The Gold Coast hinterland is two separate mountains, and almost every tour from the coast picks one. Springbrook, about 38 km up the Nerang to Murwillumbah road from the motorway, is the waterfalls and Natural Bridge side, a national park with no entry fee listed by Queensland Parks. Tamborine Mountain is the village side: Gallery Walk, wineries, the Rainforest Skywalk and a glow worm cave built at Cedar Creek Estate. The eight tours below run A$92 to A$224, and every one picks you up on the Gold Coast. The two best-known tours that do both mountains in one day leave from Brisbane, not the coast, so they are explained in the questions below rather than ranked.
The biggest difference between these tours is not the price but the glow worms. Natural Bridge at Springbrook and Curtis Falls at Tamborine are wild colonies you see on a torchlit walk after dark, and Queensland Parks says the displays are usually best from December to March. The Cedar Creek caves are a purpose-built cave, open by day, A$34 an adult if you go yourself. We read every operator's own website and booking engine and the Queensland Parks alerts on 3 November 2026, and one alert matters now: from 2 November part of the Purling Brook Falls circuit at Springbrook is closed for works, with the main western lookout still open.
#1Kangaroos, Koalas & Tamborine Mountain · Morning Tea, Curtis Falls, Gallery Walk
Visitors who would rather see wild kangaroos and a village than hike, and want to be back by mid-afternoon.
A gentler Tamborine day built around wildlife in the open. It starts at Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park, where kangaroos live wild in the bushland (the operator is clear that sightings cannot be guaranteed and this is not a wildlife park), then goes up the mountain for morning tea and scones at a historic restaurant, the lookouts, the Curtis Falls walk and free time on Gallery Walk. A$125 includes pickup, morning tea and conservation and park fees; lunch and any wine or beer tastings are yours to buy.
The walking totals about 3.2 km and includes roughly 100 steps down to Curtis Falls; the operator says plainly that you cannot see the waterfall without taking them. It is a small tour by review count, and it did not run every day in November 2026: several dates were closed on the operator's calendar.
What travellers loved
- Wild kangaroos at Coombabah Lakelands, not a zoo
- Morning tea and scones, Curtis Falls and free time on Gallery Walk
- Seniors A$120
Know before you book
- Kangaroo and koala sightings are not guaranteed
- About 100 steps to see Curtis Falls
- Not every day: 4, 11, 12, 17 and 19 November were not bookable on 3 November
- Viator lists it as five hours; the operator says six, 8:30am to 2:30pm
Also: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure at our link; booked direct, 100% fee inside 48 hours
#2Springbrook Waterfalls & Natural Bridge · Daytime, Max 15
First-time visitors who want Springbrook's waterfalls and Natural Bridge by daylight in a half day.
The standard Springbrook morning, with a long review history behind it. It climbs through the Numinbah Valley to Purling Brook Falls, walks the rainforest track to Natural Bridge, where the creek drops through the roof of a cave, and finishes at Best of All Lookout, with Canyon Lookout or Goomoolahra Falls added when time and weather allow. The walking adds up to about 2.85 km at an easy grade. A$125 includes pickup from 13 points between Southport and Nerang station and light refreshments from a local cafe; lunch is not included, and you are back by about 1:45pm.
This is a daytime visit, so you see Natural Bridge as a waterfall and cave, not the glow worms, which only show after dark. From 2 November 2026 the causeway above Purling Brook Falls and the eastern lookout are closed for works until 2028, so the Purling Brook stop is the western lookout view.
What travellers loved
- Natural Bridge, Purling Brook Falls and Best of All Lookout in one morning, about 2.85 km of easy walking
- Pickup included from 13 points, Southport to Nerang station
- Back on the coast by about 1:45pm, so the afternoon is free
Know before you book
- Daytime only: no glow worms on this tour
- Part of the Purling Brook Falls circuit is closed from 2 November 2026; the main western lookout is open
- Not suitable for wheelchairs, prams or strollers, by the operator's own description
- Booked direct, cancelling inside 48 hours costs the full fare; at our link it is 24 hours
Also: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure at our link; booked direct, 100% fee inside 48 hours
#3Evening Rainforest & Glow Worms · Curtis Falls, Tamborine, Max 14
Anyone who wants wild glow worms without giving up a day, and does not mind a walk in the dark.
