7 life-changing hiking holidays in Queensland

When you’re planning to walk through a region best known for 30,000 hectares of rugged parkland, state forest and national park, it pays to have a guide to find the best spots.

Enter the Spicers Scenic Rim Trail: a walking holiday experience where the great outdoors meets sustainability and luxury. Sounds like the Queensland walk for you? The season is open from March to November with two, three, five and seven-day walks.

No need to train with a 60L pack: the heavy lifting is done by the Spicers team, so all you’ll have to do is focus on your stunning surroundings. 

It’s not just the giant ferns, grass trees, and 1000-year-old hoop pines that keep this walking tour in high demand. It’s the fact it balances exercise with indulgence, where gourmet dinners matched with fine wines meet you at camp each night.

Once you experience camping at Spicers Canopy, you'll be ruined for life. the definition of glamping, inflatable mattresses are replaced by king beds, rickety floors with timber boards and exposed awnings with covered decks and outdoor furniture. 

2. Summit six mountains in one day: Experientia Sunshine Coast

If you've spent time on the Sunshine Coast, you'll be familiar with the Glass House Mountains that stand tall on our western horizon. Local crew Experientia Sunshine Coast knows these sacred spots like the backs of their hands, creating a unique hiking holiday summiting six mountains in one action-packed, 10-hour day.

Your day starts at 6am for a quick trek up Wild Horse Mountain, before getting progressively more intense as the day continues; Mount Beerburrum, Mount Ngungun, Mount Cooroora, Mount Ninderry and Mount Coolum.

Handfuls of trail mix, countless mountain views and instant calf muscles are guaranteed with this day trip around the Sunshine Coast.

3. Hike from bush to the beach: ParkTours

Looking for walking holidays in Queensland that combine trail time and must-visit spots? Jump on the eight-night Bunya Mountains to Bundaberg adventure with ParkTours.

It all starts at the Bunya Mountains, where you’ll walk amongst the world’s largest collection of bunya pines and spot wildlife, before swapping to a sandstone wilderness in Mount Walsh National Park, then beach time in Bargara, Bundaberg. A great tour for first-time visitors, your adventure also includes a day trip to the jewel of the Southern Great Barrier Reef—Lady Musgrave—plus a taste of Bundaberg Rum Distillery and Mon Repos Turtle Centre. On the way home, you'll walk amongst the rainforest at Kondalilla National Park on the Sunshine Coast. 

Icing on the cake? Your accommodation ranges from hotels to homesteads and B&Bs, with many meals included too. 

4. Go remote in the Tropical North: AusWalk

If you’re going to spend eight days on foot discovering the Atherton Tablelands, Daintree, Mossman Gorge and Dunk Island in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, you’re going to want to do it without carrying your worldly possessions on your back.

Go pack-free with Aus Walk as you cover some 90km across eight days of easy-to-moderate hiking. The perk of walking the tropics is not just guaranteed warm weather, but the reward of cooling off under famous waterfalls, like Millaa Millaa, along the way.

Vibrant crater lakes, giant curtain figs and the ancient Wet Tropics Rainforest are just some of the natural encounters you’ll come across on this walk – and that’s before you get to see any of these animals you’ll only find in the Daintree.

It’s not all rainforest either: this walking tour comes with a dose of reef. You’ll not only see Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest officially meets the reef but finish the trip at serene Mission Beach.

There’s no going hungry on this trail, with breakfast, lunch and dinner provided, with resort and hotel accommodations along the way.

AusWalk also offers guided treks through Carnarvon Gorge and the Gold Coast Hinterland, with self-guided options on K'gari (Fraser Island) and the Gold Coast Hinterland for those who want support at their own pace. 

5. Wander through wine region: ParkTours

For some of the best walking holidays in the Granite Belt (aka Queensland's very own Napa Valley), head straight for the breathtaking rocky vistas of Girraween National Park.

Join ParkTours to adventure through the Granite Belt region on the four-day Girraween Short Break. Hike through the escarpment of Main Range National Park to discover panoramic lookout points, before spending two full days exploring the granite peaks and rocky outcrops of Girraween National Park. Scale massive boulders by day, and relax at Girraween Environmental Lodge by night—with local wine, private yoga classes and evening spas thrown into the mix. 

The timing of this trail in spring is no coincidence either. Bring your wildflower book to spot golden wattle, pea flowers, orchids and native bluebells out in colour. You'll cover 4-10km per day, so moderate fitness is required.

6. Traverse the world's largest sand island: K’gari Walking Tours

K'gari (Fraser Island) is a special place. As the world’s largest sand island, this World Heritage-listed wonder offers miles of white sand beaches, freshwater lakes and tropical rainforests alongside a rich Indigenous culture. You can experience it all on foot, along the 90km K'gari (Fraser Island) Great Walk, or take your pick from the island's array of shorter hikes.

Better yet? K'gari Walking Tours makes it easy with their pack-free camping option - complete with tent set up and cheese platter waiting for you at camp each afternoon. This self-guided, supported, hike provides a glamping-like experience for hikers who want to enjoy the thrills of bush camping while carrying just a day pack. The team does the hard yards for you, like supplying all meals, guide support, 4WD transfers, all camping equipment and set up, plus GPS navigators for safety. 

Want to go all out? They even offer fully-guided luxury hikes at select times throughout the year.

7: Head to an oasis in the desert: Carnarvon Gorge Eco-Tours