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Glow worms only exist in Australia and New Zealand so come on a fantastic journey with is to meet these small but brightly glowing creatures, Guaranteed sightings and time for morning tea and scenic lookouts throughout the National Park.
Swap Brisbane’s city streets for cool mountain air, rainforest views and a cave lit by thousands of tiny blue lights.
This full-day experience combines return transfers from Brisbane, unlimited hop on hop off access around Tamborine Mountain, and guaranteed entry to the Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Caves – all in one easy, relaxed day.
Tamborine Mountain sits in the Scenic Rim, around an hour from Brisbane, and is known for its national park rainforest, short walks, waterfalls, cellar doors, craft breweries and the boutique shops and cafés along Gallery Walk. You’ll have the flexibility to build your own itinerary using the local hop on hop off service, getting on and off as often as you like.
At your booked time, you’ll visit the purpose-built glow worm cave where a guide will lead you along the boardwalk and into the darkened cave to see thousands of glow worms glowing above you. The controlled environment means reliable sightings and a comfortable daytime experience.
Between stops, you can enjoy tastings at wineries and distilleries, explore Gallery Walk, take in the views at scenic lookouts or add optional attractions such as the Rainforest Skywalk (pre-booking recommended). At the end of the day, your return shuttle will take you back to Brisbane.
Highlights
Return transfers from Brisbane to Tamborine Mountain
Unlimited Hop On Hop Off access on Tamborine Mountain
Guaranteed entry to the Glow Worm Caves
Freedom to choose your own stops – wineries, breweries, distilleries, cafés, Gallery Walk and attractions
Scenic lookouts and photo stops around Tamborine Mountain
Travel in luxury, air-conditioned, eco-friendly vehicles
Friendly local driver/guide
Inclusions
Return transfer from Brisbane city to Tamborine Mountain
Unlimited Hop On Hop Off access on Tamborine Mountain
Pre-booked, guaranteed entrance to the Glow Worm Caves
Air-conditioned, luxury, eco-friendly vehicles
Local driver/guide
Scenic stops and basic commentary
Exclusions
Food and drinks
Wine, beer and spirit tastings
Venue entry fees (e.g. Rainforest Skywalk, other paid attractions) unless pre-booked
Purchases at shops, cafés and venues
Travel insurance
Itinerary / Itinerary Description
Brisbane Pickup
8:30 am – 110 Brookes St, Fortitude Valley
8:45 am – Brisbane Marriott, 1 Howard St, Brisbane City
9:00 am – Royal on the Park, 152 Alice St, Brisbane City
9:10 am – The Star Brisbane, 33–83 William St, Brisbane City (Main Entrance)
Relax on board as we travel towards Tamborine Mountain in the Scenic Rim.
Arrive Tamborine Mountain
On arrival, guests transfer to the local Hop On Hop Off service.
Winery Tour guests continue on their separate guided tour.
Hop On Hop Off guests are free to plan their own day.
Hop On Hop Off – Free Time on the Mountain
From approximately 10:30 am to 3:30 pm, guests can:
Visit participating wineries, breweries and distilleries
Explore cafés, restaurants and shops on Gallery Walk
Enjoy short walks, lookouts and other attractions
Join their pre-booked Glow Worm Cave tour at the allocated time
Guests simply let the driver know where they would like to be dropped off and can rejoin the next bus when ready to move on.
Glow Worm Caves
At your booked time, you will be dropped at the Glow Worm Caves for a guided tour through the rainforest boardwalk and into the purpose-built cave to see the glow worms.
Return to Brisbane
3:30 pm – Return shuttle departs Tamborine Mountain
Approximately 5:00 pm – Arrive back in Brisbane at your original pickup point
If an earlier departure is required, guests may be able to be dropped at Helensvale Train Station after lunch (subject to timing and availability), from where they can return independently to Brisbane or the Gold Coast.
Times are approximate and may vary due to traffic and conditions.
