Once In A Lifetime Journey
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Djibouti
      • Kenya
      • Madagascar
      • Malawi
      • Namibia
      • Rwanda
      • Somaliland
      • South Africa
      • Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Andorra
      • Azerbaijan
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Kosovo
      • Lithuania
      • Macedonia
      • Malta
      • Monaco
      • Montenegro
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • United Kingdom
    • North & Central America
      • American Samoa
      • El Salvador
      • Guam
      • Guatemala
      • Hawaii
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Peru
    • Middle East
      • Oman
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Sudan
      • United Arab Emirates
    • Pacific
      • American Samoa
      • Australia
      • Cook Islands
      • Fiji
      • French Polynesia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Kiribati
      • Micronesia
      • Nauru
      • New Zealand
      • Palau
      • Samoa
      • Solomon Islands
      • Tonga
      • Tuvalu
      • Vanuatu
    • Southeast Asia
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Central & North Asia
      • Bhutan
      • Bangladesh
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Macau
      • Maldives
      • Mongolia
      • Nepal
      • North Korea
      • Pakistan
      • South Korea
      • Sri Lanka
      • Tibet
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      Luxury Escapes in New Zealand: Indulge in the…

      July 21, 2023

      Inspiration

      Most Impressive and Unique Train Routes Around the…

      May 11, 2023

      Inspiration

      Top-Rated Countries For Online Gambling

      April 11, 2023

      Inspiration

      Luxury Trip In New Zealand: What To Do

      April 11, 2023

      Inspiration

      Excellent Places Where To Place Bets In Dublin

      April 11, 2023

  • Reviews
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Train, Planes & helicopters
    • Food & Drinks
    • Spa & Wellness
    • Tour & Activities
  • Resources
  • Wine Tourism
    • Australia
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Thailand
    • US
    • South Africa
  • Solo female travel
  • Countries visited: 115
  • Currently in : Singapore 🇸🇬
  • Partner with us
  • SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS COMMUNITY

Once In A Lifetime Journey

Once In A Lifetime Journey
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Djibouti
      • Kenya
      • Madagascar
      • Malawi
      • Namibia
      • Rwanda
      • Somaliland
      • South Africa
      • Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Andorra
      • Azerbaijan
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Kosovo
      • Lithuania
      • Macedonia
      • Malta
      • Monaco
      • Montenegro
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • United Kingdom
    • North & Central America
      • American Samoa
      • El Salvador
      • Guam
      • Guatemala
      • Hawaii
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Peru
    • Middle East
      • Oman
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Sudan
      • United Arab Emirates
    • Pacific
      • American Samoa
      • Australia
      • Cook Islands
      • Fiji
      • French Polynesia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Kiribati
      • Micronesia
      • Nauru
      • New Zealand
      • Palau
      • Samoa
      • Solomon Islands
      • Tonga
      • Tuvalu
      • Vanuatu
    • Southeast Asia
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Central & North Asia
      • Bhutan
      • Bangladesh
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Macau
      • Maldives
      • Mongolia
      • Nepal
      • North Korea
      • Pakistan
      • South Korea
      • Sri Lanka
      • Tibet
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      Luxury Escapes in New Zealand: Indulge in the…

      July 21, 2023

      Inspiration

      Most Impressive and Unique Train Routes Around the…

      May 11, 2023

      Inspiration

      Top-Rated Countries For Online Gambling

      April 11, 2023

      Inspiration

      Luxury Trip In New Zealand: What To Do

      April 11, 2023

      Inspiration

      Excellent Places Where To Place Bets In Dublin

      April 11, 2023

  • Reviews
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Train, Planes & helicopters
    • Food & Drinks
    • Spa & Wellness
    • Tour & Activities
  • Resources
  • Wine Tourism
    • Australia
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Thailand
    • US
    • South Africa
  • Solo female travel

Disclaimer: This page may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclaimer policy here. Never leave without travel insurance.

Top Day Trips from Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast

by Mar November 16, 2017
Written by Mar
Top Day Trips from Surfers Paradise feature
Top Day Trips from Surfers Paradise main

The Gold Coast is full of fun activities and attractions for tourists, making it one of the top holiday spots in Australia. This exciting region is also privileged to be surrounded by incredible natural beauty, with world class beaches and laid back beach side suburbs and towns.

