Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet Day Tour | Aussie Beach BBQ | Family Friendly

Our fun filled day on Whitsunday Island

What a great day with Dan and the crew of Whitehaven Xpress. Right from pickup to drop off 10/10. Great bbq lunch included

Great day on Whitehaven Xpress

Had an amazing day! What we liked about it is that you could do as much or as little as you wanted. With 3 hours to spend at Whitehaven and then another 2 hours at Hill Inlet there was time for a guided walk to the lookout, a swim in the beautiful ocean or just a walk along the beach. The BBQ lunch was the envy of the other groups who were lined up in big numbers for their cold salad wraps. Being a smaller group everything felt very personalised. Could not recommend this more. Thank you Dan, Jess and Sam.

Traumatic

Would not recommend. Crew are unprofessional and careless about safety. The captain accelerated through very rough seas, causing numerous people to vomit. One girl fell and a crew member was nowhere to be found to help her, so she just stayed on the ground until we got to the beach. One of the deckhands even went flying and nearly landed on a baby. Very concerning that someone in charge of our safety wasn’t even in control of himself. When we got to Whitehaven it was clear that we had picked the wrong provider for this trip - it was the most rundown of all the boats in the bay, and the crew were not dressed professionally like the other crews, a small indication that the quality of the service was not up to scratch compared to other providers. The captain also made several derogatory comments about other providers - again showing a lack of professionalism. It probably also indicates that he is aware his offering is inferior as he feels the need to talk others down. Unless you’re comfortable in a very small boat that will feel every wave in the sea, with subpar service, I would suggest spending a bit more money on another company.

Racist and they know it.

Completely unwarranted racism. My family came to Whitsunday Beach via the Whitsunday Cruise. We were enjoying our time on the beach when we suddenly were disrupted by the Whitsunday Xpress staff. There were 3 staff, 2 young looking males and an older male. We did not use their service nor engage with them but while they were making their BBQ the older male decided to look at my family and make ignorant racist remarks with a blatant expression. It was extremely childish and very disappointing that a fellow Australian is being racist at this day and age. Moreover, he made these remarks in the presence of his younger staff which will further perpetuate this disgusting behaviour. I have read other reviews of Whitsunday Xpress on their racism. It is astounding that the staff have not been warned or made redundant from the amount of complaints. It speaks volumes of the company and the immature people running it. To the man that made racist remarks to my family, and the two boys that laughed along, and the rest of your staff that make racists remarks. We don’t find this stupidity funny. We don’t tease your language. I’m Australian for christ’s sake. People of all races contribute to Australia’s economy, our efforts and differences will not be diminished by your immaturity. Let’s hope you’re not proud of the immensely ignorant behaviour you’ve been persisting all these years.

Fun day full of Aussie charm and sunshine

A fantastic day out with Capt'n Dan and his motley crew of energetic and enthusiastic sea monkeys- Sam, Tristan and Jim. We were well taken care of and the food was good. Only wish we had more time at Hill Inlet to enjoy the stunning views and beach.

Excellent day out at the islands. A energetic young deck crew with captain Dan at the helm we had a great day.

Excellent day out. Highly recommend for families with teen kids. Our family of five had a great day, a little rough in the morning but felt safe the entire time. A great boat with plenty of get up and go but without the massive crowds. A great small group charter run by a friendly family business. BBQ Lunch was great on the beach, with plenty to eat for hungry teenagers.

Wonderful experience

We had the most amazing time the staff and crew were so wonderful it was the best day ever would highly recommend the experience will definitely go again next time we are in Airlie Beach ❤️

A brilliant day out

Amazing trip in every respect. The crew were brilliant, attentive, fun, knowledgeable- captain Dan (also cooked an amazing BBQ), Jess, Mattie and Tallon (sorry if I got that wrong?!). They told us all about the islands, what to expect and what we could see and went above and beyond to ensure we all had a brilliant time. Boat is great, not crowded and plenty of space to walk around even when at full capacity. Highly recommended look no further - even pick up and lift back with Jill were excellent too!

