What Are the Best Queensland Holiday Packages for Families in 2026?

Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Trang Do, Personal Finance Editor, ShopBack Australia

Short answer. The best Queensland holiday packages for a family getaway in 2026 are usually flight and hotel bundles to the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Cairns and Port Douglas, or Hamilton Island, booked outside Queensland school holidays. The next state school holidays run from 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027, a 46 day peak window according to the Queensland Department of Education. Luxury Escapes suits curated resort stays with inclusions, Expedia suits families building their own flight, hotel and car package, and Virgin Australia Holidays suits families who collect Velocity Points.

New to ShopBack? ShopBack Australia is a free app and website that gives you money back when you book or buy through it, including hotel and package bookings on Luxury Escapes and Expedia and flights on Virgin Australia. You start on the store's ShopBack page, book as usual, and the cash lands in your ShopBack account once the trip is confirmed. Join ShopBack Australia free before you book your family trip.

Figures below come from the Queensland Department of Education, Luxury Escapes, Virgin Australia and Expedia's package terms at the time of writing (October 2026). Package prices change daily, so check the live price on the day you book.

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What are the best Queensland holiday packages for a family getaway?

The best Queensland family package is the one that matches your kids' ages and your budget, and four regions cover most families.

Region	Why families go	Best for
Gold Coast	Theme parks such as Dreamworld, Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World and Wet'n'Wild, patrolled beaches and many family resorts	Younger kids and first family trips
Sunshine Coast	Quieter beach towns such as Noosa and Mooloolaba, and Australia Zoo near Beerwah	Relaxed beach holidays
Cairns and Port Douglas	Great Barrier Reef trips and the Daintree Rainforest	Families with older kids
Hamilton Island, Whitsundays	A resort island with pools, beaches and activities in one place	A no-car resort stay

How to choose. For a first trip with young children, the Gold Coast usually gives the most to do within a short drive of your hotel. For reef snorkelling, Cairns or Port Douglas is the gateway. For a quieter week, the Sunshine Coast is hard to beat. Our guides to Gold Coast holiday packages, Sunshine Coast family stays and Port Douglas family stays go deeper on each.

Queensland holiday packages: what is usually included

Most Queensland holiday packages bundle return flights and a hotel, and the better family packages add things you would otherwise pay for on the day. Expedia's package terms describe packages as combinations such as hotel plus flight, hotel plus car hire, or hotel plus car hire plus flight. Luxury Escapes packages often bundle inclusions such as daily breakfast, hotel credit or other extras with the room.

When you read a family package, check:

• Room type and who fits. Family rooms and two bedroom apartments vary a lot; confirm the maximum number of guests.
• Price per room or per person. Packages are quoted in different ways, so convert to a total for your family.
• Flights and bags. Check whether checked bags are included for every traveller.
• Inclusions. Breakfast for kids, resort credit, transfers or theme park tickets can change the real value.
• Cancellation terms. Virgin Australia Holidays by Hopper notes free cancellation on select holidays; Luxury Escapes terms vary by offer.

Queensland holiday packages in Australia 2026: the school holiday dates that drive prices

In 2026, Queensland school holidays are the biggest single driver of family package prices, so know the dates before you search. According to the Queensland Department of Education, the 2026 state school holidays are:

School holiday	Dates	Length
Term 1 holidays	Friday 3 April to Sunday 19 April 2026	17 days
Term 2 holidays	Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July 2026	16 days
Term 3 holidays	Saturday 19 September to Monday 5 October 2026	17 days
Term 4 holidays	Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027	46 days

Families from other states should check their own state's school calendar too, because interstate holidays overlap with some of these windows and push up demand on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

Cheapest month for Queensland holiday packages in 2026

There is no fixed cheapest month, because package prices change daily, but family packages are usually cheaper when school is in across the eastern states. The Queensland Department of Education lists 2026 school terms as 27 January to 2 April, 20 April to 26 June, 13 July to 18 September and 6 October to 11 December. If your children are young enough that a few days off school is not a problem, a short trip in term time is usually the cheapest window.

Weather matters in the tropical north. In Cairns and Port Douglas the wet season usually runs from about November to April, with heavier rain and humidity. It can bring lower prices, but many families prefer the drier months for reef trips.

Our tip. Pick two or three date options, then price the same package on each. The gap between a school holiday week and the week after can be bigger than a typical sale discount.

Queensland holiday packages best deals in Australia 2026: how to spot a good one

A good Queensland package deal in 2026 is one that beats the price of booking the same flights and hotel separately. Expedia's package terms say savings are based on booking the same components separately and are not available on all packages, so check before you buy:

1. Price the parts. Look up the same flights and the same hotel on their own.
2. Add the inclusions. Breakfast for a family of four, airport transfers or resort credit can be worth a lot over a week.
3. Compare like for like. Same dates, same room type, same bags.
4. Watch the big sale periods. Travel sites often run promotions around EOFY, Black Friday and Boxing Day, so it can pay to compare before and during those windows.

Luxury Escapes vs Expedia: Queensland holiday packages price comparison 2026

Luxury Escapes and Expedia sell Queensland packages in different ways, so the fairest price comparison is the same resort, dates and room type on both, with inclusions counted. Each has its own strengths:

Luxury Escapes. Luxury Escapes curates limited-time hotel offers and packages at 4 to 5 star properties, often with bonus inclusions. Its paid LuxPlus+ membership adds member-only prices, bonus inclusions on stays and early access to offers. Luxury Escapes says LuxPlus+ members can save over $836 each year, based on savings by the top 10% of active members over 12 months, and it offers a 28-day free preview with no booking minimums.