Being inland the nature-rich Gold Coast Hinterland boasts rainforest covered mountains, national parks and charming country towns to explore. If you’re on the Gold Coast for an extended stay, taking a few day trips out to these attractions is a must. This is a great central location, with an abundance of excellent restaurants and shopping, and some of the best hotels in Surfers Paradise are located here.

Hire a car and set out to explore some of these unreal scenic adventures with these top day trips from Surfers Paradise. Read more on Gold Coast travel itineraries and make sure you are well prepared by reading about all the things you need to know before visiting Australia.

Tamborine Mountain

Tamborine Mountain Viewpoint
Tamborine Mountain Viewpoint. Image credit: Daniela

Tamborine Mountain is a cool, mountain oasis located only 45 minutes’ drive inland from downtown Surfers Paradise. The scenic drive takes you up the winding road through farmland and lush rainforest scattered with idyllic homes, and once you reach the top, you will be surprised by how much there is to do here.

Stop in at “The Gallery Walk” in Eagle Heights, which is full of cafes, art galleries and boutique shops where you can get lost for hours. Sample wine and liqueur at Castle Glen or beer at the Fortitude Brewing Co. Further on you will come across several sections of Tamborine Mountain National Park, where you can enjoy a range a short rainforest walks and waterfalls.

Get among the trees with the amazing Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, or sit with a takeaway coffee or a picnic while enjoying stunning views across the valley around Rotary Lookout. Mount Tamborine even boasts its own winery, at Cedar Creek Estate, where you can also visit their glow worm caves.

Burleigh Heads

Burleigh Heads Viewpoint
Burleigh Heads Viewpoint. Image credit: Michael Dawes

Burleigh Heads is located south from Surfers Paradise, you can easily spend the whole day here if you wanted to make the most of this peaceful town. The beach here is beautiful, with a good stretch of sand that is perfect for sunbathing or heading into the water for a dip. The break is one of the best on the Gold Coast if you’re into surfing or body boarding.

Mowbray Park, along the foreshore, is the perfect spot for a waterfront picnic. Or enjoy some fish and chips and a beer at the Burleigh Heads Surf Life Saving Club. At the southern end of the beach, Burleigh Heads National Park has a fantastic short walk that takes you around the rugged headland to the mouth of Tallebudgera Creek, or you can walk up to the top of the hill to enjoy the panoramic views from Tumgun Lookout.

Tallebudgera Creek provides a picture-perfect and safe swimming spot with white sand and crystal clear water that is perfect for snorkelling. The twice monthly Village Markets is a fun, arty local market full of local fashion, art, food and more, while the Beachside Market focuses on arts and crafts, on the last Sunday of every month.

Springbrook National Park

If you’re wanting to get back to nature for the day, Springbrook National Park is the place to go. This large area of lush sub-tropical rainforest is breathtaking to see. It is a scenic hour’s drive from Surfers Paradise, and when you reach it you will feel far away from the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast. There are a range of excellent rain forest walks here to suit all abilities, along with picnic areas, waterfalls and swimming holes. You could easily spend the whole day wandering the trails and cooling off in the pristine water. Nearby, in Springbrook, there are several cafes where you can enjoy a coffee afterwards. For a bird’s eye view, try a hot air balloon over the area and surroundings.

Movie World

Movie World in the Gold Coast
Movie World in the Gold Coast. Image credit: Sookie

The first day trip that many people go on from Surfers Paradise is, of course, one of the Gold Coast’s amazing theme parks! There are several to choose from, but Movie World would have to top the list thanks to its diverse range of rides and shows.

There are some crazy roller coasters here, such as the Superman Escape and the newly opened ‘DC Rivals HyperCoaster’, which claims to be the longest, highest and fastest in the Southern Hemisphere. Along with the rides, there are lots of entertaining shows on offer, such as the action-packed Hollywood Stunt Driver Show, as well as the main street parades where all the famous Looney Tunes and movie characters come out to greet fans.

These characters hang out all around the park and you can interact with them and take photos. Movie World is the ultimate theme park for family fun.

Byron Bay

Byron Bay Boardwalk
Byron Bay Boardwalk. Image credit: Sookie

Byron Bay is one of the coolest coastal towns in Australia, known for its laidback hippie vibes. These days the town is a drawcard for backpackers and travellers, and things are bit far removed from the old hippie days, but Byron Bay’s laid-back atmosphere is still intact and the town is definitely worth a visit.