Great day out to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach

We had the best weather for our day out to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach. This is a small family run business and it is well run. We were picked up and dropped off at our resort which made things easy. Captain Dan, Jill and Harry all took such good care of us on the day. Harry pointed out things of interest along the way, he also served morning and afternoon tea on the boat. BBQ lunch was cooked on the beach by Dan the only way to do lunch at Whitehaven! there was plenty to eat including a variety of meats salad, bread and fruit. You also have the opportunity to purchase drinks. You do have to dodge the Seagulls and the crows they swoop your plate if you are not careful. The boat is well equiped and it was a pleasant ride out to Hill Inlet, you need to board a small raft to get to both Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach this added to the fun on the day. Hill Inlet look out is a steep walk but so worth the walk the views are stunning. Whitehaven Beach is beautiful and a real contrast of colours. I would highly recommend this tour, the original Whitehaven Beach bbq trip.

An awesome day!

This would have to be one of the best ways to spend a day ever! We had perfect weather and could not believe how much more impressive Whitehaven Beach is in person than it appears in photos and videos. Dan, Jess, and Sam were all very friendly and knowledgeable. Dan knows how to cook a steak! the lunch was plentiful and delicious, the guided walks very worthwhile, but if you can only do one do the HIll inlet one, it is easier and the view is breathtaking. Not a thing to fault. We got an unforgettable day and it was worth every cent. Well worththe money.

Great tour group to explore amazing Whitehaven and more.

What a trip it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The service was gold class from start to finish even with being short staffed it was amazing. Deckhand Harry and Captain Dan showed us the sights with very insightful knowledge of the area. Fantastic BBQ too. Enough time to explore without feeling rushed. Definitely a tour to give a go. Near the end the crew were very attentive even having to look after a small emergency on board. Would highly recommend.

A Fantastic & Fun Day with a Great Crew.

It might be called Xpress but there was plenty of time to see, do, eat, drink and relax. The crew, Liz, Max, Harry & Captain Dan were wonderful. Down to earth, knowledgeable & very conscientious to the comfort & needs of each person. This is a real experience, not stuffy, sugar coated tourist drab, but honest & easy. We would do this again in a flash! It is a “wet deck” so expect to get a bit wet. Thongs (flip flops), shorts and a tshirt. Don’t forget your towel, cozzies & sunscreen. The BBQ lunch was delicious & all drinks are nice and cold. 👍👍👍

Friendly crew delivers a great day

Definitely recommend this tour, friendly crew , nothing too much trouble from collecting us in the morning, delivering morning/afternoon tea , Whitehaven beach BBQ, & dropping us off at the hotel at the end of the day. They told us lots of informative fact’s & observations as we travelled along , passing around the Whitsunday islands. Spectacular views from Hill Inlet (after a short hike) & Whitehaven beach. Crew couldn’t do enough to make sure everyone was looked after. Would definitely do this again:)

This tour is a MUST!

Today was just amazing. This tour is an absolute must do with Whitehaven Express as everything is worked out brilliantly. Harry and Jess were fabulous, so knowledgeable about everything. We saw whales, goannas, and they even brought the sun wherever we went! We had the best time just jam packed with things to do.

Highly Recommended Caring Family Owned Operator

Would highly recommend this trip. In spite of the fresh SE’ly wind, Dan, Jess and Harry ensured everyone was well looked after and had a great day with an excellent bbq. So much better with a small family run operation who really care

Amazing day tour with the best guides down to earth very friendly Dan Jess Ella & Harry thanks from Tassie guests

Had a great day amazing lunch and brilliant guides conversations were great got more than we bargained for Beautiful

The perfect way to see White Haven

A great way to see one of North QLD’s greatest natural treasures. Captain Dan, a true Aussie character also cooks a great feed with plenty of top quality meat & salad, with a yarn or two also thrown in for good measure. Aided by his friendly and knowledgeable crew (made up almost entirely of his family) they all go out of their way to make sure my family had a wonderful time, which we well and truly did :-) would def recommend for visitors the world over as the views are incredible & the team at Xpress Whitehaven are the only way to see them! Thanks heaps again team!

