Airlie Beach

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Airlie Beach Glass Bottom Boat Tour

Badge of ExcellenceAirlie Beach, Australia

1 hour 10 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

If you’d like to experience the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef without getting wet, this 70-minute glass-bottomed boat tour is ideal. Suitable for kids, grandparents, and everyone in between, you’ll see tropical fish, amazing coral, turtles, and other sea life at the reefs near Airlie Beach. Learn about the marine ecosystem through live on-board commentary.

Pick-up from Base Backpackers is included
Chill out and escape the heat on a shaded boat
Safety equipment is provided
A fun and informative tour that’s suitable for the whole family

What's Included

FREE Pick up from selected hotels
70 Minute guided Glass Bottom Boat Discovery Tour
Funny and informative commentary about the reef
Fully shaded vessel
All safety equipment
Restroom on board

Parking Fees

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Shute Harbour Marine Terminal
Shute Harbour QLD 4802, Australia
If your meeting there please arrive to Shute harbor marina terminal 15 mins prior to departure time.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

PICK UPS START 45 MINS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR PICK UP TIMES: Big 4 adventure Whitsundays Cannonvale 45mins before departure Mantra Club croc 40mins before departure Base backpackers 30mins before departure Airlie beach Hotel bus stop across road (coconut grove bus stop) 30mins before departure Port of Airlie Ferry Terminal 25mins before departure Club Wyndham resort 25mins before departure Whitsunday vista / Blue horizon resort 25mins before departure Tasman Holiday Parks 20mins before departure Discovery park 20mins before departure Big 4 Tropical Eco resort 20mins before departure

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Please read carefully to confirm pick up location and times
Passengers must be fit and able to board / Disembark unaided.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Stacey_R

Highly recommend, tour guides were fun and informative and a nice relaxing morning on the water. So cool to see the eco system so close to shore and experience it safely and appreciate how beautiful our sea life is.

Reviews

4.5

213 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 213 reviews

No show

Jean_W, Apr 2024

We were heartbroken , we waited & waited , Nomads tried to contact you Wasted day, John who worked for Cruise company , carnival kept saying to wait

Underwhelming experience

kiran_s, Apr 2024

Nice simple experience of being on the water and friendly staff. No more interesting than being on any other boat or ferry in the area.

Ho-Hum experience

Cindy_W, Mar 2024

It was a ho-hum experience, can't really see the fish and taking pictures through the glass bottom results in pictures with a lot of reflection in them. The turtle siting is just that, if a turtle happens to pop up for air and you happen to be looking in that direction, you might get a glimpse.

It is a worst than 1-star experience

Vicky_L, Mar 2024

It is a right rip-off. Nothing can be seen. I mean it is absolutely NOTHING! Do not waste your money. I cannot give anything positive about this trip, not even the two guys from the company when they were cheeky enough to sell other tours and this one was already bad enough to pursue a refund. Stay away!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hi Vicky_L, Thank you for contacting us with your concerns. We're sorry to hear that you were not satisfied with your experience. It was an uncommon instance due to weather and we’ll do better in the future. Please feel free to reach out to info@pioneeradventures.com.au with any further comments, concerns, or suggestions you wish to share. We would love to make things right if you give us another chance.

A great tour.

Garry_M, Feb 2024

Was a great outing , with professional guides. Totally interesting for the whole family . A good adventure and educational for kids.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hi Garry_M, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review and recommending us! We are stoked you enjoyed the trip and we hope to see you again soon!

All hosts were...

Jeremy_S, Jan 2024

All hosts were entertaining and knowledgeable, got to see a lot through the looking glass including a few turtles!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hi Jeremy_S, Thank you so much for your 5-star review! I will let the crew know to keep up the amazing work. We hope to see you again soon!

Wonder wonderful

Ravindra_A, Jan 2024

Beautiful It was amazing experience Coral information was really good We saw turtle swimming We enjoyed a lot Thank you It’s really worth it I will recommend to my friends Thank you again

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hi Ravindra_A, We are incredibly thankful that you took the time to leave us a 5-star review! We take pride in knowing our customers are happy. Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it! Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Not worth it!

bethjensenaz, Jan 2024

This was a boondoggle for little kids to search for Dory and Nemo amongst very little fish and of those that came out through feeding were nothing extraordinary. Don’t waste your money and time on this unless you want to pay for a high price to get kids pictures with a captain hat!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hi bethjensenaz, Thank you for sharing your feedback, both positive and constructive. I apologise that we did not meet your expectations. We have taken your comments on board and we hope that you will come back out with us again!

