Dingo’s Fraser Island Tour Review: Is It Worth It?

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A trip to Fraser Island is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the East Coast Australia route. But which tour to the island is the best? Is the Dingo’s Fraser Island Tour worth the money?

Fraser Island; the world’s largest sand island. Home to over a hundred freshwater lakes, a 244m tall sand dune, and a 120-year-old shipwreck. It’s one of the highlights of an East Coast Australia road trip, especially using the Dingo’s Fraser Island tour.

Visiting Fraser Island, you’ll be transported to a place with very little connection to the outside world.

With zero phone signal, you’ll be forced to disconnect with reality and reconnect with the nature Fraser Island has to offer.

Travelling to Fraser Island starts from Rainbow Beach. Independent travel to the island is possible, but most first-time backpackers book tours that are guided.

This is a popular choice as it gives travellers the chance to drive a 4×4 over the sand dunes and through the Australian jungle.

There are a few tours to choose from, but a popular choice for first-time backpackers is Dingos.

Travelling Australia? Check these out!

• Travelling East Coast Australia: A Beginners Guide
• 10 Fun Things To Do in Melbourne Solo (+ 20 Extras!)
• Best Places to Live in Melbourne as a Young Adult or Expat
• Living in Melbourne as an Expat or Backpacker Guide (2022)

Dingo’s Fraser Island Tour

Is the Dingo’s Fraser Island tour worth the money?

For us, Dingo’s Fraser Island was the highlight of our entire East Coast trip. Right down to the point where we were all in tears when we had to leave!

But just why was it so good?! In this review, I’ll give you all the ins and outs of the tour, and just what makes it that much better than any of the others. So, let’s begin!

Quick Dingo’s Fraser Island Tour Facts

Target audience: 18-30

Prices: $300-$400 per person (depending on duration)

Tour types: 2 days, 1 night or 3 days, 2 nights. Both include 4×4 driving and activities.

Departure days: Monday and Wednesday (2 days), Friday only (3 days)

Pickup point: Freedom Hostel, Rainbow Beach

Tour includes: 4×4 hire, all meals, accommodation, tour guides and return ferry transfers

Highlights: Lake Mckenzie, Champagne Pools, Eli Creek, Indian Head, tubing down a lazy river and just being with your new friends at the campsite!

What to bring: Small day bags ONLY (leave luggage at the hostel), hat, glasses, sunscreen, water bottle, camera and DRIVING LICENSE (needed if you want to drive a 4×4!)

✨ Book your Dingo’s Fraser Island tour here! ✨

Who’s the Dingo’s Fraser Island tour for?

The Dingo’s Fraser Island tour is perfect for backpackers aged 18-35.

If you’re travelling the East Coast and want to have a few days away from the mainland, Fraser Island is the perfect escape to paradise. There isn’t an age limit on the tour, but we found the majority of guests to be between the ages of 18-30.

Any type of traveller can book onto the Dingo’s Fraser Island tour.

It’s ideal for solo travellers who want to meet like-minded backpackers or a group of friends wanting to explore somewhere new together. We even had a couple on their honeymoon on our trip!

During the day, there will be eight of you in the same 4×4.

Activities can be as chilled or as lively as you want them to be. For example, if you had a group like ours, you’ll be drinking goon (boxed wine) for breakfast and partying until 4AM.

But, Tom’s (my boyfriend’s) group was a bit calmer and took it easy on the alcohol drinking. It really depends on your group and the people around you.

If you’re not looking to be drinking goon, partying in the campsite until late or watching the stars with a beer in hand, I’d recommend choosing another tour.

This one is aimed at backpackers wanting to let loose and have fun, so bear that in mind when booking.

Love group tours? You HAVE to check out the Kiwi Experience bus (it’s actually how Tom and I met!)

How the Fraser Island tour works

The Dingo’s Fraser Island tour can either be booked online, through your hostel (if you’re already in Australia), or with a travel agency like Happy Travels.

Be sure to have a look around for deals and sales! They always seem to crop up and could save you a few dollars!

There are two different Dingo’s Fraser Island tours. Here’s an overview of each:

• 2 days, 1 night: The cheaper option of the two (roughly $349), consists of two full days on Fraser Island and one night’s accommodation at the campsite. You’ll head off to the island at 7:00am, board the ferry and begin driving over the dunes as soon as you arrive. 1x breakfast, 2x lunch and 1x dinner are provided.
• 3 days, 2 nights: We found this to be the most popular tour amongst backpackers. You’ll leave Freedom Hostel at around 7AM. You’ll then head straight for the ferry to enjoy an early start on the island. 2x breakfast, 3x lunch, 2x dinner provided.

When booking your tour, you’ll be asked to stay at this hostel for at least one night before the tour, and one night after. I recommend booking in advance, as it can get booked up quickly!

The pre-Fraser Island induction meeting

Staying the night before at Rainbow Beach is mandatory, as you’ll be asked to attend a Fraser Island induction.

This is a short meeting where you’ll meet your 4×4 buddies, order alcohol, be told the do’s and don’ts of the island and how to avoid dingos!

The night after is important because you’ll be exhausted, and you can organise a final night out with your new friends!

