The Gold Coast packs more attractions into a single coastline than almost anywhere in Australia. Beyond the famous 70km of surf beaches, you’ll find five major theme parks, a World Heritage-listed rainforest hinterland 30 minutes inland, a thriving food scene, and some of the best surf breaks on the planet. Most visitors spend 3-5 days here: two days for theme parks, one day for beaches and surfing, one day for hinterland exploration, and a day for shopping and dining. All attraction details below include current prices and hours as of 2026. Theme park tickets are significantly cheaper when purchased online 7+ days in advance rather than at the gate.
Things to Do in Gold Coast: Theme Parks
Warner Bros. Movie World
Movie World is the Gold Coast’s premier theme park, combining Hollywood-themed thrill rides with live stunt shows and character meet-and-greets. The headline attraction is DC Rivals HyperCoaster, the tallest, longest, and fastest hypercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere at 61.6m high and reaching 115 km/h. Other major rides include Superman Escape (0-100 km/h in 2 seconds), Green Lantern Coaster, and the family-friendly Justice League 3D interactive ride. The Hollywood Stunt Driver show runs three times daily with precision driving and pyrotechnics. Located at Oxenford, 20 minutes north of Surfers Paradise. Single-day tickets are A$105 online (A$129 at gate), with multi-park passes offering significant discounts. Open 10:00am-5:00pm daily, with extended hours during Queensland school holidays. Allow a full day.
Dreamworld and WhiteWater World
Dreamworld is Australia’s largest theme park by area, with over 40 rides and attractions spread across themed lands including Ocean Parade, Tiger Island, and the DreamWorks Experience. Key rides include The Giant Drop (119m free-fall, one of the world’s tallest drop towers), Steel Taipan (triple-launch spinning coaster), and The Claw pendulum swing. Tiger Island features hourly tiger presentations with keepers. Attached WhiteWater World (included in combo tickets) has water slides including the Wedgie (45-degree near-vertical drop) and the Green Room funnel ride. Located at Coomera, 20 minutes north of Surfers Paradise. Combo tickets from A$99 online. Open 10:00am-5:00pm (Dreamworld) and 10:00am-4:00pm (WhiteWater World), seasonal hours vary. The parks operate on a rotating maintenance schedule so check which rides are open before booking.
Sea World
Sea World combines marine animal exhibits, live shows, and family-friendly rides on a peninsula at Main Beach. The park’s marine presentations include dolphin shows at Dolphin Beach, seal presentations at Seal Guardians, and the polar bear exhibit. The new Atlantis precinct features Leviathan, a wooden coaster reaching 80 km/h through a medieval-themed structure, and Trident, a pendulum swing ride. The park’s research and rescue foundation rehabilitates over 100 marine animals annually. Located at Main Beach, 5 minutes north of Surfers Paradise. Single-day tickets from A$99 online. Open 9:30am-5:00pm daily. The park is easily reachable via the G:link light rail (Main Beach station) or the Surfers Paradise to Sea World water taxi. Plan for 5-6 hours to see all shows and exhibits.
Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast
Wet’n’Wild is the Gold Coast’s largest water park with over 20 slides and attractions. Signature slides include the AquaLoop (4G vertical loop with trapdoor drop), the Blackhole (enclosed raft slide), and the Mammoth Falls family raft ride. The Calypso Beach lazy river and Giant Wave Pool offer more relaxed options. The park has extensive shaded cabana rentals (A$79-129 per day) and multiple food outlets. Located at Oxenford next to Movie World. Single-day tickets from A$79 online. Open 10:00am-5:00pm, seasonal: open daily during summer and Queensland school holidays, weekends only in winter months (June-August). Arrive at opening and hit the most popular slides before queues build. The park closes during rainy or stormy weather, so check the forecast before booking.
Things to Do in Gold Coast: Best Beaches and Surfing
Surfers Paradise Beach
The Gold Coast’s most famous beach is a 2km stretch of golden sand backed by high-rise apartments, patrolled year-round by lifeguards. The beach faces east-northeast, receiving consistent small to medium surf that’s ideal for learners. Three surf schools operate on the beach, with 2-hour group lessons from A$65 including board and wetsuit. The northern end near Cavill Avenue is the busiest; walk 10 minutes south toward Narrowneck for more space. The beach is flanked by the Surfers Paradise Esplanade with cafes, showers, and public toilets every 300m. Red and yellow flags mark the patrolled swimming zones, and swimming between the flags is strongly recommended: rips and currents can be dangerous for inexperienced swimmers. The Wednesday and Friday night Surfers Paradise Beachfront Markets operate from 4pm-9pm along the foreshore.
Burleigh Heads
Burleigh Heads is the Gold Coast’s most iconic surf break and a national surfing reserve. The point break peels right along the headland, producing rides up to 300m on a good winter swell. The break works best on a southeast to east swell with south to southwest winds. On a 4-6 foot day, expect 50+ surfers in the lineup from dawn. Burleigh also has a protected swimming cove on the southern side of the headland, ideal for families with young children. Burleigh Head National Park wraps around the headland with a 2.3km rainforest circuit offering views of the surf break below. The beachfront has excellent cafes including Commune and Burleigh Pavilion, plus a Saturday farmers market at Burleigh Heads State School. Parking at Burleigh is notoriously difficult: arrive before 7am on weekends or use the 700 bus from Broadbeach or Coolangatta.