It might be located in New South Wales, but it is just over an hour’s drive across the border from Surfers Paradise, making it a great day trip destination. The main beach in Byron Bay is idyllic for wiling away a couple of hours in the sand, while in town there are lots of great shops and cafes to check out.

One of the best things to do in Byron Bay is to take the walk from town out to the Cape Byron Lighthouse, a beautiful walk with rugged coastal scenery, leading to the most Easterly point of the Australian Mainland.

Lamington National Park

If you’re wanting to go hiking for the day, it is hard to beat Lamington National Park. This large protected area of pristine rainforest is located just inland from Springbrook, and requires a bit more driving to reach the section at Binna Burra, or further on to the Green Mountains section.

The rainforest here feels ancient and untouched, and there are a range of excellent walking tracks to enjoy, some reaching points with amazing views out towards the Gold Coast or across the New South Wales border. The Coomera Circuit is a 17km walk that takes you to the stunning Coomera Falls, plunging far below into a dramatic gorge, before following the creek for some time and circling back to Binna Burra. Lamington National Park is a beautiful spot to escape the hustle and bustle of Surfers Paradise for the day.

There are lots of incredible day trips that you can enjoy from Surfers Paradise, especially if you take a plane like an exotic escape to Whitsunday Islands, and these are just a few of them. The amazing vibe this city has can sometimes be overlooked for people planning a trip to Australia. This really is an amazing part of the world and one of the must visit destinations down under.

  • Check if you need a visa, get help processing it at iVisa.
  • Never ever leave without travel insurance. Get affordable coverage from World Nomads or long term insurance from Safety Wing.
  • I find all of my flights on KAYAK. Check their Deals section too.
  • Search for all your transportation between destinations on the trusted travel booking platform Bookaway.
  • I book all my day trips and tours via GetYourGuide, they are the best and their tours are refundable up to 24h in advance.
  • Get USD35 off your first booking with Airbnb.
  • Compare hotels EVERYWHERE at HotelsCombined and book with Booking.com.
  • Compare car rental prices at Rentalcars.com
AustraliaEastern AustraliaGold CoastSurfers Paradise
0
FacebookTwitterPinterest

You may also like

Things to do in Margaret River for wine...

The Most Luxurious Sporting Events to Watch While...

The day I jumped off the Sydney Harbour...

The charm of Cape Mentelle in the Margaret...

Romancing with food at Aria, Sydney’s most acclaimed...

Oh-so: Pullman Bunker Bay Resort Margaret River Review

Nine Delicious Autumn Food Festivals around the world

Margaret River tips and tricks: What to know...

Luxury Western Australia Road Trip

Lizard Island Resort review

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Maldives vs Bora Bora, where will YOU have the best vacation?

    June 30, 2020
  • 2

    All the hipster, fun and cool things to do in New York

    June 30, 2020
  • 3

    Original and fabulous gifts for travelers for any occasion

    December 3, 2017
  • 4

    The world’s least visited countries – Unknown and rare destinations

    June 22, 2020
  • 5

    300+ Instagram bio quotes and captions to rock your feed

    December 14, 2019
  • 6

    100+ Great Things to do in Seoul

    August 18, 2020

Recent Posts

  • Trends and Transformations in Today’s Travel Landscape

    April 20, 2024
  • Biggest Gaming Venues To Visit Across Australia and New Zealand

    February 15, 2024
  • Get Off the Beaten Track: Top Unusual Things to Do and See in Branson, Missouri

    January 30, 2024
  • Christchurch Uncovered: The Ultimate Guide To The Garden City

    November 8, 2023
  • Luxury Escapes in New Zealand: Indulge in the Ultimate High-End Experiences

    July 21, 2023
  • Most Impressive and Unique Train Routes Around the World

    May 11, 2023

follow US on instagram

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Linkedin

About

  • ABOUT ONCE IN A LIFE TIME JOURNEY
  • ABOUT THE TEAM
  • WHERE WE HAVE BEEN
  • PRESS
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Reach Out

  • CONTACT US
  • PARTNER

Quick Links

  • SITEMAP
  • BOOKS
  • INCOME
  • DIGITAL MARKETING
  • DISCLAIMER

Copyright © 2019 . All Rights Reserved. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program