkelling stops, and wildlife sightings including stingrays, turtles, whales and dolphins, with several reviewers valuing the unhurried pace over faster speedboats. Reviewers also appreciated the small passenger numbers relative to the boat's capacity and touches such as onboard music and drinks. The most common caveat is that sailing is slower than other options and that much of the journey may be under engine power when there is insufficient wind. A few travellers wished for more time on the beach owing to the fixed schedule, and one noted that the reef was less vibrant than marketing images suggest.
How we collect and publish reviews
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.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
“Amazing day on Providence”
We had a very special day on the providence sailboat, a beautiful vessel full of character. The crew - Andy and Grant - gave us a warm welcome as we set sail early and headed towards the whitsunday islands. Our small group were given a thorough safety briefing and overview of the area and ecosystems over morning tea - the crew were really warm and made us feel at ease with their experience, we all felt very looked after - and it was smiles all round from start to finish. We were very lucky to have our own private snorkel spot in the morning, and the crew even managed to perfectly time our next stop at whitehaven beach to ensure we missed the crowds, meaning it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The views and scenery were stunning, but the experience was made even better being on this authentic boat with such a knowledgeable and friendly crew. And the handmade expresso martinis from Andy were a great touch on the way back to port! My mum and I did this trip together and it surpassed our expectations, we would highly recommend it. Thanks Andy and Grant! :)
“Worth every penny!”
Definitely recommend this tour. The staff was very friendly and the meal provided was really delicious. The whitehaven beach is one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen.
“Incredible sailing experience”
I did the one day tour and I have nothing to say that it was an amazing experience.
While we where sailing to the island other boats overpassed us so fast that I definitely realized that my decision was the perfect for me.
If you want a relaxed sailing experience while enjoying the scenery just go with Providence V, you will not regret it!
“Fantastic day out!”
What an amazing day out! A fantastic trip through the Whitsundays. The morning started with a relaxing trip out to Dumbbell Island for a snorkel and swim, followed by a walk out to Whitehaven lookout and a frolic on the white sandy beaches, deckhand Tilly had plenty of facts on our walk through to the beach and info on this special place. Lunch on the boat was tasty and catered to my dietary requirements. Skipper Steve spotted a few breaching whales on our sail and was both friendly and informative. It's great to have spent time with this little crew of people so passionate about sailing and the Whitsundays, these guys love their work and love sharing it with people. I would recommend this day out to everybody!
“Aussie adventure”
The whole day was amazing with our skipper Kieron and his right hand man Andy. All instructions were clear and ran really well (apart from two stowaways) But we lucky enough to spot dolphins, whales and turtles on our trip to and from whitehaven beach. The beach is just amazing. And snorkelling on the reef was brilliant. Many thanks to Kieron and Andy for a fantastic day
“Magical sailboat tour”
We booked our 6 people tour right the day before, stepping into their office on the Airlie beach promenade. Pretty reasonable price for what we were expecting to visit, plus snorkeling equipment. In fact, being there has been much more thrilling that we could ever expect. We couldn't hope for a nicer and friendlyer crew (Kieran and Tilly, such a team!) always caring and helpful with each and everyone on the boat. We've been lucky to be there on a sunny day, cause the good visibility allowed us to spot not only whales but also a huge turtle. Snorkeling on the corals was stunning, and we had the opportunity to swim with stingrays in the picturesque Whiteheaven beach. We couldn't even hope for anything else or better than this.
Great experience, highly recommended to anyone visiting Queensland.
“Great Day Out”
We had a great day on board after our original overnight sailing experience with another company was cancelled the day before! The ship itself is a wonderful sailing boat, not the quickest way to get to Whitehaven, but you get to spend some time there and look out over Hill Inlet before you go off snorkelling.
The crew were fantastic- there was a Scottish guy whose name I have unfortunately forgot who was really friendly and interesting, having, it seemed, travelled most of the world.
This was a lovely day out altogether and would be great to do with kids too.
“Beautiful day on the water”
Sailing is not the fastest way to get to whitsunday beach but the comfort on board, the sailing experience(if there is enough wind) and the time with the crew make this experience far more enjoyable then sitting forward in a speedboat
“Great day!”
Great crew, not only on board but also the girl who picked us up. Chilled vibe, not too many people on board and relaxed crew (fun humor as well, Scottish). Got a good impression of the Whitsundays including the Hill inlet and a great snorkeling site at the reef. No rush or whatsoever. Thanks!!
“Sail into paradise”
An amazing day, the boat is beautiful, the crew friendly and the scenery is the stuff of tropical postcards. The cruise is for small groups and feels personal, the crew were enthusiastic and loved to show the island and boat.
