3-Day Best of Cairns Combo: The Daintree Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, and Kuranda

Trip of a lifetime from UK

Aged 78 I snorkelling for the first time on Great Barrier Reef. The crew are brilliant as would not have done it on my own. The rainforest, train and cable car gave us an unforgettable experience.

Good but room for improvement

Overall it was pretty good. I wish we had bit more of an itinerary of what the day was going to look like and when things would happen to make planning of the day easier ( we didn’t know what time we would be done for the day so couldn’t make dinner plans etc.). I wish we had more free time snorkelling as it felt very rushed and like I didn’t really have much time between having to be close by for my scuba dive, have lunch and wait for the glass bottom boat. Some of the staff were super helpful whilst some didn’t seem to know what they were doing. The Daintree day could’ve been shorter or had a different mode of transport (within reason of course), it felt like a lot of travel for not much in return, especially when similar things were to be seen in Kuranda. In contrast I wish Kuranda was a little longer even if only an hour max. Whilst it was still enjoyable it felt like we had to be go go go and we only just made the bus back in time by pure chance as it wasn’t super clear how much time we had to get out and explore on the sky rail.

Easy way to book 3 days of activity

Booked this 3 Day package because it seemed easier than doing 3 separate bookings. The GBR experience was wonderful. Even with the rough weather, we enjoyed our time out there. While we saw some beautiful sights and had an excellent lunch on the Daintree Tour, our small group tour exceeded the stated 14 people and the extra pick up and drop offs (as well as time needed to herd 21 people about) made for a less than perfect experience. The train/sky rail to and from Kuranda are breathtaking. However, many of the food purveyors and shops were closed because it was a Monday (?) not sure if this is normal for that time of year or a post-covid fall out.

The best complete tour pack

About the trips: The most wonderful experience in Cairns. I spent just three days there and I wanted to explore as much as possible, I couldn't have chosen a better option than these 3 tours. Everyday was really well organized, I was picked up near my hotel, the pick up locations were easy to find. The first day in the reef was incredible, It was my first time doing scuba diving and the crew were very well prepared, the lunch in the boat was delicious and finally I got a professional picture (I purchased on the boat) as a memory. The second day couldn't be better, Britt was sharing with us all the history about the daintree forest, we visited so many places, lookout points. We ate lunch in a beautiful place surrounded by the forest and the chef also shared with us a history of the tropical fruits we were eating that day. And the last day, traveling by train crossing bridges and catching waterfalls and taking the skyrail over the rainforest completed the most rewarding experience I've ever had. About customer service and calling by phone: The only bad experience I had was calling the last company (railway and skyrail), the person who answered the phone was impolite and she didn't share all the information I needed, and it was difficult to understand what she was saying, I requested details by email and I called multiple times trying to get the information. Considering that many tourists come to the tour, people come from different parts of the world, and sometimes the language might be a challenge; the first point of contact should be a patient person able to communicate all the details that tourists request and also we all reserve a respectful service.

3 wonderful days in Cairns

All 3 days were wonderful. The boat for snorkeling was not very crowded, they allowed us to snorkel for a long time and we could go out guide far from the boat. The lunch was very good. Our driver for the Daintree rainforest, Steve, was excellent. He gave us lots of information and was fun to listen to. We never felt rushed on a group tour. The train and skyrail were breathtaking.

This Tour is a "Must Do"

This is an awesome, action packed three days in Cairns. Our favorite part was the Daintree Rainforest Tour. It was so much more than just Daintree. Our guide, Steve made the very long day super enjoyable. Make sure you bring motion sickness pills for the great barrier reef tour, and lots of sunscreen. All of the meals provided were hearty and tasty. You could not ask for a better way to be introduced to Cairns. Cannot recommend enough. 11 stars!

Cairns top 3

What a perfect way to do the big 3 adventures in Cairns. Our day out on the barrier reef with the crew on Reef Experience was amazing. Special thanks to Megan for making my 12yo niece super comfortable with snorkeling. Our day exploring the daintree with Darrell from Discovery Tours Australia was excellent, his ability to share his local knowledge of plants and animals and his indigenous heritage made this personal and unforgettable as well as educational. Finally our trip on the train to Kuranda with Cairns Tours was seem less from collection at our hotel to return in the afternoon. 100% recommendations for booking all 3 together.

