Things to Do on the Gold Coast: Top 10 Attractions

With 300 sunny days a year, the Gold Coast is one of Australia’s most iconic destinations. Renowned for its stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and numerous theme parks, is a haven for tourists and adventurers alike. Whether you’re a nature lover or city dweller, a national park or amusement park enthusiast, a sports or relaxation seeker, the Gold Coast offers an incredible range of activities.

Discover stunning beaches

The Gold Coast is known for its magnificent beaches whose fine sand and turquoise water will bring you to paradise. The practical side is that they are very easily accessible from the city. The beaches stretch for almost 70 km, from the southern end of Rainbow Bay to South Stradbroke Island in the north. Most of them are patrolled. You can therefore swim there and do various water sports. Start your Gold Coast journey with a visit to the iconic Surfers Paradise Beach. Known for its golden sands and excellent surf conditions, it’s perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and surfing. Don’t miss Tallebudgera Creek, Currumbin Beach, Broadbeach, Burleigh Beach, Rainbow Bay, Kirra Beach, Coolangatta or even Mermaid Beach.

Surfing and testing water sports

It is undeniable, the city was built around the passion of its inhabitants for surfing. Wherever you are on the Gold Coast, you will come across surfers of all ages, at any time of the day. If you want to start or improve, there are about twenty surf schools all along the coast.

It is no coincidence that the Gold Coast is known worldwide by surfers. It has the best waves in the world and annually hosts the Quicksilver and Roy Pro surfing competition which is part of the World Professional Surfing Championship. This event usually takes place in the month of March.

Here is a selection of the best surf spots on the Gold Coast. Snappers Rock and Kirra at Coolangatta, world famous Duranbah Beach, Greenmount where you can come across professional surfers (just like at Snappers Rock), Burleigh Heads (but watch out for strong currents and rocks in the water) and finally, The Spit.

Water sports

If you plan to go and enjoy the sun on one of the beaches mentioned above, you will have the choice of practicing a host of activities such as surfing, windsurfing, kite-surfing but also stand-up paddle or kayak.
For those who prefer slightly calmer waters, The Broadwater is an estuary separated from the ocean by a thin strip of land, providing an ideal body of water for water sports. You can try your hand at paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking, snorkeling or even water-biking. Equipment rental is done either by the day or evening for a few hours.

The Gold Coast’s clear waters make it ideal for snorkeling and diving. Sites like Cook Island Marine Reserve are home to a plethora of marine life, including turtles and colorful fish.

Hike in Gold Coast national parks

If the hustle and bustle of the city tires you or you just want to see a bit of green instead of blue, a trip to the Gold Coast hinterland is just what you need.

Less than an hour’s drive west of the coast, you’re in rainforest. Tamborine National Park is the closest and easiest – waterfalls, a rainforest skywalk and a village full of cafés at the top of the mountain. Lamington National Park protects some of the largest remaining stretch of Gondwana rainforest, with O’Reilly’s Tree Top Walk and, if you’re patient, Albert’s lyrebird. Springbrook National Park has Purling Brook Falls, the Best of All Lookout, and glow-worms in the Natural Bridge cave after dark, free, and genuinely worth the drive.

Smaller but still worthwhile: Nicoll Scrub and Nerang National Park. And right on the coast, Burleigh Head National Park is the Gold Coast’s smallest, a mix of rainforest and coastal headland, with a walking track that takes under an hour and one of the best views on the coast.

Trail conditions, closures and access: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

Observe native wildlife

Who did not dream of seeing a kangaroo or koala in their natural habitat before coming to Australia? It’s easy on the Gold Coast; all you have to do is go for a walk in the Coombabah Lakeland’s Conservation Area. If you’re in a hurry, just stop at Shelter Road at the entrance to the Koala Trail and wait. At dusk you will certainly see kangaroos there.

If that’s too much effort, visit the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary:

• New Offers: “Two-for-one” entries and unlimited re-entry promos ran in March—watch for similar deals each season.
• Highlights: Koala feeds, lorikeet feeding, wildlife shows and themed encounters.
• Hours: Daily 8:30 am–5 pm (last entry 4 pm).
• Tickets: Single-day passes from AUD 50 adults, AUD 30 kids; family and annual pass options available.

Meet the Whales

Whale Watching Experience

If you have the opportunity to be there between June and November, you have every chance to see them. Note that the peak of migration is around August. More than 33,000 humpback whales roam the “Humpback Highway” along the East Coast. They flee the cold waters of Antarctica for the Great Barrier Reef. This is where they come to mate and give birth to their babies. The humpback whale is the most common but it is also possible to see southern right whales or minke whales which are smaller specimens. The luckiest will have the chance to see Migaloo recognizable by its color since as surprising as it may seem it is a white whale.

Book a tour if you can, seeing a humpback breach from a few dozen metres away is a different experience entirely from spotting a spout on the horizon. Most operators leave from Mariners Cove Marina at Main Beach or from Surfers Paradise, and trips run between two and four hours. Expect to pay around AUD 70 to 120, and note that many operators offer a free second trip if no whales are sighted.

Lookouts

If you want to see the migration of whales you can just walk along the coast where you will find superb lookouts. Keep an eye on the horizon, you will often spot them.

Burleigh Head National Park will give you a splendid view of the entire ocean, a good spot for observation. Entrance to the park is free. North Burleigh Lookout is also an excellent spot for whale watching. There is also the Elephant Rock lookout in Currumbin, then to the south, Point Danger Lookout within the resort of Coolangatta which will allow you to see whales in calm weather.

