Port Douglas: Kuranda tour with Skyrail or Scenic Train

Unprofessional

We knew we were off to a bad start when my wife was three minutes late because she had to go to the bathroom. Brett was condescending and muttered under his breath a very unprofessional comment. While on the tour van Brett told us about his failed businesses and divorce, which I understand why both happened. When we arranged for the upgraded glass bottom gondola to Kuranda, Brett said that there were only 10 of those gondolas and it would slow down our tour. He said the other gondolas offered a better view. He was wrong on both accounts.

What a day

The previous day began with disappointment when our tour (with another company) was cancelled due to the inclement weather. Our hotel recommended Brett’s tours and we booked. Unfortunately we could not enjoy the railway as planned due to the weather but despite this we got off to a great start. We were in a group of 10 and our driver / guide Brett made us feel at home as soon as he welcomed us into the mini coach. We had a fantastic day enjoying learning so much about the culture and local history. The sky rail was impressive and a must to do All in all a great day and Brett was 100% a big part of that!

Thank you, Chris

We have just returned from our Kuranda tour and we really enjoyed Chris’ service and style. He’s very informative, humorous and personable. The tour itself was good but Chris made it great. Thank you, Chris!

Enjoyable

Guide was fantastic- friendly & knowledgeable Skyrail was great Water fall beautifull Great day out with friends

A great day out, highly recommended

We had such a good day. Neil picked us up from our hotel, he was knowledgeable and entertaining throughout the journey. We took the scenic railway up to Kuranda, had time for lunch and a wander round before taking the cable car back down. Neil always made sure everyone knew where and when to meet at each stop. He was also aware that there were two cruise ships with all their passengers visiting Kuranda, so made sure we were always just ahead of them so we did not get caught in long queues behind them.

The Skyrail is only 1 of many highlights

Really good fun. Even though the bus was full ( their first time in many months due to the cyclone and flooding) it never felt crowded. Chris ( and Bosun ) our tour guide was both informative and entertaining. Everything we did was worthwhile and very much value for money. It's fair to say that some parts of Kuranda have given way to the cheap Chinese manufactured souvenirs, however there are enough home grown stalls and shops offering great original products to make it worthwhile. Finishing off with a cocktail, wine or beer in Palm Cove was a great way to say goodbye.

Sky train and Karunda

Chris was a great guide and went out of his way to make the day run smoothly. The scenic railway wasn’t running but the substitute trip to the crocodile farm was interesting. Chris gave us so much information about the area .

Great Kuranda experience even without the train.

Great tour. Everyone else had canceled our tour but they were able to give us a great experience. Even added the crockadile stop to round out the day. Guides were very knowledgeable and adapted the flow for individuals abilities. Highly recommend.

A fun day out.

The tour was reliable and well organised with a friendly & knowledgeable driver. Although the train was a real highlight, it was a shame that our group (only 3) could not sit together - and that our seats were allocated on the opposite side to the great views. The time at Kuranda village was so short - we didn't get to look around much at all. You really 2-3 hours here - the cocktails at Palm Cove could have removed to allow more time at the village. Skyrail was very good. Recommend you ask for seats on the train looking towards the views. Also ask for all seats in your group to be together.

Kuranda Train

Very well run day. Towie was full of knowledge yet fun and added a great vibe to the day. He ensured we all knew what to do and where to go all day. It was a very enjoyable day.

Fun for all ages

The tour was very organized. The sky rail gave a birdseye view of the rainforest. The train another view. Just wished the tour included an option to walk into the rain forest on a trail .

A Special Day

We took the Kuranda / Sky Rail tour with our guide Chris . The day was very organised and Chris was so friendly and engaging from the moment the bus door opened at our pick up point so I knew we were going to have a great day . Chris commentary and knowledge was amazing you could see that he loves what he does and has a love of the area and he shared all of this with us on the day. Spending the day with him was enlightening , I can highly recommend Brett’s Kuranda tours , a wonderful day , great guide , organised and of course the ‘Wow’ factor scenery was the hero of the day , we can only hope it remains protected for future generations and hope there are more Chris’s to come to share the stories of the ancient Daintree.

