Best Things to Do in Rainbow Beach, Queensland: A Complete Guide

Last Updated: September 2026

After postponing our trip to Rainbow Beach in June due to a lockdown, we were glad when we finally made it there in late August with no lockdown being announced before our departure.

With a name like Rainbow Beach, we expected something beautiful, and it did not disappoint! Years ago, Rainbow Beach was simply known as Back Beach. Not many people would stay there and instead, it was used as a quick stopover on the way to K’Gari (Fraser Island). Eventually the name was changed to Rainbow Beach to attract more visitors and of course, with a name like that, it worked!

Why Rainbow Beach? Well, the name was chosen due to the multi-coloured sand dunes that line the town’s nearby coastline. I don’t know about you, but I think changing the name was a great idea!

Where is Rainbow Beach?

Rainbow Beach is on Queensland’s Fraser Coast, just South of K’Gari (Fraser Island). It’s about an hour and a half North of the popular Sunshine Coast town of Noosa. If you’re travelling from Brisbane, it’s a 3-hour drive.  Brisbane Airport is the nearest international airport.

How to get there?

Rainbow Beach is a little out of the way, so it’s best to drive there yourself. If you have a 4WD then take it or hire one if you feel comfortable driving them. You will need a 4WD if you plan to drive on the beach or combine your visit with a trip to Fraser Island (highly recommended!).

If you don’t have a 4WD, you can still reach Rainbow Beach by a 2WD as it is sealed roads all the way. Once there, you can walk on the beach for miles and/or book 4WD tours to take you further down the coast on the sand.

If you have a 4WD you can drive along the beach from Noosa, all the way to Rainbow Beach! However, you need to be very careful with the tides, so do your research first and drive only at low tide. You can check the tides here.

What to do in Rainbow Beach?

Head to the beach

Well, that’s right, first things first, with a beach as gorgeous as this, you need to have some beach time. There is a patrolled area near the surf lifesaving club. Be sure to swim between the flags if you are not a confident swimmer or if you have little ones. The water can certainly be a little rough, especially if you’re short like me! I swallowed sea water a few times playing in the surf.

If you have a boogie board, you’ll have a blast!

The water at Rainbow Beach is always warm enough to swim in, even in winter when it’s around 21 degrees. So, there’s no excuse not to take a dip.

Visit the coloured sands cliffs

As I mentioned above, the coloured sand cliffs gave Rainbow Beach its new name. The sand takes on many different colours. There are various shades and tints of white, black, yellow, red, pink, orange and brown.  Apparently, there are over 70 different variations. The different colours are created by the iron and other minerals in the ground. It’s an impressive sight to see.

Some say you can only visit the coloured sands by 4WD but this is not true. You can access them on foot but only if you enjoy a decent walk.

We walked 4 kilometres South of the lifesaving club and saw them along the way. Yes, it was a long 8-kilometre return walk along the beach, but we had an amazing time. The views are spectacular, and we paddled in the waves along the way. The coloured sands were spectacular, so it was definitely worth doing and you don’t have to go as far as 4 kilometres to start seeing them. Once again, make sure the tides work with the time of your walk.

Of course, if you have a 4WD it would also be a lot of fun to drive it along the beach. But either way, don’t miss visiting the sands. There are daily 4WD tours that you can book at the information centre to take you to the coloured sands, if walking that distance is not possible.

The Carlo Sand Blow

This is a do-not-miss experience in Rainbow Beach. Just a short drive from town, the Carlo Sand Blow is best visited at either sunrise or sunset. While you can visit at any time, be warned that it gets hot up there, especially in summer. We visited during the day and at sunset. As gorgeous as it was during the day, sunset was even more spectacular.

It’s a short walk from the carpark to reach the sand dunes. Once there you will be amazed at the size of the dunes. The Carlo Sand Blow covers 15 hectares. It slopes down towards the beach on one side and towards the town centre on the other. From atop the dunes there are breathtaking views of the blue ocean set against the white sands of the dune.

