Illustration.
Islands · Whitehaven · Hill Inlet · Heart Reef
Whitsunday Scenic Flight
Fly Australia Charter's flight crosses Long Island, Hayman Island, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, then goes out to Hardy Reef, Hook Reef and Heart Reef, with several passes over each place. Every passenger gets a window.
Pick your flight
Which Whitsunday Flight?
A Whitsunday scenic flight is an hour over the islands, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and the outer Great Barrier Reef, and the flights differ less in price than in what their routes name. Fly Australia Charter’s Airlie Beach: Whitsunday Islands & Heart Reef Scenic Flight names the most: Long Island, Hayman Island, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Hardy Reef, Hook Reef and Heart Reef, with several passes at each. It is US$240 a person (checked November 2026), and its airfield is ten minutes from town by courtesy bus.
Airlie Beach: Whitsunday Islands & Heart Reef Scenic Flight
Fly Australia Charter: Long Island, Hayman Island, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, then Hardy, Hook and Heart reefs, about 15 minutes each over the islands, Hill Inlet and the reef. Marine park and airport fees included.
Check times →Airlie Beach: Whitsundays & Heart Reef Scenic Flight
One hour from Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour: the islands, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, then out to Heart Reef. A 15-minute bus from 21 named stops and a lounge with a cafe.
See the flight →Airlie Beach: Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight
Whitsunday Air Tours: 70 minutes for up to seven, over Conway National Park and Airlie Beach as well as the islands, Hill Inlet and the reef. A van to Laguna Quays Airport, which its listing allows about 30 minutes each way.
See the flight →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Want to stand on Whitehaven Beach as well as fly over it? The flight-plus-boat day below the comparison does both in one day.
- 4.9 / 5 1657+ Reviews
- 65 minutes Duration
- About 200 km Islands, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and the outer reef in 60 minutes in the air
- Every window A window seat for each passenger, with the pilot's live commentary
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Flight Covers
About 200 km of flying: the islands and Whitehaven Beach, the sand of Hill Inlet, and the outer reef with Heart Reef.
Highlights
- Experience the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, with views of Heart Reef
- Marvel at the Whitsundays, including iconic spots like Whitehaven Beach
- Fly in specially designed planes with panoramic windows for unobstructed views
- Learn about the sights from your pilot as you cover 200 km of natural beauty
- Spot diverse marine creatures from the aircraft, from manta rays to whales
What's Included
- Courtesy pickup and drop-off bus service from 2 locations in Airlie Beach
- Access to air-conditioned lounge
- Luggage storage
- 60-minute scenic flight
- Live commentary by your pilot
- Window seat for all passengers
- Marine park fees, airport fees, and taxes
- Free car parking at the location
Good to know: Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed · If the weather is unsuitable on the day, the activity provider's staff will make an assessment and contact you directly. In this case, the flight will be rescheduled at a more appropriate time or day. If you're unable to reschedule then a full refund will be offered · Seating is arranged for the best weight and balance of the aircraft · Passengers are responsible for being ready at the designated pickup location and time provided. If passenger misses their scheduled shuttle pickup for any reason and must make their own way to the airport all associated transport costs will be the passenger's responsibility. No reimbursement will be given. · Not suitable for: Wheelchair users, People over 287 lbs (130 kg)
An Hour over the Whitsundays
A ten-minute bus to the airfield, then about 15 minutes each over the islands, Hill Inlet and the reef.
Bus to the Airfield
The courtesy bus collects you at a named stop in Airlie Beach, such as 384 Shute Harbour Road or Fly Australia Charters, for a 10-minute ride. Drivers park free at the airfield.
The Islands and Whitehaven
Long Island, Hayman Island and Whitehaven Beach, with the pilot making several passes at each place for photographs and talking you through what is below.
Hill Inlet and the Reef
About 15 minutes each over the islands, Hill Inlet and the Great Barrier Reef, where the route names Hardy Reef, Hook Reef and Heart Reef. Manta rays, turtles and whales in season are possible, not guaranteed.
Back to Town
The plane lands where it took off and the bus drops you at the same named stops. The flight itself is 60 minutes; allow the ten-minute bus ride each way on top.
Photo Gallery
The Whitsundays from the Plane
Islands, white sand and the blues of the outer reef, as the flight sees them.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Fly Australia Charter's 65-minute flight from Airlie Beach: a 10-minute courtesy bus to the airfield, a window seat for every passenger, live commentary from the pilot, and marine park and airport fees included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before; if the weather is unsuitable, the flight is moved or refunded.
