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Airlie Beach · Heart Reef · Whitehaven Beach
Fly Raft in the Whitsundays
A 60-minute scenic flight over Heart Reef, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, then a day on a fast raft boat: the walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkelling and lunch on Whitehaven Beach. Pickup in Airlie Beach is included, and both options cost the same.
Pick your day
Fly Raft, the Raft Day or Just the Flight?
Fly Raft is one day in the Whitsundays that starts in the air and ends on the sand. A 60-minute scenic flight takes you over Heart Reef, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet; then a fast raft boat takes you to Whitsunday Island for the walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkelling on fringing reef and lunch on Whitehaven Beach. Ocean Rafting runs it from Airlie Beach, and the package in the calendar below, Airlie Beach: Fly Raft Package with Scenic Flight & Snorkeling, is from US$388 a person (checked November 2026), the same for both of its options.
Airlie Beach: Fly Raft Package with Scenic Flight & Snorkeling
The 60-minute flight with a guaranteed window seat, then the raft to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach, snorkel gear, a sun suit and lunch on the beach. Pickup from named Airlie Beach stops.
Check dates →Whitehaven Beach, Snorkelling & Hill Inlet Lookout
Ocean Rafting's raft day on its own: Hill Inlet Lookout, Whitehaven Beach, snorkelling and lunch, in 7 hours from Coral Sea Marina, with a courtesy bus. The cheaper way to stand on Whitehaven.
See the raft day →Airlie Beach: Whitsunday Islands & Heart Reef Scenic Flight
Fly Australia's 65-minute flight over the islands, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef, with a window seat for every passenger, live commentary from the pilot and a courtesy bus from Airlie Beach.
See the flight →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
- 4.9 / 5 977+ Reviews
- 1 day Duration
- Flight + raft 60 minutes in the air, then Hill Inlet, Whitehaven Beach and snorkelling by boat
- English A live guide on the boat day, pilot commentary on the flight
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Fly Raft Day Includes
The flight, the raft day, snorkel gear and a sun suit, lunch on the beach and pickup, and what the price leaves out.
Highlights
- A bird's eye view of the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef from a 60-minute flight
- A ride past the islands on a fast semi-rigid inflatable boat
- Snorkelling on inner fringing reef, with gear and a sun suit
- Time on Whitehaven Beach and the walk to Hill Inlet Lookout
What's Included
- Flight in a fixed-wing aircraft
- Guaranteed window seat
- Guided national park walk
- Inner fringing coral reef snorkeling
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Tropical-style lunch on Whitehaven Beach
- Sun suit/wetsuit and snorkeling gear
Good to know: When booking this activity, it is mandatory that you and all members of your group possess a moderate to high level of mobility to load and unload the aircraft safely without any assistance. You must utilize steps and platforms to enter and exit the aircraft · The above tour itinerary is a guideline only and is subject to change depending on the tide, wind, and other weather conditions · Travel on semi-rigid inflatable vessels, travelling at speeds of up to 35 knots (65 km/hour) · The vessels are up to 12-meter semi-rigid inflatable vessels, originally designed and built as rescue crafts and are driven by 500hp engines, allowing you to experience a fun, high-speed ride amongst the natural beauty of the Whitsunday Islands · Please note if you are travelling to the Whitsundays on a cruise ship, the timings of this experience do not align with the visiting cruise ship schedule · Not suitable for: Pregnant women, People with back problems, People with mobility impairments, People over 275 lbs (125 kg) · Not Included: Alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks and snacks (available to purchase on board), Queensland public holiday surcharge of A$20 per adult, A$10 per child, or A$50 per family (2 adults and 2 children), the operator's Australian-dollar figures
How the Fly Raft Day Runs
From an Airlie Beach pickup to the airfield, the flight, then the boat to Whitsunday Island.
Pickup in Airlie Beach
A courtesy bus collects you from one of 17 named stops in Airlie Beach for the North option, or 16 for the South option, and takes about 10 minutes to the airfield.
The 60-Minute Flight
A fixed-wing plane with a guaranteed window seat and pilot commentary flies over the islands, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, then out to Heart Reef. It does not land at the reef.
Onto the Raft
A transfer to Coral Sea Marina, then a semi-rigid inflatable boat of up to 12 metres, at up to 35 knots (65 km/h), out to Whitsunday Island.
Hill Inlet, Snorkelling, Lunch
A guided walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkelling on fringing reef (two sites on the North option, one on the South), lunch on Whitehaven Beach, and the bus back to your stop.
Photo Gallery
From the Air and from the Boat
Whitehaven Beach, the sand swirls of Hill Inlet, the reef and the islands, seen on the flight and on the raft day.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Ocean Rafting's Fly Raft package from Airlie Beach: the 60-minute scenic flight, then the raft day to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach. Pick the North or the South option in the calendar; both cost the same. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Plan the Day
Fly Raft Guides
The day in order, the Airlie Beach pickup, the two options, what is included, prices, and the raft day without the flight.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Prices are in US dollars.
