Classic Kuranda by Skyrail and Scenic Railway, Rainforestation & lunch. CKB

Great Experience with lots of fun!!!!

We booked a Classic Kuranda Tour with Tropic Wings. The experience started with a lovely welcome from the Bus Driver! We took a train to go to Kuranda from Fresh water station which was absolutely beautiful experience with such a breathtaking view! I took my cousin from Japan to go on this tour and she absolutely loved everything about this tour. We had enough time to explore Kuranda market and the village. After that we went to the Rainforest Station and experienced Army duck tour, aboriginal dance show and the wildlife park. We took Skyrail back to Smithfield. The day was full of fun and good quality time! This tour is definitely worth the money and your time. If you are planning to go to Kuranda, I highly recommend to book with Tropic Wings as this tour includes everything in a package! Lunch & hotel transfers too✨ Thank you Tropic Wings for an amazing time in Kuranda!!

Everything was very well...

Everything was very well organized, from the pickup until the end. Very nice drivers and tour guides that knew a lot about the tour. Highly recommed it.

Great tour

Good pickup location. Driver was informative and was on time. Tour was organized and no rush. 5 star review

DO NOT GO ON THIS TOUR

This was the worst tour I think I’ve ever been on. My partner and I have traveled a lot of the world, and have been in Australia for a month and this is still the worst tour we have been on. We are ubering back to our hotel half way into the day because it’s not worth finishing. We want our money back. To start, the train ride is slow and boring. I guess the waterfall was cool, but not worth the hour and a half train ride. That was probably the best part of the trip. After that, you’re left in Kuranda for about an hour and a half to see some really touristy shops and a butterfly sanctuary that has no interesting butterflies. We walked through the town, got some coffee, and sat their twiddling out thumbs. We asked if we could head to the rainforestation early but were told that it was either wait in town or wait there. We got to the rainforestation, where we were excited to go on the duck boat tour- sooo dumb!! You went around a short loop where they pointed out spiders, 2 dangerous plants, and a snake. Not at all worth it- we still want our money back. After that, was lunch. We’re vegan so we asked if there were vegan options. We are more than happy to bring our own lunches, we’ve done it on a few tours. We were told, though, that there were vegan options. They didn’t lie, there was watery rice and a watery, flavorless curry that barely had any veggies or anything in it. To all the non vegans- nothing else looked appealing either. After lunch, we had time before the indigenous dance so we decided to walk through the nature park. The animals are kept in small enclosures and they seem visibly depressed. After that, we didn’t think the rest of the day was worth it. We called an Uber and drove the 30 minutes back to Cairns. We want our money back, as we can’t be given our time back. Save yourself the money and time. Do not book this experience.

Great Day Trip

We were unable to do the train part of the tour because of a landslide on the tracks the night before. When picking us up the tour company gave us the option of a full refund or taking a bus to Kuranda. Since we had limited time in the area we chose the bus ride. The only issue is that it got us to town before 9:00 and nothing was open. When the driver dropped us off he said things would open around 9:30 but it was actually closer to 10 and even when they did open there was not a lot in the town to see. The markets have very few booths open and wasn't really worth the time. Rainforestation was interesting. There is the ability to get your picture holding a Koala but you have to book it in advance directly with them not through the tour company. The cable car ride back was the best part. Great views the whole way. Be sure to got off at the first stop and see the waterfall. It is beautiful.

Disappointing outcome

We signed up for a Skyrail up and Scenic Railway down less than a week before our tour date. The railway was not running due to landslides by recent heavy rains. We did not hear from the Topic Wings operator regarding this situation until 4 hours before our tour was to begin (4:30 am.) of our tour. (We were unable to get message due to lack of internet/cell service). However, we learned that the railway hasn't had many successful runs since the Jasper cyclone and subsequent rains. We were not the only people 'stuck' and they were contacted by their operator the day before. My suggestion to future tourists is to check out the scenic railway operations track record. Riding the railway was our key objective, not necessarily the Kuranda Village (mostly shops) and attractions which you need to pay for each one individually. The Rainforestation is a much better option vs the Kuranda attractions. We have been provided a partial refund, however, we would have preferred the ability to cancel for a full refund.