Great day out

We got picked up from our accommodation by Chris who looked after us for the whole day. We had a great day and Chris was very knowledgeable about the areas we visited . We choose to have an upgrade to gold class for the train ride and that was a lovely start to the day. We also choose to have a diamond upgrade on the sky rail. To be honest the only difference is a glass floor and I watched out of the windows so wouldn’t insist on the upgrade next time! We had a couple of hours in the village and we chose to spend most of our time at the koala zoo as I wanted to hold a koala- which is what I did and enjoyed every minute! When we got off the sky rail Chris took us to Palm Cove for a cocktail. This was really nice too. In all I would recommend this trip. It was a lovely day. Chris the driver was great and very informative. Thanks for a good day out! Jane & Paul

Great tour to Kuranda

Did the half day (from 11am) tour with Chris and bosun. Up on skyrail, time in Kuranda. Quite disappointed with the markets. Thought there would be more leather, jewellery, clothing. Obviously affected by covid. Went to Birdworld (quite a highlight). Dont forget to take off jewellery. Down on train upgraded to gold class. Well worth it.

Sky high travel day

Great day with Glen. Maximum of 20 people Best if weather is mild to sunny to enjoy cable trip and views. Some stops for photos. We chose the 11am to 6.30pm tour ( got back 30 minutes late but you could be dropped off anywhere in town.) and appreciated how the weather improved later in the morning. A stress free tour.

Value for money!

I had been on the Skyrail and Kuranda markets 20 years before and having done some conservation work thought it would be great to see it through more 'experienced' eyes. It turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip. Dale, our wonderful and attentive driver, was full of funny stories and historical facts, and ensured we stopped for plenty of photo opportunities along our drive from Port Douglas. Being geographically challenged, Dale made sure I made it to my gold class carriage for our rail trip. I had never taken the Kuranda Scenic rail before and absolutely loved every minute. The amazing historical facts of how it was built by hand in the early 1900s is astounding! The carriage was like stepping back in time, the views of waterfalls, mountain and forests were incredible and the staff were friendly and attentive. Upon alighting from the carriage, Dale, our trusty driver, whisked us away for a cocktail in Palm Cove at sunset...Aaah! I definitely recommend Brett's half day Kuranda Tours!

Excellent tour with friendly tour leader

Brett was a fabulous, friendly tour leader. My daughter and I had a fabulous day with lots of laughs along the way! The tour group members were really friendly with lots of banter and everyone stayed to set time frames and were punctual at pick up points. Brett shared his wealth of knowledge and “theories” as well as some outstanding 4th gear crunches. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at Kuranda and leisurely stroll around the quaint township. A highlight was stopping for a drink at Palm Cove on the return journey. Highly recommend this trip which is suitable for all ages groups.

Great day

Fantastic tour and Brett makes the trip a lot of fun and his knowledge of the local area is amazing. I would have liked the pick up to be a bit earlier so that we would then have more time in Karanda. No negatives the bus was very clean and Brett was there to guide us all the way with plenty of jokes along the way. On the way home the stop over at the Palm Cove Surf Club was a great end to a fantastic day with Cocktails and Mocktails. Highly recommend this tour.

Fantastic

Fabulous tour. Punctual and Chris and Andrea were great fun with a sing along on the way home. Brilliant day

Fantastic day out - small group which was great! Chris, Andrea and Peter were very informative and knowledgeable. Also

Fantastic day out - small group which was great! Chris, Andrea and Peter were very informative and knowledgeable. Also great sing a long on the return trip!

Fantastic in all aspects

My partner from UK and me from Brazil met Brett personally. Such an amazing person. We could easily see how passionate he his for his job and all his dedication to make our experience incredible, easy, relaxing. Brett knows the place and people very well and he could answer any of our question and work out our needs.

Great day out with the family.

Family of 4 with two small kids. A great day out and very well organized. We did the Hartley's Croc Farm, Skyrail, Karunda Village, Scenic Railway and Palm Cove in a day and would highly recommend for a day tour with these guys. Our driver Dale was great and the kids loved it. Thanks guys!

Fantastic day at Karunda

Fantastic day with great commentary from Brett with the added gems of humour. Really enjoyed the Skyrail and Train trip. A great experience and highly recommend this to any. vusitor to Port Douglas and you definitely need to book with Brett and his team at Bretts Karunda tours.

