Day trips

The 15 Best Day Trips from Sunshine Coast

Drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan for every place worth the trip.

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There are 15 good day trips from Sunshine Coast, Australia, led by Brisbane, Logan City, Caloundra. The closest is Caloundra, about 25 min by car, and 3 of them fit into half a day. Below: drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan.

Day trips from Sunshine Coast at a glance

DestinationDistanceDrive timeBest as
Brisbane90 km S1 hr 25 minFull-day trip
Logan City109 km S1 hr 40 minFull-day trip
Caloundra17 km S25 minHalf-day trip
Southport149 km S2 hr 20 minLong day or overnight
Caboolture49 km S55 minHalf-day trip
Upper Coomera137 km S2 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Forest Lake108 km S1 hr 40 minFull-day trip
Gympie66 km NW1 hr 15 minFull-day trip
North Lakes63 km S1 hr 15 minFull-day trip
Morayfield52 km S1 hrHalf-day trip
Narangba62 km S1 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Kallangur67 km S1 hr 15 minFull-day trip
Deception Bay60 km S1 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Redbank Plains112 km S1 hr 45 minFull-day trip
Labrador147 km S2 hr 20 minLong day or overnight

Drive times are estimates from the distance. Check live traffic before you leave.

The best day trips from Sunshine Coast

  1. 1

    Brisbane, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car90 km south of Sunshine Coast2 hr 50 min round trip

    Known for The Wheel of Brisbane.

  2. 2

    Logan City, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 40 min by car109 km south of Sunshine Coast3 hr 20 min round trip
  3. 3

    Caloundra, Australia

    Half-day trip
    About 25 min by car17 km south of Sunshine Coast50 min round trip
  4. 4

    Southport, Australia

    Long day or overnight
    About 2 hr 20 min by car149 km south of Sunshine Coast4 hr 40 min round trip
  5. 5

    Caboolture, Australia

    Half-day trip
    About 55 min by car49 km south of Sunshine Coast1 hr 50 min round trip
  6. 6

    Upper Coomera, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr 10 min by car137 km south of Sunshine Coast4 hr 20 min round trip
  7. 7

    Forest Lake, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 40 min by car108 km south of Sunshine Coast3 hr 20 min round trip
  8. 8

    Gympie, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 15 min by car66 km north-west of Sunshine Coast2 hr 30 min round trip
  9. 9

    North Lakes, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 15 min by car63 km south of Sunshine Coast2 hr 30 min round trip
  10. 10

    Morayfield, Australia

    Half-day trip
    About 1 hr by car52 km south of Sunshine Coast2 hr round trip
  11. 11

    Narangba, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 10 min by car62 km south of Sunshine Coast2 hr 20 min round trip
  12. 12

    Kallangur, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 15 min by car67 km south of Sunshine Coast2 hr 30 min round trip
  13. 13

    Deception Bay, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 10 min by car60 km south of Sunshine Coast2 hr 20 min round trip
  14. 14

    Redbank Plains, Australia

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 45 min by car112 km south of Sunshine Coast3 hr 30 min round trip
  15. 15

    Labrador, Australia

    Long day or overnight
    About 2 hr 20 min by car147 km south of Sunshine Coast4 hr 40 min round trip

A sample day trip: Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

A realistic pace for Brisbane, 90 km from Sunshine Coast. Packy AI builds this for any place on the list, with a route, opening hours and timings you can edit.

  1. 08:30Leave Sunshine Coast
  2. 09:55Arrive in Brisbane (1 hr 25 min drive)
  3. 10:10The Wheel of Brisbane
  4. 12:10Lunch
  5. 13:25Explore the old town, markets and cafes of Brisbane
  6. 15:55Head back to Sunshine Coast
  7. 17:20Home in Sunshine Coast

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What are the best day trips from Sunshine Coast?
The best day trips from Sunshine Coast are Brisbane, Logan City, Caloundra, Southport, Caboolture. The closest is Caloundra, about 25 min away by car.
What is the closest day trip from Sunshine Coast?
Caloundra is the closest, 17 km south of Sunshine Coast, roughly 25 min by car. Best as a half-day trip.
Where can I go within an hour of Sunshine Coast?
3 places are within about an hour's drive of Sunshine Coast: Caloundra (25 min), Caboolture (55 min), Morayfield (1 hr).
What is the biggest city near Sunshine Coast for a day out?
Brisbane is the largest city in day-trip range, 90 km south of Sunshine Coast and about 1 hr 25 min by car. With that much to see, start early or stay the night.
How far is too far for a day trip from Sunshine Coast?
Up to about two hours each way keeps the day relaxed. The farthest place on this list is Southport at 149 km, around 2 hr 20 min by car, which is better as a long day or an overnight stay.

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