An evening on Tamborine Mountain rather than a day: a stop for cake and a hot drink at a mountain restaurant, then a guided torchlit walk of about 1.2 km to Curtis Falls, where the operator says you see glow worms in their natural habitat on the rock face near the waterfall, and a lookout if the weather allows. A$125 includes pickup, national park fees, torches, umbrellas and insect repellent; dinner is not included. You are back by about 9:45pm.
The walk has steps and short inclines (the operator grades it 3, moderate), and touching, photography and artificial light are not allowed while you watch. Southern Cross notes the glow worms shine brightest in damp conditions; if the tour cannot run you are offered another date or a refund.
What travellers loved
- Wild glow worms at Curtis Falls on a guided torchlit walk, not a built cave
- Dessert and a hot drink at a mountain restaurant included
- Pickup included, about 1.2 km of walking
Know before you book
- The operator's own page contradicts itself: the description says wild glow worms at the waterfall, a question further down says a purpose-built cave
- No photography of the glow worms, and no dinner included
- Steps and short inclines in the dark; the operator grades the walk moderate
- Booked direct, cancelling inside 48 hours costs the full fare; at our link it is 24 hours
Also: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure at our link; booked direct, 100% fee inside 48 hours
#4Tamborine Hop-On Hop-Off + Rainforest Skywalk & Glow Worm Caves Entry
Families and first-timers who want the Skywalk and glow worms locked in without queuing for tickets.
The same hop-on hop-off day with two tickets added and pre-booked: the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, a 1.5 km rainforest walk, and a guided tour of the Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Caves at Cedar Creek Estate, a purpose-built cave with a colony of glow worms. A$175 covers the bus and both entries; food and tastings are extra.
Do the sums before you choose it. Bought yourself on 3 November 2026, the Skywalk was A$21.50 and the caves A$34 for an adult, which with the A$119 bus comes to A$174.50, fifty cents under this bundle. For a child the bundle is A$108 against A$88 bought separately. What you get for it is guaranteed entry times, which Pineapple says cannot always be changed on the day.
What travellers loved
- Skywalk and glow worm cave entry pre-booked and included
- Glow worms by day, so no late night with children
- Same flexible hop-on hop-off day around Tamborine
Know before you book
- The glow worms are in a built cave at a winery, not a wild colony; no photography inside
- For adults it costs the same as the plain bus plus both tickets; for children it costs A$20 more
- Pre-booked entry times cannot always be changed on the day
- Booked direct, no refund inside 48 hours
Also: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure at our link; booked direct, no refund inside 48 hours
#5Glow Worms + Day/Night Rainforest & Waterfalls · Sighting Guaranteed
Visitors in December to March, the best glow worm months, who want the whole hinterland day in one booking.
The same small-group operator's longer day, which runs from late morning into the evening so you see the rainforest and waterfalls by daylight and a glow worm colony after dark; the operator calls it Australia's largest and does not name the site. It is the one tour here with a written guarantee: if you see no glow worms, the return trip is free. Pickup is door to door and the operator's site says all entry fees are included.
At our link it is A$224 from December, and there are no departures on sale before 1 December 2026. On the operator's own site it is A$199, but bookings there are by enquiry form only, with no published cancellation policy. Its glow worm page also lists a shorter evening-only tour from A$99 that we could not verify consistently (the same page prices it at A$109).
What travellers loved
- Daylight rainforest and waterfalls plus wild glow worms after dark in one day
- Free return trip if you see no glow worms
- Door-to-door pickup, small group
Know before you book
- No departures at our link before 1 December 2026; Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from 1 December to 21 February
- A$20 to A$25 cheaper on the operator's own enquiry form, which has no published cancellation terms
- The glow worm site is not named by the operator
- A long day: about 9 hours, home after dark
Also: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure at our link; no cancellation policy published on the operator's own site
#6Kangaroos, Rainforest & Waterfalls · Springbrook, Door-to-Door, Small Group
Couples and small groups who want a quieter, longer Springbrook day with a swim and lunch.
A full day in Springbrook with a guide who runs very small groups, the operator says usually seven people at most. Its own site describes six or more stops across several sections of the national park, a wetland where wild kangaroos graze (it stresses that this is not a zoo), a swim at one of the waterfalls if you want one, a packed lunch and all entry fees, with door-to-door pickup. Only a low level of fitness is needed, by the operator's account.
