Queensland road trip ideas: 10 best destinations guide

From the Daintree Rainforest in the north to the Munga-Thirri Desert in the southwest and everything in between, Queensland has it all in one state. And you can hit all the iconic destinations and routes with our list of the top ten Queensland road trip ideas!

For each Queensland road trip, we have included information on the route, distance, days required, the best time to visit, a brief overview of the top attractions and much more.

No matter what you’re hoping to see or do in the Sunshine State, you’ll find it on this list of Queensland road trip ideas - and using Camplify, you can find the perfect campervan hire in Queensland in only a few seconds!

Best Queensland road trip ideas: 10 must-do routes

The Queensland Coast

Total Distance: 1,800 km | Recommended Days: from 14 - 30 days | Best Time to Visit: Spring and Summer | Route Map

Hit every highlight along the sunny Queensland Coast with this road trip from Brisbane to Cairns. Pick up your campervan hire in Brisbane and kick things off by taking a bike ride around the Kangaroo Point riverside circuit before enjoying a feed at the historic Howard Smith Wharves precinct or the Eat Street Northshore open-air market.

Cruise along the Sunshine Coast and spend a few days visiting sights like the Glass House Mountains and Noosa National Park. Once you get to Hervey Bay, catch the ferry over to K’gari (Fraser Island) and take a dip in Lake McKenzie or drive along the beach (4WD only) to the famous Maheno shipwreck.

Back on the mainland, head northward through Rockhampton and admire the cascades and streams of Eungella National Park near Mackay. Rest for a few days in Townsville, where you can learn about the rainforest and reef at the highly-rated Museum of Tropical Queensland.

End your road trip in Cairns, from which you can join a snorkel or dive tour to Michaelmas Cay or Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

See our Queensland Coast road trip guide for a full itinerary.

2. Townsville to Cooktown

Total distance: 650km (one way) | Recommended days: 7 to 14 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

This is an easy North Queensland road trip for those wanting to visit the islands, rainforests and reefs that adorn the tropics. Arrange for campervan hire in Townsville and take a ferry ride out to Magnetic Island, home to 23 golden beaches and 24km of walking tracks.

Head north to Ingham, known as Queensland’s Little Italy, where you can enjoy fine wine, pasta and prosciutto after visiting Wallaman Falls in Girringun National Park (Australia’s highest permanent single drop waterfall at 260m). Hire some bikes in Mission Beach and take on the Musgravea Trail in Djiru National Park, an old logging track that winds through palm forests and over freshwater streams.

In Cairns, take a diving or snorkel tour out on the Great Barrier Reef or simply take a dip in the Esplanade Lagoon in town. After that, spend a few days taking a well-deserved beach break in Palm Cove or Port Douglas.

Once you’ve regained some energy, explore the Daintree region and hike around Mossman Gorge or take the guided Cooper Creek tour from Cape Tribulation. End your Tropical North Queensland road trip in Cooktown, where you can see an anchor and cannon left behind in 1770 by the Endeavour at the James Cook Museum.

3. Brisbane to Birdsville

Total distance: 1600km (one way) | Recommended days: 7 to 10 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

Visit some of the Australian Outback’s most iconic locations on this Queensland road trip from Brisbane to Birdsville, popularly known as the Warrego Way. Start in Brisbane and head toward Toowoomba, where you can admire the charming collection of 47 historic horse-drawn carriages at the Cobb and Co Museum.

In Chinchilla, take a family photo with the Big Watermelon or wander around the new Botanic Parkland and let the kids play in the water park. Continue to Roma, where you can tour the largest cattle sales yard in the Southern Hemisphere every Tuesday and Thursday morning.

Stop in Charleville for your chance to see Australia’s most endangered marsupial, the bilby, at the Charleville Bilby Experience. Finally, end your road trip in Birdsville, famous for its annual racing carnival, held on the first Saturday of September.

If you’re travelling in a 4WD, consider tackling the Birdsville Track (one of Australia's most legendary outback roads) or spend a few nights camping in the Munga-Thirri National Park (Simpson Desert National Park).

