Top 10 things to do in the Gold Coast

Wondering what to do in the Gold Coast? Here's a quick guide to activities and attractions that always earn five-star rave reviews.

Everyone knows there's heaps of things to do in the Gold Coast, but to put your itinerary together you need detail! To get started, check out our top 10 things to do in Gold Coast list - it covers off a bit of everything, from cabarets and a koala sanctuary to forest walks and outlet shopping.

1. SkyPoint Climb

If you really want to get the adrenaline pumping, climb the external stairs to the top of the imposing Q1 Resort Building, one of Queensland's most iconic landmarks. The SkyPoint Climb lasts 90 minutes and rises 270m in the air, providing breathtaking 360° views.

2. Laugh until it hurts at Dracula's

Spend an evening at Dracula's Comedy Cabaret & Restaurant, Australia's longest running and most successful dinner theatre. Climb aboard the ghost train (yes, an actual train), which delivers you to a sumptuous three-course dinner. Dessert is a chocolate coffin and cocktails come served in glass skulls. The entertainment is brash, energetic and a lot of fun, featuring sassy singers, dancers, circus aerial acts, special effects and live music.

3. Float along the canals

The Gold Coast has more than 400km of man-made canals - more than Venice and Amsterdam put together. One way to enjoy them is with a leisurely cruise. Sea World Cruise, runs morning, lunch and afternoon tea trips, allowing you to peek at the grand homes that line these waterways while enjoying delicious food and cocktails.

Couple sharing meal, Currumbin, Gold Coast, Australia.

Women on walking trail, Hinterland, Gold Coast, Australia.

Mealtime at Currumbin & a walk through the green hinterland

4. Cuddle a koala at Currumbin

There are few things more happy-making than cuddling a blissed-out koala. At the Gold Coast's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, 27 hectares of bushland and rainforest, you can hug one of these adorable marsupials to your heart's content. A Segway Safari of the park is an even more fun way to enjoy one of the largest collections of Australian native wildlife in the world.

5. Walk or bike the Gold Coast Oceanway

Running from Southport Spit to Point Danger at Coolangatta, the Gold Coast Oceanway is 37km long. If you want to walk the whole thing, it'll take around 7 hours. It's the best thing to do in the Gold Coast for free. Biking or scootering will trim the journey considerably. At almost any location along the way you can have a swim or find somewhere to eat.

Surfers Paradise from above and Cucina Vivo at The Star Gold Coast

6. Explore the Gold Coast Hinterland

Less than an hour's drive from the Gold Coast, the hinterland is another world entirely. It immerses you in nature with national parks, tropical rainforests, thundering waterfalls and amazing native bird-life. You'll also find some of the region's best artisan food and wine producers. If you're travelling with kids, they're going to love the Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk.

7. Pick up a bargain at Harbour Town

Located at Biggera Waters, the bargains at Harbour Town are bigger than average. There's almost a full A to Z of stores here, from Adairs homewear to YD menswear. Food is also great value at Harbour Town - the newly extended and renovated eating precinct is definitely a cut above what you'll usually find at an outlet shopping centre.

Aerial view of people on the beach and in the ocean, Gold Coast.

The serene Elabana Falls and beach goers enjoying the crystal clear waters of Tallebudgera Creek

8. Have a day of thrills at a Gold Coast theme park

When your family is looking for fun things to do in Queensland, the Gold Coast is always a hot favourite. It's the theme park capital of Australia, with Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet'n'Wild, Paradise Country, WhiteWater World, Dreamworld and GC Wake Park, ArtVo Gold Coast, the Big Wedgie and many more.

9. Rise above it all in a hot air balloon or helicopter

For a bird's eye view of the Gold Coast's blonde beaches, high-rises and the green hinterland, jump in a helicopter for a tour of the coast. If you prefer to feel the wind in your face while you soar above the city, a sunrise hot air balloon ride will provide you with unforgettable memories (and photos).

10. Catch a whale watching tour

The whale migration season is a reason to schedule May to October - is an excellent time for a holiday on the Gold Coast. There are several whale watching tour operators available to take you and your family onto the ocean to meet the migrating humpbacks. These cetaceans are famously playful and curious, so you'll be in for some big surprises.

Keep exploring Gold Coast

Elabana Falls image courtesy Destination Gold Coast; Surfer Paradise image courtesy Destination Gold Coast; Cucina Vivo image courtesy of Destination Gold Coast; Beach image courtesy Destination Gold Coast; Pacific Fair image courtesy of Destination Gold Coast; Treetop image courtesy of Tamborine Treetop Challenge; Luke's Bluff image courtesy of Destination Gold Coast; Greenmount surfers image courtesy of Destination Gold Coast