The top things to do in Noosa are swimming in the Fairy Pools in Noosa National Park, eating and drinking your way along Hastings Street, a day trip to Australia Zoo, an afternoon at Buderim Falls, and paddling the Noosa Everglades. Add the coastal walk to Hell’s Gates, a surf lesson at Main Beach and Eumundi Markets and you’ve got a solid three to four days. The easiest way to fit it all in is to arrive on the JOEY bus and book the JOEY Australia Zoo and Buderim Waterfall day trips, which pick up right in Noosa.
Noosa is the place people plan to stay two nights and end up staying a week. There’s a national park full of koalas and hidden swimming spots on one side of town, a perfect point break on the other, and Hastings Street sitting right in the middle with the coffee, the bars and the sunset crowd.
Here’s our list of the best things to do in Noosa, from the free stuff you can walk to, to the day trips that are worth getting up early for.
Number one, no contest. The Fairy Pools are a pair of natural rock pools on the edge of the ocean inside Noosa National Park. Clear water, waves crashing over the rocks into the pools, and the kind of photo that makes everyone back home jealous.
How to get there: Start at the Noosa Headland day-use area at the end of Park Road and follow the coastal walk past Tea Tree Bay and Dolphin Point. The pools are roughly 2.4km in, between Dolphin Point and Hell’s Gates. They aren’t signposted, so look for the short section of fencing on the track, then scramble down over the rocks. Allow 30 to 40 minutes each way.
Timing: Go around low tide. At high tide the pools are often underwater or getting smashed by waves. Check the tide times the night before and aim to arrive as the tide is dropping.
Stay safe: The pools aren’t patrolled and the rocks are sharp and slippery. Wear proper shoes for the scramble, watch the waves for a few minutes before you get in, never swim alone and don’t jump off the rocks. If the swell is up, give it a miss and come back another day. Check the Queensland Parks coastal walk page for alerts before you go.
JOEY tip: Stay at Bounce Noosa while you’re here and you’re dropped right at the door by the JOEY bus.
Hastings Street is Noosa’s main strip and it runs right along Main Beach. Grab a coffee in the morning, wander the boutiques, find a cheap lunch and then head straight onto the sand. It’s also the best spot in town for a sunset drink.
Main Beach is patrolled and north facing, which means gentle waves and one of the few places on the East Coast where you can watch the sun set over the water. Bring a towel, grab takeaway and settle in.
Want more food and drink ideas? Our Noosa destination guide has the full list of where to eat, drink and stay.
Australia Zoo is the home of the Irwin family and one of the best days out on the whole East Coast. Watch saltwater crocs launch out of the water at the Wildlife Warriors Show in the Crocoseum, hand feed kangaroos, meet the koalas and check out the Wildlife Hospital.
The catch is that it’s in Beerwah, about an hour south of Noosa, and it’s a pain to reach without a car. That’s where JOEY comes in.
Want the full game plan? Read our guide to the best things to do on an Australia Zoo day trip.
If you’re after waterfalls, this is the one. Buderim Falls (Serenity Falls) is a rainforest swimming hole in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, with natural rock pools you can float in and a waterfall to sit under. It’s a short drive south of Noosa but almost impossible to reach without your own wheels.
JOEY’s afternoon trip runs every Wednesday. You’ll get time at the falls, then a stop at the iconic Peregian Beach Hotel on the way home where your first drink is on us. Joey’s shout.
Book the Buderim Waterfall Day Trip, $89
Zoo on Tuesday, waterfalls on Wednesday. Grab a JOEY Route Pass to get into Noosa and you’ll save on both day trips.
The Noosa Everglades are one of only two everglades systems in the world, and they’re nicknamed the River of Mirrors for a reason. On a still morning the tea-coloured water reflects the sky so perfectly it’s hard to tell which way is up.
Most people head out on a guided kayak or canoe tour from Boreen Point or Elanda Point, north of Noosa, with options ranging from a half day paddle to multi-day camping trips inside the Noosa Biosphere Reserve. Tours usually include pickup from Noosa, so ask when you book.
