Queensland is one of the most popular travel destinations in Australia for first time visitors to the country. Famous for its abundance of sunshine and warm weather, Queensland is full of amazing places to visit from coast to country! Home to the Great Barrier Reef, some of the most beautiful beaches in Australia and the lovely yet laidback cities of Brisbane and the Gold Coast in the south, there’s so much to see & do in Queensland. I’ve rounded up what I think are the best and most beautiful places to visit in Queensland below – let me know if you agree in the comments!
Cairns & Great Barrier Reef
Explore Queensland’s tropics in the dazzling Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region. This is one of the most amazing places to visit in Queensland because of natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. There’s nowhere else in the world quite like it! Cairns is the most popular tourist hub in the region, but there are quieter beach towns like stylish Port Douglas, Palm Cove and Mission Beach.
Explore More: Itinerary: One Week In Queensland’s Tropics
Highlights in Cairns & Great Barrier to visit:
- The Great Barrier Reef
- Daintree Rainforest
- Kuranda Skyrail & Scenic Railway
- Green Island
Stay In: Cairns, Port Douglas or Palm Cove
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland and the third-largest city in Australia (following Sydney and Melbourne). It’s been booming for the last few years, and shows no signs of slowing down after winning the bid for the 2032 Olympics.
Brisbane is a sunny, sub-tropical city with year-round sunshine and the most glorious winter you’ll find anywhere in the world. It’s also my hometown!
Best Places in Brisbane to visit:
- Howard Smith Wharves
- GoMA
- Streets Beach & Southbank Precinct
- Mt Glorious & D’Aguilar National Park
Stay In: The CBD, Fortitude Valley or South Bank
Gold Coast
Just south of Brisbane, the Gold Coast is one of the most popular places to visit in Queensland. The Gold Coast is spoiled with some of the best beaches in Australia, and hundreds of accommodation options makes planning a trip really easy. The Gold Coast is one of the country’s fastest growing cities, and is the largest city in Australia that’s not a state capital. It’s Australia’s answer to Miami! There are lots of ways to experience the Gold Coast: Stylish Broadbeach, wild and touristy Surfers Paradise, hip Mermaid Beach and beautiful, laidback Burleigh Heads.
Growing up in Brisbane meant spending lots of sunny weekends and holidays on the Gold Coast, and still visit as often as I can with family and my boyfriend. It’s changed so much over the last 20+ years, but I think it’s getting more beautiful every year.
Explore More: Gold Coast Travel Guide
Best Places to Visit on the Gold Coast, Queensland:
Stay In: Broadbeach or Burleigh Heads
Sunshine Coast
North of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Queensland, with dozens of lovely beaches and beach towns and a green, mountainous hinterland. The most popular and developed part of the Sunshine Coast is Noosa, which is always teeming with Melburnians and Sydneysiders in winter, escaping the cold. If you’re coming to the Sunshine Coast to escape the hustle and bustle, check out smaller beach towns and communities that are a bit more laidback, like Moffat Beach, Kings Beach, Caloundra, Coolum and Mooloolaba. Or head for the hills, into the leafy Sunshine Coast Hinterland townships of Montville and Maleny.
Explore More: The Most Beautiful Beaches on the Sunshine Coast
Best Places to Visit on the Sunshine Coast:
- Noosa
- Noosa National Park
- The Glasshouse Mountains
- Sunshine Coast Hinterland
Stay In: Noosa or Caloundra
The Whitsundays
The Whitsundays is Queensland’s most beautiful and luxurious island group. An idyllic archipelago of 74 islands in north Queensland, it’s a dreamy destination for crystal clear water, soft sandy beaches and palm trees swaying in the breeze. Whitehaven Beach is one of the most unique places to visit in Queensland, because it’s sandy beach is made of silica – making it blindingly bright white!
Hamilton Island is the most popular island to stay on, with a range of accommodation including the luxurious qualia. Hayman Island is exclusive to guests of One & Only Hayman Island Resort and Daydream Island has a few budget options. Airlie Beach on the mainland is also a popular base with apartments and hostels.
Explore More: Visiting Whitehaven Beach
Best Places to Visit in the Whitsundays, Queensland:
- Whitehaven Beach
- Hamilton Island
Stay In: Hamilton Island or Airlie Beach
North Stradbroke Island
“Straddie” is a favoured holiday destination of Brisbanites, who are lucky enough to have the island on their doorstep. North Stradbroke Island is the first island community to join the global “Slow” movement, demonstrating the community’s commitment to preserving a slow and deliberate lifestyle. Definitely one of the most amazing places in Queensland to visit on a day trip or short stay from Brisbane!
Explore More: A weekend on the world’s first slow island
Best Places to Visit on North Stradbroke, Queensland:
- Cylinder Beach
- Main Beach
- Point Lookout
Stay In: A Straddie Beach Shack
Moreton Island & Bay Region
Moreton Island is the world’s second-largest sand island. It’s an easy long weekend trip from Brisbane, with a regular ferry service to the island. Feed dolphins at the island’s main resort, Tangalooma, or bring your own 4WD and explore the island’s countless beaches & lakes at your leisure. Snorkelling tours of the Tangalooma Wrecks are also available.
Leaving from Redcliffe on the mainland, Brisbane Whale Watching runs amazing, eco-friendly humpback whale watching tours in Moreton Bay which run from May-November each year.
Highlights of Moreton Island, Queensland:
- Moreton Island
- Whale watching in Moreton Bay
Stay In: Redcliffe or on Moreton Island at Tangalooma
Southern Queensland Country
Just 90 minutes’ drive from Brisbane, Southern Queensland Country is a total change of pace from the city. This charming corner of Queensland is home to the state’s wine growing region, The Granite Belt, rolling hills, sleepy country towns and stately Toowoomba, one of Australia’s largest country towns, famed for its annual flower show. Southern Queensland Country is one of the most unique places to visit in Queensland, with a total change of scenery from the state’s subtropical and tropical coastline.
Best Places to visit in Southern Queensland Country:
- Stanthorpe & The Granite Belt
- Queen Mary Falls
- Warwick
Stay In: Stanthorpe or Toowoomba
What is the most amazing place in Queensland you’ve visited? Where do you want to go? Tell me what you think in the comments.