We found our night back in the hostel to be just as good as a night on the tour. If you have a good enough group, you could end up drinking back on Rainbow Beach and skinny dipping in the hostel at 3AM. Heads up, this isn’t actually allowed.

🦉 INSIDER TIP: Make sure to buy ALL of your alcohol before leaving the hostel to Fraser Island. Alcohol on the island is expensive, and you won’t visit a shop often (I think we visited one once for around ten minutes on the last day).

You need to book THIS HOSTEL if you are joining the Dingos Fraser Island tour.

What is the accommodation like?

Your accommodation for the Fraser Island tour is included in the price you pay. But don’t go getting any fancy ideas of beds or overwater villas.

There aren’t options of luxury cabins or a bed – as you’ll all be camping under the stars in two-man tents. But it’s all part of the fun!

The tents are located at a Dingo’s exclusive campsite.

You’ll find a kitchen, toilets, showers and even a small wooden hut for a make-shift dancefloor. (Seriously, this was one of the best things about our stay!)

Tents are as comfortable as they can be, and you’ll be sharing with one other person (unless you request to be alone. A word of advice; they get SUPER hot in the mornings, so make sure you go to bed with lots of water!

Toilets are a stone’s throw from the tents, and there are enough showers for you to not be waiting longer than about 10 minutes in the mornings.

I’d just advise getting up early before anyone else (but if you’re as hungover as we were, you probably won’t want to).

✨ Book your Dingo’s Fraser Island tour here! ✨

You need to book THIS HOSTEL if you are joining the Dingos Fraser Island tour.

What food do you eat on the tour?

Food is provided by Dingo’s, but it’s up to you and your group to prepare it. Upon leaving the hostel, you’ll be given a giant coolbox with water and food for the duration of the trip.

This includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, and things like biscuits and crisps for snacks.

This coolbox is to be shared between the eight of you and is made to last the whole tour. So if you eat it all in an hour, your food for the whole two/three-day trip is gone (we made this mistake with the biscuits on the first car journey).

Breakfast is simple items like cereal and eggs, and as I said, it’s down to your and your group to cook it in the mornings. Lunch is a bit easier and will just be sandwiches, fillers, fruit and crisps, with veggie options if you’ve requested it.

Dinner will need to be cooked and divided up by someone in your group (so don’t ask paralytic Steve to prepare your dinner as you won’t see any of it). We were given options such as stir fry, noodles and pasta.

Basic, but it does the job!

There is the option to take your own food, so if you’re fussy, make sure you chuck something into the cool box before you leave the hostel!

What happens on a typical day?

You’ll rise and shine nice and early on the tour, with cars leaving at the latest time of 8AM.

This gives you just about enough time to shake off your hangover, freshen up and get in your car ready to be breathalysed to drive.

Every morning, the lead driver (tour guide) will breathalyze all drivers to ensure it’s safe for them to drive. Most people pass, although our friend did show up as 14x over the limit after an all-nighter with his beer keg.

A typical day will consist of breakfast at the camp and then a trip to a lake or viewpoint. In the afternoon, you’ll stop for lunch at some picnic tables on the island (sometimes with a shop, but rarely) and head off for more activities like tubing or swimming.

In the evening, you’ll head back to the campsite to start the evening celebrations.

Depending on your group, you’ll either be playing party games and dancing on tables or listening to someone play guitar around the campfire. I mean, both are pretty good.

🦉 INSIDER TIP: Fraser Island has very little light pollution, so make sure you head out to the beach when it’s dark. You can lay on the sand and see one of the clearest night sky’s you’ll ever see. Trust me, the stars are incredible!

Backpacking the rest of the East Coast? Check out my guide here for an epic itinerary and route: Travelling East Coast Australia: A Beginners Guide

Is the Dingo’s Fraser Island tour worth the £££?

The Dingo’s Fraser Island tour is TOTALLY worth the money.

It’s not just about the activities or transport, but it’s about the whole experience.

From the first induction at Freedom Hostel to the time we left Rainbow Beach, we loved every second of it. They gave us friends for life, and memories I’ll truly never forget.

After the tour, a group of 15 of us had bonded so much that we decided to spend our final night in Rainbow Beach together.

With a meal booked at a local restaurant, we set off to say our final goodbyes with some boxed wine and a pizza. The night turned into late-night antics on the beach and skinny dipping in the hostel pool until the early hours!

I’m still in contact with some of these friends today.

Having no connection to the outside world just amplified our relationships and allowed us to bond faster than normal. And for that, I am truly grateful to Dingo’s!

The Dingo’s Fraser Island tour is worth the money AND more. I promise.

Have you been to Fraser Island with Dingo’s? I’d love to hear about your experience! Connect with me on Instagram or let me know in the comments below!

Happy travelling!

Jennie 🙂 x

Other Australia posts:

• Living in Melbourne as an Expat or Backpacker Guide (2022)
• Best Places to Live in Melbourne as a Young Adult or Expat
• 10 Fun Things To Do in Melbourne Solo (+ 20 Extras!)
• Travelling East Coast Australia: A Beginners Guide

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