Wow. A truly magnificent day.

The day was packed full of wonder filled moments. From the moment I arrived at Freshwater Station. (a delight in itself). The station is beautiful and the arrival of the first train to run since the cyclone was a majestic scene. The way we were all seated on the train was thoughtfully done. I was seated opposite a young woman who was also travelling alone and we hooked up for the day. The journey up to the rain forest encouraged many pictures. Kuranda village and the market was fun and then a quick bus ride to the rainforest centre, where we saw Koalas and all sorts, had a great barbeque lunch, saw aboriginal dance and how to throw boomerang, make spears etc. Finally the Sky Rail back down. It was raining by then so the ride down was obscured, but still amazing. All in all a truly magnificent day.

Great Experience

Our tour guide Geoff was great, while we missed out on the train because of cyclone jasper, the bus ride up the mountain was a great experience. The duck boat rides were really interesting. One small bummer about Kuranda, by the time we got out of the butterfly conservancy most of Kuranda Village shops were closed, by 3pm. The Skyrail was a great experience.

Excellent day out, plenty to see and do and not rushed

A full day out taken at a fairly relaxed pace, great rides by train up and cable car down giving very different views of the forest. Other activities at the rainforest park and a simple but filling lunch.

Fantastic

The whole day well spent. The train ride was like taking a step back in history over beautiful vistas. I particularly liked rainforest stop with the narrative on the local trees and bush. The skyway was a breathtaking finish.

A day filled with pleasure, fun and a variety of experiences. Nature and people at their best.

Day started with a wonderful ride through the forest in an old vintage train with interesting commentary of the history of the train and settlement of the area . Enjoyed the ride on the duck to experience the area from the water and see different species of flora and fauna. Loved, loved the aboriginal dancers & musicians, especially the two children who entertained us. Then the spear and boomerang throwing demos. Lunch was delicious. The skyrail ride home over the top of the rainforest was stunning. A perfect and unique way to end a wonderful day.

Great day and outstanding bus driver Thomas

Nice overview of the area for a first-time tourist. Highlights for us were the koalas, sky ride gondola and beauty of the rain forest. We got to experience so much in one day. A very special thank you to bus driver THOMAS JIA for going out of his way to drop off a lost item at our hotel before we departed Cairns and Winnie Ju at TropicWings for her assistance. That service made a great experience even better. Much appreciated!

Enjoyable and informative trip.

Very enjoyable journey. Information is clear and easy to understand. Carriages were clean and all the Staff were very friendly and helpful (including the bus drivers). Organised itinerary. The shows were interesting (and quite humorous, in a good way!). Safe and well looked after. Highly recommended.

Amazing experience

The views when travailing on the railway and sky rail were amazing to see. The rainforestation was an excellent experience.

Amazing activity to do!

That was a well organized inspiring day! Great balance of activities and 360 degrees experience in the deep heart of Queensland

Great day out in Cairns

Best idea we had in Cairns would go again with this company; professional, well organised and a corker day. Loved the aboriginal experience and the SkyRail ride was superb sailing over the top of the Rainforest. We can’t say enough about the day out with Tropic Wings.

Awesome,Breathtaking,Thrilling and Beautiful.

We loved the Train,Skyrail,and the Army Duck which was a wonderful experience and very informative Chris our driver was great.

My Kuranda and Rainforestation trip.

A great day out. Both rail and skyrail journeys were exhilirating. Also loved the army duck journey and corroboree activities, informative and entertaining. Would like to see sone improvements to the wildlife area, with a more natural habitat.

