Illustration.
Nelly Bay · Arcadia · Horseshoe Bay
Magnetic Island Tours
Aquascene's five-hour boat day from Nelly Bay: snorkelling on the island's fringing reefs with gear and a lesson, stand-up paddle boards, secluded bays and morning tea. The ferry from Townsville takes about 20 minutes.
- 5.0 / 5 1498+ Reviews
- 5 hours Duration
- 78% Of the island is national or conservation park
- 20 min Ferry from Townsville
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Discovery Tour Covers
Reef, bays and paddle boards from the water, on a small boat that leaves beside the ferry terminal.
Highlights
- Snorkelling on Magnetic Island's fringing reefs, with gear, a lesson and UV suits or wetsuits
- Stand-up paddle boards and secluded bays reached by boat
- Morning tea, coffee and water on board
- Meets at Peppers Resort beside the Nelly Bay ferry terminal: be there by 8:15 (the 7:00 am or 6:30 ferry from Townsville); the ferry is extra
What's Included
- FREE Stand-Up Paddle Boards
- Option to purchase reusable Aquascene souvenir water bottle (gold coin donation)
- FREE UV suits or wetsuits
- Morning tea: biscuits, cake, seasonal fruit
- Coffee, tea, and bottled water (BYO drink bottle encouraged; refill station onboard)
- Master Reef Guides with reef education & storytelling
- All snorkeling equipment (with lesson provided)
Not Included: Ferry tickets to Magnetic Island (not included in tour price)
How the Discovery Tour Works
The early ferry from Townsville, a morning on the water, and the afternoon free on the island.
The Ferry from Townsville
The tour starts on the island, so buy a SeaLink ferry ticket from Townsville's Breakwater terminal to Nelly Bay. The crossing takes about 20 minutes; take the 7:00 am (Monday to Saturday) or the 6:30, as the 7:45 lands at about 8:05 and only works if the boat leaves at 8:30.
Meet at Nelly Bay
Turn left off the ferry and walk a minute to the outside deck of Peppers Resort, where the Aquascene crew meets you and walks you to the boat. Aquascene's booking page says the boat leaves at 8:15, its website 8:30; be on the deck by 8:15.
Reef, Bays and Paddle Boards
About five hours on the water: snorkelling on fringing reefs with gear, a lesson and UV suits or wetsuits, stand-up paddle boards, secluded bays and morning tea.
The Afternoon Is Yours
Back at Nelly Bay in the early afternoon, with time for the bus to Horseshoe Bay, the Forts walk or a swim before a late ferry back to Townsville.
Photo Gallery
The Reef and the Bays from the Boat
Photos from the Discovery Tour listing: snorkelling, paddle boards and Magnetic Island's bays.
Book Your Experience
Check Dates for the Discovery Tour
One Aquascene tour, sold on Viator and on GetYourGuide. Dates and the live price open on either.
Aquascene Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island Discovery Tour with Snorkelling and Paddle Boarding
- 5.0/5 from 1,498 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor
- 5 hours
- From US$128 per person (checked October 2026)
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- The outside deck of Peppers Resort, a minute's walk left of the Nelly Bay ferry terminal, by 8:15
The same Aquascene tour is on GetYourGuide too. Pick a date on its calendar:
Plan the Island
More on Magnetic Island
The ferry, a day trip from Townsville, the sunset sail, koalas, snorkelling and jet skis, one page each.
Prices are each page's featured tour, checked October 2026. Prices are per person unless a page says otherwise.
Four Magnetic Island Tours Compared
Each one starts at or beside the Nelly Bay ferry terminal. Prices from the listings, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Discovery Tour | Maggie Comprehensive | Sip and Sail | Behind the Scenes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$128 per person (checked October 2026) | From US$72 per person (checked October 2026) | From US$104 per person (checked October 2026) | From US$81 per person (checked October 2026) |
| Time | About 5 hours, morning | About 5 hours, from 9:15 | 90 minutes at sunset | About 5 hours, from 10:05 |
| How You Travel | Boat, with snorkel gear and paddle boards | Bus with a local guide | Sailing yacht | Bus with Tim Bee |
| Where It Goes | Fringing reefs and bays reached by boat | Picnic Bay, Geoffrey Bay, the lookouts, Horseshoe Bay | Cleveland Bay off Nelly Bay | Nelly Bay reserve, Picnic Bay, the Presto breakwater, Geoffrey Bay, the Forts track, Alma Bay |
| In the Water | Snorkelling and paddle boards, gear and suits included | No | No; the yacht does not anchor | No |
| Food and Drink | Morning tea | Water and snacks; lunch on your own | Beer, wine, soft drinks, cheese platter | Water; lunch on your own |
| Best For | Seeing the reef and the bays you cannot drive to | First visit, non-swimmers | An evening on the water | Looking for wild koalas |
| Check dates | See the bus tour | See the sunset sail | See the koala tour |
Other Magnetic Island Tours
More Tours on Magnetic Island
An island bus tour with a local guide, a sunset sail, a lunchtime sail, a jet ski tour and the koala park.
