Ultimate Great Barrier Reef and Rainforest 45-minute Helicopter Tour

Amazing Helicopter Experience

What a wonderful adventure the helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef and Barron falls was amazing Thankyou

Lovely views!

Great way to see the Great Barrier Reef from the air and the water falls too! Well organised and easy to get to meeting point.

The staff and the pilot...

The staff and the pilot were great. We were only in Cairns for 48 hours and got to see both the barrier reef and the national park.

The great barrier reef from above

There was low clouds this day so we were not able to go to the rain forest. The pilot added that time to flying over the great barrier reef. The pilot flew in between the clouds so we could get a good view. He made sure everyone on the helicopter could see what he was pointing out. He even found some sea turtles for us to view from the sky.

Wowza!!!

Wowza!!!! This is the best run ship in the biz. The crew is outstanding, friendly, knowledgeable and encouraging for new snorkelers and divers. The equipment is top notch. We learned a lot about the Reef, it formation, and what types of life there is down there. We went out on a rainy day, and it didn't matter one bit. The water was warm. The water was clear. The rain simply added to the beauty and life of the Reef. Ocean Freedom ROCKS! Do THIS tour!

Thrill of a lifetime

This was a thrilling experience. The aircraft was new and modern. Seeing the reef from the air was amazing. We got to see several reefs and islands before going to the rain forest. Definitely worth the money. Highly recommend.

Brilliant ride

Great pilot excellent all round service.office staff did everything possible to accommodate our needs

Cancelled Due to Storm.

A storm moved in over the reef. They had to cancel. It was disappointing but Viator is speedily sending me a refund. Much appreciated. Thank you! I gave 5 stars because everything was all set. We were there ready to go and then when it was our turn, the storm moved in.

Great Barrier Reef excursion

Husband was scuba diving. Visibility was only 12-15 feet. But other than that, it was a great trip. Crew at Divers Den were amazing!

Glad I did this instead of a boat

So glad I picked to do a helicopter rather than the boat. To see it from above and all the formations is worth spending that money. However the reef itself pretty much has no colour or life. But we had the whole pontoon just for us when we got here because we went in a helicopter and it was worth it

Wow! Best tour ever!!!

The view of the Great Barrier Reef and rainforest were both spectacular! Tom was an outstanding pilot and Connie took great care getting us safely into and out of the helicopter. We felt like cherished family- and by far the BEST way to see it all!

Reef & rainforest

Amazing experience, our pilot's were very informative of the reef & rainforest. Worth every penny & would highly recommend to everyone

Fantastic ride and overall experience.

The helicopter ride was fantastic. The entire staff was friendly and helpful. Great experience and excellent way to see the GBR.

Amazing experience

Absolutely amazing experience and staff from start to finsh were great would highly recommend loved that my son and myself were able to sit up front

Superb experience!

Incredible experience with spectacular views along with very friendly and helpful staff! I highly recommend this tour!

Absolutely incredible!

Incredible experience with stunning views of both the reef and rainforest with very friendly staff before and after along with a brilliant pilot! I highly recommend this tour!

Worth every dollar

Was an amazing view of the reef and rainforest that you couldn’t get any other way. Highly recommended!

Amazing reef and forest views.

Amazing experience. 45 minute helicopter ride went to reef via Green island and returned over rainforest with views of waterfalls. I am afraid of heights but felt safe and secure. Beautiful experience and well worth the cost

Helicopter flight

Loved the views, seeing the reef and whales. Felt very safe even being afraid of heights Absolutely the highlight of my holiday to Cairns.

Breathtaking way to explore the reef and rainforest

We couldn't recomment Nautilus more highly. Our family of four had a 45 minute reef and rainforest tour. It was a truly a breathtaking way to explore the area. Our pilot Julian was so friendly, welcoming and informative. We were all amazed at how smooth the ride was thanks to his excellent piloting skills, and what a bonus to spot a whale! Julian really went above and beyond and is an absolute credit to the company. We felt very safe and relaxed in his care. The girls who helped us organise our booking, check in and board the helicopter were also amazingly efficient, professional and friendly. It's definitely worth treating yourself to a flight with Nautilus if you are visiting the area. We could not fault them!