Amazing trip out to Whitehaven Beach & Hill Inlet

An incredible day out at Whitehaven beach and Hills inlet with Captain Dan and the great crew, Harry & Sam. The views are something to behold, absolutely stunning & worth the walk to see. Sensational BBQ lunch was supplied with amazing salad & fruit platter. I can’t recommend them any more highly. Great job guys, keep up the great work. We will let everybody know about you!! John & Darlene

Best experience at the Whitsundays

This trip has to be one of my favourites ever. Great family owned business that show they care. The BBQ food was second to no other and the experience of Dan the skipper is exceptional. There are many companies to choose from but in comparison this one shined higher and was obvious at the end of the day.

Good family day out

Really good day out! Great bbq lunch and plenty of time at the beach and inlet. Friendly and knowledgeable team.

Fantastic trip with great crew

Captai and crew were really friendly, down-to-earth and knowledgeable about the local area. They tailored our visits to avoid the crowds and allow us to have the best possible experience. Lunch was fabulous and in such a natural paradise it's a wonderful way to spend a day.

Best day out!!

Massive thank you to Captain Dan, Harry and Angus for an awesome day out at Whitehaven and Hill inlet, your passion and knowledge or the area was inspiring. BBQ lunch was plentiful and delicious. I really liked the more personal feel of the smaller numbers on board and laid back feel of the day.

Whitehaven Beach Day Trip

Whitehaven beach experience was great. We were disappointed that after initial trip was cancelled, that Viator charged charged us an extra $15.00 per person when we re booked 2 days later.

Amazing day!

Absolutely amazing day! The crew were awesome and fun. Learnt a lot from them. Loved the food and bbq lunch. Really happy we went with this company. It was a fun day. Thank you!

Whitehaven Xpress awesome experience

The whole adventure was a delightful experience. From the time my wife and I were picked up from our caravan park by bus driven by Gillian we were impressed. Captain Dan deckies Harry and Angus created a wonderful experience nothing was a problem. The bbq was tasty and plentiful. The afternoon cheese and bickies was a treat. Harry’s commentary was comical and informative.The chilled atmosphere was fantastic. It was satisfying to support a local family business. A must do when in Airlie Beach.

Beautiful fun easy day with small group and fantastic crew. Loved it.

Dan, Scott and Harry were such a great crew. They made the day special on this small group trip. Family friendly with a fun happy vibe. We saw the Whitsundays and spent time on two beaches. Two bush walks and lookouts. We saw lots of wildlife including a flying fox, lace monitors, tropical fish, sugar ants, orb spiders and turtles. And a Spanish mackerel. Bring your own goggles for the second swim so you can see the coral. The food and catering was perfect. Lunch on the beach was fantastic. Choose this over the big commercial tours as this is fantastic.

Awesome day out - chilled vibes!

We had such a fantastic day sailing over to Betty’s & Whitehaven with Dan, Jess & Harry the boy wonder! Thank you so much for such a fantastic experience. Great organisation, absolutely stunning location. My dietary needs catered for. Nothing was too much trouble. The BBQ on the beach was great and a point of difference for sure. Loved Harry’s fun attitude and knowledge he and Jess created the awesome vibes. A day to remember and the perfect day out for all the family. I particularly loved that this has been a family run business by locals for over 30 years. They knew the water, the highlights and a tour that wasn’t overly scheduled. Thank you 🙏 we will be back x

Excellent trip!

Amazing trip, really enjoyable day. The staff were all great and BBQ lunch was excellent. Really recommend this tour. The nature, walks and views were all amazing.

Amazing day!!