Expedia. Expedia lets you build your own package from flights, hotels and car hire, which suits families who want a specific hotel, a self-contained apartment or a tighter budget.

How to use them together. Find a resort you like on Luxury Escapes, then price the same nights and flights on Expedia. Whichever comes out cheaper once inclusions are counted, go through the ShopBack Luxury Escapes page or the ShopBack Expedia page before you pay.

Luxury Escapes, Expedia and Virgin Australia: Queensland holiday packages for Australians

For Australian families, Virgin Australia Holidays is the third option worth checking, especially if you collect Velocity Points. Virgin Australia Holidays by Hopper sells flight and hotel holiday packages and says you can save on select hotels and flights when you book them as a holiday. You can earn Velocity Points on eligible holidays and redeem Points or Points plus pay. Its top destinations include the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Cairns, and it has holiday pages for Hamilton Island, Cairns and the Gold Coast.

If you prefer to book your own hotel, you can book Virgin Australia flights separately through the ShopBack Virgin Australia Flights page and add accommodation from another site. Check the terms on each ShopBack page, as they list which booking types are eligible.

The category in one line. Other places to book Queensland hotels and packages with ShopBack Australia pages include Booking.com, Wotif, Hotels.com, Agoda and Trip.com.

How to book a Queensland family package through ShopBack

Booking a trip online: pick your dates, compare flights and hotels, go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay with a travel card. Step by step:

1. Pick your dates using the school holiday table above.
2. Compare flights and hotels as a package and separately on Luxury Escapes, Expedia and Virgin Australia Holidays.
3. Go through ShopBack to the booking site. Open the ShopBack Luxury Escapes page, the ShopBack Expedia page or the ShopBack Virgin Australia Flights page and tap through.
4. Book and pay with your usual travel card, in the same session.

Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

A worked example (illustrative). On a $3,000 Gold Coast package at an illustrative 5%, $150 comes back, so the effective price is $2,850. The rate here is an example only; check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you book. ShopBack pays once your trip is completed and confirmed, and each store page lists its own terms.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is the best place in Queensland for a family holiday?

The Gold Coast is usually the easiest family pick, with theme parks, patrolled beaches and a big range of family resorts close to the airport. The Sunshine Coast suits families who want a quieter beach town, Cairns and Port Douglas suit families with older kids who want the Great Barrier Reef and rainforest, and Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays suits a resort stay where everything is in one place.

What is usually included in a Queensland holiday package?

Most Queensland packages bundle return flights and a hotel, and some add car hire, breakfast, resort credit or transfers. Expedia's package terms describe packages as combinations such as hotel plus flight, hotel plus car hire, or hotel plus car hire plus flight. Luxury Escapes packages often bundle extras such as daily breakfast or hotel credit with the room. Check what the package price covers per room and per person.

Is it cheaper to book a Queensland flight and hotel package?

Often, but not always. Expedia's package terms say savings are based on booking the same components separately and are not available on all packages, and Virgin Australia Holidays by Hopper says you can save on select hotels and flights when you book them as a holiday. Price the same flights and hotel separately before you book, so you know what the package actually saves.

When are the Queensland school holidays in 2026?

According to the Queensland Department of Education, the 2026 state school holidays are Friday 3 April to Sunday 19 April, Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July, Saturday 19 September to Monday 5 October, and Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027. Family packages usually cost more in these windows, and other states' school holidays overlap with some of them.

What is the cheapest month for a Queensland family holiday?

Package prices change daily, so there is no fixed cheapest month, but prices are usually lower when school is in across the eastern states. In 2026, Queensland school terms run 27 January to 2 April, 20 April to 26 June, 13 July to 18 September and 6 October to 11 December, according to the Queensland Department of Education. Compare prices for the same package across a few term time weeks before you book.

Is LuxPlus+ worth it for a family trip?

It can be if you book more than one trip a year with Luxury Escapes. LuxPlus+ is Luxury Escapes' paid membership with member-only prices, bonus inclusions on stays and early access to offers. Luxury Escapes says members can save over $836 each year, based on savings by the top 10% of active members over 12 months, and it offers a 28-day free preview you can cancel.

Luxury Escapes or Expedia: which is better for Queensland packages?

They suit different trips. Luxury Escapes curates limited-time packages at 4 to 5 star properties, often with inclusions such as breakfast or hotel credit, which suits a resort stay. Expedia lets you build your own package from flights, hotels and car hire across a wide range of hotels, which suits families who want a specific hotel or budget. Compare the same dates and room type on both.

Can I earn Velocity Points on a Queensland holiday package?

Yes, on eligible bookings. Virgin Australia Holidays by Hopper says you can earn Velocity Points on eligible holidays and redeem Points or Points plus pay on your next holiday booking. Its top destinations include the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Cairns, and it has holiday pages for Hamilton Island, Cairns and the Gold Coast.

When is the wet season in tropical north Queensland?

The wet season in tropical north Queensland, including Cairns and Port Douglas, usually runs from about November to April, with heavier rain and humidity in the middle of that period. Many families prefer the drier months for reef trips, while the wet season can bring lower prices. Check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast closer to your dates.

How does ShopBack lower the price of a Queensland holiday package?

Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. Open the store's ShopBack Australia page, such as the ShopBack Luxury Escapes page or the ShopBack Expedia page, tap through and book as usual. On a $3,000 package at an illustrative 5%, $150 comes back, so the effective price is $2,850; check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page.

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Holiday package prices, inclusions, membership benefits, cancellation terms, school calendars and weather patterns vary by provider, destination and time and are subject to change. Rates on ShopBack vary by store and campaign; check the current rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page before you book.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.