Australia · SCENIC FLIGHTS
Good scenic flights fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
See the Great Barrier Reef from a fixed-wing plane, with window seats, pilot commentary, Green Island, reefs, cays, and whale spotting.
“Great experience. Unforgettable view from the plane. Special thanks to Daniel our pilot and Luke our guide, very friendly service from both of them. All in all absolutely recommendable.”
See Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Heart Reef, and the Great Barrier Reef on a 70-minute scenic flight from Airlie Beach.
“Great communication and everything went really smoothly and all staff were amazing! Had a great time thank you”
See Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, the Whitsunday Islands, and Heart Reef on a one-hour scenic flight from Airlie Beach.
“The most AMAZING experience! Perfect from start to finish, couldn’t recommend enough!”
Fly over Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Heart Reef, and the Whitsundays on a 65-minute scenic flight from Airlie Beach.
“Amazing experience flying over the Whitsunday islands and Great Barrier Reef, I would really recommend this flight”
Combine a 60-minute Whitsundays scenic flight with Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, high-speed rafting, and reef snorkeling from Airlie Beach.
“This package was perfect and so smoothly coordinated! I absolutely loved the flight over the Great Barrier Reef, such a special experience. The snorkelling was super fun and they provided all the necessary equipment! The meal was also great on the raft!”
See Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Heart Reef, and the Great Barrier Reef on a one-hour scenic flight from Airlie Beach.
“Exhilarating opportunity to experience the reef and Whitsundays from the air. Focus on safety, but fun and informative.”
Review of Cairns’ full-day Great Barrier Reef cruise with two outer reef sites, BBQ lunch, snorkeling, scuba options, and a 10-minute helicopter flight.
“The crew on the boat was amazing, but we went out on a "stormy" kind of day, and the majority of passengers on the boat were sick. I kind of wish the cruise was canceled because of the wind warning, but they said seasick pills should help. Again, the crew was amazing and took care of us during the roller coaster boat ride. We were able to snorkel at the reef, but visibility wasn't ideal. Our helicopter ride was canceled because of weather, too, and they kindly reimbursed us for that part. I have to remember I booked a trip during fall, so there is always the possibility of weather…”
Review of Airlie Beach’s Fly Raft Package, combining a Great Barrier Reef flight, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, lunch, and snorkeling.
“Thanks to Heath and Daisy for the memorable experience my partner and I had. Beautiful scenery, unmatchable fun on the boat with great tunes and even better beers. But most of all they made our experience really good and efficient, we had two snorkeling spots, the first one wasn't ideal due to changing weather conditions so they pulled the plug earlier there and decided to go to the second one where we were guaranteed to see lots of colourful fish and have more time there too. Thank you guys for an unforgettable experience...until next time!! 👌🇮🇪”
See the Great Barrier Reef from a seven-seat aircraft on a 40-minute Cairns flight with guaranteed windows, pilot commentary, and hotel pickup.
“Headsets in our Cessna plane were poor quality- could not hear everything the pilot was saying. In addition he was operating with no ground crew and seened to be in a rush.”
See Heart Reef, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, and the Whitsundays on a one-hour scenic flight from Airlie Beach.
“This is a great tour. Its expensive, but if you can manage it it is a wonderful way to see the Great Barrier reef. My wife and I are from the UK and have never seen anything like it. It was magnificent to see. We also flew over Whitehaven beach and we had been on a day tour to the beach the day which is also highly recommend. The pilot was friendly and knowledgeable & the the plane ride was surprisingly smooth. It was one of the highlights of our time in Australia.”
See the Great Barrier Reef from a four-seat helicopter, with outer reef views, marine life spotting, pilot commentary, and a small-group feel.
“This was a wonderful way to see the great barrier reef. We enjoyed our flight. It was just the two of us with the pilot.”
See Kakadu from above on a 30-minute Jabiru scenic flight with window seats, pilot commentary, escarpment views, and hotel transfers.
“Must do to get a true sense of how emence Kakadu is. Wonderful pilot, great knowledge. Highly recommend”
Review the Dampier Peninsula tour from Broome, with Aboriginal communities, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, lunch, and an optional scenic flight.
“Commentary excellent & culturally appropriate; would have been nice to go seaside at Cygnet Bay. The young woman who presented at One-Arm-Point was ab fab; clear, and informative. Get her onboard. Driving skills were on display throughout the tour.”
See Green Island, Arlington Reef, sharks, rays, turtles, and the Queensland coast on a private 30-minute helicopter flight from Cairns.
“Wow wow wow….. so incredible!! The owner was amazing! They were sooo flat out with a cruise ship coming in.. we weren’t treated as a number, we were a guest and the hospitality was outstanding! The view from the helicopter is breathtaking, nothing like we have ever seen!! If you are worried about the budget, make room for this!!”
Explore Beagle Bay, Cygnet Bay and One Arm Point on an 11.5-hour Dampier Peninsula tour from Broome, with an optional scenic flight.
“The friendly and down to earth nature of our driver Mick was great, as were the places we visited, the organisation and the guides who showed us around along the way.”
Pick a coast, a rock or a vineyard.