Fly Raft, the Raft Day or a Flight Alone
The package against the boat day without the flight and two flights without the boat: how long each takes, what it covers, what is included and who it suits. Prices on GetYourGuide and Viator, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Fly Raft: flight + raft | The raft day, no flight | Flight alone, 65 minutes | Flight alone, 1 hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$388 per person (either option, North or South Whitehaven; checked November 2026) | From US$174 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$240 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$244 per person (checked November 2026) |
| How Long | 1 day | 7 hours | 65 minutes | 1 hour |
| In the Air | 60 minutes, fixed-wing, window seat, over Whitehaven, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef | No flight | Fixed-wing, high wing, window seat for all, over the islands, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef | Fixed-wing from Whitsunday Airport, window seat, over Whitehaven, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef |
| On the Water | Raft to Whitsunday Island: Hill Inlet Lookout walk, Whitehaven Beach | Raft from Coral Sea Marina: Hill Inlet Lookout walk, Whitehaven Beach | None | None |
| Snorkelling and Lunch | Two sites (North) or one (South), gear and sun suit; lunch on Whitehaven Beach | Two sites (Northern Exposure) or one (Southern Lights), gear and sun suit; lunch on Whitehaven Beach | None | None |
| Pickup | 17 named Airlie Beach stops (16 for South) | Courtesy bus, or check in at Coral Sea Marina | Courtesy bus from named Airlie Beach stops | Bus from 21 named stops, 15 minutes each way |
| Limits | Not for pregnant women, back problems, mobility impairments or over 125 kg | Not recommended for spinal injuries, pregnancy or poor cardiovascular health | Not for wheelchair users or over 130 kg | Over 125 kg not accepted; you climb steps unaided |
| Best For | The reef from the air and Whitehaven on foot, the same day | Whitehaven and Hill Inlet by boat, for less | Heart Reef from the air in about an hour | The same operator's flight alone, with an airport lounge |
| Check dates | See the raft day | See the flight | See the flight |
Just the Flight
Two More Scenic Flights from Airlie Beach
If a full day on the water is more than you want, these are flights alone over the islands, Whitehaven and the reef. One card per flight.
FLIGHT ONLY, 1 HOURAirlie Beach: Whitsundays & Heart Reef Scenic Flight
A one-hour flight from Whitsunday Airport near Shute Harbour with a guaranteed window seat and pilot commentary, over the Whitsundays, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, the Great Barrier Reef and Heart Reef. Bus from 21 named Airlie Beach stops, about 15 minutes each way, and an airport lounge. Not for anyone over 125 kg.
SMALL GROUP OF 7Airlie Beach: Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight
Whitsunday Air Tours' 70-minute flight for up to 7, with a guaranteed window seat and live commentary, over Conway National Park, the Whitsunday Islands, Hill Inlet and the Great Barrier Reef. Meets at Laguna Quays Airport, or a van from 10 pickup stops; its listing allows about 30 minutes each way. Not for anyone over 130 kg.
Fly Raft, explained
How the Fly Raft Day Works
What the flight shows you, what the boat day adds, the two options, what it costs, where it starts, and the months to think about.
What the day actually is
It is a flight and a boat day joined into one booking, and it helps to see them that way. The first is the flight: an hour in a fixed-wing plane, every seat a window seat, the pilot talking you through it, over many of the islands, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, then out to the outer reef and Heart Reef. The second is a raft day on a semi-rigid inflatable boat of up to 12 metres, which runs at up to 35 knots (65 km/h) to Whitsunday Island. There you walk with a guide to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkel on fringing reef near the islands, and eat lunch on Whitehaven Beach.
So the flight shows you the outer reef and the boat puts you on the beach. The snorkelling is on reef close to the islands, not out at Heart Reef. Nobody lands or swims at Heart Reef on this package: the plane circles it, and Tourism Whitsundays notes that swimming and snorkelling are not permitted at the formation itself.
The Fly Raft day, in order walks through it from the pickup to the drop-off.
Two options, one price
The package comes in two versions, and you pick one in the calendar:
| Option | Starts | On the boat day | Price per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scenic Flight (60 Min) + North Whitehaven Tour | 7:00 AM | Hill Inlet at the north end of Whitehaven, the lookout walk, two snorkel sites | From US$388 (checked November 2026) |
| Scenic Flight (60 Min) + South Whitehaven | 8:15 AM | Both ends of Whitehaven, at least two hours on the beach, the lookout walk, one snorkel site | From US$388 (checked November 2026) |
The operator’s own names for them are Northern Exposure and Southern Lights, and on Viator the package’s options carry those names. Snorkellers take North; people who would rather lie on the sand take South. Northern Exposure or Southern Lights sets the two side by side.
What it costs
Both options were US$388 a person on every date we read (14 November and 8 December 2026, 12 January 2027), or US$776 for two. On 14 November only the North option was on sale; the next South date was 20 November. A Queensland public holiday surcharge (A$20 an adult, A$10 a child, A$50 for a family of two adults and two children, the operator’s Australian-dollar figures) is not in the price, and nor are drinks and snacks, which are sold on board.
The same package is on Viator as Fly Raft Package: Whitehaven Beach, Snorkel and Scenic Flight, from US$396 (checked November 2026), rated 4.9 from 362 reviews. On GetYourGuide it is rated 4.9 from 977 reviews.
