There are 6 ways to get from Hamilton Island to Cooktown by ferry, bus, train, or plane
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Ferry, bus via Shute Harbour
best- Take the ferry from Hamilton Island Marina to Shute Harbour
- Take the bus from Airlie Beach to Cairns Central Station
- Take the bus from Cairns to Cooktown
18h 5m$201–296Ferry, bus, train
cheapest- Take the ferry from Hamilton Island Marina to Shute Harbour
- Take the bus from Shute Harbour Marine Terminal to Proserpine, Mill Street860
- Take the train from Proserpine to Cairns Central Station
- Take the bus from Cairns to Cooktown
19h 14m$151–2,376Fly Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cooktown Airport
- Fly from Great Barrier Reef Airport (HTI) to Cooktown Airport (CTN)HTI - CTN
17h 8m$566–1,419Ferry, bus
- Take the ferry from Hamilton Island Marina to Port of Airlie
- Take the bus from Airlie Beach to Cairns
- Take the bus from Cairns to Cooktown
18h 29m$225–408Fly Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cairns, bus
- Fly from Great Barrier Reef Airport (HTI) to Cairns (CNS)HTI - CNS
- Take the bus from Cairns to Cooktown
12h 20m$447–1,200Ferry, ferry to Whitsunday Coast Airport, fly to Cairns, bus
- Take the ferry from Hamilton Island Marina to Shute Harbour
- Take the ferry from Shute Harbour to Palm Bay
- Fly from Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) to Cairns (CNS)PPP - CNS
- Take the bus from Cairns to Cooktown
13h 35m$471–1,136
Hamilton Island to Cooktown by ferry, bus, and foot
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Hamilton Island to Cooktown is to ferry and bus via Shute Harbour which costs $200 - $300 and takes 18h 5m.
The fastest way to get from Hamilton Island to Cooktown is to fly and bus which takes 12h 20m and costs $440 - $1,200.
The distance between Hamilton Island and Cooktown is 1022 km.
The best way to get from Hamilton Island to Cooktown without a car is to ferry and bus via Shute Harbour which takes 18h 5m and costs $200 - $300.
It takes approximately 18h 5m to get from Hamilton Island to Cooktown, including transfers.
There are 27+ hotels available in Cooktown.
What companies run services between Hamilton Island, QLD, Australia and Cooktown, QLD, Australia?
Qantas, Hinterland Aviation, and two other airlines fly from Great Barrier Reef Airport (HTI) to Cooktown Airport (CTN) 4 times a day.
Transport is disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more
- Website
- hinterlandaviation.com.au
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cooktown Airport via Brisbane, Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 55m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $700–2,100
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cooktown Airport via Melbourne, Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 20m
- When
- Thursday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $550–1,500
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cooktown Airport via Sydney, Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 22h 52m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $400–1,600
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cooktown Airport via Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 19h 40m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $700–2,200
- Website
- qantas.com
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cairns via Brisbane
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 43m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $450–1,200
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cairns via Melbourne
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 27m
- When
- Wednesday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $500–1,200
- Website
- skytrans.com.au
Flights from Whitsunday Coast Airport to Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $290–700
- Website
- flexflight.dk
Flights from Whitsunday Coast Airport to Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $290–700
- Website
- jetstar.com
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cairns via Brisbane
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 15m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $500–1,200
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cairns via Melbourne
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 27m
- When
- Wednesday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $500–1,200
- Website
- virginaustralia.com
Flights from Great Barrier Reef Airport to Cairns via Brisbane
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 42m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $350–800
- Phone
- 1800 872 467
- Website
- queenslandrailtravel.com.au
Train from Proserpine to Cairns Central Station
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 49m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $30–2,200
- Book at
- https://queenslandrailtravel-booking.opendestinations.com/BookingSite/rail/search
- Website
- https://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/
- Schedules at
- https://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/Pages/Timetable.aspx
- BQuick
- $85–240
- AChoice
- $30–140
- Gold Class
- $1,756
- Heritage Class
- $2,200
- Phone
- 13 34 10
- reservations@premierms.com.au
- Website
- premierms.com.au
Bus from Airlie Beach to Cairns Central Station
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $80–120
- Website
- https://premierms.com.au/
- Phone
- +61 7 3036 2070
- Website
- transnorthbus.com.au
Bus from Cairns to Cooktown
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 45m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- $70–110
- Website
- https://www.transnorthbus.com.au/
- Book at
- https://www.tnbc.com.au/
- Phone
- 13 12 30
- Website
- translink.com.au
Bus from Shute Harbour Marine Terminal to Proserpine, Mill Street
- Ave. Duration
- 59 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $1
- Website
- https://translink.com.au/
- Phone
- 1300 473946
- Website
- greyhound.com.au
Bus from Airlie Beach to Cairns
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $95–220
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com.au/
- Schedules at
- https://www.greyhound.com.au/timetables
- Early Bird
- $95–140
- Advantage
- $110–170
- Flexible
- $140–220
Ferry from Hamilton Island Marina to Shute Harbour
- Ave. Duration
- 35 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- $45–65
- Schedules at
- cruisewhitsundays.com
Ferry from Hamilton Island Marina to Port of Airlie
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $60–80
- Schedules at
- cruisewhitsundays.com
- Phone
- 0488 022 868
- info@islandtransfers.com
- Website
- islandtransfers.com
Ferry from Shute Harbour to Palm Bay
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $69
- Schedules at
- islandtransfers.com
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