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Heading to the Whitsundays soon and looking for the best Heart Reef tours from Airlie Beach? We’ve got you covered!
The iconic Heart Reef is one of the most visited locations in the Great Barrier Reef. This coral reef naturally forms an almost-perfect heart shape, and the wide range of aquatic life around it makes it a real stunner!
Unfortunately, most cruises or snorkeling expeditions can’t get close to Heart Reef because of restrictions to protect the local marine life. However, you can take a scenic flight to the Heart Reef and get a bird’s-eye view of its fascinating shape.
Ultimately, this is a good thing. Imagine what it would become if they would let people touching it. It would simply disappear!
Also, seeing it from the sky is actually the only way to see the heart shape. If you were to go in the water, you’d see the coral but not the actual heart.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best Heart Reef tours based on budget, duration, ease of access, etc.
If you want a more in-depth Whitsunday itinerary for a longer trip, check out my 5-day Itinerary for the Whitsundays. It includes the best places to visit, how to get to places, and much more!
Quick Summary of the Best Heart Reef Tours from Airlie Beach
The best Heart Reef tour from Airlie Beach is the GSL Aviation 1-Hour Whitsunday Reef & Island Scenic Flight.
This quick, snappy tour includes stunning views of Whitehaven beach, Hill Inlet, and Heart Reef.
The best part is that the high wings and guaranteed window seating ensure you’re able to fully enjoy the view without anyone else obscuring it.
Other tours worth considering are:
- Best Heart Reef Tour with Landing: Great Barrier Reef Helicopter Tour with Whitehaven Landing
- Best Scenic Flight to the Heart Reef: Fly Australia Whitsunday Islands and Heart Reef Scenic Flight
- Best All-day Heart Reef Tour: Ocean Rafting Tour with Snorkel & Scenic Flight
- Best Heart Reef Tour from Hamilton Island: Journey to the Heart Tour from Hamilton Island
GSL Aviation 1-Hour Whitsunday Reef & Island Scenic Flight
⏰ Duration: 1 hour
The GSL Aviation 1-Hour Whitsunday Reef and Island Scenic Flight is the best way to experience Heart Reef.
You see, Heart Reef’s famous shape is only visible from above, so the best way to view it is from a scenic flight.
This tour includes a 1-hour flight in which you get to see Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, and Heart Reef. The plane’s high wings allow a smooth flight without obscuring anyone’s view. The flight often dips lower to let guests get clear pictures of the local marine life.
The trip also includes two passes over Whitehaven Beach’s signature white sands and crystal clear waters.
Even if you’ve been on a cruise to Whitehaven Beach, you will be surprised by how beautiful and different Hill Inlet looks from the sky!
It’s perfect for those who want a scenic flight to Heart Reef without spending their entire day on the trip.
It’s much faster than a traditional cruise and allows you enough time to plan other activities for the rest of the day.
If you’re joining the tour from Airlie Beach, you can use their complimentary shuttle bus service to arrive at the takeoff destination. Otherwise, you’ll need to make your way to Proserpine Airport.
What is included?
- In-flight commentary
- Guaranteed window seats
- 60-minute scenic flight to the Heart Reef
- Shuttle bus service to and from Airlie Beach
- 2 passes over Whitehaven Beach
Great Barrier Reef Helicopter Tour with Whitehaven Landing
⏰ Duration: 2.5 hours
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The Great Barrier Reef Helicopter Tour with Whitehaven Landing is one of the best ways to experience the Whitsundays.
The trip includes views of all the most famous landmarks and a 90-minute stop at Whitehaven Beach.
The tour kicks off with a helicopter flight to the Great Barrier Reef, where you can admire the myriad of colours and take beautiful pictures of Heart Reef. After that, the helicopter lands at Whitehaven, allowing you to spend 90 minutes exploring the famous white sands.
The tour ends back at Airlie Beach after another quick flight over the Whitsundays.
This tour is excellent for those who want a more private tour.
It takes a much smaller group, allowing you to experience the Whitsundays in a more intimate setting.
If you’re going as a large family, you may even be able to get an entire tour for yourself!
Another great thing about this tour is they offer pick-up and drop-off services from certain hotels in Airlie Beach.
