Best Things to do in Gold Coast (2026)

Some of the best Gold Coast experiences sit outside the major sights. Miami Marketta is the original street food night market, open from Wednesday to Saturday evenings with food stalls, live music and a gin bar, while Carrara Markets fills weekend mornings with more than 300 stalls and family attractions. The Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Burleigh Heads offers guided walks that explain the Dreaming stories and history of the headland, giving a very different view of a familiar landscape.

On hot days, Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast at Oxenford is the obvious choice, with racing slides, drop slides and a large splash zone for small children; it opens all year but hours vary by season, so check before you go. At the southern end of the coast, the Point Danger Lookout at Coolangatta lets you stand on the Queensland and New South Wales border beside the Captain Cook Memorial lighthouse, with whale and dolphin watching in season. Pair it with the walk around Greenmount Hill to Rainbow Bay. Markets and the lookout are free, so they balance the cost of theme park days, and most of these experiences can be reached by public transport or a short taxi ride from the coastal suburbs.

5 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Thing to do

1. Miami Marketta

Street food night market and live music venueMiami

Laneway street food night market in Miami, open from 5pm Wednesday to Saturday, with food stalls, free live music, a gin bar and an adults-only lounge.

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Thing to do

2. Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Aboriginal cultural centre and guided walksBurleigh Heads

Aboriginal-owned cultural centre at the foot of Burleigh headland, running guided walks and cruises that share the Dreaming stories and history of the Yugambeh people.

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Thing to do

3. Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast

Water parkOxenford

Year-round water park at Oxenford with racing slides, tube rides, the KABOOM! drop slide and a large splash zone and junior slides for young children.

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Thing to do

4. Point Danger Lookout

Headland lookout and coastal walkCoolangatta

Headland lookout on the Queensland and New South Wales border at Coolangatta, with the Captain Cook Memorial lighthouse, ocean views and whale and dolphin watching.

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Thing to do

5. Carrara Markets

Weekend marketCarrara

Large weekend market at Carrara with more than 300 stalls, cafes and family attractions, open Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 3pm with free entry and parking.

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