A Stand Out on first visit to Cairns

On a perfect day we enjoyed a perfect tour. The ride was as smooth as could be to take in the views of the spectacular reef and islands. Our pilot Josiah made our trip a 110% experience. He was so informative to enable us to learn new things but not overdone commentary: it was so relaxing and just right. He was professional from start to finish, indicating points of interest and providing backstories and ensuring that each passenger got a great view. Then over the gorge was 'wow' territory even more. We were able to really survey the whole area so much better. We recommend this experience to anyone and everyone. All staff were friendly, relaxed and professional. Thanks Nautilus.

Amazing trip from start to finish and incredibly good value !!!

Can't recommend these guys enough . From the initial meet with the super lovely Brooke who was so patient and informative to the safety video and explanation , we were incredibly impressed . And then we were really spoilt by the amazing Shauna who flew us beautifully and was so informative and accomodating . We left the pier buzzing and had a fabulous day to remember for our wedding anniversary . Thank you Brooke , thank you Shauna and thank you Nautilus . Thoroughly Recommended !!!

Amazing Way to See Cairns

Amazing experience. We took a 45 minute flight with Shauna and the entire experience from start to finish was fantastic. Shauna was super knowledgeable, professional and engaging. Worth every penny.

Nice way to see it all

Did the 60 minute reef and rainforest runde. Simply superb & I totally recommend it. Amy did a great job and got us in the very next day after we called. Only gets 4 stars as flight was delayed for 2 hours due to a malfunctioning AC unit. Superb way to see it all from the sky - you must go.

Must do experience

Such a wonderful experience. Staff were very professional from the team in the office to the pilot. Beautiful views

Highly recommended

The flight was amazing. We booked last minute and the amazing team was able to book us in without any issues. I highly recommend this experience

Rainforest & Reef from above

Absolutely amazing first helicopter experience over the Daintree rainforest and outer reef . Luke our pilot was very informative throughout our flight and ensured everyone go to see the sights. We managed to spot many sharks and turtles while flying over the outer reef, in near perfect conditions. The man who collected us from our accommodation and drop us back was also very professional. All round a wonderful once in a lifetime experience over a special part of Australia.

Great flight

We took a reef and rain forest flight to celebrate our anniversary, and Nautilus absolutely impressed. You get an amazing perspective of the reef from the air. Flying over the barron gorge was a highlight. We'd recommend Nautilus.

Fantastic flight

We did the rainforest and reef one hour flight out Port Douglas in early January which we found to be very enjoyable. The flight started in Port Douglas, flew over the township, proceeded onto Mossman Gorge and then finally out to sea. Being in a helicopter, the skilful pilot was able to manoeuvre helicopter in close which allowed us to see the great rainforest of the Daintree in all it’s splendour. The flight to the reef was also interesting but we were on unlucky and only saw a few rays moving amongst the reef. We couldn’t fault the pilot, he was skilful, friendly, knowledgeable and obliging. We felt very safe in the 4 person helicopter as it appeared to us to be well maintained and serviced and crewed. The only negative, of the whole experience was finding the landing field, as a Helipad is only obvious when they’re have helicopters parked on it. We were lucky, as we spotted the ground vehicle and small signs near the potential landing spot. Highly recommend the experience.

Breathtaking Experience of the Reef and Rainforest

Wow! What an experience. We did the the hour trip and had great views of the reef and saw dolphins & alone stingrays. Then over pristine rainforests. Ground staff & Piolet (didn't mention his name) did an awesome job. Would certainly recommend this trip.

Cairns Helicopter-Tour

Heli-tour was great! Punctual, safely organised and delivered exactly what was advertised. Would have preferred a larger Bell or Airbus chopper but understand the economics. Definitely recommended.

An unbelievable experience

We saw the chopper land on the pontoon near the Esplanade and with the weather forecast he next few days making it unlikely for us to get to the reef, we thought why not. We hadn’t booked ( strongly recommended that you do) and when we walked into the office, the staff worked their stuff to ensure we got our 45 min trip to the reef and the rainforest. It was just the 2 of us in the chopper. As previously said by some other reviewers, you cannot put a price on what this company delivered in terms of professionalism, customer service and the experience. Yes, it’s not cheap. But as a life experience for a couple of oldies, worth every penny. Thanks to Reece the pilot.