What You See
Whitsunday Flight Guides
The islands one by one, Whitehaven and Hill Inlet from above, the outer reef, a flight with a boat day, and whether there is a deal.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. GetYourGuide and Viator prices are in US dollars; figures marked A$ are Australian dollars.
What Each Whitsunday Flight Covers
The three scenic flights from Airlie Beach and the flight-plus-boat day, row by row: the places each route names, time in the air, the airfield and the price. GetYourGuide prices with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE 65 minutes, Fly Australia Charter | 1 hour, Whitsunday Airport | 70 minutes, up to 7 on board | Flight + boat day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$240 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$244 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$219 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$388 per person (Queensland public-holiday surcharge extra; checked November 2026) |
| Islands Named | Long Island and Hayman Island | The Whitsunday Islands | The Whitsunday Islands, plus Conway National Park and Airlie Beach on the mainland | The Whitsunday Islands |
| Whitehaven and Hill Inlet | Both on the route, with several passes | Both on the route | Hill Inlet on the route; Whitehaven Beach in the highlights | Both from the air, then a walk to the Hill Inlet Lookout and lunch on Whitehaven Beach |
| Outer Reef | Hardy Reef, Hook Reef and Heart Reef | The Great Barrier Reef and Heart Reef | The Great Barrier Reef; Heart Reef in the highlights only | Heart Reef from the air; snorkelling on an inner fringing reef |
| Time in the Air | 60 minutes, about 15 each over the islands, Hill Inlet and the reef | 1 hour | 70 minutes | 60 minutes, then a full day on the water |
| Airfield and Transfer | Courtesy bus from named Airlie Beach stops, 10 minutes | Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour, bus from 21 stops, 15 minutes | Laguna Quays Airport, van from 10 pickup points, its listing allows about 30 minutes each way | Bus from 17 named stops, 10 minutes |
| Limits | Not for wheelchair users or over 130 kg | Not for over 125 kg; climb the steps unaided | Not for over 130 kg | Not for pregnancy, back problems or over 125 kg |
| Best For | The longest list of named places, close to town | Pickup from many hotels, a lounge with a cafe | The lowest price and the mainland coast, if you do not mind the van | Seeing Whitehaven from above, then standing on it |
| Check times | See the flight | See the flight | See the day |
From the Air, Then on the Sand
A Flight and a Day at Whitehaven
The Fly Raft package puts a 60-minute flight in front of a boat day to the Hill Inlet Lookout and Whitehaven Beach.
Whitsunday scenic flights
What You See from a Whitsunday Scenic Flight
The islands, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, the outer reef, which flight names which places, and what the price buys.
The route, place by place
The Whitsundays are drowned mountains. Queensland Parks describes the islands as the peaks of ranges cut off by rising seas, part of the Cumberland Island Group of more than 90 islands, all inside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Fly Australia Charter’s itinerary gives about 15 minutes each to the islands, Hill Inlet and the reef inside a 60-minute flight. Over the islands, the route names Long Island, close to the mainland, and Hayman Island to the north. Over Hill Inlet, at the north-east of Whitsunday Island, the tide moves the shapes of blue water and white silica sand, and Whitehaven Beach runs south from it for 7 km (Queensland Parks). Then the reef: Hardy Reef, Hook Reef and Heart Reef, which sits inside Hardy Reef about 76 km from Whitsunday Airport in a straight line. The islands from the air takes them one at a time.
Which flight names which places
The listings do not describe the same route, and the route is the clearest way to tell them apart.
- Fly Australia Charter names seven places: Long Island, Hayman Island, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Hardy Reef, Hook Reef and Heart Reef, about 200 km of flying, with several passes at each place.
- The one-hour flight from Whitsunday Airport crosses the islands, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, then goes out to the Great Barrier Reef and Heart Reef.
- Whitsunday Air Tours adds the mainland: Conway National Park and Airlie Beach, then the islands, the swirling sand of Hill Inlet and the reef. Whitehaven Beach and Heart Reef are among its highlights rather than in its route description, so ask before you book if the heart is the point.
None of these three lands. All three are fixed-wing planes with a window seat for every passenger and a pilot who talks you through the view.
The outer reef
The reef is the furthest part of the flight. Heart Reef is a heart-shaped coral formation inside Hardy Reef, and Tourism Whitsundays notes it is best seen from the air: swimming and snorkelling are not permitted at the formation. On Fly Australia Charter’s flight you may see manta rays, green turtles, dugongs and sharks, and whales at certain times of year; sightings are not guaranteed. Humpbacks are in Reef waters from May to September (Reef Authority). The outer reef by plane covers what you see out there and how long you spend over it.
