For many travellers, Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. These visitors are looking for the Best Cairns Tours, as they dont have a lot of time and want to see the best bits. From trips to the reef, rainforests or further inland to the dry interior. Cairns offers something for everyone. As someone who has lived in Cairns, we get asked by friends and family for the Best Cairns Tours. We have 2 sections on this page, the first is our top 6 picks, below that are many more great tours. Now, these aren’t all the tours in Cairns but these are the better choices available to you. Scroll down to book these choices today. The live booking system shows what is available on what day to allow you to book into a specific trip on the day that you want.
Key things you can do in Cairns are:
Reef Tours – see the Great Barrier Reef from either a boat, snorkel, scuba or by air. The Reef is so large, you can see it from space and while only getting to see a small section at a time, the experience is well worth it. Many of these trips can go to an island like Green Island or Fitzroy Island. Both of these have their own reefs that you can snorkel in. These tours are talked about first because many people consider these the Best Cairns Tours.
Rainforest Tours – these can include visiting Cape Tribulation, the Atherton Tablelands, Mossman Gorge and rainforest around Kuranda/Cairns.
Liveaboard – going to the outer reefs gets away from the polution and crowds of the inner reefs. These trips are what I would recommend to any scuba diver. Get as far from the coastal cities as possible and see untouched reefs without the crowds of the inner reefs.
Aboriginal Cultural Tours – these tours are focused on showcasing the local indigineous community. There are very few places in Australia where you can see cultural shows and local adventures. Its not just about music and dance but you an eat local bush tucker or even go fishing the aboriginal way. These opportunities are not available every day of the week and certinaly not in many places in the world. Take advantage of being in Cairns, with its large aboriginal community and learn from the traditional owners of the land. They have been here living off the bountiful Australian land for millenia. For visitors, it is hard to see anything to eat or know what is poisonous or medicinal. Take the opportunity to learn from elders and our esteemed cultural leaders.
Extended Tours Coastal – The Best Cairns Tours in this category either go North beyond the asphault and along 4wd tracks. Vehicles need to cross rivers, go along roads that are like mud pits. This is an area of the world where things get wild and your trip is like an early explorer (except you have a 4wd). It isn’t for the faint hearted and certainly not for those who like to be pampered.
Extended Inland Tours – Going into the Outback and seeing what many call the Real Australia. Although dry and dusty, most of Australia is like this. Whether you visit caves, mines, rivers or watering holes; its a spectacular environment that most people don’t experience. These tours can also include visiting Aborignal settlements and cultural shows. THese are worth considering as part of your visit to Australia. Some of these tours go on the inland rail where you can get the sense of colonial Australia.