We went out for the day celebrating my husbands birthday. We had a wonderful day. The weather was amazing, the staff were super friendly and the food was great. We found the staff great and could not help you enough. We can’t wait to do it again.

Great day out

We had a fantastic day, good amount of time at hill inlet and whitehaven beach. Great food from the BBQ, damn good cooking Dan 👌 Highly recommend this tour!! Thank you to you all!

Amazing experience with great hosts!!!

The entiee day has bene beautiful, the people behind this tour are a family with a big passion about the sea and the marine wildlife. They put a lot of effort and care. As a guest I felt cared and pampered, I am glad and lucky to have found them. Barbecue amazing, beaches and lookouts gorgeous and in general a splendid experience!!

Spectacular day trip

What a great day. Absolutely the most Beautiful scenery that you would never see unless on this trip. Fabulous crew who looked after everyone. They were full of knowledge as well. Not forgetting to mention the Yummy bbq too

Epic Day

Had an epic Day with Captain Dan, Harry and Scott. Great boat, interesting conversation with hosts. Super professional with a relaxed vibe. Yummy casual BBQ.

A Brilliant Day with Whitehaven Xpress

Our party of 4 found out about Whitehaven Xpress from Colonial Palms Motor Inn and from the included pick up from there to the end of the day everything ran very smoothly. The weather was not wholly kind, but that was beyond Captain Dan's control. At all times we felt safe and in very experienced hands. As other reviewers have observed, the barbecue is simply brilliant: delicious and more than enough for everyone, despite the ever-hopeful lace monitors! The numbers of guests are low and every effort is made to impart the crew's enthusiasm for the island and its wildlife to everybody. Stinger suits were provided. Perhaps masks and snorkels too would make the experience even better. Harry dealt with our group very well. All 4 of us thoroughly recommend this trip. it was one of the highlights of our tour of the East Coast. Thanks again for a great day out!

Absolutely the best boat trip!

Perfect start to the day with our courtesy pick up by Gill. Everything ran to time including our boat departure - most essential to make sure we got the most out of the day 😃. We had plenty of room onboard and it was a really chilled experience. Our crew - Captain Dan, Scott and Harry - were absolutely the best. Certainly kept us entertained with stories, local facts and their knowledge of the area and wildlife. Really nice extra touches with tea and biscuits for morning tea and cheese and crackers for afternoon tea. The BBQ lunch on Whitehaven Beach was fabulous. Delicious and so much better than the cold wraps the group sitting near us had to eat. Loved the tour as had so much time on the beach and at Hill Inlet. Totally recommend this tour. An all round great experience 😄.

Bad experience

There were quite a few inconveniences during the tour and we are quite disappointed with our experience. The tour started with the rude driver who picked us up from our location, we asked questions, there was no response or communication. We've been waiting to start our trip for about 40mins due to the fact that the bus had to make three trips to pick up all the passengers and it was the same on the way back after the tour was done. Secondly, there was no refill water station as advertised on Viator/TripAdvisor. Another problem was when we were embarking and disembarking from our boat at every single stop. It took about 30mins each time because of the amount of passengers that were on the boat to get on and off the boat. Additionally, the window on the boat was broken and the water kept coming in to our clothes and ourselves. The major issue was the fact that the main Hill Inlet Lookout was closed. We were able to only go to the minor lookout. The main reason for our trip was to see the Whitsundays from the main lookout, only to find out that it's closed. Nobody informed us about it prior to the trip even though they knew this is the case. If we knew that prior to the trip we would have rebooked it to a different date or cancel it.

