Best Beach Shore Excursions in Australia — Our Top 5

1.Quicksilver Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise from Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 782 reviews · from $233Our pick

Cruise 90 minutes from Port Douglas to Agincourt Reef for about 3.5 hours of snorkeling, semi-submersible viewing, and an underwater observatory. Quicksilver supplies suits and gear, with optional marine biologist tours, scuba, Ocean Walker, and helicopter flights.

“A nice experience to get up close to the largest/ longest coral reef. Very well organised and good service by the team.”

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2.Outer Reef Mackay Cay Sail & Snorkel Adventure from Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 436 reviews · from $243Top rated

Sail from Port Douglas to Mackay Cay aboard a comfortable catamaran, with reef snorkeling, a guided session led by marine biologist Barry, a glass-bottom boat tour, and time on a coral cay. You get meals, equipment, and hotel transfers, but need good swimming ability for open-water snorkeling.

“Fabulous trip. Perfect weather conditions! Staff friendly and professional. This is my second time on this tour with different friends, I will book this each time I come to Port Douglas. Thankyou!”

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3.Airlie Beach: Cedar Creek Express (cruise ship friendly)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · from $63Best value

Take a roughly 30-minute air-conditioned ride from Airlie Beach Lagoon to Cedar Creek Falls, where you get about 90 minutes to swim, explore rock pools, and relax. Guides such as Dan, D, Tina, or Jenny add local stories, while snacks, pool noodles, and return transport keep the outing simple.

“The Shuttle Service was good and the driver very friendly. Very good service and I liked the ice after. Unfortunately the waterfall was too dry and there was just a small lake you could swim in. But it was okay for the price and 1-2 hours. (I would not spend more time there).”

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4.Poseidon Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 101 reviews · from $225

From Port Douglas, Poseidon carries you to three Agincourt Reef sites for guided snorkeling, introductory scuba, or certified scuba. Expect reef talks, marine guides such as Hayley, provided suits and gear, buffet lunch, and around eight hours on the water. Currents and seasickness can be factors.

“I had a great trip with my 11 year old daughter. The snorkeling with Hayley the marine biologist was the highlight.”

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5.Half-Day Sydney City Highlights with Bondi Beach and Watsons Bay

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 6 reviews · from $100

You’ll ride in an air-conditioned minivan from the port with live commentary, stopping at The Rocks, the Royal Botanic Garden, Watsons Bay, and Bondi Beach. The small group can reach Sydney’s eastern suburbs quickly, though some advertised sights may depend on time, traffic, and the guide.

“The driver was very nice and informative. However, the tour - as others have noted - was not as described. For example, we did not stop at either the Botanical Gardens or La Perouse Cape. I thought it was a truncated but more expensive version of the Big Bus Tour. This should not be taken as criticism of the driver but rather the tour description.”

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