Adventures with Eddie

Great tour, loved the sky rail and the railway. Brett is full of knowledge and a fantastic guide. Great value.

Fantastic tour

Great tour backed up by great tour commentary and banter. Skyrail fantastic as was the Scenic Railway. Brett goss out of his way to ensure tour participants are informed and looked after. Can't go past Brett's Tour's for your ultimate your experience. (Even when he proves you wrong on more than one occasion)

Fabulous tour, highly recommend.

We had a fabulous day with Brett, very informative, funny and a spectacular way to see the stunning Kuranda Rainforest. Definitely go Gold Class on the Scenic Railway. Highly recommend this tour, great day out.

Brett’s adventures worthwhile

The hartleys crocodile and wildlife in the morning so worth while , the scenic railway brilliant very worth while and the train itself was magical , dale the driver was full of local knowledge from the past to the present , very friendly and small group of great people xx

'Salvation Jane'

What a wonderful day we had with Brett. Great Local knowledge and lots of extra highlights pointed out en route.Brett took care of us made sure we didn't get lost or left behind. We travelled back down the Mountain in Gold Class on train...worth the extra $$$$.Would recommend this Trip...well worth it.....

A fantastic time. Highly recommend.

We had a fantastic time. Dale was a terrific tour guide, full of interesting information, friendly, smart and entertaining. The bus was clean and comfortable. Brett was there to meet us at each drop-off & pick-up point, on time, with clear instructions. The Skyrail was amazing - such beautiful scenery. The train back down was great too - comfortable, the staff friendly and attentive (we went Gold Class), and the scenery and commentary on the building of the railway was terrific too. A great day out.

A must do tour in Port Douglas - outstanding!

A wonderful day out with Brett on this tour! From the moment we were picked up, Brett was informative and friendly. The tour was well organised and well priced for all that was included. The Skyrail treated us to fantastic views and was well worth it! Kuranda itself is a quiet town, but it was good to have some time looking through the markets there. We then hopped aboard the Scenic Railway, and thoroughly enjoyed our ride. We opted for the gold class tickets which were well worth the extra $50 per person we paid. Great snacks and drinks provided and a lovely attendant providing gold class service. We ended the day with a short stop at Palm Cove and a drink at the pub which was a great ending to a fantastic day. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone travelling to Port Douglas. Brett's service, friendliness and professionalism were second to none. This tour is not to be missed! Thank you Brett and Andrea for a brilliant day!

Excellent

Simply outstanding. So much easier than planning it all yourself & about the same price. Brett is so organised and informative. It was very much better than I expected in every way. This is a must do trip when in Port Douglas. Skyrail and Kuranda Scenic Railway provide a brilliant day. I highly recommend this tour.

Excellent Day Out

Beautiful day out would recommend doing this tour. Spectacular scenery and views from the skyrail and scenic railway. Karunda markets well worth the visit. Allow time here to browse. Our driver was very entertaining and the commentary was very interesting. Excellent service, pick up and drop off to our resort made the day very relaxing. Must do tour when visiting Port Douglas.

Great knowledge and great fun.

Brett's knowledge and fun attitude made it so enjoyable. It wasn't long before all the patrons were talking and laughing and it felt like I had known everyone for a long time. Totally recommend any of Brett's Tours.

Very enjoyable trip , you must do skyrail

We really enjoyed this trip and had excellent attentive service from Brett, nothing was too much trouble. Thr train ride was great and the 2 hours in Kuranda village went very quickly but the skyrail was the highlight, amazing.

Holiday

Great day out joe was our guide highly informative,funny and very articulate for a kiwi would definitely recommend this tour. Small groups are the way to go. Derek and Di

Nice trip

The views from the skyrail and the railway were phenomenal. The Kuranda Village markets is just like any other tourist market, nothing special, and we spent a long time there. The trip to Palm Cove Beach for a watery drink could be eliminated and not missed.

