15 Rainforest Tours in Cairns, From Cheapest Up

1.All Inclusive Waterfalls and Rainforest Tour from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 741 reviews · from $128Our pick

Spend about 11 hours exploring North Queensland’s waterfalls and rainforest by air-conditioned bus. Swim at Josephine Falls and Lake Eacham, see Millaa Millaa Falls and the Cathedral Fig Tree, hear Aboriginal stories at Babinda Boulders, and enjoy lunch, morning tea, and afternoon refreshments. Guides such as Clint, Dan, John, and Chandan lead different departures.

“Stunning areas visited with great scenery along the way. Ben was a great guide. A definite must do if you are visiting the area.”

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2.Rainforest River Tubing from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 668 reviews · from $68

You’ll ride a twin-chamber tube through the Mulgrave River, Little Mulgrave River, or Behana Gorge, with about 90 minutes to two hours on the water. Guides such as Jackie, Lura, Tom, Andrew, Nate, and Dhalia have been praised for keeping the trip safe and fun. Expect gentle rapids, slow floating, rainforest views, and a wet finish.

“Fantastic time, great mix of relaxing and a little white water, awesome people. Megan, Dorothy and luke were great, Luke's first time was awesome, buffy will be proud 👍”

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3.Skip the Line Kuranda Scenic Railway Gold Class and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 574 reviews · from $199

Travel from Cairns or Port Douglas to Kuranda by two classic routes: the Kuranda Scenic Railway in Gold Class and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. You get several hours in the mountain village for markets, lunch, butterflies, birds, koalas, or Aboriginal culture. Pickup and drop-off are offered, but confirm your meeting point and departure times carefully.

“It’s a very special way to see the magnificent rainforest & waterfalls; and it provides an appreciation for the engineering wonder that resulted in the construction of the Sky Rail and the train track between Cairns & Kurrumba”

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4.Best of the Kuranda Rainforest Full-Day Tour & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 498 reviews · 10 hours · from $222

Spend 10 hours exploring Kuranda with Tropic Wings, travelling by Scenic Railway, Skyrail and World War II Army Duck. You’ll visit the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Rainforestation Nature Park, Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience and Koala and Wildlife Park, with a buffet lunch included. Pickup is available from Port Douglas accommodations, and guides such as Tony and AJ help keep the busy day on track.

“Got to enjoy everything Kuranda and Rainforstation had to offer without missing out any of the essentials. Had a once in a lifetime experience with great assistance from all the staff involved.”

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5.Cairns or Northern Beaches: Rainforest River Tubing

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 372 reviews · 5 hours · from $53

Spend up to 90 minutes floating the Mulgrave River beneath a rainforest canopy, with calm water, small rapids, and at least two guides on the river. Foaming Fury supplies tubes, helmets, life jackets, safety training, and hotel pickup. It suits ages 5 and up, but expect a gentle adventure rather than white-water thrills.

“guides were amazing and helped everyone out. Instructions were clear for any tricky bits, and they all had good Craig. 10/10 experience though bare in mind there is a chance of getting a few little grazes and bruises in the faster sections. Would absolutely do this again especially with the team we had.”

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6.Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Day Trip from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 228 reviews · from $150

Travel from Cairns to Kuranda by Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, with two rainforest stops and free time in the village. Return by Kuranda Scenic Railway, or switch the direction. Optional Rainforestation Nature Park packages add wildlife, an Army Duck tour, and lunch.

“we expect to see the 130 million year forest but nothing much actually. after the first stopover from cable , we thought the walk way into forest is at least a 45 mins walk , but to our surprise , 5 mins track and back to cable caR”

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7.Behana Gorge Rainforest Canyoning Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 210 reviews · 5h 30m · from $176

Spend 330 minutes canyoning near Cairns with guides such as Luke, Paige, Dom, and Spencer. Expect abseiling, rock jumps, natural slides, scrambling, water caves, and rainforest pools. The course changes with weather and water levels, and guides adapt the challenge from Behana easy to Crystal intermediate.

“The most underrated adventure in cairns unbelievable experience which is a little hard to put into words . Let’s just say it something you need to do . Thank you Bazz and all the team you guys were super great 🙏🥰🙂”

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8.Day Trip: Rainforest & Aboriginal Culture Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 202 reviews · 10 hours · from $84

Travel from Cairns to Kuranda for an Army Duck rainforest ride, Pamagirri Dreamtime Walk, boomerang and spear demonstrations, Aboriginal dance, wildlife encounters, lunch, and free village time. English-speaking guides lead the day, with hotel pickup from selected Cairns accommodations.

“really enjoyed they day out. well worth doing. gives you a great insight into Aboriginal culture. also really enjoyed Butterfly sanctuary.”