A must do experience in Cairns

Really easy to navigate, picked up by shuttle from hotel then freedom to go up the Skyrail cable car as you like (2 stops to stop off at and have an explore of the short boardwalks and rainforest information centres before hopping back on at your leisure to next stop). Kuranda is a lovely large village to explore with plenty of food places, an animal park and some lovely walks ranging from very short to slightly longer (up to 7km) before getting train back which is a lovely experience!

Superb day out with luxury train ride in Gold Class to finish the trip off in Style!!

Absolutely fantastic day out with Tropic Wings to Kuranda and rainforeststation. Our Driver was extremely helpful and friendly and even dropped us off first to our hotel after a long day!! Thank you ASHIF!! Very interring trip staring with the cable car ride up to Kuranda which passes over barron falls. After walking around the village, we were then taken to Rainforeststation for an amazing afternoon which includes a wildlife sanctuary, aboriginal dancing and Boomerang throwing, lunch and an Army Duck wildlife tour!! We returned on the Historical Train to cairns in the Gold Class section, where we received a cheese tray and copies amounts of Wine and Bubble for the 1.45 hour trip to cairns!! They pour very generously!! Highly recommend this day out to Kuranda!!

Classic Kuranda a must do

We really enjoyed Classic Kuranda Tour, from beginning to end we enjoyed every part of this Tour. All staff were friendly and helpful, all the experiences different and enjoyable. It was nice to have the BBQ lunch included and it was all delicious, thank you.

Do this Experience!

This day tour was top notch. All ages will enjoy the train and cable car ride and the Rainforestation area. I know it's a bit pricey, but I also know you'll enjoy your day so just do it!

A wonderful experience at Kuranda

An action-packed day which included everything to see and do at Kuranda! We were picked up at 7.30am close to our hotel by Tony, very jovial and great commentary! A great start to a great day- it makes such a difference! We started our day at the Sky Rail- the reverse itinerary due to heavy bookings! Amazing to soar above an ancient rain forest. We downloaded the App so we had a running commentary of what we were looking at. We got off and both stops for photo taking and more appreciation of this wonderful area. Our next stop was the butterfly sanctuary which was great- very hot, but we visited Cairns at one of the hottest days of the year! Then it was onto lunch- a bbq- adequate for a day on the run. Next was a visit to a wildlife park for a visit with our native fauna, followed by a trip on an army duck! WOW! From the top of the rainforest to the bottom- our guide was knowledgeable and a bit of fun and appreciated how hot it was and covered the top when the sun beat down! Then it was onto a first nation's experience of dance and culture. We felt a little rushed at this point as we had to catch the train back down to Cairns central, however, we made it in plenty of time for a lovely ride through a manmade railroad and had new appreciation for those who built it! A brilliant day and a must-do in FNQ!!

Loved the Rainforest

Seeing the Rainforest up close was awesome! You can download a narrative to play as you ascend the hill. Get off on both stops and see the plants and trees up close. The Duck Boat was fun and the driver knowledgeable. I enjoyed throwing a boomerang and learning more about the Aboriginal Culture. Lunch was ok. I really enjoyed the train ride back to Sydney. I like getting out and exploring the area. Neat bridge and scenic overlook made for some great pictures.

Kuranda

Excellent tour lots of spare time to explore highly recommend it ! Indigenous experience and butterfly house and the train was beautiful !

Mixed reviews

Just take the Skyrail up (or down), walk around Kuranda (but don't buy anything, tourist prices) and take the Scenic Railway down (or up). Rainforestation is a tourist trap. Same with the Butterfly Sanctuary. Skyrail and Railway are spectacular.

Great experience

Great experience of Cairns in a day covered a lot of sights and good customer service. The BBQ lunch was also satisfying specially with a young picky eater.

Full day Daintree Rainforest and Mosman Gorge Tour

All were memorable....thank u for our tour guide...excellent job...highly recommended tour, if not for the rain would have been perfect but still we enjoyed it... thank you Dale and to the river cruise guy....seeing the Cassowary is awesome.

Great value!

Great full day experience. Professional services. Friendly staff and clear plans on what to do. Excellent!

