How Long Is My Whitsundays Boat Tour?
Planning your dream sailing adventure around the Whitsundays? There are so many different styles of tours, we don’t blame you if you feel spoiled for choice!
Each tour is totally unique, from the itinerary and the route to the vessel and the time spent at sea.
To make sure you have the best time on your once-in-a-lifetime trip, we’ve put together a little guide to help you understand how long you’ll be sailing through the Whitsundays!
How long will my Whitsundays tour last?
When planning your Whitsundays tour, you’ll notice that our overnight tours fall under different formats, such as ‘2D2N’ (2 days, 2 nights) or ‘3D2N’ (3 days, 2 nights).
Generally, these align with how much time is spent at sea during your tour. Here’s a breakdown of how to make sense of trip durations so that you can pick the best tour for you!
Check out some of our top Whitsunday tours, including 2 day trips, 3 day cruises, and more!
2 Day Cruises in the Whitsundays
During a 2 Day 1 Night tour (2D1N), you will spend one night aboard your boat of choice, but a total of 24 to 48 hours in total at sea.
These trips typically span over one night and include parts of two days. Even though they include only one night, they extend beyond 24 hours but do not reach 48 hours.
Some examples of 2 day, 1 night tours include Siska (31.5 hours at sea), Defender (31 hours at sea), and Habibi (31.5 hours at sea).
Compare 2 Day Cruises and 3 Day Cruises in the Whitsundays
3 day cruises in the Whitsundays give you more time for adventures at sea! Both 2 day, 2 night tours (2D2N), like Atlantic Clipper, and 3 day, 2 night tours (3D2N), like Apollo, spend two nights at sea. The main difference is that 2 day, 2 night tours are out at sea for less than 48 hours in total, while 3 day, 2 night tours are out at sea for anywhere between 48 and 72 hours.
2 day, 2 night tours are trips that cover two nights at sea and are close to two full days, lasting a total of more than 24 hours, but less than 48 hours.
For example, 2 day tours like Whitsunday Getaway and Entice spend a total of 46 hours at sea with two overnights.
By comparison, Solway Voyager and Apollo, spend 55 hours at sea, and Kiana spends 56 hours at sea, but still have two overnights.
Compare 3 Day Cruises and 4 Day Cruises in the Whitsundays
3 day cruises in the Whitsundays offer an extended time at sea, but you can also opt for even longer on a 4 day cruise! Similarly, 3 day, 3 night tours (3D3N) like Powerplay and 4 day, 3 night tours 4D3N like Summertime both spend 3 nights at sea, but the former returns to land earlier than the latter.
While a 3 day, 3 night tour would spend anywhere between 48 and 72 hours out at sea, a 4 day, 3 night tour would extend into four days by exceeding 72 hours.
Why are there different cruise lengths in the Whitsundays?
The main reason for these differences is that the boats in the Whitsundays operate on varying schedules and itineraries. While some might start their trips in the afternoon and return in the morning, others may leave first thing in the morning and return to the marina in the evening.
The variation in tour length also provides more options for travellers! Those short on time and money may prefer a quick and affordable 2 day cruise. Whereas those who want more quality time with the Whitsundays may prefer a 3 day cruise or longer.
How to choose the right Whitsundays boat tour
When choosing your boat trip in the Whitsundays, consider not just the number of nights the tour is out at sea for, but also the actual duration in hours to better understand how much time you'll have to explore the Whitsundays. Many would recommend 3 day cruises for the sweet spot of time spent at sea. If you have less time to spare you could pick a 3-day, 2-night, or you could opt for a longer 3-day, 3-night tour.
Whether you're looking for a quick getaway that hits all the hotspots or a more extended adventure around the islands, there's certainly a trip that’ll help you make the most of your time here!
Why not take a look through our list of overnight tour options to see what works best for you?