What the price buys
Fly Australia Charter’s price includes the courtesy bus from named stops in Airlie Beach (384 Shute Harbour Road and Fly Australia Charters among them), the air-conditioned lounge and luggage storage, the 60-minute flight with live commentary, a window seat, and marine park fees, airport fees and taxes. Nothing is listed as extra. For the longest list of places in one hour, close to town, it is the one to book.
Check times for the Whitsunday flight
The same flight sells on Viator as 1-Hour Whitsunday Islands and Heart Reef Scenic Flight for US$237 (checked November 2026). Is there a deal? sets the prices of the flights side by side on both sites.
Before you book
- Weight. Fly Australia Charter and Whitsunday Air Tours do not take passengers over 130 kg; the one-hour flight from Whitsunday Airport sets the limit at 125 kg.
- Mobility. Fly Australia Charter’s flight does not suit wheelchair users. On the one-hour flight from Whitsunday Airport every passenger climbs the aircraft steps unaided.
- Seats. Everyone gets a window, but Fly Australia Charter’s crew seats people for the weight and balance of the plane, so you cannot pick a side.
- Weather. If Fly Australia Charter’s staff judge the weather unsuitable, they contact you and move the flight, with a full refund if you cannot take another time. The tropical cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April (Bureau of Meteorology), so fly early in your stay.
- The bus. Miss Fly Australia Charter’s shuttle and getting to the airfield is at your own cost.
See the Islands and the Reef in One Hour
Fly Australia Charter's 65-minute flight from Airlie Beach: courtesy bus, lounge, a window seat, live commentary from the pilot, and marine park and airport fees in the price. Starting from US$240 per person.
Check timesMore from Airlie Beach
Flights and Island Days with Open Dates
Scenic flights, boat days and reef trips from Airlie Beach with live availability. Where each starts, what it includes and the cancellation terms are shown before you book.
Whitsunday Scenic Flights: Questions
What the flights cover, how long they last, where they leave from, what they cost, and what happens in bad weather.
The islands, Whitehaven Beach, the sand of Hill Inlet and the outer Great Barrier Reef, with Heart Reef inside Hardy Reef. Fly Australia Charter's route names Long Island, Hayman Island, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Hardy Reef, Hook Reef and Heart Reef, about 15 minutes each over the islands, Hill Inlet and the reef. See the islands from the air and the outer reef by plane.
From US$219 to US$244 a person for the three scenic flights on GetYourGuide (checked November 2026). Fly Australia Charter's 65-minute flight is US$240, with the bus and the marine park and airport fees in the price. The flight-plus-boat day is US$388. See whether there is a deal.
About an hour in the air. Fly Australia Charter's flight is 60 minutes in the air (65 minutes for the activity), the flight from Whitsunday Airport is one hour, and Whitsunday Air Tours' flight is 70 minutes. Add the bus or van each way: 10 and 15 minutes for the first two, and about 30 minutes for the Whitsunday Air Tours van (its listing allows that each way).
Yes, all of them. Fly Australia Charter's pilot makes several passes at each place. A flight only looks; to walk to the Hill Inlet Lookout and spend time on the sand you need a boat day, and the Fly Raft package does both in one day. See Whitehaven and Hill Inlet from above.
No. The three flights on GetYourGuide are fixed-wing scenic flights that take off and land at the same airfield. Nobody swims at Heart Reef itself: Tourism Whitsundays notes that swimming and snorkelling are not permitted at the formation.
Not on the flights sold here. They leave from the Airlie Beach side, and the one-hour flight from Whitsunday Airport does not pick up from Hamilton Island. Tourism Whitsundays lists scenic flights from Hamilton Island as well; those are booked direct with the operators there.
Yes: the Fly Raft package, from US$388 a person (checked November 2026). A 60-minute flight, then semi-rigid boats to the Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkelling on a fringing reef and lunch on Whitehaven Beach. See a scenic flight and a boat day.
Possibly, between May and September, and never guaranteed. The Reef Authority says humpbacks come to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from May to September, and aircraft must stay above 1,000 feet within 300 metres of a whale, so you see them from height. Wildlife sightings on Fly Australia Charter's flight are not guaranteed.
On Fly Australia Charter's flight, staff assess the weather on the day and contact you; the flight is moved to another time or day, or refunded in full if you cannot move it. Every flight here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before. The tropical cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April (Bureau of Meteorology), so book early in your stay.
Still have questions? Email us at info@whitsundayscenicflight.com