Great 3 day bundle but be warned about scuba diving with medication

If you are wanting to do everything Cairns has to offer then this is a great package to do it in as you get the best of everything. Day 1 was the Great Barrier Reef which had a very rocky start because of you are on any medication you are not allowed to dive unless you have a medical certificate which was very disappointing as this was not communicated effectively when booking this and it says you it may be some medications. So please do not be as disappointed as I was and if you book this and wish to go scuba diving to have a medical certificate for any medication you are taking or you will be told when you get on the boat that you cannot participate. Day 2 was Cape Trib & Mossman Gorge where we had the AMAZING Michelle as our guide and she was incredible. She was so lovely and informative and made sure we got the most out of our day. She took us to one of her favourite spots too and that was amazing as we got to see this incredible part of the rainforest with her. Day 3 was Kuranda Train and yet again another great day. There’s so much to see and do and you get to finish it off with the sky rail which is a great way to come down as compared to the train which was so scenic going up. Overall, this 3 day trip was amazing and I would book it again just be wary of you are on medication and you want to scuba dive as you need a medical certificate. It doesn’t matter what medication.

Convenient

Each excursion was a ton of fun! It’s was nice to be able to do so many things in one booking. Convenient to have everything all lined up for several days instead of scrambling to full days.

Cairns holiday

The gray barrier reef was our number 1 highlight, the crew were fantastic and friendly. The train/ sky rail is amazing 🤩

3 brilliant days

Booked top 3 day tours through Discovery Tours and each one was superbly organised. From the communication with the office when booking, to interaction with the tour operators, we were extremely pleased with the service provided. A big shoutout to Shane who took us out for the Daintree experience, he was extremely knowledgeable and so very pleasant and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. No hesitation in recommending Discovery Tours.

Great Experience

We got to snorkel two reefs on an all day boating adventure. My husband does not swim but they gave him a lifevest and a personal guide pulling a life preserver in the water. He also rented a goggle with a stronger lense to be able to see everything under water a bit better. Food that was supplied was very good and a glass of wine with cheese and crackers was a nice end to our day. We loved the Daintree rainforest and our guide was very informative. Kuranda train trip was spectacular considering how this railway was built on the side of a steep mountain. We will have great memories of our trip to Cairns.

Amazing - all the must sees in one!

Shout out to our guide for Daintree, Warren - he was absolutely fantastic! So knowledgable and one of our favorite tours we did throughout Australia.

Excellent excursions

Our guide Warren for the Daintree National Park was excellent. He was a fountain of information. We really enjoyed the Mossman Gorge and the ice cream stop.The Great Barrier Reef snorkeling with Reef Experience was one of the best snorkeling I’ve ever done. The crew was helpful and food was good.We were disappointed in the Kuranda trip because the weather closed the sky rail and we were not able to enjoy the ride.

Wonderful experiences!

The Cairns area of Eastern Australia offers many special experiences, two of which we were lucky to see. The Great Barrier Reef if astounding! The Skyrail trip over the rainforest with a scenic return railway journey on the Kuaranda railway is another amazing day out

Fun Trip - make sure Kuranda includes Rainforest Station

If you want the top notch experience, make sure that you do Rainforeststation (not to be confused with just Kuranda). I also thought Top Deck was truly worth it. I would skip Daintree if doing Rainforeststation in Kuranda. Two days would have been just fine for me. March is not the best time to visit the Great Barrier Reef. I found Grand Cayman much better to my surprise.

First day wen to the reef, weather...

<p>First day wen to the reef, weather was horrible on shore, but by the time we got to the reef the weather was fine, even got a little sunburn. The crew were great and took care of everyone, Reef was really good. Second day went to the rain forest and tribulation point, once again horrible weather, rain, rain, rain, but we got to see everything on the itinerary. Driver was really good, made sure we stayed as dry as we could. on the way back the river had come up over the road and was impassable. our drive got hold of the company owner and we had to leave the van, but were able to get to the other side by walking on the railroad tracks and the owner had arranged for another van to take us back to the city. The driver and the company owner went above and beyond to make sure that we got back to the city. Third day took the train to Karanda and the cable car back. Both ways the trip was great, and you had plenty of time to sightsee and get some lunch before heading back</p>

Great trip

Felt I got a lot for my money. Great barrier reef was amazing. Went with the Reef Experience. Crew was amazing. Breakfast and lunch were great. Got the option of a second dive for an additional charge. We were the only 2 certified divers so we got our own little tour and saw a couple sharks and a turtle. Had Jean from Discovery tours for Daintree rainforest and he was awesome. He was funny and very knowledgeable. Kept us entertained fhe entire time. Kuranda was ok. The train and the skyrail both had gorgeous views. There was a hand full of little attractions to see but all were separate costs. Got expensive if you wanted to do everything. You are also left up there for 4 hours, to probably encourage spending more money.