Gorgeous Kuranda

My husband and I visited kuranda in november 2019...wow what a beautiful part of the country. We were travelling around in a coaster bus and decided to take a break from driving and booked a tour bus to take us instead...i booked online with Michael from Cairns custom tours. Michael was so lovely and friendly he picked us up from our accommodation and dropped us at the skyrail then met us at kuranda where we had a few hours to shop and look around, he then met us at the train station to show us around and give us our tickets. We boarded the train and Michael met us at Freshwater Station and dropped us back to our accommodation.. I highly recommend Cairn Custom tours, small groups, friendly and informative...thank you Michael you made a trip to Kuranda trouble free

Fun /Scary

We got the Skyrail there and train back. I wanted to go the other way but that was booked up. The Skyrail is a bit scary if you're scared of heights but it is really amazing to look out over the rainforest and there are 2 stops to look around. It's quite busy and you do have to share a gondola with other people. Kuranda village is a tourist type village with opal shops, souvenirs etc. The market themselves are shiiiiit. There are some wildlife centres if you aren't from Australia to check out. We had lunch at the pub and there were some scary locals doing obvious dodgy business and continually scoping out the pub so stick to the cafe's. I personally fpund the train ride boring and it was really hot on the train. It would be ok if you were into history/trains but if you aren't scared of heights the skyrail both ways had better views. If you chose the train at least go gold class so you can have beverages as it's alot of dirt wall and plants choofing past otherwise.

Better things to do nearby

The views were nice and the town was quaint, however if you are in Cairns and have a car a trip to the tabletops would be much more interesting! A great drive up the mountain and lots of waterfalls to see.

Incredible scenery

We have been to Palm Cove five times and only now got around to doing the skyrail. It’s amazing! We thoroughly enjoyed flying above the forest canopy. There are some incredible views at each stop. Well worth the visit.

Kuranda

The cable car was well worth it, but the rear of the trip was a waste of time. Kuranda village is a tourist trap, we didn’t see much from the train and they stopped at a bar for drinks where they made a commission.

Day trip activity

6 adults we caught the train up to Kuranda & the skyrail back. Highly recommend. Amazing experience!

An enjoyable day

A very pleasant way to spend a day when visiting Cairns/Port Douglas area. Both the Scenic Railway and the Skyrail are worth taking. Our guide was pleasant and very helpful.

Fun experience

Loved the railway up the mountain and the skyrail down. The town of Kuranda at the top is a typical tourist place with quite a bit of window shopping and food court tyoe places to eat. The transportation was lovely; the town was boring.

Great scenery

We had a lovely day trip yesterday - started on the train - then walked around Kuranda and then headed back down via sky rail. Staff were excellent - gondolas were clean. Scenery mostly of mountains and rain forest but the last 10 minutes items were excellent. It only took about 30 minutes which was far less than we had been told initially - but enjoyable none the less

A great day out..

A great day our guide/driver Mark was prompt to pick us up and very knowledgeable about the area and with some witty tales of local history.The views from the cableway were fantastic and the short walks on the boardwalks in the rainforest canopy were well worth the effort.From the top we were dropped off in Kuranda village where Mark gave us tips on where to eat and interesting places to visit.After walking around the hippy markets and lunch we were picked up and taken to the the train station for our scenic rail trip.The train ride was equipped with a very informative and interesting commentry. Again the journey was spectacular with stunning views of the rainfoerst and waterfalls.After leaving the train we were picked up and returned to our accommodation.An excellant day out and highly recommended.

Rain forest beauty

A recent experience on the Skyrail did not let me down from Brilliant Rain Forest Scenery to the mind Blowing Barron Falls and a full day Exploring the Lovely town of Kuranda and Lunch at a local Pub and Finally a Train Trip back down the Mountain Wonderful Day.

Dale - our tour guide is very good...

<p>Dale - our tour guide is very good at what he does, very friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommended. Regards, Bo.</p>

Excellent driver guide who was...

<p>Excellent driver guide who was really interested in provided us with our money's worth. Very nice day.</p>

This tour was amazing. The guide...

<p>This tour was amazing. The guide, Peter was brilliant, he kept a running commentary throughout which was very funny. The cable car journey was great and you could have a car to yourself if you wanted. I would recommend upgrading to the gold carriage on the scenic railway. You get served by brilliant staff and food and drink plentiful. <br/> Thoroughly brilliant trip from door to door.</p>