White Water Rafting Tours in Australia: The 10 We Would Pay For

1.Ocean Rafting: Whitehaven Beach, Snorkelling & Hill Inlet Lookout

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,777 reviews · from $149Our pick

Take a fast inflatable boat from Airlie Beach to Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, and secluded fringing reefs. Choose Southern Lights for extra beach time or Northern Exposure for longer snorkelling. Guides such as Georgie, Brad, Max, and Tori combine safety advice, island facts, and plenty of energy. Lunch costs extra.

“Taylor and Harry are awesome! Our ocean rafting activity was a favorite for all! So much fun! We would absolutely do this adventure again!”

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2.Barron Gorge White Water Rafting from Cairns or Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,596 reviews · from $91

Spend about two hours rafting the Barron River through rainforest and rocky gorge scenery. Foaming Fury supplies safety gear, instruction, and coach transport from Cairns or Port Douglas. Guides such as Lily, Jess, Felix, and Dorothy lead small rafts through Grade II and III rapids, making this a lively first rafting trip for ages 12 and up.

“Great adventure for River Rafting beginners. The support crew is good and helpful. Overall highly recommended”

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3.Tully River Full-Day White Water Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 669 reviews · from $142

Spend a full day rafting through Tully Gorge, about 140 km south of Cairns. After safety training, guides such as Daz, Max, Tom, Johnny, and Paul lead you through Grade 4 rapids, rainforest pools, cliff jumps, and optional river floats. Hotel transfers, equipment, and a pub meal are included, but bring lace-up shoes and allow for a long day.

“It was an unforgettable experience for us. The activity was so wonderful and amazing. The guides were so professional ,friendly and helpful. They also provided the warm clothes for us to keep warm. Every thing was perfect. We had a great time. Thank you for everything.”

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4.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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5.Barron Gorge: Half-Day Barron River White-Water Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 492 reviews · 150 minutes - 6 hours · from $81

Ride Grade Two and Three rapids through Barron Gorge National Park with an English-speaking guide such as Tom, Zac, Lexi, or Olivia. You get safety training, equipment, up to two hours on the river, and optional pickup from Cairns or Port Douglas. Wear swimwear and secure water shoes, and budget for the extra river levy.

“The entire crew was great, especially our guide Lexi!”

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6.Cairns or Northern Beaches: Rainforest River Tubing

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

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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7.Full Day White Water Rafting From Cairns or Mission Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 182 reviews · 390 minutes - 11 hours · from $126

Spend up to three hours rafting Grade 3 and 4 rapids on the Tully River with certified guides such as Jake, Sean, Liv, or Dazza. You will receive safety training, gear, transport if selected, and a country-style dinner after the run. Expect a long day from Cairns, but a shorter option from Mission Beach.

“Honestly 100% worth it. If you think about it, go do it!”

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8.Barron River Half-Day White Water Rafting Cairns or Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 166 reviews · from $91

Raft the Barron River through Barron Gorge National Park on a 3.5-hour beginner-friendly trip from Cairns, the Northern Beaches, or Port Douglas. Guides such as Addison, Tina, Jack, and Tom provide safety instruction and rafting gear. Expect wet clothes, rapids up to 6 feet, rainforest views, and a A$30 river levy paid on the day.

“The rafting was amazing. But it would of had to been our tour guide (Tom)He was very easy to understand and made it very clear with the instructions plus he provided us with some background information”

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9.Raging Thunder Barron Gorge River Rafting Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 104 reviews · 150 - 330 minutes · from $82

Paddle the Barron River from Lake Placid through tropical rainforest, starting with calm water and building to Grade 2 and 3 rapids such as Rooster Tail. Guides including Megan, Jacob, Harry, and John have led recent trips. Expect up to two hours on the river, with training, equipment, optional pickup, and a $30 levy extra.

“Should have informed us about the need to hike around one of the rapids”

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10.Mission Beach: Tully River Half Day White Water Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 40 reviews · 4 hours · from $106

You will self-steer a sports raft through calm gorge water and grade 2 and 3 rapids, with English-speaking guides coaching every turn. The four-hour trip includes transport from the Tully Gorge meeting point through World Heritage rainforest, rafting gear, and a beer or soft drink afterward. Bring swimwear, closed-toe footwear, a towel, and dry clothes.

“Det var sjovt og udfordrende. Guiderne kom 20 min for sent og de måtte godt have fortalt mere om dyrelivet”

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