Read the booking side carefully. At our link it is A$189; on the operator's own site it is A$179, but that site takes enquiries only, by form, publishes no cancellation policy, and on 3 November said it was not accepting bookings for dates before 10 November. At our link the summer timetable from 4 December runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays only.
What travellers loved
- Small group, usually seven or fewer by the operator's account
- Door-to-door pickup, packed lunch and entry fees included
- A waterfall swim and wild kangaroos at a wetland on the day
Know before you book
- A$10 cheaper on the operator's own site, but that is an enquiry form with no published cancellation terms
- The operator's own site names no waterfalls or lookouts, so the exact stops are not stated
- From 4 December to 21 February, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays only at our link
- A one-guide business: no ABN on its site; the business name is registered to a sole trader
Also: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure at our link; no cancellation policy published on the operator's own site
#7Tamborine Mountain Hop-On Hop-Off · Transport Only, Daily
Independent travellers and couples who want Tamborine's village and wineries at their own pace without driving.
Not a guided tour but a bus up the mountain and a minibus around it, so you choose the day. The stops on Pineapple's route include the Rainforest Skywalk, the Cedar Creek glow worm caves, Gallery Walk, Curtis Falls, the Botanic Gardens, Tamborine Mountain Glades, two wineries, a distillery and a brewery. A$119 is transport only: every entry, tasting and meal is paid as you go. The shuttle back leaves the mountain at about 3:30pm and reaches the coast at about 5pm.
Pineapple describes the loop three ways (every two hours, every hour, and on demand), so treat it as on demand and keep the driver's number. Its own booking page warns that the route and the participating venues can change without notice.
What travellers loved
- Your own day on Tamborine: Skywalk, Gallery Walk, Curtis Falls, wineries
- Five Gold Coast pickups, from Robina station to Gold Coast University Hospital
- Child fare A$59.50, half the adult fare
Know before you book
- Transport only: entry, tastings and lunch are all extra
- Loop frequency is described three different ways by the operator
- Last shuttle down about 3:30pm
- Booked direct, no refund inside 48 hours; senior fare is A$105 direct against A$115 at our link
Also: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure at our link; booked direct, no refund inside 48 hours
#8Natural Bridge Glow Worm Night Tour · Springbrook, Hotel Pickup
Budget travellers and families who want the Natural Bridge glow worms in an evening.
At A$92, A$27 under the next fare on this page, an evening at Springbrook's Natural Bridge, where the wild glow worm colony lives in the cave behind the waterfall. JPT's schedule has you at Springbrook by about 7pm for a guided night walk of roughly 50 minutes at the Natural Arch cave and waterfall, with nocturnal animal spotting and stargazing, and back at your hotel by about 9:30pm. A$92 includes hotel pickup, national park permit fees, a torch and a rain poncho if needed.
It is a coach tour rather than a small group, and JPT's evening tours fill from several hotels, so pickup can be any time from about 5:30pm. The operator asks for walking shoes and warm clothes; the path is uneven. Queensland Parks says the glow worms are usually brightest from December to March.
What travellers loved
- Wild glow worms at Natural Bridge, Springbrook, after dark
- A$92 with hotel pickup, park fees and a torch included
- Child fare A$70 (ages 3 to 14), infants free
Know before you book
- JPT says Monday to Saturday, but its own calendar showed only two departures in the week from 3 November: check your date
- Coach tour; maximum group size not stated
- Uneven path in the dark: walking shoes and warm clothes
- Booked direct, JPT's terms give three different cancellation rules; at our link it is a full refund up to 24 hours before
Also: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure at our link; JPT's own terms contradict each other
Details change. We verify every price, duration, departure point and inclusion against the operator's own website, and we date every check, but operators can change them at any time without notice. Always confirm the details that matter to you with the operator before you book.
Good to know
Which glow worms are wild, and which are in a cave?
Three of these tours show you wild glow worms on a guided walk after dark: Southern Cross Tours' evening tour at Curtis Falls on Tamborine Mountain, JPT's night tour at Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park, and Gold Coast Rainforest Tours' day-and-night tour, which promises a free return trip if you see none. Pineapple's Skywalk and Glow Worm Caves bus takes you instead to the Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Caves at Cedar Creek Estate, which the estate describes as a purpose-built cave; it runs daytime tours of about 30 minutes, A$34 an adult and A$18 a child aged 4 to 12, and photography is not permitted inside. Queensland Parks says the Natural Bridge displays are usually best in the warmer, wetter months, December to March, and can only be seen after sunset. One conflict to know about: Southern Cross's glow worm page describes wild glow worms by the waterfall, while a question further down the same page mentions a purpose-built cave. Ask them which you will see if it matters to you.