If your hotel isn’t on the list, you can just make your way to the nearest one on it!
What is included?
- Guaranteed window seats
- In-flight commentary
- A 90-minute stop at Whitehaven Beach
- Scenic flight to Heart Reef
- Pick-up and drop-off at selected hotels in Airlie Beach
Fly Australia Whitsunday Islands and Heart Reef Scenic Flight
⏰ Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes
The Fly Australia Whitsunday Islands and Heart Reef Scenic Flight is a great way to experience the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef.
It includes a small, intimate flight over some of the most popular landmarks in the Whitsundays.
The flight lasts approximately 70 minutes, during which you can get aerial views of the Great Barrier Reef, with a special focus on the Heart Reef.
The tour begins at the meeting point at Whitsunday Airport, where your pilot will meet you at the Fly Australia lounge.
The flight kicks off with a trip to Heart Reef.
The pilot will repeatedly pass over Heart Reef to allow you enough time to capture pictures. This tour will offer multiple opportunities to get Instagram-worthy pictures, so make sure you bring your camera!
In our opinion, the best part of this trip is the small size.
The trip only takes 5 passengers at a time, so there’s more room for flexibility. If you want to spend more time at a particular place, you can ask the pilot.
Since the tour only takes 5 passengers, there’s a higher likelihood of getting the entire plane to yourself if you go as a family.
In that case, you can decide which places to spend more time on, and the pilot will likely adjust the trip according to your request.
What is included?
- Guaranteed window seats
- In-flight commentary is available in two languages (English and Italian)
- Headsets to hear the pilot’s commentary
- Bottled water
- Coffee/tea at the lounge
- 70-minute scenic flight over the Whitsundays
- Optional pick-up and drop-off services (charged extra)
Ocean Rafting Tour with Snorkel & Scenic Flight
⏰ Duration: 1 day
The Ocean Rafting Tour with Snorkel and Scenic Flight is the perfect all-day trip to the Whitsundays.
It starts with a 60-minute flight to the Great Barrier Reef, followed by a boat trip to Whitehaven Beach.
The flight includes a special focus on Heart Reef, with plenty of time to take pictures.
The tour also has guaranteed window seating, so you can easily take in the sights.
After the aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef, you’ll land back at Airlie Beach, from where you’ll take a boat trip to Whitehaven.
These special inflatable rafts move faster across the water than regular boats, allowing more time for activities.
The tour has two options: the Northern Tour and the Southern Tour.
Both options include a full tour of Whitehaven Beach but differ in the activities offered.
The Northern Tour is the best option for avid snorkelers because it includes long snorkeling expeditions in two separate locations.
This option also includes a guided walk to a lookout point and a visit to Hill Inlet.
The Southern Tour is more suited to those looking for a relaxed beach vacation.
This option also includes snorkelling at one location and a visit to Hill Inlet but allows for more relaxing beach time.
This tour is the best option for those looking to combine a Heart Reef and Whitsunday tour in one.
What is included?
- Guaranteed window seats
- Guided National Park walk
- Snorkeling near coral reefs
- Snorkeling equipment and sunsuits/wetsuits
- Lunch
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Journey to the Heart Tour from Hamilton Island
⏰ Duration: 3 hours
This is one of the only tours where Heart Reef is the main destination. Like all other tours, it begins with a scenic flight over Heart Reef.
The flight lands at Heart Island Pontoon, where you can spend a luxurious 90 minutes exploring, relaxing, or snorkeling in the Heart Reef Lagoon.
There’s even an optional ride in a glass-bottomed boat through which you can get an underwater look at the nearby coral reefs.
This tour is the best option to get close to Heart Reef and snorkel nearby. It’s also a great option for a less crowded trip, as this tour only takes six passengers at a time.
What is included?
- 60-minute scenic flight
- Small, exclusive tour
- Snorkeling equipment
- Beverages
- Optional glass-bottomed boat tour of the Heart Reef Lagoon
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of Heart Reef tours from Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island that give you a glimpse of this magnificent natural formation. However, few offer more than that.
The ones listed here have exciting activities and offer a prolonged look at the reef, with plenty of opportunities to take pictures or have fun.
If natural wonders are your cup of tea, a Heart Reef tour is the best way to enjoy your vacation!
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