APPALLING

DO NOT BOOK THIS TOUR AND/OR THROUGH VIATOR. If you want your heart broken after having a tour booked for months in advance and booked flights specifically to do this tour then stay well away and book with someone else. 1 day before the tour I receive an email late on the evening from Viator stating my booking had been cancelled due to failed payment, no one contacted me to discuss this to see if they could process it another way just straight cancellation. To which I then called to book back on and sort it out to be told there is now no spots available so within half and hour of receiving the email and calling my cancelled spot was no longer available 🤔 I checked with my bank and they informed me they hadn’t even attempted to take the payment and there was no issues with taken any payments as I paid for another 2 tours with the same method. So I reached out to the tour company Whitehaven Xpress who again informed me they were fully booked, to then be told the tour wasn’t going ahead anyway because of the weather- when was I going to be informed of this if I didn’t contact them myself. Both the company and the provider think it’s acceptable to cancel/lie literally a day before a tour to which I can confirm the weather was fine the day of the tour because many other tours were going ahead to the Whitsundays and due to the popularity of going to Whitsundays and the main reason people fly to Airlie beach every other tour are fully booked at that short notices, so thank you for making a trip I’ve been looking forward to for months such a stressful experience.

Whitehaven beach and Hill Inlet day tour

We had such a lovely day with the Whitehaven Xpress! We started our trip on the top deck of the boat which had great views on the way to Whitehaven beach. We had a bit of time to swim in the ocean and spend some time on the beach before Dan, Harry and Sam prepared our beach bbq lunch - I had the homemade veggie patty which was very tasty! Hill inlet was the highlight of the day with the best view of the Whitsundays and plenty of time at the most beautiful beach I’ve seen. There were stingrays swimming around and lots of fishes to see too. The only thing that would have made the day better would have been having snorkels available to see the fishes and stingrays below the waterline too so I’d recommend bringing your own if you have one. Dan, Harry and Sam (our guides for the day) were a great laugh and looked after us throughout the day making sure we had everything we needed.

Great experience

We had great time today at Whitehaven beach . The boys were great especially Harry . Very interesting and funny boy with lots of knowledge of the area. Hill Inlet is amazing and my suggestion for the Dan and boys is to spend more time there as it is amazing and much nicer than Whithaven beach. I would recommend the family business as they are definitely trying their best to please everyone!

Great trip with the WhitehavenXpress crew

Highly recommend. Captain Dan, Jess and the guys made us feel like guests than customers, very friendly and knowledgeable. Lunch was great, a typical Aussie BBQ. Boat great, sturdy and no rocking or rolling. Been on 4 trips to Whitehaven beach and this is the only trip where you get time to relax and swim at both ends of Whitehaven Beach.

Would Not Recommend

Following our recent day trip with Whitehaven Express on the 2nd of January 2023. I think it is important that the owners/manager of this venture are made aware of the extremely unprofessional way in which the skipper (Dan) of the vessel conducts himself. We were asked if we would like to wear a stinger suit while swimming. Both my partner and I did not want to wear a stinger suit and it was an option for my children. We are local to the area and we do understand the risk associated with swimming in these waters. And also the conditions in which you may or may not be at risk. For the remainder of the day and at any given opportunity the skipper of the vessel continued in front of my partner/children and other guests to press myself and make comments about our decision regarding the wearing of a stinger suit. If your company does not mandate that you must wear a stinger suit while swimming then once a client makes a decision, Whether they will or will not wear a stinger suit that should be the end of the discussion. And I would suggest that you ask them to sign a disclaimer in regards to Whitehaven Express not accepting any responsibility in the case of an accident involving a stinger. Your Skipper has no understanding of his role nor how to communicate with the clients aboard your vessel. He is a poor representative for your company and developing tourism in the Whitsundays. To speak of and highlight all of the negatives and to mention other operators and their problems or injuries sustained while using their services is totally unprofessional. I would have thought educating and promoting how beautiful the area is and the many wonderful attractions which are focused around the ocean is paramount to your business. Not putting fear in everyone's mind about entering the water and all of the potential negative outcomes of enjoying these activities in the Whitsundays. Both my partner and I have lived and worked in this area for some time and we will not be recommending the Whitehaven Express to friends, colleagues or visitors to the area.