Is any of Springbrook closed right now?
Partly. Queensland Parks alert 27185 closes the Settlement day-use area and part of the Purling Brook Falls circuit, the pedestrian causeway above the waterfall and the eastern lookout, with works running from 2 November 2026. The main western lookout and the Gwongorella car park stay open, and the alert says commercial tour operators may not enter the closed areas. Southern Cross's Springbrook tour lists Purling Brook Falls as a stop, so expect the western lookout view rather than a walk across the top. Toilets at the Tallanbana trailhead at the start of the Twin Falls circuit are also closed until January 2027. There were no alerts for Natural Bridge or Best of All Lookout on 3 November. On Tamborine, the Curtis Falls track and the Witches Falls tracks are listed as open; parts of the Sandy Creek and Jenyns circuits are closed after storm damage.
Is there a tour from the Gold Coast that does Springbrook and Tamborine in one day?
Not among the operators we could verify. The two well-reviewed combined days, Queensland Day Tours (A$199, adult) and Bos Tours Queensland (A$199 on its own site, from A$190 on resale sites without lunch), both start in Brisbane: Queensland Day Tours at 222 Margaret Street at 7:45am, saying hotel pickups are not available, and Bos Tours in Brisbane City at 8:45am, running Tuesday to Saturday. Neither site offers a Gold Coast pickup for that tour. They are two different sole traders on the Australian Business Register, with different booking systems, despite near-identical titles. From the Gold Coast, the practical choice is one mountain by day and, if you want wild glow worms, an evening tour.
Is the Skywalk and Glow Worm Caves bus worth it, or should I buy the tickets myself?
On 3 November 2026 the arithmetic was almost exactly even. Pineapple's plain hop-on hop-off bus is A$119 an adult. The Rainforest Skywalk is A$21.50 an adult on its own website and the Cedar Creek glow worm caves A$34, so the bus plus both tickets bought separately comes to A$174.50, against A$175 for the bundle. What the bundle buys you is pre-booked entry times; Pineapple says those times cannot always be changed on the day. For children the bundle is cheaper: A$108, against A$59.50 for the bus, A$10.50 for the Skywalk and A$18 for the caves, A$88 in all, so with children buy the plain bus and the tickets.
Is it cheaper to book direct?
For Southern Cross Tours, JPT and Pineapple's adult fares, no: the price at our link matched each operator's own booking engine on 3 November 2026. The difference is the cancellation rule. At our link all eight tours offer a full refund up to 24 hours before departure. Booked direct, Southern Cross charges 100% inside 48 hours, Pineapple gives no refund inside 48 hours, and JPT's terms page contradicts itself. Gold Coast Rainforest Tours is the exception on price: its own site lists A$179 and A$199, A$10 and A$20 to A$25 less than at our link, but it takes bookings by enquiry form only, publishes no cancellation policy and said on 3 November it was not accepting bookings for dates before 10 November. Pineapple's senior fare is also A$10 cheaper direct (A$105 against A$115).
Can I do this without a tour?
Tamborine, yes, on weekdays. TransLink runs a 50-cent demand-responsive bus from Helensvale station up the mountain, booked by phone on 1300 153 636, with departures from Helensvale at 9:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm; it does not run on weekends or public holidays. Springbrook, not really: there is no public transport into the national park, so you need a car (Natural Bridge is 38 km from the Nerang motorway exit) or a tour. Queensland Parks asks night visitors at Natural Bridge to bring at least one torch between two people, never shine it directly on the glow worms, and use no flash.
Why are Lamington, O'Reilly's and the Tamborine wine tours not on this list?
They are different days. Southern Cross Tours also runs a Lamington National Park and O'Reilly's tour at A$135 (seven hours, Tree Top Walk and bird feeding) and a Tamborine food and wine tour at A$229, and several wine-only operators run Tamborine winery days. We kept this page to waterfalls, rainforest and glow worms so the prices compare like with like.