The Gold Coast is Australia's holiday in its purest form: a long, straight run of surf beaches backed by a wall of apartment towers, with theme parks at one end and rainforest behind. It can be brash, and it knows it. But stand on the sand at sunrise, with the water glassy and the surfers already out, and it is hard not to be charmed.
The trick is to move about. Surfers Paradise is the loud, glittering centre; head south and the towers thin out into the easy-going surf towns of Burleigh and Coolangatta. Then turn inland, where an hour's drive swaps flip-flops for waterfalls, ancient forest and mountain air.
Don't miss
Beaches
One long strand of sand, with a different mood every few miles.
Surfers Paradise Beach
Beach
Photo: Jack Bain, CC BY 4.0 The beach that started it all: a broad sweep of pale gold sand with rolling surf in front and a skyline of high-rises behind. It is busy, patrolled by lifeguards and lined with a promenade of cafés, ice-cream stands and people showing off.
Nobody comes here for peace. Come for a swim between the flags, a walk along the foreshore and the pleasure of a big-city beach done with total confidence. A market sets up along the esplanade on several evenings a week.
Tip: Always swim between the red and yellow flags. The surf here has strong currents.
Burleigh Heads
Beach
Photo: Misaochan2, CC BY-SA 4.0 If one spot captures the good life on the Gold Coast, this is it. A sheltered beach curves round to a forested headland, Norfolk pines shade the grassy hill above, and a famous point break peels along the rocks. Towards sunset half the town gathers on the hill with a picnic.
The headland is a small national park, with a coastal track through the rainforest to Tallebudgera Creek. Behind the beach, James Street has the best cafés and boutiques on the coast.
Snapper Rocks and Coolangatta
Beach
Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0 At the far southern end, hard against the New South Wales border, a run of points and bays produces some of the most celebrated waves in surfing. Snapper Rocks is the start of the Superbank, a long sand-bottomed break that draws professionals from around the world and plenty of spectators to watch them.
Next door, Rainbow Bay and Coolangatta beach are calm, family-friendly and pleasantly old-fashioned, and the lookout at Point Danger has views back up the entire coast.
The Spit
Beach
Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0 North of Main Beach the towers stop and a long finger of sand and scrub pushes up between the ocean and the calm Broadwater. This is the wild end of the coast: empty beach on one side, sheltered swimming and boat ramps on the other, and a sea wall at the tip where anglers and surfers gather.
It suits walkers, dog owners and anyone who wants the Pacific without the crowd.
Views and culture
SkyPoint Observation Deck
Landmark
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0 Near the top of Q1, the needle-topped tower that dominates Surfers Paradise, a glass-walled deck on the 77th floor gives the definitive view of the Gold Coast. From up here it all makes sense: the thin ribbon of beach, the canals and islands behind, and the dark line of the hinterland mountains to the west.
There is a café and bar, and the brave can book a guided climb up the outside of the spire.
Tip: Late afternoon is the time to go, to watch the sun drop behind the mountains and the lights come on.
HOTA, Home of the Arts
Museum
Photo: Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 The Gold Coast's cultural quarter sits on a lake a short hop inland from Surfers Paradise. Its art gallery, a tall building wrapped in bright blocks of colour, shows Australian and international art over several floors, and there is a rooftop bar with a skyline view.
Around it are theatres, cinemas, an outdoor stage and parkland with a swimming lake. A good answer to anyone who says the coast is all beach and no brain.
Theme parks and wildlife
The Gold Coast is the theme park capital of Australia.
Warner Bros. Movie World
Activity
Photo: Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi, CC BY 2.0 The pick of the parks for thrill-seekers, north of Surfers Paradise at Oxenford. The roller coasters are themed on DC superheroes and are properly intense, there are film-set streets and stunt shows, and costumed characters work the main street for younger visitors.
It is a full day, and a hot one in summer. Teenagers will sprint from ride to ride; smaller children have their own gentler corner.
Tip: Queues are shortest on weekdays outside Australian school holidays.
Dreamworld
Activity
The biggest theme park in Australia, at Coomera, mixes large-scale rides with areas for young children and a section devoted to native wildlife. A water park, WhiteWater World, sits alongside for cooling off.
It works best for families with a spread of ages, since there is something for the toddler and the daredevil alike.
Wet'n'Wild
Water park
Photo: Phalinn Ooi from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, CC BY 2.0 Next door to Movie World, this is the coast's big water park: towering slides, a giant wave pool, a lazy river and splash zones for little ones. On a sticky Queensland afternoon there are few better places to be, and plenty of shaded lawn for the adults holding the towels.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife
Photo: Lewi Hirvela, CC BY-SA 2.0 A long-established, heritage-listed sanctuary set in eucalyptus forest near the southern beaches, home to koalas, kangaroos, wombats, crocodiles and a great variety of native birds. Flocks of wild rainbow lorikeets have been flying in here for decades.
It also runs a busy wildlife hospital that treats injured native animals, which visitors can look into. A relaxed half day for families.