We had a perfect weather day and the snorkelling was even better than when we had snorkelled the outer barrier reef, the coral was more colourful and varied and the fish were plentiful.
There was enough wind to sail back with the engines off and with a beer in hand was a great finish to an incredible day.
“Great day trip - great crew - continue like that”
Spent the day trip on Providence on May 3rd. Weather started with a mix of strong wind, waves and rain showers which added a bit of "excitement" on the way to Whitsunday Island. We enjoyed the small group on the boat (12 with a max carriage of around 24 persons). Fantastic skipper & crew overall. Can only recommend to choose this trip!
“Beautiful Day Sailing”
We had a beautiful day, today, sailing to Whitehaven Beach and snorkeling at Hill Inlet. The skipper and crew (Kiernan and Auker) were awesome! Very friendly and helpful; great stories, good sense humor, and always willing to take a photo of us. Couldn't have asked for a better experience or more wonderful memories.
“Go Providence ! Allez-y !”
A wonderful day on the Providence V! Nice crew, good timing, good spot for snorkeling and good music on board ! Thanks guys.
“Such a good day!”
The team has been so friendly and awesome. I totally recommend this tour for anyone visiting the Whitsundays ! Even when it was raining they managed to make it fun. Thanks the Scottish crew !
“Beautiful day at the Providence”
Very friendly and awesome crew (Steve and Richi) we got a lot information about the Hill In-let, Whitehaven beach and much more! We loved the relaxed atmosphere of a the small group :)
“Gentle day cruise in evocative boat”
Providence V is a small twin-masted sailboat and is licensed to carry 24 passengers. It has an engine as well. Unlike Captain Cook et al back in the day, these guys are on a deadline to get us to where we need to be..... when we need to be there. Oh, and back again.
It came as no huge surprise that the majority of our trip was under power. Yes, it was windy at stages but primarily it was hit, 35+ degrees with a beating sun. We were all thankful for the deck shades that had been erected which precluded using some of the sails in any case. I think I we all started with full water bottles and also demolished the onboard 40 litres of water that was free of charge.
Lunch was perfectly adequate coping with a vegetarian and gluten-free request (pre-ordered).
Our trip was snorkeling first due to the tides, then the Whitsundays. Things you might not consider if you don't know the area. When we got to the snorkeling area, we were given our stinger suits. I was thrilled that my pre-holiday diet meant that I was not summarily issued with the usual 7XL, hurrah!
I did read a review which opined that the water was freezing and the guests not given wet suits. We're in the sub-tropics here.... so I guess different cultures have different definitions of freezing. Let's leave it there.....
You may be reading this in a couple of years time, so remember that right now there have been some extremes of weather here in Australia. The reef isn't looking as brilliant as the marketing photos would have you believe. But it's there, it's alive and there are fish to see.
Back onto the Providence V and round to the photo-op beach and vista. Baking, baking sun and good trip. Saw a small shark in ankle-deep water....
Chugging back to Airlie Beach there was the opportunity to unfurl a couple of sails at the front. The speed certainly picked up as did the getting wet from the spray.... no tacking required...
Landing at just before 17:00hrs, a great day out.
These guys are highly recommended.
“Great day trip”
Great all-round trip out to 2 beaches. Lunch was provided as well as the wetsuit when you get into the water. Highly recommend these guys
“Fantastic and beautiful Whitehaven sail boat Trip”
Myself and my family would like to say this was a fantastic and Memorable trip. Steve and Amy were the perfect hosts very friendly and food was amazing . Great atmosphere on the boat Not crammed like other trips it was very relaxed and pleasurable . We would of loved more time on the beach but know that Steve has to stick to a schedule. Loved it from start to finish my whole family were smiling the whole way there and back Thanks for making out Trip memorable . Will watch our clips when we are back in sunny Scotland
“A wonderful day trip to the beautiful Whitehaven Beach”
I sailed on Providence V for the one day Whitehaven Beach Sailing and Snorkeling Cruise - with so many trips to choose from, this seemed my best option for a one day trip and I wasn't disappointed.
The crew (Kieran and Luke) were great and looked after us well. The food and drink provided on board were tasty and they were able to cater for gluten free.
The trip itself was wonderful and Whitehaven Beach truly spectacular. We spent time on the beach itself and in the water, watching the very tame stingray.
A brilliant day overall!
“Great experience on the Providence V”
We spent a great day today in the Whitsundays - Whithaven Beach, the lookout, a great lunch & snorkelling. It was a great day from start to finish. The crew, Steve & Kiaran were outstanding. Kudos to Robbie on her first day, he did great. Would highly recommend this day trip to anyone!