SkyPoint Observation Deck

For the best panoramic views on the coast, head to SkyPoint, on top of the Q1 building at Surfers Paradise. At 322 metres to the tip of its spire, Q1 is Australia’s tallest building — it held the title of world’s tallest residential tower when it opened in 2005.

The observation deck sits at 230 metres on level 77, with 360-degree views taking in the ocean, the hinterland and the whole strip of high-rises. The lift gets you there in 43 seconds, which is among the fastest in the country.

Best time: sunset sessions from 5pm, when the light on the water is the whole point

Hours: daily 8am–10pm, last entry 9:30pm

Prices: from around AUD 29 adult, AUD 24 child (4–14)

SkyPoint Climb: the outdoor ascent to 270 m, from around AUD 89 — the highest external building climb in Australia

The theme parks

The Gold Coast is Australia’s theme park capital, and they’re clustered close enough together to do more than one in a trip. Prices below are indicative online rates — buying at the gate always costs more.

• Warner Bros. Movie World — DC superhero rides including the Green Lantern coaster, the Hollywood Stunt Driver show, daily parades. From around AUD 89.
• Sea World — marine life, dolphin presentations, polar bears, and the Trident thrill ride. From around AUD 109.
• Dreamworld & WhiteWater World — the biggest theme-and-water-park combination in the country: Steel Taipan, Tower of Terror II, and the FlowRider wave simulator. Joint tickets from around AUD 74.
• Wet’n’Wild — pure water park, ideal on a hot day. From around AUD 79.
• Paradise Country — an Aussie farm experience with sheep shearing and billy tea. From around AUD 49.

If you’re doing more than one, buy a multi-park pass. A three-park ticket covering Movie World, Sea World and Wet’n’Wild works out at roughly the price of two single entries, and passes are often valid for several days rather than one. Buy online in advance — gate prices are consistently higher, and the parks discount heavily outside school holidays.

Go out and party

The Gold Coast has restaurants and bars as far as the eye can see. If you enjoy the hustle and bustle of tourist areas, Surfers Paradise offers day and night entertainment. Stroll the streets and discover the nightclubs on Orchid Avenue.

If you prefer quiet restaurants to lively bars, you will definitely find them further south. Whether on Oracle Boulevard in Broadbeach, the Gold Coast Highway on Mermaid Beach or on the lively Nobby Beach, which is popular with locals.

The Star Gold Coast in Broadbeach also offers a world-class casino, several bars, restaurants, and live shows.

Also visit Miami Marketta, a place with street food stalls from around the world. You also get local beers and cocktails. Every weekend there are concerts of local bands that create a fun and relaxed atmosphere in an alternative environment.

Finally, to gain height, go to one of the most beautiful rooftops in the city. You can enjoy a sensational view around a dinner. A little extra: to be amazed, prefer to go there in the evening to admire the city’s lights. Here are some of the best rooftops on the Gold Coast: The Island Rooftop (Surfers Paradise), Wildernis Cafe and Bar and Frida Sol (Palm Beach), but also Nineteen at the Star (Broadbeach) or Mr P.P.’s Laneway and Rooftop (Southport). The list is obviously not exhaustive because there are many other good addresses.

Play Golf

With more golf courses per square kilometer than any other region in the world, the Gold Coast is a golfer’s paradise. Whether you’re looking for a driving range for a simple game or a world-class championship course, you’ll find what you need. That said, only a dozen courses are open to the public (others are for members). Among them 9 are in the Australia Top 100. Find all the information on the different routes on this official website.

You can also try TopGolf (from $50). It is a new concept of entertainment derived from golf. Australia’s first TopGolf opened in 2018 in Gold Coast. It is more or less a classic practice area that can accommodate up to 6 people. The novelty of this game is that the golf balls are equipped with microchips. This allows players to view their statistics live on a screen (a bit like bowling) for each shot (distance, precision and score). This is about shooting bullets at targets. Each field is equipped with 9 to 11 targets.

Taste local beers

The Gold Coast will delight beer lovers. Indeed, the local breweries are not lacking! Come and thrill your taste buds at Balter Brewing located in Currumbin. The brewery was created by professional surfers including Mick Fanning. The atmosphere is great with DJ and games on Sunday afternoon. Taste one (or more) beer(s) from the Burleigh Brewing Company while enjoying one of their live concerts.

For a new tasting, go to Black Hops Brewing which offers limited beers every 2 months. Fortitude Brewing Company offers a relaxed atmosphere in a very natural spirit. Finally, Lost Palms Brewing Company in the industrial district of Miami is worth the detour.

When to visit

The Gold Coast is subtropical and genuinely works year-round — around 300 days of sunshine, and it never gets properly cold. That said, the seasons do change what you’ll get:

• September to November — arguably the best window. Warm without the humidity, the water is swimmable, whales are still passing, and it’s outside the school holidays.
• December to February — hot, humid, and busy. Peak beach weather, peak crowds, peak prices, and afternoon storms.
• March to May — the water is at its warmest after summer, the surf is at its best, and prices drop.
• June to August — dry, sunny days around 20 °C, cool nights down to 11 °C. Prime whale watching, and the quietest time on the beaches.

For whale watching specifically, the season runs June to November, with the peak around August.