What Are The Best Tours In Cairns?
The best tours in Cairns are Great Barrier Reef tours, rainforest tours, cultural tours, and adventure activities! But it depends on each traveller's individual preferences. However, Cairns is such a gorgeous part of Australia that there are tours to suit everyone! Whether you want to snorkel and scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef, lounge on tropical islands, swim in waterfalls, hike in ancient rainforests, learn about unique cultures, or get your heart pumping on adrenaline tours, Cairns Tours has it all.
What Are The Best Tours In Cairns For Travellers?
The best tours in Cairns vary from person to person, but Great Barrier Reef tours are the most popular among travellers! Cairns is famously known as the Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, so reef and island tours are a crowd favourite. For those hoping to explore beyond the reef, Cairns also has amazing rainforest, culture, and adventure tours. You can do a wide range of tours during your stay or just pick a few of your favourites. Either way, there are so many incredible tours and activities to try in Cairns!
Check out some of our most popular Cairns tours!
Great Barrier Reef Tours In Cairns
Great Barrier Reef tours are definitely among the best tours in Cairns. Travellers from all over the world flock to Cairns to see the world's largest coral reef system with their own eyes! Though you can visit the reef from anywhere north of Bundaberg on Queensland's coast, Cairns is the closest major city to the Great Barrier Reef. So the reef is super accessible from Cairns are there is a huge variety of tours to choose from! Here are the best Great Barrier Reef tours from Cairns.
Outer Reef Day Tours
Outer Reef day trips are the most popular option among travellers who want to see the Great Barrier Reef. They are quick, convenient, and affordable! Depart Cairns in the morning and cruise to the Outer Reef which takes about an hour. Spend the day sailing to different reef sites or hanging out on a pontoon, both of which offer incredible snorkelling and diving opportunities.
Island Day Tours
A unique way to see the Great Barrier Reef is on an island tour from Cairns! Right off the coast of Cairns lies gorgeous destinations like Green Island, Fitzroy Island, and the Frankland Islands. There are also some stunning sand cays such as Michaelmas Cay and Vlasoff Cay. Some day tours take you to these island destinations where you can explore on land and go snorkelling or diving offshore to see the marine life and reefs around the islands.
Overnight Great Barrier Reef Tours
Those hoping to extend their stay on the Great Barrier Reef can book overnight reef tours as well! Cairns has several amazing liveaboards where you can spend a few nights at sea. These are perfect for advanced divers, those wanting to learn to dive, or snorkellers who just want extra quality time out on the reef.
Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flights
Another way to see the Great Barrier Reef is from the sky! Great Barrier Reef scenic flight tours are a great addition to any Cairns itinerary. Seeing the vast expanse of the pristine reef from a plane or helicopter is an unforgettable experience. You can even book a combined flight and boat tour so you can see the reef from underwater and the sky, giving you a well-rounded perspective of this natural wonder.
Rainforest Tours In Cairns
Travellers hoping to explore the natural beauty inland from Cairns can choose one of the many rainforest tours! With an abundance of forests, hiking trails, waterfalls, gorges, rivers, and charming small towns right outside the city, exploring the rainforest is one of the best things to do in Cairns. Check out these popular rainforest tours!
Atherton Tablelands Day Tours
The Atherton Tablelands, located southwest of Cairns, are one of the best places for day trips outside the city. Known for its lush waterfalls, stunning lakes, unique natural landmarks, quaint jungle towns, and epic hikes, adventure seekers will be in paradise here. There are lots of incredible Atherton Tablelands day tours, whether you want an overview of the area, a wildlife-spotting tour, a waterfall tour, or an in-depth experience in the adorable town of Kuranda.
Daintree Rainforest Day Tours
Located a few hours north of Cairns lies the Daintree Rainforest, another magnificent area of natural beauty with fun day tours. This is the oldest tropical rainforest on earth, so expect to see Jurassic-park-like scenery with unique wildlife, mystical forests, and deserted beaches. The Daintree Rainforest is very remote and wild, so let a local guide show you the highlights on one of these day tours from Cairns.
Cultural Tours In Cairns
Some of the best tours in Cairns are cultural tours where you can engage with local communities. Cairns and the surrounding reef and rainforest have a strong presence of indigenous communities that have thrived here for generations. Any of these cultural tours can bring you closer to the traditional ways of living in this beautiful part of Australia!
Mossman Gorge Experiences
Mossman Gorge is a remarkable part of the Daintree Rainforest that is just over an hour from Cairns. Not only can you stroll through the stunning rainforest here, you can also check out the Mossman Gorge Visitor Centre to learn more about the Kuku Yalanji people of the region. Join a Mossman Gorge experience where you can identify bush foods, browse through local art, and hear fascinating ancient stories.
Cultural Reef Tours
The Great Barrier Reef also plays an important role in indigenous groups around Australia. From connections to their Dreamtime stories to supplying local communities with food, native people cherish the biodiversity and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel combines the fun water activities of a standard reef tour with the amazing stories of the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji, Gunggandji, Mandingalbay and Yirriganydj People.
Special Indigenous Experiences
In addition to Mossman Gorge and the reef, there are many more cultural tours all around Cairns. You can head up to the Daintree to try hands-on experiences with indigenous guides like fishing or painting. Or you can visit Kuranda and learn spear-throwing in an exciting Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience. Or try a Country Eco Tour where you explore the countryside and take part in a traditional "Welcome to Country" smoke ceremony. There are lots of ways to appreciate indigenous cultures in Cairns!
Adventure Tours In Cairns
Travellers seeking a thrill during their visit to Cairns are spoilt for choice when it comes to adventure activities. With so much diversity in the flourishing landscape and a booming tourism industry, local tour operators host several fun activities and sports out in nature around Cairns. Whether you want a heart-stopping leap from a plane or a relaxing yet fun river tubing experience, Cairns has something for everyone.
Water Sports
There is no better way to escape the Queensland heat than booking a fun water sport activity in Cairns! Head out into nature and explore the most beautiful gorges, waterfalls, and rivers of the rainforest. Fun tours to try include river tubing, jetboating, or waterfall canyoning. River rafting is also popular and there are even beginner and advanced options!
Adrenaline Tours
Other ways to get a dose of adrenaline out in Cairns include skydiving, bungy jumping, or flying through the jungle on a giant swing! If you can't decide which activities to pick, consider a rafting and skydiving combo tour, or a Great Barrier Reef boat tour and skydiving package. Whatever tours you decide to book in Cairns, there is a wealth of experiences waiting for you in this tropical paradise!