THE ISLAND BY BUSMagnetic Island Tour: Maggie Comprehensive
Magnetic Island Tours' five-hour bus tour from the Nelly Bay ferry terminal with a local guide: Picnic Bay, Geoffrey Bay's rock wallabies, the lookouts over Horseshoe Bay and an hour there for lunch, which is extra.
SUNSET UNDER SAILMagnetic Island Sip and Sail Sunset Cruise
Pilgrim Sailing's 90-minute sunset sail from Nelly Bay on a yacht, with unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks and a cheese platter with the crew's homemade pumpkin chutney.
LOOKING FOR WILD KOALASMagnetic Island: Behind the Scenes with Tim Bee
A five-hour small-group tour with Tim Bee, the island guide from Netflix's Izzy's Koala World, to the island's nature reserve, Picnic Bay, the Presto breakwater, Geoffrey Bay's rock wallabies and the start of the Forts walk, looking for wild koalas on the way.
A BAY TO YOURSELVESMagnetic Island Lunchtime Sailing Cruise
Pilgrim Sailing's four-hour yacht trip from Nelly Bay: a sail along the coast, about two hours at anchor in a secluded bay to swim, and a seafood and antipasto lunch with wine and beer.
JET SKI, NO LICENCEMagnetic Island Five Beach Bay Jet Ski Tour
Magnetic Island Jet Skis' guided tour from Horseshoe Bay, about 90 minutes on the water past bays reachable only by sea. The price is per jet ski for up to two riders; no licence needed.
BREAKFAST WITH KOALASBreakfast with Koalas on Magnetic Island
Breakfast at the koala and wildlife park at Horseshoe Bay: 90 minutes with the rangers, the park's koalas and its wombat over pancakes, bacon, eggs and fruit. Koala photos are not allowed.
The Guide
Magnetic Island Tours, Bay by Bay
Which tour does what, what it costs with the ferry, where each one starts, and the months the stingers are about.
Magnetic Island sits about 8 km off Townsville in north Queensland, a 20-minute SeaLink ferry ride from the city’s Breakwater terminal to Nelly Bay. Most of it is bush: Queensland’s parks service counts 78% of the island’s 5,184 hectares as national or conservation park, with granite boulders, hoop pines, wild koalas and rock wallabies, and more than 20 bays around the coast. The island has four settlements, Nelly Bay, Picnic Bay, Arcadia and Horseshoe Bay, joined by one main road and a bus. Almost every Magnetic Island tour starts at the Nelly Bay ferry terminal or a few minutes’ walk from it.
The short answer
For one tour, take Aquascene’s Discovery Tour: about five hours on a boat from Nelly Bay, snorkelling on the fringing reefs with all the gear and a lesson, stand-up paddle boards, secluded bays you cannot drive to, and morning tea. It costs from US$128 a person on Viator, rated 5.0 from 1,498 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor (checked October 2026), and the same tour is on GetYourGuide from US$126 (checked October 2026). Aquascene’s own booking page lists it at AUD 175 for adults and AUD 135 for children (2 to 13 on its booking page, 2 to 14 on its website); young children must be with two adults (checked October 2026). From July to September the tour watches for humpback whales too, and the boat is mobility-aid friendly; GetYourGuide lists the tour as wheelchair accessible. The ferry from Townsville is not included.
Check dates for the Discovery Tour
If you would rather stay dry, a bus tour with a local guide covers the roads, lookouts and wildlife spots in five hours for less. For an evening, Pilgrim Sailing’s Sip and Sail cruise goes out under sail at sunset.
Pick the tour
Magnetic Island Discovery Tour with Snorkelling and Paddle Boarding
Aquascene's boat from Nelly Bay: snorkelling on fringing reefs with gear and suits, paddle boards and bays you cannot reach by road. Starts beside the Nelly Bay ferry terminal.