Love hiking? Check out our guide to the best hikes on the Sunshine Coast for more incredible walks, viewpoints and waterfalls.

Go kayaking with dolphins

Take a tour with Epic Ocean Adventure to Double Island Point where you can go kayaking with the dolphins that frequent the area. You may also spot turtles, rays and, in season, humpback whales. The tours start in town and your guide will drive you along the beach past the colourful sand cliffs. So, if you haven’t yet had a chance to see the sands, you will see them on this tour. However, they do not stop for pictures.

Sadly, for us, our kayaking trip was ruined by the weather which turned bad not long after we started paddling. Sadly, the dolphins also didn’t come to say hello (maybe they don’t like the bad weather either!). However, next time we are in Rainbow Beach, we’ll be keen to give it another go.

Visit Double Island Point

Double Island Point is one of the most beautiful spots along this stretch of coastline and is well worth visiting if you have a 4WD. Located south of Rainbow Beach, it offers gorgeous coastal views and is a great place to look for dolphins, turtles and, during whale season, humpback whales.

The Double Island Point Lighthouse Walk is a short 2.2-kilometre return walk with fantastic views along the coast. The lighthouse itself is reached from the beach by 4WD, so you’ll need a high-clearance 4WD and the appropriate vehicle access permit to drive there.

Beach access depends heavily on tides and current sand conditions, so always check the latest conditions before setting off. If you don’t have a 4WD, you can also visit Double Island Point as part of one of the organised tours from Rainbow Beach.

Walk to the Poona Lake

The Poona Lake can be accessed via a couple of walking tracks. One starts in Rainbow Beach itself but is a 7-kilometre, one-way walk. You can also drive to the Bymien day use area which is about 10 minutes outside of town. From there, it’s a 4-kilometre return to the Poona Lake, walking through beautiful rainforest with Strangler Figs, towering Kauri, hoop pines and more.

Like some of the lakes we saw on North Stradbroke and Bribie Islands, the Poona Lake is brown from the Tannin leaching out of the nearby trees. It is a beautiful spot. Try getting there early to have the place for yourself.

Take a dip in Searys Creek

Also a few minutes out of time, Searys Creek is a great place to visit on a hot day. You can take a dip in the crystal-clear water to cool down. Bring your snorkelling gear to check out the fish. Early morning or late afternoon is the best time to visit.

Drive to Tin Can Bay

If you have time, Tin Can Bay is another stunning town nearby that’s worth a look. It’s about half an hour from Rainbow Beach town centre. There, you can hand feed wild Humpback dolphins every morning at Barnacles. Get there early as they have daily quotas on how many fish they can feed each dolphin so that they don’t become reliant on humans for their diet.

There are also many beautiful picnic spots with views of the bay in Tin Can Bay. Norman Point was our favourite.

Check out Inskip Point

Inskip Point is 7 kilometres North of Rainbow. Here you can catch a barge to K’Gari (Fraser Island )(4WD only). If you have time to visit K’Gari, we highly recommend it. If you don’t have a 4WD, there are many tours to the island from Rainbow Beach or, if you carry on driving North, from Hervey Bay.

Inskip Point offers beautiful views of the island as well as the bay and has more stunning beaches to take long walks along.

To find out more about K’Gari (Fraser Island) click here.

Watch the sunset

The best place for sunset in Rainbow Beach is either on the top of the Carlo Sand Blow or from Carlo Point. If you have more than one night in town, I recommend you do both.

There are many more things to do in Rainbow, including horse riding on the beach and (if you’re a bit of a dare devil) paragliding.

Best Time to Visit Rainbow Beach

Rainbow Beach is a great year-round destination, but autumn and spring are particularly lovely, with warm days and generally comfortable conditions for walking and exploring.

Winter is also a fantastic time to visit, especially if you’re hoping to spot humpback whales, which migrate along the coast between roughly June and November. Summer brings hotter, more humid weather and can be busy during the school holidays.

Heading south? Noosa is another beautiful coastal stop, with gorgeous beaches, the Noosa National Park Coastal Walk and plenty of places to eat and drink. Check out our Noosa guide for all our favourite things to do.