A little disappointed

Julie_W, Dec 2023

Unfortunately we didn’t have the best time it was raining and didn’t get to see much at all. I paid close to $700 for the 8 of my family to enjoy and did not feel we got value for money. I understand we can’t control the weather the bus driver and the guys were fantastic.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Hi Julie_W, Thank you for leaving us a review and letting us know what we can work on for the future. We really appreciate the feedback. We would love to make things right if you give us another chance.

Super glass bottom boat experience

Nicola_O, Dec 2023

The new boat was spacious and clean. The company staff were friendly and knowledgeable. A very enjoyable tour seeing a vast array of coral and sea life on this glass bottom boat. A great afternoon. Thank you.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Hi Nicola_O, Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We’re stoked to hear you loved your time on board our Glass Bottom boat. We hope to see you again soon!

Great experience

Stephanie_M, Nov 2023

Great trip- everything ran smoothly- from the courtesy bus pick up to the glass bottom boat- all the staff were really friendly and we saw lots of fish- my 2 year old loved it.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Hi Stephanie_M, Thank you so much for your 5-star review! We will share this with the crew to let them know to keep up the amazing work.

Keeping 9 family members entertained.

Wendy_C, Nov 2023

9 family members went on the trip, including 3 children. Staff were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. The length of the trip was perfect with the kids. We enjoyed seeing the coral and plentiful fish. Thank you.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Hi Wendy_C Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We’re stoked to hear you loved your time on board our Glass Bottom boat. We hope to see you again soon!

Great little experience

Jody_E, Nov 2023

I saw things I wanted to see! So I would recommend doing something like this. Staff was very informative and knowledgeable.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Hi Jody_E Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We’re stoked to hear you loved your time on board our Glass Bottom boat. We hope to see you again soon!

Super cool experience,...

Jasmine_M, Nov 2023

Super cool experience, the guides were very knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend for anyone wanting to see the reef without getting in the water.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Hi Jasmine_M, Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We’re stoked to hear you loved your time on board our Glass Bottom boat. We hope to see you again soon!

Glass bottom boat experience

kbailey2570, Nov 2023

Just being on the water was satisfying. Thought it was an overcharge for what you get but can also understand that most things are expensive these days. Unfortunately we did not see a lot - just the odd fish and coral [no colour]. Important to say though the young lady giving the commentry was exceptional and was very impressed with her all round knowledge of the environment - guessing she must have a Marine Bioligist degree.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi kbailey2570, We appreciate your review and your understanding of the current economic climate. We're glad to hear that you found the experience of being on the water satisfying, even though you had some reservations about the cost. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we continuously assess our pricing to ensure it reflects the value we provide. We're also delighted to hear that you were impressed by the Steph providing the commentary during the trip. It's wonderful to hear that she displayed exceptional knowledge of the environment. We're fortunate to have her on our team to share her expertise and passion with our guests. While it's disappointing to hear that you didn't see as much marine life or vibrant coral as you had hoped, nature can sometimes be unpredictable. We appreciate your understanding and will continue to work on enhancing the overall experience. Thank you for choosing our service, and we hope that you'll consider visiting us again in the future for an even more memorable marine adventure. Your feedback is invaluable in our ongoing efforts to improve.

Would do it again

Manuella_G, Nov 2023

This is a great very informative boat trip Learnt a lot about the coral and even saw a turtle coming up for air

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Manuella_G, Thank you for your 5 star review, we are so glad you had the best time and learnt a lot about the reef. We hope to see you again soon.

The tour was cancelled...

Vineela_K, Oct 2023

The tour was cancelled and we were not informed. When I reached the location and called them then they told me the tour was cancelled.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Vineela_K, Your tour was cancelled due to strong winds and poor visibility. We take pride in offering our guests a service which we would not be able to safely offer when the wind is blowing over 30 knots. We hope you can understand that we had to cancel for the safety of our guests and staff. Let me know if you are ever back in Airlie beach, we would love to have you join us.

Perfect day out

Stacey_R, Oct 2023

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Stacey_R, thank you so taking the time to leave us a 5 star review. I will pass your comments onto the crew and let them know to keep up the awesome work. Hopefully see you again soon.

Trip was informative and...

Maree_N, Oct 2023

Trip was informative and staff very engaging but as per your advertising expected to see a lot more marine life and colour

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Maree_N, Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent trip. We're delighted to hear that you found the trip informative and the staff engaging. However, we're sorry to hear that your expectations regarding marine life and color were not fully met. Marine life can sometimes be unpredictable, and its presence can vary from day to day. While we strive to provide the best possible experience for our guests, we understand that nature doesn't always follow a script. We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us continue to improve our offerings and better manage expectations in our advertising.

Mating Turtles

Kerrie_L, Oct 2023

The two mating turtles and the coral in its real colours and fish swimming past when he fed them and the other people on board were funny

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Kerrie_L, Thank you so much for leaving us a review. We are stoked you had the best time! Hopefully we will see you again soon.

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