Check dates →Magnetic Island Tour: Maggie Comprehensive
Magnetic Island Tours' local guide drives the island's roads for five hours: Picnic Bay, the rock wallabies at Geoffrey Bay, the lookouts and an hour in Horseshoe Bay for lunch.
See the bus tour →Magnetic Island Sip and Sail Sunset Cruise
Pilgrim Sailing's 90 minutes on a yacht, with beer, wine, soft drinks and a cheese platter while the sun goes down over Cleveland Bay.
See the sunset sail →Magnetic Island: Behind the Scenes with Tim Bee
Five hours with Tim Bee, the island guide from Netflix's Izzy's Koala World: the Nelly Bay nature reserve, the start of the Forts walk and Geoffrey Bay, looking for wild koalas and wallabies.
See the koala tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from the Viator and GetYourGuide listings (checked October 2026). Operators price by season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
The island at a glance
| Place | What is there | Tours that go |
|---|---|---|
| Nelly Bay | The ferry terminal, the marina and Peppers Resort’s deck, where most tours meet | Aquascene, Pilgrim Sailing, the bus tours |
| Picnic Bay | The old jetty and a beach with a stinger net in season | The bus tours |
| Arcadia | Geoffrey Bay, where rock wallabies sit on the rocks by the jetty, and Alma Bay | The bus tours |
| The Forts | The island’s Second World War fortifications and its best-known koala walk | Behind the Scenes stops at the start of the track |
| Horseshoe Bay | The longest beach, cafes, a stinger net, the jet skis and the koala park | Bus tours stop for lunch; the jet ski tour leaves from the beach |
| Florence and Radical bays | Snorkelling reefs and beaches with no road access for hire cars | Aquascene and Pilgrim by boat |
| West Point | The island’s west coast, where the sun sets over the mainland | MI Ride's sunset trip |
Translink bus 250 runs from Picnic Bay through the ferry terminal and Arcadia to Horseshoe Bay, for AUD 0.50 a ride or AUD 1 for the day, paid on board by card or cash (checked October 2026). The day trip guide shows how to fit a tour, a walk and the bus into one day.
Getting to the tours
SeaLink’s passenger ferry leaves Townsville’s Breakwater terminal on Sir Leslie Thiess Drive up to 17 times a day, from 5:30 am Monday to Saturday and 6:30 am on Sunday, and takes about 20 minutes to Nelly Bay. An adult return costs AUD 44 at the counter or AUD 41.50 on the SeaLink app, plus a fuel surcharge of AUD 2 on a return since 1 June 2026, and a ticket is not tied to a sailing (checked October 2026). The Discovery Tour meets on Peppers Resort’s deck, a minute’s walk to the left of the terminal. Aquascene’s booking page says the boat leaves at 8:15, its website 8:30; be on the deck by 8:15. From Townsville take the 7:00 am ferry (Monday to Saturday) or the 6:30; the 7:45 lands at about 8:05 and only works if the boat leaves at 8:30. The Magnetic Island ferry guide has the timetable, the car ferry and the fares.
Magnetic Island tours by what you want
- Snorkelling: the Discovery Tour and Aquascene’s Circumnavigation, which goes right around the island. The snorkelling guide covers the reefs you can swim to from the beach as well.
- A guided drive: Magnetic Island Tours’ Maggie Comprehensive, its three-hour Afternoon Tour, or MI Ride’s west coast trip and West Point sunset trip.
- Sailing: Pilgrim Sailing’s Sip and Sail at sunset and its four-hour lunchtime sail to a bay.
- Koalas: the Forts walk on your own, the koala park at Horseshoe Bay, or a guide who knows where they sit. See koalas on Magnetic Island.
- Speed: a jet ski tour from Horseshoe Bay to bays you can only reach by sea, with no licence needed.
- The outer reef: Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive’s reef day leaves Townsville at 7:00 or Nelly Bay at 7:50 for John Brewer Reef, where the Museum of Underwater Art’s Coral Greenhouse sits underwater. It runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays and occasionally Fridays, subject to weather and passenger numbers, with confirmation the afternoon before; Adrenalin’s own page prices the snorkel day at AUD 394 for adults and AUD 344 for children aged 6 to 11 (checked October 2026).
