Hand-picked tours across Queensland
Our team has been pulling together the best small-group tours, day trips and multi-day adventures around Queensland for years. Mick reads the traveller reviews before any tour earns a spot on this page — if a tour's a dud, it doesn't get listed.

Luxury Airport Transfer Gold Coast-Brisbane / Brisbane-Gold Coast
Dedicated private car service linking Brisbane Airport and Gold Coast, covering the 80-minute corridor with a driver who knows the route. You'll travel in a chilled, modern vehicle straight from terminal to accommodation—no shared minibus stops, no waiting for other passengers. Bottled water included, all charges upfront. Handy if you're touching down with luggage and just want to reach your destination without faffing about with taxis or ride-shares.

Small-Group Gin Masterclass in Gold Coast
A hands-on two-hour session on the Gold Coast where you'll learn gin's backstory, explore the distillation craft, and create your own 500ml bottle. Work with a master distiller to select from 50 botanicals, blend your spirit using small copper stills, and taste the result. You take home your custom gin.

Gold Coast Breakfast Sailing Cruise with Croissants & Sparkling
Catch the Gold Coast's best light from a 38-foot yacht during this two-hour morning sail. You'll drift past waterfront mansions and coastal inlets with fresh pastries and sparkling wine (or tea and coffee) in hand, finishing well before lunch plans kick in. It's a straightforward way to start the day without the usual breakfast rush, with room to chat, read, or simply watch the water pass.

Private Surf Lessons in Coolangatta
Get your feet on a board at Kirra Beach, one of Australia's premier breaks and the Gold Coast's most reliable learning ground. This 90-minute private lesson puts you with an instructor who reads swells and your progress in real time. You'll paddle out with supplied wetsuits and boards matched to your needs, whether you're touching water for the first time or refining your pop-up technique.

Half Day Gold Coast Brewery Tour
Spend three to four hours exploring the Gold Coast's craft beer scene with a local guide. Visit three working breweries, taste their signature brews, and learn how the region's hop industry has flourished. Small groups keep things intimate whilst you chat directly with brewers and discover what sets each operation apart. The tour departs from designated Gold Coast meeting points—note that it's roughly an hour by train from Brisbane CBD to the starting location.

Gold Coast 2 Hr Sunset Private Sailing Charter with Drinks & Food
Sail the sheltered Gold Coast Broadwater on a private two-hour charter with up to 10 guests. You'll glide across calm waters whilst sipping complimentary wine or beer (or soft drinks) and grazing a deluxe spread. Watch for dolphins, rays and sea eagles cruising overhead. The crew handles everything—navigation, catering, comfort—leaving you to soak in the afternoon light and good company. Perfect whether you're new to sailing or a seasoned hand.

Gold Coast 2 hr Sailing Cruise with Drinks & Tasting Plate
Spend two hours sailing the Gold Coast aboard a 38-foot yacht with up to nine other guests. You'll slip into calm waters whilst sipping your choice of sparkling wine, beer or water, with a tasting plate of cheese, biscuits, fruit and a sweet treat. Keep an eye out for dolphins cruising past as the crew handles the sails and you focus on unwinding on deck.

Gold Coast Skippered Canal Cruise
Glide through Gold Coast waterways aboard a silent electric vessel with a local guide steering the route. Choose between 1 to 5 hours exploring the network of canals, mansions and urban coastline. The whisper-quiet boats handle gently enough for first-time boaters, accommodating up to 10 passengers. You'll drift past architectural landmarks and native wildlife without engine noise cutting into the experience.

Private, luxury Gold Coast Gondola cruise with cheese & wine
Hire your own gondola for 90 minutes along the Gold Coast's Main Beach and Surfers Paradise waterways. You'll drift past sprawling waterfront estates whilst enjoying a bottle of wine and artisanal cheese board, arriving with a red carpet welcome. Perfect for marking an occasion or simply experiencing the canals at your own pace with up to four others aboard.

Jet Ski Safaris - 30 Minute Jet Ski Hire
Tear up the Gold Coast's purpose-built jet ski circuit on a high-powered machine. This 90-minute session takes place on a sheltered 1km loop designed specifically for safe, flat-out riding. You'll get a thorough safety rundown from experienced staff before hitting the water. The course suits both precision riders threading around marker buoys and those keen to push the throttle hard.

Gold Coast: 1-Hour Jetski Tour from Surfers Paradise
Throttle across the Gold Coast's waterways on a personal jet ski, starting in Surfers Paradise before opening up on the Broadwater. This two-hour experience pairs a guide on their own ski with your chance to dial the intensity up or down—cruise past riverside estates and mangrove channels, or push harder around sandbars and island outcrops. You control the speed; the guide ensures you've got the skills to handle it.

Parasailing on the Gold Coast, Fly solo, Tandem or Triple
Launch yourself 300 metres above the Gold Coast on a solo, tandem, or triple parasail. You'll drift over Surfers Paradise and the Broadwater for two hours of uninterrupted coastline views. Whether you're chasing a personal thrill or sharing the experience, you'll be harnessed safely and fitted with all gear on site. Perfect for anyone wanting to see the strip from an angle most tourists never reach.

Gold Coast 30 Minute Jetski Tour in Surfers Paradise
Tear across the Gold Coast's waterways on a jet ski, starting with confidence-building laps before heading out on a 15km coastal run. You'll throttle past the Surfers Paradise skyline, skim sandbars around South Stradbroke Island, and spot wildlife along subtropical shores. Choose your pace—flat out or cruising—then loop back to base. The whole outing takes 90 minutes and suits riders aged 7 and up, with younger kids welcome as passengers.

Private Transfer from Gold Coast Airport - Surfers Paradise
Door-to-door private car service from Gold Coast Airport directly to Surfers Paradise, taking 60–90 minutes depending on traffic. Your driver collects you promptly and delivers you to your accommodation without detours or shared stops. Seats up to three passengers in an air-conditioned sedan with onboard WiFi, ideal if you want to settle in straight after landing rather than wait for a shuttle or navigate public transport.

Private Surf Lesson Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, Gold Coast
Learn to ride at Surfers Paradise with a dedicated instructor tailoring the lesson to your starting point. Based at Main Beach on the Gold Coast, this 90-minute session pairs you one-on-one with someone who'll stay in the water beside you, spotting technique tweaks and building confidence in real time. You'll progress faster with personalised attention than you would in a group.

Gold Coast Hot Air Ballooning, Bubbles & Go
Rise above the Gold Coast Hinterland at dawn with Hot Air Balloon Gold Coast, Australia's most seasoned operator. This 3–4 hour outing combines the quiet thrill of floating over rolling hills and native bushland with a post-flight champagne toast and professional photo keepsake. Hotel transport bookends the experience, leaving you back by mid-morning.

Gold Coast Private Skippered Limo on the Water Canal Cruise
Cruise the Gold Coast's waterways aboard an electric skippered vessel designed for maximum comfort. This 1–5 hour private tour takes up to 12 guests past canal-side mansions, the glittering skyline and local wildlife, all from a near-silent, ultra-smooth boat. Perfect for first-time boaters or anyone after a genuinely peaceful experience on the water without the rumble and vibration of traditional engines.

Gold Coast and Wavebreak Island Cultural Small Group Cruise
A 2.5-hour cruise across the Gold Coast Broadwater aboard the Kokomo that centres First Nations perspectives on this waterway. You'll hear stories from an Aboriginal guide about cultural ties to the land and sea, begin with a formal Acknowledgement of Country, and join a Yarring Circle at Wavebreak Island where conversation flows freely. The boat moves through striking coastal scenery while you learn how this region has been understood and inhabited for thousands of years.