Whitehaven

We loved walking around Whitehaven, delicious bbq , my granddaughter loved walking and meeting animals in the forest, Harry was very attentive! highly recommend !!

Day for it

The crew was really nice. Jess was very friendly and helpful. Harry was very informative and was a good tour guide. Despite the rainy weather the crew tried their best to make sure everyone still had a great time. Caption Dan also cooked delicious food for lunch, although he made some racist remakes towards Asians. I think it would be good for the crew to provide some travel sickness tablets for guests who are prone to motion sickness, especially on rough weather. But overall the tour was enjoyable.

Amazing Crew, Great Experience

Higly recomend. The crew, the captain they are great people sharing their experience. Go and have some fun

Great

Spent the day with Dan, Jess and Harry what a day the seas weren’t great but the staff were terrific, always willing to help, we sat up with Dan on the bridge and got soaked heading out but that was part of this special day weather was around 29’c so it was fine coffe,tea,biscuits heading out, whitehaven is amazing and so was the BBQ steak, chicken, sausages, spicy rissoles and even vege burgers plenty of salads and fruit. Off to Hill inlet for a hike if you wanted then cheese and biscuits on the way back and of course I headed up with skipper Dan, and again wasnt disappointed got smashed by spray with some other guest and laughed all the way back. Can’t give thanks enough Jason .k

Nice solo trip

The journey starts at 8h30 and ends at 4h. It takes approximately 40 min to reach the whitehaven beach, if you suffer from motion sickness they do provide medicine. On arrival you can either enjoy the beach ( tbh, was not the best beach I’ve ever seen) or you can go for a walk up to lookout ( you need to have a minimum of physical endurance, 2 km and a lot of stairs) BBQ was nice, you can ask for vegetarian one. Then you proceed to hill inlet lookout which is wonderful!! You can then enjoy the beach that you see from that lookout

Hills inlet heaven

The locations were amazing, the food was great and the crew were lovely. Would highly recommend this family owned business.

Amazing day at Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet

Couldn’t ask for a better day on Whitsunday Island. We were picked up at our accommodation in the morning (8~ am) and driven to the marina where we hopped on the Whitehaven Xpress. It was a 1~ hour ride to the island with tea/coffee, top and bottom (indoor and outdoor) deck available to us on the boat, and information about the islands we were passing from the crew, Harry and Scott. We spent the beginning of the day at Whitehaven Beach where we went on a bush walk lead by Harry and he talked about some of the animals that lived on the island. Afterwards we went back to the beach, had a quick swim (stinger suits provided), and then had a delicious and plentiful BBQ lunch made by Captain Dan. After lunch we had a bit more time to swim and/or relax on the beach before getting back on the boat (12:30~ pm) and heading to Hill Inlet (spotting a sea turtle on the way!). They timed the day perfectly so when Scott took us on the next bush walk, we made it to Hill Inlet Lookout at low tide when you can see “100 shades of blue.” After that we headed down to the beach, had time to swim a bit more, and spotted some string rays right off the beach. Then we made our way back to the boat and started the ride back. We took a different route this time so we had different views on boat the boat rides. You can tell the crew and Captain Dan care about the area because we even stopped briefly to pick up some litter that had drifted over with the changing wind. Once we made it to the marine, we were driven back to our accommodation. Amazing day thanks to the Captain and crew. Thank you guys!!!!!

Fun adventures on and in the water

Such a fantastic experience to finish off our honeymoon here at Airlie beach nicely. We were so impressed with the whole itinerary of the day; a wonderful boat road to Whitehaven, a delicious BBQ lunch then down to the beautiful Hill inlet to explore the lovely warm waters of Betty's beach. The crew and captain were so welcoming and helpful and made the whole day a pleasant experience. We recommend this tour if you're down that way. Thanks guys! 😊

Breathtaking views and comfortable and relaxed experience

Great experience with friendly and knowledgeable crew, great weather, great atmosphere, great food. highly recommended