Pippies K'gari 3 Day Tour

3 Day Tag-Along & Camping · Rainbow Beach

4.7 / 5 | GuestTours Rating
3 days, 2 nights
Departs Monday to Saturday
7:00am
From Pippies Beachhouse
No hidden costs
Insurance, showers, firewood included
From $659
per person

Pippies K'gari 3 Day Tour Review

Pippies is the K'gari tag-along where the price you see is the price you pay. Vehicle insurance, hot showers, firewood and sleeping gear are all included, which other camping tours charge extra for. You drive behind your guide from Rainbow Beach and spend two nights at Pippies' own permanent campsite near Cathedrals.

See full review ↓

GuestTours Verdict
GuestTours award: Best Value Tag-Along. GuestTours rating: 4.7 / 5.
Pippies K'gari 3 Day Tour
3 Day Tag-Along & Camping · Rainbow Beach
4.7 / 5 GuestTours Rating
Pippies K'gari 3 Day Tour
Adult
18 years and over
$659
3 Day K'gari Adventure + 2 hostel nights
per person
$739

Price per person. No extra costs for showers, firewood or vehicle insurance.

Pippies prices and departures

3 Day K'gari Adventure, tour only

$659 per person

Guide, 4WD, insurance, barge, permits, camping and main meals. Departs 7:00am, Monday to Saturday.

3 Day K'gari Adventure + 2 hostel nights

$739 per person

The same tour plus a 4 or 6 share dorm at Pippies Beachhouse the night before and after. Departs 7:00am, Monday to Saturday.

What your fare covers

  • Experienced guide leading the tag-along convoy
  • Two nights at Pippies' permanent powered campsite at Cathedrals, with hot showers and flushing toilets
  • Vehicle rental, barge tickets and all National Park permits
  • Vehicle insurance against all accidental damage
  • All main meals and some snacks, plus marshmallows for the campfire
  • Free sleeping bag, pillow and camping mattress, free showers and free firewood
  • Free luggage storage at Pippies Beachhouse
  • Two nights in a 4 or 6 share dorm at Pippies Beachhouse, when you choose the hostel package

Is Pippies right for you?

Great fit
💰
Backpackers on a budget
One price with insurance, showers and firewood already included.
Great fit
🚙
First-time 4WD drivers
You follow the guide in an automatic tag-along vehicle, or ride along.
Great fit
🚌
Anyone arriving by bus
Pippies Beachhouse is directly opposite the Greyhound and Premier stop.
Look elsewhere
👨‍👩‍👧
Families with children
The tour is for travellers 18 and over.
Look elsewhere
🛏️
Hotel comfort
You sleep in a tent at the campsite. Look at the K'gari Explorer tours for a hotel.

How the days run

Times move with the tides. Pippies sends the final plan the day before.

Day 1
Lake McKenzie and Central Station
Leave Pippies at 7am sharp for the barge from Inskip Point, drive up 75 Mile Beach to Eurong and inland to Lake McKenzie. Lunch at Central Station beside Wanggoolba Creek, then on to camp. If time allows, sunset from the Corrigan Sandblow, then a group BBQ.
Day 2
Champagne Pools, Eli Creek and the Maheno
Breakfast, then north to the Champagne Pools, a float down Eli Creek with a rubber ring, the Maheno wreck and the Pinnacles. Back to camp for a stir-fry and a night by the fire.
Day 3
Lake Wabby and back to Rainbow Beach
A 40 to 45 minute walk through the bush and across the Hammerstone Sandblow to Lake Wabby, lunch on the beach, then the barge back. You are back at Pippies in the afternoon, depending on the tides.

Before you go

📅
Departure
7:00am from Pippies Beachhouse, 22 Spectrum Street, Rainbow Beach, Monday to Saturday. The time can move with the tides.
📝
Check-in
Ideally the day before, at Pippies between 9am and 4pm, after watching a short video and signing a waiver. Otherwise 30 minutes before departure.
🎂
Age
Over 18. Groups are mostly 18 to 35. Under 18 needs approval before booking.
🚙
Driving
21 or over with a full open licence held for at least 12 months. Bring the original card, plus an international licence if yours is not in English.
🎒
Luggage
A small day bag and a carry-on sized bag. Big bags stay in Pippies' free luggage room.
🅿️
Parking
Free street parking outside Pippies Beachhouse while you are on tour.
📶
Phone signal
Minimal. Telstra is the only network with any signal.
↩️
Cancellation
More than 14 days before: refund minus $100. 14 to 7 days: 50% charge. Less than 7 days or no-show: 100%.

The full review

When backpackers ask me which K'gari camping trip is the best value, I point them here. Pippies is family owned and runs the tour from its own hostel in Rainbow Beach. You can sleep there the night before, leave your big bag in the storeroom and walk to the 7am departure.

The campsite is the other reason. It is permanent and powered, with hot showers and flushing toilets, and there is a shop and bottle shop on site. You are still in a tent, but it is camping without the usual hassle. Pippies also aims to be first onto the island and last off, so the days on the sand are long.

The fine print: drivers need to be 21 with a licence held for a year, the groups are mostly 18 to 35, and the cancellation rules are firm. Why it earns Best Value Tag-Along and a 4.7: three full days with nothing left to pay once you are on the island.

Pippies K'gari 3 Day Tour FAQs

$659 per person for the three-day tour, or $739 including two nights in a 4 or 6 share dorm at Pippies Beachhouse.
No. Vehicle insurance against accidental damage, showers, firewood, a sleeping bag, pillow and mattress are all included. You only pay for your own drinks and anything from the camp shop.
Pippies Beachhouse at 22 Spectrum Street in Rainbow Beach, at 7:00am. Pippies is directly opposite the Greyhound and Premier bus stop.
Monday to Saturday.
In the afternoon. The exact time depends on the tides, so do not book a tight onward connection.
No. You can drive one of the automatic tag-along vehicles if you qualify, or ride along with the group.
You must be 21 or over and have held a full open licence for at least 12 months. Bring your original licence card, a photocopy is not accepted, and an international licence if yours is not in English.
It is Pippies' own permanent, powered campsite at Cathedrals on the eastern beach. There is an amenity block with hot showers and flushing toilets, plus a shop and bottle shop.
Yes, bring your own. No glass.
The tour is for travellers aged 18 and over, and the groups are mostly 18 to 35. Under 18 needs approval before booking, so ask us first.
Yes, including vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free and dairy-free. Add yours in the booking form.
Very little. Telstra is the only network with any signal.
Pippies has a free luggage storage room, and there is free street parking outside the hostel.
More than 14 days before departure you get a refund minus a $100 fee. Between 14 and 7 days there is a 50% charge. Less than 7 days, or not showing up, costs 100%.
Before you book

Planning guides from our team in Cairns

We live in Cairns and we book these tours every week. These are the guides we send guests before they choose.

Ready to book Pippies K'gari 3 Day Tour?

From $659 per person