Visit the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

On the Great Barrier Reef, your days can be as languorous or as action-packed as you desire. There are plenty of spots where you can swim, snorkel or dive through swirling anemone tentacles and vibrant green brain coral. Often, you’ll quickly find yourself surrounded by shimmering shoals of silvery fish and ponderously slow sea turtles.

For an aerial perspective, take to the skies on a helicopter flight over Whitsunday Island’s 7 km (4 m) expanse of chalk-white sand and clear turquoise water, or clamber through Orpheus Island’s densely vegetated interior. Alternatively, you can bush walk through rocky Lizard Island up to a lookout point once used by Captain Cook, spot Heron Island's noddy terns through the dense Pisonia forests, or embark on a day cruise to the Low Isles.

Our Australia specialists can help you decide how best to explore the underground jungle. They’ll point you to areas where the reef is thriving, brimming with blue and yellow butterflyfish or clownfish.

Activities in the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is teeming with rays, damselfish, dolphins and sharks. You can dive or snorkel past them off many of the reef islands, or from a boat.

From Heron Island, you can take part in a reef walk where a guide will teach you about different marine species. Orpheus Island and Haggerstone Island both offer helicopter tours over the reef, providing a bird’s-eye view over the swirling patterns of coral. Or, if you’d rather stay on land, you can go bushwalking.

Day cruises

From Port Douglas you can board a boat to the coral cays of the Mackay or Low Isles for a taster of the reef’s wildlife. Here, you can don your snorkel and mask and take to the clear, turquoise water in search of purple parrotfish and lethargic sea cucumbers. Or, stroll along the cays and feel the powdery sand between your toes.

Multi-day cruises

You can visit a number of remote islands such as Lizard Island and Fitzroy Island on a multi-day Great Barrier Reef cruise. Take advantage of the on-board comfort while visiting far-flung areas of the reef, often overlooked by day trippers. You’ll be guided by a marine biologist through the reef’s underwater world while gaining access to private mooring sites.

Staying on the Great Barrier Reef

There are 2,000 small islands, some little more than sandy cays crowded with seabirds, while others are rocky and thickly forested. Fewer than 20 accommodate overnight guests. Our specialists can help you choose where to stay based on your tastes and interests.

Best time to visit

It’s best to visit the Great Barrier Reef between May and October when the rain and humidity levels are low, and the water is calm. The reef has a wet season from December to April, when humidity is high, and rain clouds the water. Some resorts are closed due to the high rainfall experienced in these months.