If you only do one walk in Noosa, make it this one. The coastal track runs from the Noosa Headland car park past Tea Tree Bay, Granite Bay and Dolphin Point to Hell’s Gates, about 2.7km one way. Keep an eye out for koalas in the trees, dolphins and turtles in the water, and whales between June and November.
Easy to combine with the Fairy Pools, since they’re on the same track. Keen walkers can keep going to Alexandria Bay, but note the beaches in the national park aren’t patrolled.
Noosa’s gentle, rolling point breaks make it one of the best places in Australia to get up on a board for the first time. There are heaps of surf schools running lessons off Main Beach, and if you already surf, the points inside the national park (Tea Tree Bay especially) are the stuff of legend on a good swell.
Eumundi Markets run every Wednesday and Saturday in the hinterland village of Eumundi, about 20 minutes from Noosa. Hundreds of stalls, local food, handmade bits and pieces and live music. Go early before the heat and the crowds kick in.
Grab some takeaway and head to the river around Noosaville or the spit at Noosa Woods for sunset. Plenty of operators hire out stand up paddleboards, kayaks and little boats too, if you’d rather watch it from the water.
Noosa is the perfect jumping off point for the next stop. JOEY runs from Noosa to Rainbow Beach, the gateway to K’gari, with its coloured sand cliffs and the Carlo Sand Blow lookout. See the full JOEY route or check availability.
Three to four days is the sweet spot. That gives you a day for the national park and Fairy Pools, a day for the Australia Zoo trip, an afternoon at Buderim Falls and time to do absolutely nothing on Main Beach. Time your stay to cover a Tuesday and Wednesday and you can do both JOEY day trips back to back.
JOEY runs daily services into Noosa from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Byron Bay, plus connections up to Rainbow Beach. One trip on a JOEY Route Pass gets you between any two stops, so Byron Bay to Noosa is one trip, no matter the distance. Small buses, no booking fees and a busload of other backpackers to meet on the way.
Pass holders also get cheaper prices on both Noosa day trips. Find your exact pickup point in our JOEY bus stops guide, and if you’re still planning your route, read why Brisbane, not Sydney, is the smarter place to start your East Coast trip.
Every JOEY package includes multiple nights at Bounce Noosa, so you get all of the above without planning a thing.
For more inspiration on the region, check out Tourism Australia and Visit Sunshine Coast.
The Fairy Pools in Noosa National Park are the standout. They’re natural ocean rock pools about 2.4km along the coastal walk from the Noosa Headland car park, best visited around low tide.
They can be at low tide in calm conditions, but they aren’t patrolled and the rocks are sharp and slippery. Watch the waves before getting in, never swim alone, don’t jump off the rocks and skip it if the swell is big.
Book the JOEY Australia Zoo Day Trip. It runs every Tuesday with pickups at Bounce Hostel Noosa at 8:00am and Noosa Heads Bus Station at 8:15am, and costs $169 including zoo entry, or $152 for JOEY Route Pass holders.
Yes. Buderim Falls in the Sunshine Coast hinterland has natural rock pools and a waterfall you can swim under. JOEY runs an afternoon trip every Wednesday from Noosa for $89, including a complimentary drink at Peregian Beach Hotel.
Three to four days is ideal. Plan your stay over a Tuesday and Wednesday so you can do both the JOEY Australia Zoo and Buderim Waterfall day trips.
JOEY runs daily buses into Noosa from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. A single trip on a JOEY Route Pass covers any one journey between two stops, starting at $89.
Bounce Noosa is JOEY’s recommended hostel and a JOEY pickup point. Use code JOEYLIKESTOBOUNCE when you book. Flashpackers Noosa is another good option, with code JOEYFLASH.
Get there on the JOEY bus, then let us take you to the zoo and the waterfalls. You just bring the swimmers.
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