Australia›Brisbane & South-East Queensland›Gold Coast›October
Gold Coast in October
Great month: October is in the middle of the recommended season (April – November). Humpback whale migration can fall this month.
The season runs to the end of November, next month.
3 days in Gold Coast in October · from ₹62,293 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
What’s on in October
Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.
Humpback whale migration
Humpbacks pass the east coast from about June to October, resting in Hervey Bay beside K'gari from July to October, where whale-watching boats leave daily; Byron's Cape Byron headland and the Gold Coast see them from land. In Western Australia they pass Margaret River and Augusta from June to December.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹62,293 for two
- Room a night₹8,500
- Food a day, each₹4,082
- Main sight entry, each₹7,850
Mid-range
₹1,15,514 for two
- Room a night₹15,700
- Food a day, each₹9,420
- Main sight entry, each₹7,850
Luxury
₹2,45,546 for two
- Room a night₹35,970
- Food a day, each₹21,980
- Main sight entry, each₹7,850
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Australia yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Brisbane (BNE), 71 km away
Then: Transfer · 1h 15m (Rental car on the M1, per vehicle)
Flights from India: from 6 cities, one way from ₹40,000
Fly into Sydney (SYD), 685 km away
Then: Flight · 4h 18m (Jetstar / Virgin Australia / Qantas to Gold Coast (OOL))
Flights from India: from 8 cities, one way from ₹38,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹16,350
- Apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600), Tourist stream, online in ImmiAccount (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) at least 6-8 weeks before you fly. The fee is AUD 250 (about ₹16,350) and is not refunded if the visa is refused.
- If asked, give biometrics (photo and fingerprints) at an Australian Visa Application Centre run by VFS Global; some applicants are also asked for a medical check.
- Wait for the grant letter before booking non-refundable flights: it is an electronic visa linked to your passport, with no sticker. Check the stay it allows (usually 3 months a visit) and any "no further stay" condition.
- On the plane, fill in the Incoming Passenger Card and tick "yes" for any food, spices, seeds or plant and animal products you carry. Declare it all; officers will check it and most packaged food is allowed.
Carry: Passport valid for the whole stay (6 months beyond is safest), the same one used for the visa; Visa grant letter (ImmiAccount, printout or PDF); Return or onward ticket; Proof of funds: recent bank statements and income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer or proof of your business; Hotel bookings or an invitation letter from your host in Australia; Travel insurance with medical cover (visitors are not covered by Medicare).
The visa fee went up on 1 July 2026: newer sources give AUD 250 for a Tourist-stream application made outside Australia, one older page AUD 200; check the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator before you pay. Australia's biosecurity rules are strict: declare all food, or risk a fine and the cancellation of your visa.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Australia in October
Also in season this month.
- Blue Mountains (Katoomba) · great month
- Byron Bay · great month
- Canberra · great month
- Grampians (Halls Gap) · great month
- Hunter Valley · great month
- Noosa & the Sunshine Coast · great month
- Perth & Rottnest Island · great month
- Sydney · great month
Nearby in Brisbane & South-East Queensland:
Want this as a real plan?
Gold Coast in October, day by day, priced for your group.