4. Cunnamulla to Karumba

Total distance: 1700km (one way) | Recommended days: 7 to 14 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

This Outback Queensland road trip from Cunnamulla to Karumba (also known as the Matilda Way) is a well-maintained drive for those wanting to experience some of Australia’s most iconic bush attractions.

Before setting off from Cunnamulla, be sure to grab a photo with the famous statue of Slim Dusty’s Cunnamulla Fella and enjoy the 1.6km Warrego Riverwalk at sunset. Continue to the historical shearing town of Blackall, where you can visit Ram Park and learn about legendary shearer Jack Howe who set a world record in 1892 by hand-shearing 321 sheep in 7 hours and 40 minutes.

Spend a few days in Longreach, the heart of Outback Queensland. Here you’ll find some of Australia’s most iconic attractions, including the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Museum. Further north in Winton, visit the state-of-the-art Waltzing Matilda Centre and see the world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils at the Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History.

Head toward Cloncurry, the birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and destination of the first Qantas flight. End your road trip in Karumba, where you can learn about the native aquatic and birdlife at the highly-rated Barramundi Discovery Centre and Hatchery before enjoying a cold beer and fresh prawns overlooking the waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Arrange campervan hire in Outback Queensland.

5. The Gold Coast Hinterland

Total distance: 200km (return) | Recommended days: 1 to 3 days | Best time to do the route: Summer and Spring | Route Map

This short and sweet Queensland road trip is perfect for couples wanting a romantic route through the Gold Coast Hinterland. Start by picking up your campervan hire on the Gold Coast, where you may want to spend a few days enjoying the sand and sea at Surfers Paradise.

Once you’re ready to hit the road, head to Springbrook National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area and host to the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk, which takes you past huge waterfalls and ancient rainforests. Next, head to the similarly spectacular Lamington National Park, where you can enjoy panoramic sunset views from Kamarun Lookout.

Finish your trip at Mt Tamborine, where you can take a tour of the glow worm caves and enjoy views from the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk that sits 40 metres above the forest floor. The return drive to Surfers Paradise is less than an hour, making this Queensland road trip an easy option for a weekend away.

6. Hebel to Cooktown

Total distance: 2,000km (one way) | Recommended days: 10 to 14 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

This Queensland road trip is a great option for those wanting to experience a mixture of the Outback and the Tropical North. Start in the tiny town of Hebel, where the Historical Circle art piece tells local tales of the Kelly gang and the Cobb and Co coaches.

Stop and relax in St George, where you can try a drop at Queensland’s western-most vineyard, Riversands Winery, before relaxing in the 34℃ artesian spring water thermal pools. Stop for a night in Roma and catch the Big Rig Night Show, beginning with a sunset tour of the mining rig before settling in for the 35-minute live show about the successes and struggles of early industry men and women.

Don’t miss Carnarvon Gorge, a significant Aboriginal site that is home to 2,000 engravings and paintings stretching the length of a 62m long sandstone wall. When you reach Emerald, try your hand fossicking for gems in the nearby Sapphire Gemfields before continuing north to Charter Towers and taking a Texas Longhorn Tour.

Leaving the Outback, make your way to the coastal city of Townsville and take a diving tour of the Great Barrier Reef. Venture into the Atherton Tablelands and visit an array of natural wonders such as Windin Falls, Crystal Caves and the 18-metre Millaa Millaa Falls (one of Australia’s most popular waterfalls). End your trip in Cooktown with panoramic sunset views from Grassy Hill.

7. Cairns to Cape York

Total distance: 1,400km (one way) | Recommended days: 5 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

This rough and rugged route from Cairns to Cape York is for experienced off-road campers wanting a challenging but highly rewarding Queensland road trip. Pick up your campervan hire in Cairns and head to Cooktown, where you can explore some of the local natural wonders like Trevethan Falls and the Botanical Gardens.

Hit the Old Telegraph Track and head north through Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park, spending a day visiting historical sites like the Old Laura Homestead - the oldest cattle station in Cape York. Further up the road is the small town of Lockhart, where you can visit the studio of the Lockhart River Arts Gang, who sell and exhibit their Aboriginal artwork all around the world.

