Commercial Activity Permit: Standard guided tour
To conduct a standard guided walking tour for a small group of paying participants, you must apply for a Commercial Activity Permit (CAP) – Standard guided tour permit. The permit may also include secondary activities.
The permit allows you access to pre-approved locations that have visitor infrastructure, such as walking tracks, roads, lookouts, boardwalks, day-use, and camping areas. These pre-approved locations are managed by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).
The pre-approved locations and secondary activity types available in a standard guided tour permit pose a very low risk of negatively impacting natural and cultural park values and other park visitor experiences.
When your application has been correctly lodged with the department and the correct fees paid, a standard guided tour permit will be downloadable within 15 minutes from your Online Services account.
Participant numbers and group sizes are restricted based on activity types. Before lodging your application, read the information for applicants (PDF, 309KB) and sample standard guided tour permit (PDF, 441KB) for more information.
Secondary activities available
These secondary activities are included under a standard guided tour permit:
- nature study
- photography
- spotlighting
- cycling
- watercraft (non-motorised)
- motorised (4WD and motorcycle)
- camping.
Pre-approved QPWS locations
Use this search tool or download the activities table (XLSX, 83KB) to identify available locations and secondary activities supported at each location.
Location and activities search
To search for available locations and activities, you can either:
- type a location name into the search field
- or
- select the relevant activities to filter the list.
To see if the location is included in the pre-approved list or has relevant activities available, click on the location name.
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Note: All Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) islands are excluded from a Standard guided tour permit. For guided tours solely within GBRWHA island national parks, consider applying for a Great Barrier Reef – Roving Commercial Activity Permit.
Excluded QPWS locations
Various QPWS locations are excluded under a standard guided tour permit. If you wish to access excluded locations you may wish to apply for a CAP tailored to your proposed activities and locations. However, this requires a tailored assessment against various legislative provisions which can take up to 40 business days.
Restricted participant numbers and group sizes
The standard guided tour permit allows up to 50 walking tour participants per day including staff, and a maximum group size of 25 people. Two groups of 25 people may be guided at the same time, provided they are separated to avoid overcrowding.
For full details of the various capacity thresholds that apply to the standard guided tour permit, including secondary activities, read the information for applicants (PDF, 309KB). For larger numbers of participants or group sizes you may elect to apply for a CAP tailored to your proposed tour requirements.
Visitor facilities
You can search for details about the types of visitor facilities available in QPWS locations in the Parks and Forests section of the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation's website. There are 2 ways to find the information:
- search for individual parks using the find a park option
- check out the things to do section and search by activities.
How to apply for a standard guided tour permit
If the standard guided tour permit meets your proposed commercial tour requirements, apply for your permit through Online Services.
Fees
The standard guided tour permit incurs the same fees as all CAPs, including:
- Application fee – a fixed single permit application fee applies regardless of the number of activities or locations selected in your application.
- Permit fee – a fixed permit fee (1 to 3 years).
- Daily site fees – daily site fees apply to the number of participants carried on each tour in accordance with your permit.
For further information on fees and the complete list of prescribed fees, read the Information sheet – fees to conduct activities on QPWS managed areas (PDF, 325KB).
Amending a standard guided tour permit
Once a standard guided tour permit is granted it may be amended in the same way as a regular CAP through Online Services. However, to avoid processing delays and further fee payments, it's important to carefully consider your commercial tour proposal and apply for either a standard guided tour permit or a regular CAP tailored to your preferred activities and locations.
Read the Operational policy – amendments and variations to permits for QPWS managed areas (PDF, 287KB) for more details.
Park alerts
Important information about park access restrictions that apply to all visitors, including commercial tour participants, can be read on the department's park alerts.
As a permit holder, you are responsible for regularly checking our park alerts to confirm your approved tour location(s) are open to the public. It's recommended that you have contingencies in place in case your approved locations are temporarily closed, for example for safety reasons.
You can receive park alert updates by:
- following @QldParkAlerts on X (formerly Twitter)
- subscribing to 1 of the park alerts RSS feeds.
Further information
If you need further information before lodging your application, you can request a free pre-lodgement meeting or email us at parkaccess@des.qld.gov.au.
Also consider...
- Learn more about Commercial Activity Permits for national parks, recreation areas and state forests.
- Find out about commercial filming and photography in national parks, conservation parks, recreation areas and state forests.
- Learn how to complete a biosecurity management plan for island national parks.