Must do experience

The Kuranda rail trip up and the Skyrail down where awesome trip and views. The Rainforeststation / Pamagirri Aboriginal experience didn't live up to its name , whether it was because we where Queenslanders & it was our third look at rainforest on this trip (The package was great ) Duck ride worth it . But i will applaud the Aboriginal experience as they seem to have a couple of inexperienced dancers and the drive to perform was not there as COVID culled the crowds of hundreds and our crowd was twenty .

eventful day seeing rain forestation sky rail scenic rainforest and aboriginal show

The sky rail and scenic railway were worth doing. Lunch was great. The rain forestation was worth doing as well as seeing the Aboriginal show and dancing spear throwing

Great tour

What a wonderful experience. Loved our tour. Tropical Wings coach was awesome. Plenty of space, even space for a pram. A great service. Wonderful tour for anyone with small kids. Tropical Wings staff were friendly and professional. Everything went smoothly. All the tickets and passes were sorted by staff. Great service.

Fabulous, well worth doing

Great day with magnificent scenery and lovely people. Had some interesting information forthcoming a lot of things we didn't know. The Rainforestation tour is a must do, Chris our Duck driver was a fountain of knowledge and the Pamigirri dance was fabulous and a lot of fun

A worthy experience

A great experience with very friendly staff. Loved the train, aboriginal experience at Rainforestation and the SkyRail, the markets in Kuranda were a bit disappointing, the usual mass-produced items which seem to be found at most markets, not much locally made items.

One of the Most Fun Days Ever

I was exhausted after 22 hours of travel to make it to Cairns. I almost decided to skip this full day trip but I am so happy I didn't. Booking was easy, reconfirmation was simple, Adrian the tour guide and driver was outstanding. He made everyone feel like they were an old friend. I was really cool to ride on an old train and travel through the forests to the top of a mountain. Great views all around. Once in Kuranda, the village is filled with things to do. Hold a koala (they only work 30 minutes per day-3 days a week so they aren't being handled too much). The aboriginal performance is really cool to see. Skyrail is terrifying but so much fun. Don't skip this day trip! Note: no air conditioning on the train so grab a tour pamphlet at the station as it can be used as a manual fan. Bring your reusable water bottle since they have water on board. Adrian the tour guide and shuttle driver, Reese on the duck boat, along with Lance and Winnie as our walking guides were all really phenomenal.

Kundra

Great tour but too many things to see and do in one day. Also did not expect to have to use a shuttle bus to go to different places instead of an assigned bus and tour guide. Did not like riding shuttle bus with people standing

Would recommend. You cover a lot in one day which makes it worth it!

Despite how hot it was (February 2020), we had an amazing time! Everything was so well planned, and had an itinerary to go with it. The bus driver was so helpful and provided instructions on how everything would work. We paid for the butterfly exhibit separately and we were glad we went to it, so we probably should have bought the package that included that. Not sure if it is always like this, but we had a smaller groups so all the shows, and tours felt more like private tours which was great. Staff was so friendly. BBQ lunch was great.

Actually Hold A Koala

If you enjoy scenery and animals this was a perfect combination. We were picked up at our hotel in Cairns then taken to Freshwater Station. The train ride takes about an hour and a half to Karunda Village with lots of opportunities for scenic photos. At Karunda Village there are many shops and places to eat but the highlight (for us) was the Koala Gardens where you actually get to hold a koala. It is an additional cost but the pictures you can take with your own camera are better than anything you can get at a zoo. The pics I posted are with an iPhone 11pro. There are also wallabies and kangaroos hopping around that can be touched. From Karunda you are taken a short distance to Rainforest Station for a buffet lunch which had lots of options for all types of eaters and an abundance of fresh fruit. There is a koala “experience” here that is a picture with a koala on a tree limb that was only 15$ but not like the actual hold you do in Karunda although worth the time. We did army duck tour which also gives interesting information on Australia rainforest plant life, saw aboriginal dancing, actually throw a returning boomerang and shown how to throw a spear and play a didgeridoo . We bought boomerangs here because they authentic and wood actually from the rainforest. After this we were taken back to the station for the Skyrail back down the mountain. A storm had come through while we were at Rainforestation so the weather was very pleasant. It is extremely high up so if you have a fear of heights opt for the train down

At the Rainforest Station and the skyrail

It was sooo beautyfull Perfect organisation verry cool Trip!! We have been taken allways just in time verry frendly Triver!!!