Continuing north? Why not add another Queensland coastal stop to your road trip? Check out our guides to Bargara and Agnes Water & 1770 for more beautiful beaches, coastal walks and things to do along the way.

How Many Days Do You Need in Rainbow Beach?

We recommend spending two to three days in Rainbow Beach. This gives you enough time to explore Carlo Sand Blow, see the Coloured Sands, visit Double Island Point and enjoy some time at the beach without rushing.

Stay longer if you’re planning to use Rainbow Beach as a base for exploring K’gari or the wider Cooloola Recreation Area.

How to Get to Rainbow Beach

Rainbow Beach is around three hours’ drive north of Brisbane and approximately two hours from the central Sunshine Coast, making it an easy destination for a weekend getaway or a stop on a Queensland road trip.

Having your own car is the easiest way to get there and explore the surrounding area. However, you don’t need a 4WD simply to reach Rainbow Beach, as the town is accessible by sealed roads.

Do You Need a 4WD in Rainbow Beach?

No, you don’t need a 4WD to visit Rainbow Beach itself. The town, Carlo Sand Blow and many of the main attractions can be reached with a regular car.

However, you will need a suitable high-clearance 4WD if you want to drive along the beach, access Double Island Point by vehicle or explore some of the more remote areas of the Cooloola Recreation Area. A vehicle access permit is also required for designated recreation areas.

If you don’t have a 4WD, don’t worry. There is still plenty to see around Rainbow Beach, and organised tours are available for places that require beach driving.

Where to eat in Rainbow Beach?

The Surf and Life Saving Club: For amazing views of the beach.

The Deck @ Sea Salt: Good tapas, great cocktails, more beautiful views.

Little Parliament: Best place for breakfast

Where to stay on Rainbow Beach?

Rainbow Getaway Holiday Apartments

Centrally located and a 5-minute walk to all restaurants and the beach. They offer 1, 2 and 3-bedroom self-contained accommodation with full kitchen and laundry facilities. It features an outdoor heated pool, a fitness centre, an onsite playground and free on-site parking. Find their latest prices here.

Debbie’s Place

Also centrally located and walking distance to town, it offers free covered parking and air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi and a patio. Find their latest prices here.

The Plantation at Rainbow

The Plantation at Rainbow is a luxury resort and the only beachside resort with direct access to the patrolled Rainbow Beach in the heart of town. All apartments feature a balcony and a spa bath. Find their latest prices here.

How long should you stay?

Although you can get a taste of Rainbow Beach with just a day visit, you will probably fall in love with it and wish you’d stayed longer. We visited for 4 days and left wishing we had longer. So, I’d recommend at least a weekend there and more if you have the time.

Rainbow Beach FAQS

Is Rainbow Beach worth visiting?
Yes. Rainbow Beach is well worth visiting for its colourful sand cliffs, beautiful beaches, Carlo Sand Blow, coastal walks and easy access to the Cooloola Recreation Area and K’gari.

What is Rainbow Beach famous for?
Rainbow Beach is best known for its colourful sand cliffs, Carlo Sand Blow and long stretches of beach. It’s also one of the main gateways to K’gari.

Can you visit Rainbow Beach as a day trip?
Yes, but staying for at least one or two nights gives you much more time to explore. Rainbow Beach is around three hours from Brisbane, so it makes more sense as an overnight trip if you’re coming from there.

Can you drive from Rainbow Beach to Double Island Point?
Yes, but you’ll need a suitable high-clearance 4WD and a vehicle access permit. Beach driving is affected by tides and sand conditions, so always check current conditions before setting off.

Can you swim at Rainbow Beach?
Yes, but swim at the patrolled section of the beach between the red and yellow flags. Conditions can change quickly along this exposed coastline.

Is Rainbow Beach a good base for visiting K’gari?
Yes. Rainbow Beach is one of the main departure points for K’gari, with vehicle barges departing from nearby Inskip Point. It’s a convenient place to stay before or after a trip to the island.

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