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9.N. Queensland: Kuranda Rainforest Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 165 reviews · 1 day · from $206

Spend a full day above and inside Queensland’s rainforest, combining the Kuranda Scenic Railway, Skyrail, an Army Duck ride, Aboriginal dance and boomerang throwing, wildlife encounters, BBQ lunch, and free time in Kuranda Village. Hotel pickup from Cairns is available, and the day is led in English.

“Once in the life time experience. Value for money.”

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10.Rainforest & Nocturnal Wildlife Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 144 reviews · 8 hours · from $155

Travel from Cairns to the Atherton Tablelands with an English-speaking guide such as Paul or Peter. See wallabies, platypus and rainforest wildlife by day, then walk under the stars looking for tree-kangaroos, possums, frogs and owls. The small group is limited to 11, with hotel pickup, binoculars, afternoon tea and dinner included.

“It was magical to be in the rainforest, especially in the night, although it was tiring. I loved seeing the unusual animals, especially the tree kangaroo. I loved the dinner in the old-world hotel restaurant, and the food was good.”

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11.Atherton Tablelands: Lakes, Waterfalls, Rainforest Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 112 reviews · 10 hours · from $119

Spend 10 hours exploring Babinda Boulders, Josephine Falls, Milla Milla Falls, and Lake Eacham from Cairns. You will swim, walk rainforest trails, eat hot lunch, and possibly spot a platypus from April to October. Guides such as Sam, Pauly, Rachel, and Troy keep the bus lively with music, games, local facts, and plenty of encouragement.

“Felt so lucky to have Sam as our ‘uncle Brian’ for the day. He had great energy, was so friendly and knowledgable of Cairns! Kept us entertained with good tunes, good food, and gave us a full step by step tutorial on how to get the best hair flick at milla milla falls lol! The locations we were taken to were amazing.”

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12.Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Round-Trip Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 105 reviews · 4 hours · from $75

Ride Skyrail’s 7.5-kilometer cableway in a six-person gondola between Smithfield and Kuranda. Stop at Red Peak for a free 20-minute ranger walk, then explore Barron Falls lookouts and the Rainforest Interpretation Centre. Allow four hours, and arrive at least 15 minutes before your booked departure.

“We had a great experience on The Skyrail on 17th June, travelling up and back to Kuranda. Staff were professional, friendly & knowledgeable. The views were amazingly spectacular over the rainforest and the Barron River & Falls. 2 stops along the way at Red Peak and then Barron Falls which enabled us to get out and follow the decking & read the info and enjoy the view & take photos. Couldn’t have been better. A great experience. Having done the train and Skyrail over the years, my suggestion is to go up on The Skyrail and come back on the train.”

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13.Classic Kuranda by Skyrail and Scenic Railway, Rainforestation & lunch. CKB

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 105 reviews · from $213

Spend about 10 hours exploring Kuranda by air-conditioned coach, Skyrail gondola, and historic railway. You’ll visit Rainforestation Nature Park for an Army Duck rainforest tour, Australian wildlife, cultural activities, and a hot buffet lunch. Guides such as Victor, Tony, T, and Asuith have been praised for clear commentary, though the railway schedule can change.

“Great way to see Kuranda and rainforest. Railway up and skyrail back made for fantastic photos. Free time in Kuranda and indigenous activities and army duck adventure into rainforest forest. Guide Victor was very knowledgeable Never felt rushed or timetable. A great day out.”

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14.Kuranda: Rainforestation Nature Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 100 reviews · 2h 30m · from $41

Spend 150 minutes at Rainforestation Nature Park on a World War II Army Duck ride, a Pamagirri Aboriginal dance and Dreamtime program, and a self-guided wildlife visit. Guides such as Julie and Eva have helped make the rainforest and cultural sessions especially engaging, while the park’s hand-fed kangaroos, giant crocodile, and rescued tree kangaroo add plenty of variety.

“The staff were all very friendly. This made it very enjoyable.”

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15.Barron Gorge and Kuranda National Park Half Day Rainforest and Waterfall 4WD Tour from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · from $131Top rated

Spend about five hours in a small 4WD group exploring Cairns’ rainforest country with a licensed guide. See Barron Falls, swim at Davies Creek, pass through Kuranda National Park, and stop at Henry Ross Lookout. Guides such as Lance, Scottie, James, Mick, Steve, and Daryl are praised for local nature stories and easygoing humor. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

“We did this trip on 19th January. The entire "off the main tourist route "experience exceeded our expectations thanks in a big part to our guide Mick from Discovery Tours. Apart from the rainforest and falls themselves a particular highlight was seeing the fantastic Clohesy River Fig Tree. Greg and Jocelyn, Sunshine Coast.”

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