Great and varied day out

Enjoyable trip up on the train with great views. Karunda is good for a body’s with activities to keep you busy all day. Cable car down provides different views of the rain forest & is fun. Make sure you get off at the 2 stations to look at the views.

Don’t miss this one!

If you find yourself in this part of the world, I highly recommend this tour. It was enlightening, fun, efficiently run and we had a fabulous guide.

Wow

loved the train ride ; the wildlife park; the koala picture opportunity keep in mind that you will be at the train station early until everyone arrives for the departure also i was not keen on the 1 and 1/4 hr shopping time in the little village i did not need all that time.

Rainforest 12-2019

Scenic Railway, Army Duck and Skyrail is a must ! The rest of this tour is OK, but can be also saved to see. The lunch was quite good. Our pick up at 7.20AM was to early as we waited nearly 1h at the train station to leave then at 8:50AM from Freshwater station.

Kuranda Experience

The family had a great time during their Kuranda Experience. The hands on experience with the koalas and kangaroos were the best part for our kids.

So much fun! Great learning experience!

Scenic train ride was fun. Village was nice with authentic shops. Rainforestation was fascinating. Pamagirri members were friendly and patient in sharing thei culture. Could pet and feed kangaroos that were not caged. Fed us a good hardy lunch. Skyrail ride is long and stunning. Most worthwhile. Bus driver Mohammed was friendly, entertaining and informative. Great experience altogether.

Worth the money paid

All the activities during this trip were amazing. I especially enjoyed the skyrail cableway ride over the rainforest. The view was breathtaking. The train ride was wonderful, the Kuranda village is interesting, the food was sumptuous and everything was done according to plan. Our driver and our guide were very accomplished and friendly. I will definitely recommend this to my friends.

Excellent day full of animals & scenic views!

Had a great day taking the train up the mountain and through the forest, then got a surprisingly good bbq lunch at the wildlife park. This was followed by a koala viewing, aboriginal experience (including throwing boomerangs!) and then hanging out with some wildlife including some kangaroos and wallabies! We ended the day with a beautiful rude on the skyrail and was able to see all of Cairns. It was so beautiful!

Great scenery, a little rushed

A great tour and day, fantastic information provided on where to be when, however there’s a lot fitted in and it did feel quite rushed at times. The Aboriginal Pamagirri Experience felt a little poorly planned, we had about 45 people in our group for the demonstration whilst the other group was about 10. If you want a photo taken with a Koala then rush lunch and go straight there or you won’t get another chance, if you want until the time they say the queues are too long and you’ll have to decide to miss that or your next tour. The SkyRail is an amazing experience, however make sure you have a head for heights! Overall a fantastic tour, great for all ages and would definitely recommend.

Rainforest Trip

This was an amazing trip. The train ride was fun, and we had fun shopping in Kuranda. Ran out of time to do anything else ( Butterfly exhibit). Rainforestation is one of the few places in Aus where you can actually hold a koala for pictures, so that was exciting, and a must on our list of things to do. The rest of the wildlife park was fun , petting kangaroos and wallabies. The Aboriginal experience was interesting. And the Skyrail down had a great view and was a wonderful way to end the day. Would recommend this to all ages.

Always Room for Improvement

Don't take me wrong. It was a very good experience. Enjoy the train ride, Cable car ride, the views, etc. they can do better with the meals and that's why I do not give an excellent review. I do have to mention we missed our pick up at the hotel (mistake from our part), and the tour company was very helpful sending another driver to pick us up.