Fly Raft prices compares the package with booking the flight and the raft day separately.
Where it starts
Everything starts in Airlie Beach. A courtesy bus collects you from one of 17 named stops for the North option (16 for South), hotels, hostels, holiday parks and the Whitsunday Shopping Centre among them, and it is about 10 minutes to the airfield. The flight leaves from Whitsunday Airport near Shute Harbour, not from the commercial airport at Proserpine, and after it a transfer takes you to Coral Sea Marina for the boat. The tour does not pick up or depart from Hamilton Island, and its timings do not align with a cruise ship’s schedule. Fly Raft from Airlie Beach has the stops and the timings.
The months to think about
Two seasons overlap in the Whitsundays. The tropical cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April (Bureau of Meteorology). The marine stinger season, when the risk from box jellyfish and Irukandji is higher, runs from November to May, though stingers are in tropical Queensland waters all year (Queensland Government). The Queensland Government suggests a full-body lycra suit for swimming; the package includes a sun suit or wetsuit with the snorkel gear.
Weather changes the day. The itinerary is a guideline that shifts with the tide, the wind and the weather, and a few recent reviewers lost the snorkelling, or the whole trip, to the conditions. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before, so book the day you want and keep an eye on the forecast.
Who it does not suit
The package is not for pregnant women, people with back problems or mobility impairments, or anyone over 125 kg (275 lb), and everyone must climb the steps into the aircraft without help. The boat runs at up to 35 knots. If the flight is the part you could skip, the raft day alone is cheaper: see the raft day without the flight. What the package includes lists the rest.
Fly Raft: the Flight and Whitehaven in One Day
A 60-minute scenic flight over Heart Reef, then the raft to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach, with snorkel gear, lunch and pickup in Airlie Beach. Starting from US$388 per person (either option, North or South Whitehaven; checked November 2026).
Check datesMore from Airlie Beach
Whitsundays Tours with Open Dates
Boat days, sailing trips and flights from Airlie Beach with live availability. What each includes and its cancellation terms are shown before you book.
Fly Raft: Questions
What it is, the price, the two options, where it starts, Heart Reef, who can go, weather, stingers, and the raft day on its own.
A one-day package from Airlie Beach: a 60-minute scenic flight over the islands, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef, then a raft day to Whitsunday Island. The boat day includes a guided walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkelling on fringing reef with gear and a sun suit, and lunch on Whitehaven Beach. Ocean Rafting runs it, with pickup from named Airlie Beach stops. See the Fly Raft day, in order.
From US$388 a person on GetYourGuide (checked November 2026), the same for the North and the South option. A Queensland public holiday surcharge (A$20 an adult, A$10 a child, A$50 for a family of two adults and two children, the operator's Australian-dollar figures) and drinks on board are extra. The same package on Viator is from US$396 (checked November 2026). See Fly Raft prices.
Northern Exposure (North Whitehaven) snorkels at two sites and starts at 7:00 AM; Southern Lights (South Whitehaven) snorkels at one site, gives you at least two hours on Whitehaven Beach at both ends, and starts at 8:15 AM. Both include the same flight, the Hill Inlet Lookout walk and lunch, and both cost the same. See Northern Exposure or Southern Lights.
Airlie Beach. A courtesy bus collects you from one of 17 named stops (16 for South) and takes about 10 minutes to Whitsunday Airport near Shute Harbour, where the flight leaves; after the flight a transfer takes you to Coral Sea Marina for the boat. The tour does not pick up or depart from Hamilton Island. See Fly Raft from Airlie Beach.
No. The plane flies over Heart Reef and does not land, and the snorkelling is on fringing reef near the islands, not at Heart Reef. Tourism Whitsundays notes that swimming and snorkelling are not permitted at the formation itself; Heart Reef is a sight from the air.
The 60-minute flight with a guaranteed window seat, the raft day, the guided walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkel gear and a sun suit or wetsuit, a tropical-style lunch on Whitehaven Beach, and pickup and drop-off in Airlie Beach. Drinks and snacks are sold on board. See what the package includes.
It is not suitable for pregnant women, people with back problems or mobility impairments, or anyone over 125 kg (275 lb). Everyone needs enough mobility to climb the steps and platforms into the aircraft without help. If you are on a cruise ship, the timings do not fit a day in port.
The itinerary changes with the tide, the wind and the weather, so the snorkel sites or the route can change on the day. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before. The tropical cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April (Bureau of Meteorology).
Yes: November to May, when the risk from marine stingers such as box jellyfish and Irukandji is higher, though they are in tropical Queensland waters all year (Queensland Government). The Queensland Government suggests a full-body lycra suit for swimming; Fly Raft includes a sun suit or wetsuit with the snorkel gear.
Yes. The raft day on its own goes to Hill Inlet Lookout and Whitehaven Beach with snorkelling and lunch, in about 7 hours from Coral Sea Marina, from US$174 a person (checked November 2026). See the raft day without the flight.
Yes, up to 24 hours before the start, for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later on GetYourGuide; the terms for your date are shown before you pay.
Still have questions? Email us at info@fly-raft.com