Mackay travel guide

Mackay Tourism | Mackay Guide

You're Going to Love Mackay

With a population of 74.219, Mackay is a must-see destination in Queensland, Australia. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Mackay deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

When to visit Mackay

Mackay in February
Estimated hotel price
$156
1 night at 3-star hotel
Mackay in February
Estimated hotel price
$156
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Mackay in January, when the average temperature is 26 °C, and the highest can go up to 30 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is July, when it can get as cold as 12 °C, with an average temperature of 16 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in February, when precipitation is around 310 mm. In contrast, September is usually the driest month of the year in Mackay, with an average rainfall of 10 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Mackay

Plane

When flying to Mackay, you’ll arrive at Mackay (MKY), which is located 3 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Australia to Mackay include Etihad Airways, Air New Zealand and Qantas Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Mackay departs from Brisbane and takes around 1h 35m.

Car

Another option to get to Mackay is to pick up a car hire from Airlie Beach, which is about 109 km from Mackay. You’ll find branches of Budget and Hertz, among others, in Airlie Beach.

Plane

When flying to Mackay, you’ll arrive at Mackay (MKY), which is located 3 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Australia to Mackay include Etihad Airways, Air New Zealand and Qantas Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Mackay departs from Brisbane and takes around 1h 35m.

Car

Another option to get to Mackay is to pick up a car hire from Airlie Beach, which is about 109 km from Mackay. You’ll find branches of Budget and Hertz, among others, in Airlie Beach.

Airlines serving Mackay

United Airlines
Good (4,931 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,125 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,481 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (915 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (830 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (488 reviews)
China Eastern
Good (51 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (541 reviews)
Air New Zealand
Excellent (308 reviews)
Virgin Australia
Good (264 reviews)
Jetstar
Good (313 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in popular areas of Mackay

Most booked hotels in Mackay

Absolute Beach Front Mackay - Blue Pacific
0 stars
Excellent (9.2, Excellent reviews)
$165+
Mantra Mackay
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
$173+
Ibis Mackay
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$114+
White Lace Motor Inn
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$127+
Whitsunstays - The Resort by the Sea
0 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$118+
Cool Palms Motel
2 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
$103+

Hiring a car in Mackay

Hiring a car in Mackay costs $88 per day, on average, or $176 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 2% cheaper than airport locations in Mackay.

Expect to pay $1.73 per litre in Mackay (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $20.76 and $27.67. Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Mackay, while also 60% cheaper than other types, on average.

Hiring a car in Mackay costs $88 per day, on average, or $176 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 2% cheaper than airport locations in Mackay.

Expect to pay $1.73 per litre in Mackay (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $20.76 and $27.67. Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Mackay, while also 60% cheaper than other types, on average.