Near the tip of Queensland is the Jardine River National Park, where you can enjoy easy walks around Eliot Falls and the long sandy beach at Captain Billy Landing. End your road trip at Cape York, where you can take a photo with the iconic signpost marking the northernmost tip of Australia.

8. Brisbane to Mt Isa

Total distance: 3,800km (one way) | Recommended days: 7 to 14 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

This Queensland road trip from Brisbane to Mt Isa is a great option for those wanting an affordable family holiday in the Outback. Starting in Brisbane, take the kids to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the world’s largest koala sanctuary and home to over 70 species of native Australian animals. Stretch your legs at the Japanese Garden in Toowoomba before catching the Big Rig Live Night Show in Roma.

Spend a night in Charleville and visit the highly-rated Cosmos Centre, where you can view the Milky Way in all its glory through the powerful telescopes. In the town of Tambo, visit the Tambo Teddies workshop and pick up a hand-crafted sheepskin teddy that will stay with your kids for life.

Longreach is full of highly-rated attractions for the whole family, including the live Outback Stockman’s Show that retells classic tales of the local cattle drivers. Spend another night in the town of Winton, where you can watch a film at the iconic Royal Open-Air Theatre, originally built in 1918 and just one of two open-air theatres still operating in Australia.

End your Queensland road trip in the Outback mining city of Mt Isa, where you can descend into a real mine on the Hard Times Mine Tour or see one of the world’s most significant fossil deposits at the Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre. If you time your trip right, you can also catch Australia’s most famous rodeo, the Mt Isa Mines Rodeo held every August.

9. Rockhampton to Longreach

Total distance: 1,900km (one way) | Recommended days: 5 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

This is a shorter Queensland road trip for those wanting a week-long taste of the Outback. Pick up your campervan hire in Rockhampton and check out the 130-year old Botanic Gardens before venturing into the Capricorn Caves (one of Queensland’s leading natural attractions).

Head west to Emerald, where you can see the world’s biggest Vincent van Gogh Sunflower painting, standing at 25 metres tall and weighing 13.6 tonnes. Pass through the pretty town of Springsure, situated in the spectacular valley between Mount Zamia and Virgin Rock.

Devote a day to exploring Carnarvon National Park, an Outback oasis filled with ancient Aboriginal rock art, freshwater swimming holes, hidden caves and hanging gardens. Stop over in the town of Blackall and see history in action at the Woolscour, a living museum and the last remaining steam operated wool washing plant in Australia.

Conclude your Queensland road trip in Longreach, host to some of the best attractions in the Australian Outback, including the Cobb and Co Stagecoach Experience that lets you live a day in the life of an Outback stagecoach driver, with a wild coach ride along the original mail route.

**10. The Sunshine Coast **

Total distance: 700km (one way) | Recommended days: 5 to 10 days | Best time to do the route: Summer and Spring | **Route Map

This Queensland road trip along the Sunshine Coast is another easy option for those wanting a relaxed week-long getaway.

Pick up your campervan hire on the Sunshine Coast and head north to beautiful Noosa Heads. Here, you can spot koalas in the trees whilst taking on the Coastal Walkway through Noosa National Park or take the kids for a day trip to Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo.

Spend a day at heavenly Rainbow Beach, a gateway to the Cooloola Great Sandy National Park, where you can four-wheel drive over the multi-coloured sands past towering coastal cliffs. Catch the ferry over to World Heritage-listed K’gari Island (Fraser Island) and take a dip in the famous blue waters of Lake McKenzie before seeing the Maheno Shipwreck on 75 Mile Beach.

Return to the mainland and stop at Hervey Bay, the whale-watching capital of Australia during the winter months. Finally, end your Queensland road trip in Bundaberg with a visit to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, where you can join a 1-hour guided tour before enjoying a stiff drink at the Rum Tasting Bar.

More Queensland road trip ideas

Be sure to check out our Camplify Blog for more Queensland road trip itineraries. Our camping experts covered every corner of the state from Cape York to Birdsville!

Plus, every week we publish in-depth articles about campervanning and camping. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive handy tips and tricks straight to your email!

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