Additional Information
Departure Time: First pickup from Brisbane at 8:30 am
Return Time: Approx. 5:00 pm back in Brisbane
Duration: Full day (approx. 8.5–9 hours)
Fitness Level: Easy – walking is mostly optional and on formed paths
Family Friendly: Suitable for most ages; children must be supervised by an adult
What to Bring:
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Light jacket or jumper (Tamborine Mountain can be cooler than Brisbane)
- Water bottle
- Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Camera or smartphone
Payment method for food, drinks, tastings and shopping
Important Notes:
- Glow Worm Cave times are pre-booked and cannot always be changed on the day.
- Some venues and attractions have limited capacity and may require advance bookings.
- Hop On Hop Off routing and participating venues are subject to change without notice.
Operates in most weather conditions; tours may be adjusted for safety.
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as our guide he was absolutely brilliant so knowledgeable. He made our day and he is a credit to pineapple tours. thank you cannot wait to do another tour.
The glow worm cave was a real highlight, such a unique and magical experience. Walking through and seeing the glow worms up close was something completely different and well worth it.
The hop-on hop-off service made the whole day easy and flexible. It was great being able to explore at our own pace without worrying about transport, and the stops were well thought out.
A special mention to Mint, our driver, who was very nice, welcoming, and professional throughout the day. They made everything run smoothly and added to the overall experience.
Overall, a really enjoyable and well-organised day, highly recommend for anyone visiting Tamborine Mountain.
1)
Overall, this tour is not good value for money, especially for families. For a family of four, the total cost is very high compared to what you actually receive. In our case, it would have been significantly cheaper and more flexible to take an Uber from the Gold Coast to Tamborine Mountain and back. ( $70 to return to GC with a 15-minute wait for pick-up on the mountain)
In addition, the structure of the day does not really match the idea of a “hop on, hop off” experience. We were picked up at 9:00am, but after waiting for another bus to join us, the day did not properly start until around 10:30am. The return journey was at 3:30pm, which means you only have about five hours on the mountain. 1.5 hours is set aside for lunch, so you realistically only have time to visit one location in the morning and one in the afternoon. This makes the hop on/hop off concept feel quite misleading.
For these reasons, I would only recommend this tour for solo travelers or couples, not families.
2. Left Stranded on the Road by Pineapple Tours
The most disappointing part of the day was being left stranded on the side of the road in the afternoon. Our scheduled pick-up simply did not arrive, and we waited for approximately 50 minutes with no clear communication.
We were eventually told by our driver, I think her name was Michelle, that she was “stuck in traffic”, which seemed like a weak explanation given that we were in a rural area with no visible roadworks or traffic issues. Eventually, another driver (Terry) arrived and told us he had gone to the wrong pick-up point. Unfortunately, there was no apology or acknowledgement that this mistake had caused inconvenience to our family. When I contacted the company on whatsapp after the trip there was a insincere half-apology, i quote "since it's a public bus, there can sometimes be delays. My apologies and thanks for your understanding"
Well, it's not a public bus is it?
Being left on the roadside for such a long time, especially with children, is not acceptable for a paid tour service and significantly affected our overall experience.
Overall Impression
Overall, this was a disappointing experience and not good value for money for a family. The limited time on the mountain, the poor organisation, and the lack of accurate local information made the day feel rushed and frustrating.
If you are travelling as a family, I would strongly suggest arranging your own transport instead. The hop-on/hop-off tour may be more suitable for solo travellers or couples, but for us, it did not deliver what was promised.
We all had a grwy blast! Thanks again mate and pineapple tours. Happy new year
When we got off the bus, the first question was “What do you want to do?”—but we had no idea what the options were or how it all worked. We said the falls, so they took us there, only for us to be told its better to start with the treetop walk.
It wasn’t just us who were confused. Another couple became so worried about not getting picked up that they started walking in the heat.
The staff clearly mean well, and they do want everyone to have a good time, but for a paid tour this level of confusion just isn’t good enough. With better communication and structure, the experience could be much better. As it stands, hiring a car would have been the easier option.
Michelle was great!
Very informative and knowledgeable.
I would definitely use these guys again
and or recommend!
Thank you for a great day 🥰🍾
Cheers Antonio
P. S. Arachnocampa Lucifera are
always special little critters to hang with 🐛🌠🧲🧭
Really enjoyed the nature walks, glow worm cave experience, lunch, quick shopping and enjoying some wine tasting!
Our tour host is very accommodating and drives really well! We had very nice chats along the way! Thank you!