Seeing the Reef and Rainforest by air is an experience you should not miss if you can

This scenic flight is a must. Gus our pilot was great. Very informative and friendly. The flight was a fantastic way to see the Reef especially. In one way the Best way to see it. Also seeing the Islands Palm Cove and up onto the Kuranda area. Seeing the Barron Gorge and River from the air is a whole new experience. The staff in the office are very friendly and helpful.

Awesome helicopter ride!

For my friend Sam’s birthday, the two of us took a helicopter scenic flight from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef and Rainforest. Our pilot, Mick, put us at ease almost straight away. He gave us terrific commentary and a very, smooth and absolute awesome flight! The views of the Reef were incredible! So beautiful and clear. The rainforest was also amazing and interesting. The whole experience was breathtaking!! I am out of superlatives!! Thank you so much Mick and Nautilus Aviation - I very highly recommend this helicopter tour! 😃

Incredible views, ride and staff!

You cannot put a price tag on the experience I had with Nautilus Aviation flying over the great barrier reef! The staff was so accommodating - I almost had to cancel due to getting sick from skydiving the day before, and they were very accommodating of that! Thankfully I was able to attend and they ensured that it was a smooth, safe, ride. The views were incredible - we saw a few whales as they are migrating this time of year. The guide shared his knowledge about the reef and the islands that we flew over and answered any questions we had! Would 10/10 recommend and do it again!

Absolute Must!

Snorkeling/scuba at the Great Barrier Reef gets you up close and personal, but it's not until you see it from above that you can really appreciate the sheer grandeur of this World Heritage Site. Our pilot was wonderful, providing both a smooth ride and interesting facts about the reef. Due to inclement weather, our original appointment was canceled, but the company still provided us with a complimentary airport pickup as originally planned and took us to our hotel. When we reschedued, the weather still wasn't ideal, so we were not able to overlook the rainforest, just the GBR. Again with the great customer service, the company said they had already contacted Viator so that we could be refunded for that portion of the activity. Hoping that Viator process the partial refund without us having to jump through hoops :)

Once in a lifetime experience worth spending every dollar on

I went on the 45 minute Reef and Rainforest flight and I was not disappointed. I have been to so many beautiful places but this flight literally took my breath away. I have a fear of heights and completely forgot about it 5 minutes into the flight. The overwhelming sense of beauty is something you couldn't possibly recreate without being up there again (the variety of blues, turquoises, teals and greens is something you couldn't even dream of). The crew and the heli captain (Gus) framed the experience perfectly. If you can do anything in 45 minutes while travelling to Cairns, do this flight.

From the get-go my wife Kim and I...

<p>From the get-go my wife Kim and I were made to feel like part of the family. The tour company is a very Professional team of people with state of the art, up to date aircraft. Component management and skilled pilots make this company a pleasure to fly with. Since our return home, we have recommended this tour company to a number of our friends. Thank you for our spectacular memories of our recent holiday. Kel and Kim Burke, April 2014.</p>

fantastic picked up from hotel on time...

<p>fantastic picked up from hotel on time and the scenery was just to die for highly recommend</p>

A great experience. This is the only...

A great experience. This is the only way to see both the Australian rainforest and the barrier reef. It's more expensive than the Karunda skylift rail experience but worth it.

Whaouuuu

Belle aventure en hélicoptère, la vue est impressionnante, malheureusement nous n'avions pas un très beau temps mais cela n'a pas gaché notre plaisir malgré tout. 45 minutes de pur bonheur. En plus vous êtes seuls (nous deux) dans l'hélicoptère prevu au maximum pour 3 personnes.

Vakantieverassing

Een ervaring om nooit meer te vergeten. Het was een verassing van onze dochter voor ons. Ontvangst bij het inchecken was iets minder, twijfels of we wel konden vliegen omdat het totaalgewicht volgens haar te hoog was, maar volgens piloot geen probleem. Hebben een uur gevlogen omdat we tijdens de vlucht moesten wachten om de aanvliegroute van de luchthaven te mogen doorkruisen.