Kirra and Snapper Rocks
The southern Gold Coast’s Superbank is a man-made series of point breaks connecting Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Bay, Greenmount, and Kirra. On a clean winter swell, a surfer can ride a single wave from Snapper through to Kirra, a distance of nearly 2km. Snapper Rocks is the most consistent of the four, working on almost any swell direction. Kirra was once considered the best wave in the world before the Tweed River training walls altered the sand flow; it still produces hollow, barreling waves on the right conditions. All four breaks are within walking distance of each other. Coolangatta is the nearest town with cafes, surf shops, and accommodation. Parking fills by sunrise on good swell days. The southern end also has sheltered swimming at Rainbow Bay and Greenmount Beach, both patrolled year-round.
Things to Do in Gold Coast: Hinterland and Nature
Springbrook National Park
Springbrook National Park is a World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforest reserve 45 minutes inland from Surfers Paradise. The park’s centerpiece is the Purling Brook Falls circuit (4km, 2 hours), which descends through ancient Antarctic beech forest to the base of a 109m waterfall. Natural Bridge is a separate section of the park with a 1km loop trail through a cave formed by a waterfall; after dark, thousands of glow worms illuminate the cave ceiling. The Best of All Lookout provides views over the Tweed Valley to Mount Warning. Park entry is free. The road from Nerang is fully sealed but winding; allow 45-60 minutes from the coast. The park gets busy on weekends and during school holidays. Bring drinking water, insect repellent, and a rain jacket: the microclimate is consistently wetter and cooler (by 5-8°C) than the coast.
Tamborine Mountain
Tamborine Mountain is a 28-square-kilometer plateau 30 minutes inland from the northern Gold Coast, known for its Gallery Walk artisan precinct, rainforest walks, and wineries. The Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk is a 1.5km elevated walkway through the canopy, 30m above the forest floor, with a cantilever section extending over Cedar Creek (A$19.50 adult). The Glow Worm Cave is a purpose-built cave with a guided tour of a glow worm colony (A$16 adult). The Gallery Walk strip on Long Road has over 70 art galleries, craft shops, cafes, and the Tamborine Mountain Distillery. Witches Falls Winery offers cellar-door tastings of verdelho and shiraz. The mountain’s microclimate is significantly cooler than the coast, making it a popular summer escape. Most attractions and shops close by 4pm.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a 27-hectare zoological garden in Currumbin Valley, 15 minutes from the airport. The sanctuary is known for its free-flight bird show, the largest walk-through aviary in the Southern Hemisphere, and twice-daily lorikeet feedings where hundreds of wild rainbow lorikeets descend on visitors. The sanctuary houses koalas (holding for photos available, A$49), kangaroos (free-range walk-through enclosure), Tasmanian devils, cassowaries, and a reptile house with saltwater crocodiles. The on-site wildlife hospital treats over 12,000 native animals annually and offers behind-the-scenes tours (A$59). Entry is A$59.95 adult online, with the TreeTop Challenge high ropes course add-on for A$29. Open 9:00am-4:00pm daily (closed Christmas Day). Allow 3-4 hours. The 700 bus runs from Broadbeach to Currumbin via the Gold Coast Highway.
Things to Do in Gold Coast: Shopping and Dining
Pacific Fair Shopping Centre
Pacific Fair in Broadbeach is Queensland’s largest shopping center with over 400 stores including David Jones, Myer, Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, Apple, and a 12-screen Event Cinemas. The center underwent a A$670 million redevelopment in 2016, transforming it into an open-air resort-style mall with water features, outdoor dining precincts, and dedicated rideshare pickup zones. The Dining Terrace has 20+ casual restaurants, while The Patio offers sit-down dining including The Collective Palm Beach and Betty’s Burgers. Located at Hooker Boulevard, Broadbeach, connected to the G:link via Broadbeach South station. Open Mon-Wed and Fri 9am-5:30pm, Thu 9am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm. Free parking for the first 3 hours.
The Star Gold Coast Dining Precinct
The Star Gold Coast (formerly Jupiters Casino) in Broadbeach houses the coast’s highest concentration of fine dining. Kiyomi is a Japanese restaurant by chef Chase Kojima that holds two Chef Hats, serving sashimi, robata-grilled dishes, and a 10-course omakase menu (A$165). Nineteen at The Star is a rooftop restaurant and bar on level 19 with 180-degree ocean views, serving Modern Australian cuisine with a A$75 two-course pre-theatre menu. Cucina Vivo offers casual Italian in a poolside setting with wood-fired pizzas from A$24. The Star also has a 24-hour casino, a theatre hosting touring shows and concerts, and the Dorsett Gold Coast hotel tower. Located at Casino Drive, Broadbeach, 5 minutes walk from Broadbeach South G:link station.
