No matter the age of your children, Barrier Reef Australia has the best family tours on the Great Barrier Reef and family friendly attractions that are perfectly suited for your Great Barrier Reef family holiday. We offer the best deals with our family tours including our 2nd Child Travels Free (on selected tours). Explore and compare the best Great Barrier Reef family tour with the local specialists. Our half day family tours, island family tours, family snorkelling tours and a huge range of reef trips. Just use the search filter and input your Location, set the Tour Type as Family Tour and press Search Tours. Our team have been the Great Barrier Reef tour specialists for 20 years so we know where to find the best family friendly deals on all tours and attractions. We offer a personalised service for families 7 days a week. Instant book on-line or ask the Barrier Reef Australia team for the best family tour recommendations.
No matter the age of your children, Barrier Reef Australia has the best family tours on the Great Barrier Reef and family friendly attractions that are perfectly suited for your Great Barrier Reef family holiday. We offer the best deals with our family tours including our 2nd Child Travels Free (on selected tours). Explore and compare the best Great Barrier Reef family tour with the local specialists. Our half day family tours, island family tours, family snorkelling tours and a huge range of reef trips. Just use the search filter and input your Location, set the Tour Type as Family Tour and press Search Tours. Our team have been the Great Barrier Reef tour specialists for 20 years so we know where to find the best family friendly deals on all tours and attractions. We offer a personalised service for families 7 days a week. Instant book on-line or ask the Barrier Reef Australia team for the best family tour recommendations.
Spend up to six unhurried hours exploring both the northern and southern ends of Whitehaven Beach, including a guided Hill Inlet walk, beach barbecue lunch and time to truly experience one of the Whitsundays’ most iconic landscapes.
Departing: Airlie Beach
From
A relaxed half-day cruise through the Whitsunday Passage to the southern end of Whitehaven Beach, perfect for travellers short on time or looking for an easy, scenic introduction to the Whitsundays.
Departing: Airlie Beach
From
Full day Great Barrier Reef pontoon tour to Hardy Reef with snorkelling, semi-submersible submarine, underwater observatory and optional scuba diving or scenic helicopter flights, departing from Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and Daydream Island.
Departing: Airlie Beach
From
Spend a night under the stars on the Great Barrier Reef with this 2 day, 1 night Reefsleep experience at Hardy Reef, including snorkelling, reef activities, all meals and optional diving or scenic flights.
Departing: Airlie Beach
From
Sail through the Whitsundays to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach, enjoy a guided lookout walk, snorkel fringing reefs and relax onboard a high-speed catamaran with lunch, drinks and snorkelling gear included.
Departing: Airlie Beach
From
What a great way to see so much more of the Whitsundays and her islands in just two hours by jetski!
Departing: Airlie Beach
Pickup: Airlie Beach
From
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Choosing the best family reef tour can be difficult. Firstly, consider your children's ages, confidence in the water, travel time, available facilities and the type of experience you want to share. Some families enjoy relaxing island visits, while others prefer reef pontoons with multiple activities or Outer Reef adventures focused on snorkelling and marine life. You read our local guide to help choose the best family reef tour.
Many families encounter colourful reef fish, sea turtles, giant clams, clownfish (Nemo), rays and vibrant coral gardens. Wildlife sightings of the Great Eight vary throughout the year, making every visit to the Great Barrier Reef a unique learning experience, with whale season on the Great Barrier Reef from June - September/October.
Most families choose a full-day tour to allow enough time for travel, reef activities and relaxation. Island experiences, reef pontoons and Outer Reef tours all vary in duration, so selecting the right option depends on your children's ages and how much time you want to spend exploring. Half day family reef tours can be good options if you want a short day.
The Great Barrier offers several excellent destinations for family-friendly Great Barrier Reef experiences, each suited to different ages and interests. Cairns – The largest choice of reef tours, including Outer Reef pontoons, Green Island, Fitzroy Island and marine education experiences. Port Douglas – Ideal for families seeking smaller visitor numbers, calm reef environments like Low Isles and access to the renowned Agincourt Reef. Townsville – Perfect for combining Magnetic Island with family reef experiences and snorkelling. The Whitsundays – Best for families wanting to combine Whitehaven Beach, island adventures and Great Barrier Reef snorkelling in one holiday. Southern Great Barrier Reef regions - Lady Musgrave Island from 1770, Keppel Islands from Yepoon and Lady Elliot Island from Hervey Bay, Brisbane or the Gold Coast. The best destination depends on your children's ages, holiday location, travel time and the type of reef experience your family is looking for.
The best Great Barrier Reef island for your family depends on the type of experience you're looking for. Green Island is popular with younger children thanks to its easy beach access and family-friendly activities, while Fitzroy Island appeals to active families with snorkelling, walking trails and the turtle rehabilitation centre, plus Frankland Island to the south is an uninhabitated island. Low Isles offers calm waters and guided snorkelling, making it ideal for first-time reef visitors. Families holidaying in the Whitsundays often choose Hamilton Island as a base for exploring Whitehaven Beach and the Great Barrier Reef.
The best reef tours for non-swimmers and mixed abilities are those that cater to both - Pontoon Reef Tours and Island reef tours both offer a range of activites for non-swimers and swimmers with glass bottom boat tours or semi-sub boat tours, and even scenic helicopter reef options.