Stingers and the season
Box jellyfish and Irukandji can be in the water at any time, but Townsville City Council’s stinger season runs from 1 November to 31 May, and in those months the netted swimming areas are at Horseshoe Bay and Picnic Bay. Alma Bay has no net, and a lifeguard every day from 8:15 am to 4:15 pm by Townsville City Council’s roster (the parks service lists weekend and school-holiday patrols; services may change). The Discovery Tour lends UV stinger suits or wetsuits, and Pilgrim’s lunchtime sail has stinger suits from November to May. The best time to visit guide has the rain and temperatures by month.
Who should pick something else
- Only a few hours: the ferry and bus 250 get you to Horseshoe Bay and the Forts walk on your own, and a three-hour bus tour suits an afternoon.
- Non-swimmers: the bus tours and the koala park keep you on land; Pilgrim’s Sip and Sail does not anchor or swim.
- Families with young children: the Discovery Tour has child prices and infants go free, while Pilgrim’s sunset sail is generally for adults only outside school holidays.
- Driving yourself: the open-top hire cars are a Magnetic Island habit; the barbie car guide covers who rents them and the roads they cannot use.
Snorkel the Bays of Magnetic Island
Aquascene's five-hour Discovery Tour from Nelly Bay: fringing reefs, paddle boards, secluded bays and morning tea, with snorkel gear and suits included.
Check dates on ViatorOther Tours with Open Dates
More Magnetic Island and Townsville Tours with Open Dates
Bus tours, sailing, the reef and wildlife, with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Magnetic Island Tours: Questions
Price, the ferry, where tours start, stingers and how to book.
From US$128 a person on Viator and from US$126 on GetYourGuide (checked October 2026). Aquascene's own booking page lists AUD 175 for adults and AUD 135 for children (2 to 13 on its booking page, 2 to 14 on its website; young children must be with two adults), or AUD 220 for an adult with a SeaLink return ferry from Townsville (checked October 2026). The price covers snorkel gear, a lesson, UV stinger suits or wetsuits, stand-up paddle boards and morning tea.
Yes. It is one Aquascene tour sold on both. Viator lists it as the Magnetic Island Discovery Tour with Snorkeling and Paddle Boarding and GetYourGuide as the Magnetic Island Snorkel Discovery Tour: the same operator, boat and five hours. Book on whichever site you already use; the booking box on this page has both.
No, for almost every tour on the island. Aquascene, Magnetic Island Tours, MI Ride, Pilgrim Sailing and the jet skis all start on Magnetic Island. A SeaLink adult return is AUD 44 at the counter or AUD 41.50 on the app, plus an AUD 2 fuel surcharge (checked October 2026). Two exceptions leave from Townsville by boat: Aquascene's Discovery Tour from Townsville's Breakwater Marina, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only (meet 7:15), from US$150 (checked October 2026), and Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive's reef day. The ferry guide has the timetable.
Most at Nelly Bay, beside the ferry terminal. Aquascene meets on the outside deck of Peppers Resort, a minute to the left of the terminal; Pilgrim Sailing meets by the car-ferry ramp next to it; the bus tours leave from the courtesy-vehicle lane at the terminal. The jet skis and the koala park are at Horseshoe Bay, about 14 minutes away on bus 250.
Yes. The first SeaLink ferry leaves Townsville at 5:30 am from Monday to Saturday and the last one back leaves the island at 10:00 pm, or 11:00 pm from Wednesday to Saturday (checked October 2026). A morning tour plus the Forts walk or a swim at Horseshoe Bay fits easily. The day trip guide has three ways to spend it.
From 1 November to 31 May, by Townsville City Council's dates. In those months swim inside the stinger nets at Horseshoe Bay or Picnic Bay, or wear a full-body lycra suit. Stingers can turn up at any time of year. The tours that swim lend suits; the best time to visit guide has the details.
On the tours on this site, yes, up to 24 hours before for a full refund. That is the term on the Viator and GetYourGuide listings for the Discovery Tour, the bus tours, Pilgrim's sails and the jet ski tour. Tours on the water can also be called off by the operator in bad weather; GetYourGuide's listing for Aquascene's Circumnavigation offers another day or a full refund when that happens.
Wild koalas are likely but never certain. Queensland's parks service says the Forts walk gives a good chance of spotting one; Behind the Scenes, with Tim Bee from Netflix's Izzy's Koala World, looks for them along the way. The koala park at Horseshoe Bay has koalas you will certainly see. The koalas guide compares the three.
Still have questions? Email us at info@magnetic-island-tours.com