⭐ Rated 4.64/5 · based on 58,000+ verified traveller reviews
We compared all 213 tours and tickets bookable in Cairns so you do not have to – from a €15 park ticket in Kuranda to a full day on the outer reef. Free cancellation on almost everything.
Find your tourTop rated · Season 2026
Hand-picked from everything bookable in Cairns – ranked by real reviews, price and experience.
213 tours available · Sorted by number of verified reviews. Prices and availability come live from GetYourGuide.
⏱ 9 hours · 4.8 (3,866)
Escape to the Outer Great Barrier Reef and spend the day exploring spectacular coral reefs, tropical marine life and crystal-clear waters. Snorkel, scuba dive or simply relax an…
from €170 per person
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⏱ 7 hours · 4.6 (3,601)
Visit Kuranda by traveling on the Kuranda Scenic Railway and returning by the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Explore the village located in the pristine rainforest and have free t…
from €117 per person
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⏱ 30 minutes · 4.9 (3,544)
Glide over the Great Barrier Reef on a scenic flight from Cairns with picture-postcard views of Green Island, Arlington Reef, Middle Cay, and more, with an informative commentar…
from €123 per person
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⏱ 11 hours · 4.6 (2,967)
Experience the only place on Earth where two natural World Heritage sites meet. Explore the ancient Daintree Rainforest, the beauty of Cape Tribulation, and the crystal-clear wa…
from €148 per person
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⏱ 8 hours · 4.5 (1,972)
Explore the scenic beauty of Fitzroy Island with a roundtrip ferry transfer and hike the wilderness trails on your own. Upgrade your experience with a glass-bottom boat ride, sn…
from €67 per person
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⏱ 4 hours · 4.7 (1,917)
Embark on a thrilling ride to the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy a small group guided snorkel with a choice of moorings.
from €111 per person
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⏱ 5 hours · 4.4 (1,902)
Escape to tropical Green Island! Cruise and explore at your own pace, snorkel the reef, or discover marine life on a glass-bottom boat tour. Swim, relax or wander through the is…
from €69 per person
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⏱ 8 hours · 4.6 (1,799)
Travel to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation with a knowledgeable guide. Spot wildlife in their natural habitat, enjoy beautiful views, and learn about the area's…
from €148 per person
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⏱ 8 hours · 4.5 (1,716)
Sail to Green Island, in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, on a full-day trip from Cairns. Hop aboard a modern catamaran for a boat ride to the island, relax on the beaches,…
from €68 per person
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⏱ 8h 30m · 4.7 (1,644)
Discover two spectacular Outer Great Barrier Reef sites on this full-day superyacht cruise from Cairns. Enjoy snorkeling, gourmet buffet lunch, a glass of wine and cheese, and c…
from €170 per person
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⏱ 8.5 hours - 1 day · 4.8 (1,626)
Enjoy a Great Barrier Reef experience on a luxurious and fast vessel from Cairns. Snorkel and dive two unique reef sites: "Wonder Wall" and "Aquarium" on the outer edge of Upolu…
from €179 per person
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⏱ 8 hours · 4.6 (1,583)
Explore the Great Barrier Reef, on an approximately 1.5-hour boat trip from Cairns. Spend up to five hours immersed in its beauty, visiting two exclusive outer reef sites for sn…
from €158 per person
Check availability →Live availability
Pick your date and see what is still free – you book directly with GetYourGuide, at the same price.
Rental cars
Planning to drive yourself? Comparing prices before you arrive is worth it. We are not a car rental company — the booking runs directly with Discover Cars.
Quick comparison
All prices per person, taken from the live feed. Outer reef days run eight to nine hours door to door, and the boat ride out takes 90 minutes each way – check that before you book with small children.
| Tour | Best for | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outer Great Barrier Reef by Premium Catamaran | One proper day on the reef | NaN h | ★ 4.8 (3,866) | €170.05 | Check price → |
| Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkelling Tour | Reef without losing the whole day | NaN h | ★ 4.7 (1,917) | €110.69 | Check price → |
| Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation & Mossman Gorge | The other World Heritage site | NaN h | ★ 4.6 (2,967) | €147.79 | Check price → |
| Fitzroy Island Full-Day Trip | A reef day with land under your feet | NaN h | ★ 4.5 (1,972) | €66.78 | Check price → |
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Everything bookable in Cairns, ranked by real reviews and price – re-read from the live feed, not typed up once.
There is no swimming beach in the city. The waterfront is a tidal mudflat, which is why the free Esplanade Lagoon exists – and why the sand starts at the northern beaches, behind stinger nets from November to May.
Every price comes from the live GetYourGuide feed, not from a press release. Reef days start at €96, the median across all offers is €142.
We run no boats and rent no cars. You book directly with the operator through GetYourGuide, at the same price you would pay there.
Guides
Researched guides on the reef, the rainforest and the things nobody puts in a brochure.
The park every guidebook sends you to closed in 2021. What replaced it is smaller, harder to find and run by the families whose country it is — starting with a gorge you reach by shuttle.
Read guide →Four very different kinds of fear at four very different prices, and one of them starts in the dark. The weight limits, the weather cancellations and the honest answer to which one you will actually enjoy.
Read guide →February averages 437.5 mm of rain and August 26.5 mm — at the same weather station. What that actually changes for the reef, the waterfalls and whether you can swim off a beach.
Read guide →Before you book
The outer reef has the better coral and costs you the day: about 90 minutes by boat each way and eight to nine hours door to door. Green Island and Fitzroy are much closer, cheaper and calmer, and you can sit on a beach between swims. If you only have one reef day and do not get seasick, take the outer reef.
Not in the city itself. The waterfront is a tidal mudflat on an estuary that is crocodile habitat, which is why the free Esplanade Lagoon exists — patrolled, netted off and open all year. Real beaches start north of the city, and from November to May they are swum behind stinger nets.
From roughly November to May, box jellyfish and Irukandji are present in coastal waters. Reef operators hand out full-body stinger suits in that period and the trips run as normal — it is a matter of wearing the suit, not of cancelling the day. On shore, swim only inside the netted enclosures or in the lagoon.
Only on some days. The operator states that the cableway does not run on Mondays and Tuesdays until the end of October 2026, and that from 19 August to 1 November 2026 it runs as a shortened Kuranda–Barron Falls loop during the upgrade works. The Scenic Railway has its own separate maintenance dates, so check both before booking a combo.
Not for the reef. Every reef boat leaves from Cairns and most operators pick up in the city, so a car sits in a car park all day. It pays off for the north and the hinterland — Daintree, Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands — where a tour ties you to one route. Remember that Australia drives on the left.
The outer reef crossing is open sea and takes about 90 minutes each way. The inner reef around Green and Fitzroy Island is a much shorter, more sheltered run, and the rainforest and Tablelands days involve no boat at all. What helps on board without any medication: an early departure when the sea is calmer, a seat amidships and eyes on the horizon. Anything beyond that belongs in a conversation with a pharmacy before you travel.
Other places in the region — same approach, their own tours:
from €66.78 · Available today
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