Tanbourine is an incredibly beautiful place with nice local vineyards. We visited 2 of these. Very nice people everywhere.
What made the trip extra special was the driver Andy from pineapple tour.
He is absolutely incredible and makes sure everyone has a great trip and makes sure everyone gets where they are going.
Thank you Andy from 2 very satisfied norwegians!
Nathan &Tam
Our pick up was prompt and the driver (Anthony) was so welcoming, knowledgeable and entertaining.
The entry to each venue was so easy and we enjoyed testing many different wines.
We loved the Witches Falls winery and the food at Hamptons was excellent.
Cannot fault the day we had and the people we met.
We want to do it again with friends or family.
Thanks so much.
Thank you to Michelle and Pineapple tours for an amazing winery tour! We enjoyed our time from start to finish- it was a day full of great vineyards with delicious wines, a brewery and a distillery! As our fearless leader Michelle took the time to point out interesting areas, gave us some history of the area, as well as making sure we were all on schedule (and for our group- it was no easy task!). Thank you for a wonderful day on Tambourine Mountian!
Thank you Anthony and Pineapple tours for a wonderful day full adventure! When Anthony came to pick us up we discussed our hopes for the day and he exceeded all expectations and managed to fit everything in! We saw glow worms, hiked to a few waterfalls, enjoyed lunch with stunning views and delicious food, and visited the botanical gardens. Our day flew by and it was one we will never forget! Thanks for being our guide Anthony!
Cedar Creek falls and Skyline was beautiful- even in the downpour. Our tour guide had a time slot to return to the Glow worm Caves.
Always book in advance for anything else you may want to do. We went with a hop on hop off tour, so had tickets included for the Glow Worms, but some group members booked with the Skyline Tour and had to sit and wait while rest of group went in, as the venue was sold out. Those on the Winery Tour swapped buses.
Would be better to know at time of booking that you could add on other sights as part of the excursion to guarantee an entry place. I made a friend who booked the Skyline tour and there were tickets I could purchase separately -well worth seeing.
Totally recommend using Pineapple, especially if travelling alone, as it was a smaller crowd and the drivers were friendly and the mini bus comfortable. They said we could go to wherever we wanted and they’d come back and collect us. In reality, as we didn’t really know anywhere, the tour could include the main sights in a logical order.
I was however, underwhelmed by the glow worms!
Thanks for a lovely day Pineapple- I would suggest a pickup point near a bus station for those who had to travel into the City to take the tour.
Once this happened straight after that our tour guide treated us like we were the problem and didn’t even bother to ask us what our story was.
So all in all long story short very unfair and almost ruined the day. Especially since it was a Birthday.
The wineries are local and authentic
Our drivers (Mikayela and Scotty) elevated the experience with their local knowledge and their genuine friendly nature. We loved it and would recommend this tour to GC locals and tourists!
Lunch was included and it was very tasty, and the portions were generous too. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
She wasn't pushy with her sales pitch but had been so accommodating.
Great selections of wine 🍷 👌 😋
We had tried several types of wine, liqueur, tawny, and several shots of strong spirits with alcohol 🍸 contents ranging between 40 to 60 per cent.
The food was awesome 👌 👏 👍 with good servings. The beef cheek was superbly prepared and cooked.
At the end of our trip, a quick nap was needed. LOL 😆. Alcohol has kicked in, I guess 😅
BTW, kudos to Michelle for a smooth ride
Thanks, Pineapple Tour's, for a great wine tour!
Lunch stop was phenomenal highly recommend the salmon!
Scotty took us on a journey through the mountain visiting stunning locations with a history lesson of each venue. The staff at the wineries were wonderful, the food was delicious, and the tastings were educational and a lot of fun!
Would highly recommend this company if you are wishing to to enjoy wine on the beautiful QLD country side.
Mind was our guide/driver on our Tambourine mountain tour to glow worm cave, sky walk and lunch at St Bernard Hotel. We had a great day out thanks to Mind.
Great view points, lovely little shopping street with arts and crafts items and vineyards to visit.
Well done Mind and Pineapple tours.































