Are there any Great Barrier Reef cruises from Sydney?
Great Barrier Reef cruises from Sydney take the best part of a week to reach the fish and coral. So you’re better off flying to Cairns and doing a day trip from there.
Sydney is the main entry point to Australia. But if you’re thinking you can go on Great Barrier Reef cruises from Sydney, you’re in for a nasty shock.
There are plenty of enjoyable cruises in Sydney. Try a sunset dinner cruise, or an afternoon harbour cruise on a gorgeous tall ship. But none of them go anywhere near the Great Barrier Reef.
Find your ideal Great Barrier Reef tours by location
Great Barrier Reef tours run from numerous destinations along the Queensland coast. Different tours cater to different tastes – some make sure they go to the best snorkelling spots, others build in beach time and some throw in extra such as underwater observatories and glass bottom boat tours.
Use the following links to start picking the best Great Barrier Reef tour options where you’re going on holiday.
- The best Great Barrier Reef tours in… 1770 | Airlie Beach | Bundaberg | Cairns | Cape Tribulation | Mackay | Magnetic Island | Mission Beach | Palm Cove | Port Douglas | Townsville.
How far is the Great Barrier Reef from Sydney?
The southern end of the Great Barrier Reef is roughly level with the Town of 1770 in Queensland. By car, the distance from Sydney to the Town of 1770 is 1,405km.
Now, you can make a good road trip out of that, but it’s hardly a Great Barrier Reef cruise from Sydney.
Great Barrier Reef cruises from Sydney
Technically, there are Great Barrier Reef cruises from Sydney. But they are multi-day ocean cruises, and they take the best part of a week to get near the Great Barrier Reef.
If what you’re wanting is a day trip to the reef, with plenty of snorkelling, this is not the desired solution.
You’re better off flying to one of several towns in Queensland from where Reef tours run. These include Bundaberg, Mackay, Proserpine (for Airlie Beach) and Townsville.
Great Barrier Reef cruises from Cairns
However, for the combination of most direct flights from Sydney and proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns is the best bet.
Cairns is the tourism hub of Far North Queensland, and several reef tours depart from here. The art is in picking the right one for your tastes and swimming abilities.
The Down Under Dive trip aboard a super yacht is aimed at divers and snorkellers. It stops at two superb Outer Reef snorkelling spots, and lunch is thrown in.
The Sunlover reef cruise, meanwhile, is more of an all-rounder. It pulls up at a pontoon on the Reef, offering glass bottom boat tours, an underwater observatory and coral-viewing trips on a semi-submersible. It’s a great bet for those who want to see the Great Barrier Reef without snorkelling.
Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday
- Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
- Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
- Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
- Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
- Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
- Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
- Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.
Snorkelling in Sydney
You can still go snorkelling in Sydney – just not on the Great Barrier Reef. Shelly Beach in Manly and Clovelly Beach in the eastern suburbs are famously good spots.
It’s also possible to do a guided snorkelling tour in Manly.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
More Queensland travel
Is there anything worth seeing on the Townsville to Innisfail drive?
How long is the drive from Caloundra to Mooloolaba?
What to see on a Gold Coast to Bundaberg road trip.
Where to stop on the drive from Maroochydore to Hervey Bay.
Swim at Cylinder Beach on North Stradbroke Island.