The hinterland
Less than an hour inland, the scenery changes completely.
Springbrook National Park
Nature
Photo: Mudgee65, CC BY-SA 4.0 On a high plateau behind the coast, Springbrook is a world of waterfalls, cliff-edge lookouts and dripping subtropical rainforest, part of the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. Purling Brook Falls plunges off the escarpment into a deep green valley, with a walking circuit to its base.
The most photographed spot is Natural Bridge, where a creek pours through the roof of a cave. After dark the cave glitters with glow-worms.
Tip: The mountain roads are narrow and winding. Allow more time than the map suggests and bring a jacket.
Lamington National Park
Nature
Photo: Alandean88, CC BY-SA 4.0 A vast tract of ancient forest along the rim of an old volcano, on the border with New South Wales. Lamington is prized by walkers for its long trails, giant trees and birdlife, and it has two access points, Green Mountains and Binna Burra, each at the end of a long, twisting road.
At Green Mountains a tree-top walkway on suspension bridges takes you up into the canopy.
Tamborine Mountain
Day trip
The gentlest of the hinterland outings: a cool, green plateau of villages, small wineries, a distillery or two and patches of rainforest with short, easy walks to waterfalls. Gallery Walk, the main street of craft shops, fudge makers and cafés, is unashamedly made for a pottering afternoon.
It suits couples and anyone who prefers a cream tea to a hike.
Out and about
Miami Marketta
Market
In a converted warehouse in the beach suburb of Miami, this street-food night market is where locals go for a casual evening out. Stalls dish up food from around the world, there is a bar or three, and live bands play on a stage in the middle of it all.
It is lively, friendly and a welcome change from the restaurant strips. Go with a group and share everything.
Whale watching
Activity
Each year humpback whales travel up the east coast of Australia to warmer waters and back again, passing close to the Gold Coast through the cooler months. Boats run out from the Broadwater to see them, and on a good day the whales breach, slap their tails and roll alongside.
You can sometimes spot them from land too: try the headlands at Burleigh and Point Danger.
Tip: The season runs roughly from June to October.
Byron Bay
Day trip
Photo: Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0 About an hour south across the state border, Byron Bay is the famous surf-and-wellness town of northern New South Wales. Walk up to the white lighthouse on Cape Byron, the most easterly point of the Australian mainland, then drop down to the beaches and the cafés of the town.
Tip: New South Wales uses daylight saving and Queensland does not, so in summer Byron is an hour ahead.
Where to stay in Gold Coast
Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay on the Gold Coast →
★★★★
Aegean Apartments
Surfers Paradise
Beach 1 km · Spa · 38 rooms
See prices and rooms →
★★★★
Artique Resort
Surfers Paradise
Beach 150 m · Spa · Pool
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★★★★★
Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel & Residences
Surfers Paradise
Beach 200 m · All-inclusive option · Spa
See prices and rooms →
★★★★
Aruba Surf Resort
Broadbeach
Spa · 30 rooms · Parking
See prices and rooms →
★★★★
Bel Air On Broadbeach
Broadbeach
Spa · Pool · 78 rooms
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★★★★★
Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise
Spa · Pool · Parking
See prices and rooms →
★★★★
Bella Mare Apartments
Coolangatta
Pool · 27 rooms · Parking
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★★★★★
The Star Grand Gold Coast
Broadbeach
Beach 2.1 km · Spa · Pool
See prices and rooms →
Getting around
A light rail line, the G:link, runs along the northern half of the coast through Southport, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, and buses carry on south to Burleigh and Coolangatta and out to the theme parks. For the hinterland national parks you need a hire car or an organised tour.
When to go
The Gold Coast is warm all year. Summer is hot and humid with the odd afternoon storm; winter is mild, dry and sunny, and brings the whales. Australian school holidays are the busiest times at the theme parks and on the beaches.
Questions about visiting Gold Coast
- What is the Gold Coast best known for?
- Long surf beaches, the high-rise skyline of Surfers Paradise, theme parks such as Movie World and Dreamworld, world-class surf breaks at Burleigh and Snapper Rocks, and the rainforest national parks of the hinterland.
- Is the Gold Coast worth visiting?
- Yes, especially for families and beach lovers. Few places combine so many good beaches, big theme parks and easy access to rainforest and waterfalls within an hour of each other.
- What is there to do on the Gold Coast with kids?
- The theme parks come first: Warner Bros. Movie World, Dreamworld and Wet'n'Wild. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, the calm beaches at Coolangatta and Burleigh, and a glow-worm visit to Natural Bridge are good alternatives.
- How many days do you need on the Gold Coast?
- Four or five days gives you time for the beaches, one or two theme parks and a day in the hinterland. A week is better if you want to see several parks.
- Do you need a car on the Gold Coast?
- Not along the coast, where the light rail and buses link the main beaches and theme parks. A car is worth hiring for Springbrook, Lamington and Tamborine Mountain.
More guides
- Where to stay on the Gold Coast
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