We took a three day tour with Viator...

<p>We took a three day tour with Viator and thought their tours were much better than the tours we took with Princess Cruise Line on a 12 day cruise of New Zealand just prior to our tours with Viator. The tour guides were friendly, engaging, and knowledgable. Tours often included meals, which we found were quite expensive in Australia. My first taste of kangaroo was with a Viator tour, and the food we had with each tour was excellent. Kuranda was fascinating and my wife and I were able to get our pictures taken with a Koala, one of the highlights of our trip. Our Great Barrier Reef tour included breakfast and lunch, and free wine. The crew on our boat were excellent, helpful, and wanted to make sure each customer accomplished whatever they wanted to do on the trip. I highly recommend Viator and the tours that they offer.</p>

Great value! All of the tours were...

<p>Great value! All of the tours were wonderful! We especially enjoyed the Great Barrier Reef tour!</p>

FANTASTIC!!!!! Couldn't have been...

<p>FANTASTIC!!!!! Couldn't have been happier with the 3 trips or the quality of guides/drivers. Would certainly use VIATOR without hesitation next time we travel!! Thanks so much, these 3 trips were the highlight of our holiday. Lynne and Chris, NZ</p>

First time signing up for an English tour

There was only one day of Kuranda Rainforest in the three days. There was no advance notice. The pick-up was not at the hotel at 7am as stated in the booking pdf file, but at the meeting point at 10:40am. I waited for more than an hour until 8am. I really didn't want to wait any longer, so I called and found out about this change. This is not good, and I should have been informed in advance. The rest was good.

Daintree-regenwoud tour geweldig!

24 januari 2017 Great Barrier Reef (4 sterren): De dagtrip werd verzorgd door SeaQuest. De boot is groot en prima. Het eten was goed. De rest van de faciliteiten aan boord waren ook goed. Het is wel een eind varen naar de snorkel/duikplek. Een groot deel van de trip ben je dus ook onderweg. Uiteindelijk bij het rif hele mooie vissen gezien, waaronder een aantal anemoonvissen. De kleuren van het koraal vielen een beetje tegen. Het Great Barrier Reef heeft last van de opwarming van de aarde en dit is duidelijk te zien. 25 januari 2017 Daintree-regenwoud trip (5 sterren): Wij werden s'ochtends opgehaald bij ons hotel door de gids Daryl. Het klikte meteen met Daryl. De hele dag door hebben we geweldige dingen gezien en Daryl maakte er een geweldige dag van. Mooie stranden, mooie uitzichten, krokodillen etc. Deze tour is een van de vele hoogtepunten geweest van onze reis door Australië. 26 januari 2017 Kuranda trip (4 sterren): De trip naar Kuranda was een mooie trip, maar vooral de reis in de trein heen en de reis in de skyrail terug. Het dorpje Kuranda vonden wij niet zo bijzonder. De twee parken Koala Gardens en Birdworld zijn wel leuk om te zien, maar de prijzen zijn erg hoog en de parken zijn erg klein. Op de terugweg naar Cairns in de skyrail is het wel aan te raden om op verschillende plekken uit te stappen. Je hebt hier mooi boardwalks door het regenwoud, met op sommige plekken mooie uitzichten.

Selon moi Daintree Rainforest n'a...

<p>Selon moi Daintree Rainforest n'a pas grand intérêt sans le super guide que nous avions, à savoir John, et la rapide croisière en quête de crocodile, peu fructueuse malheureusement. L'expérience sur la grande barrière était pas mal malgré un temps maussade et de forts courants qui ont rendu le voyage en bateau difficile mal de mer. L'équipage était adorable ! <br/> Enfin, Kuranda, vaut vraiment le déplacement si vous voulez une photo avec un Koala ou nourrir des kangourous et des oiseaux, dommage qu'il faille tout faire au pas de course, car peu de temps sur place. Mais je recommande.</p>