Kuranda Village, Army Duck Tour with Train and Skyrail (KDB)

Great day out

The sky ride was amazing, the stop at red peak was very interesting as we had a guided walk through the forest and saw a snake and some big spiders. The waterfall was spectacular. The rainforest station was very enjoyable. The guide on the duck tour was knowledgeable and had a good sense of humour. The cultural show was very good and we got to try out the boomerang and didgeridoo. Kuranda village itself was a bit disappointing although we had a nice lunch at the waffle cafe. I would advise spending time at the attractions rather than the village itself. Unfortunately the train was not running but we still had a great day and felt that we learnt about the rainforest.

Okay, just not enough time on Skyrail

The Skyrail, Kuranda, Rainforestation was okay. I wish I could have spent more time at Barron falls along the Skyrail, but felt rushed to get to Kuranda, especially since I had also purchased a visit to the Australian Butterfly sanctuary in Kuranda. Our visit to Rainforestation nature park was great for the food. The buffet BBQ lunch was delicious! The nature park is somewhat small - a couple of kangaroos roam freely, there's also a mature crocodile and a few other young ones in enclosures. I would have liked to learn more about the Aboriginal culture on show, acknowledgement of country, etc.

A must do in Cairns

Great experience, commentary and views. Train ride up was magnificent, followed by the army duck and return via sky car. A definite must do. Scott, the army duck driver was funny and informative and made the trip enjoyable.

I would have appreciated...

I would have appreciated the opportunity to take photos of the other vehicle - they moved too quickly to get a decent shot - all up a fabulous day had by all thought and it ran like clockwork. All staff involved were terrific

Kuranda - such a beautiful area

What a fun day. The tour guide for coach was friendly and welcoming. Transporting us to the sky rail terminal where we again, were met with a warm welcome at each stop. What a beautiful way to experience the amazing beauty of this part of Australia. Hop off at a few spots along the way to embrace nature before making in down into Kuranda village. Cute place. Lots of shops and places to eat and drink. We chose to do an army duck tour of the reforestation site which was also fun. We were then transported back to Kuranda for the train home. Again a beautiful trip but a window seat is a must. You are allocated a seat number so if you don't get one it's kind of too bad. Diesel fumes are strong on the train if you are sensitive to smell. Views are amazing though and plenty of time to see everything on the 90min trip down the mountain. Really enjoyable day.

Dont do the duck tour

The Duck Tour was a total waste of money. Just entered the water and went around a dam or man made lake once then out and back to base. Did stop to point out a bird that looked as if it had been strategically placed as the army duck behind us pointed out the same bird. It was a real sham.

Could have been better

The actual activities were fine - it was the amount time that we were left standing around or just waiting for transport/to entertain ourselves(around 5 hours of the 10 hour day!). Pickup from hotel was 15 mins late but even then we were dropped off at the station for Kuranda train almost 1hr before departure time(why was pickup so early??). Twice dropped into Kuranda village during the day where we found half the town closed including the ‘historic markets’ which were actually closed(not due to covid) for 1/2 the week as per their usual schedule! Thats over 2-3 hours of the day wandering, sitting around. Painful. After the sky rail another extended wait before the bus departure. These are not cheap tours and tourists pay a great deal just to get to the region. You should be honest - you run multiple tours in parallel and unless we’ve signed onto the most expensive tours which include all options many are left wasting their valuable time.

Brilliant company, not to be missed day out with Tropical Wings

I did the Skytrain, Duck tour and Train down on 23 March and as it was pre season, the pick up arrangements were slightly different from the standard, but managed brilliantly, and communication with me was excellent. Apart from the magnificent scenery, all the Tropical Wings staff were knowledgeable about the area and its eco systems, and helpful. I felt that I was in the hands of a professional company with committed loyal staff. Staff on the Skytrain also have these attributes. I was slightly disappointed with the Duck Tour as I expected a more exciting trip across water rather than a journey down a rainforest track and then gentle waddle across a small lagoon. But that is my only mild disappointment in an otherwise amazing and memorable day. (The Kuranda day is such a memorable experience that I last did this pre Skytrain in 1988 and wanted to ensure I did it again - the Skytrain adds a whole new dimension to it!)

Kuranda

The trip was excellent well planned and the organisers did a great job weather permitted us going on the Skyrail which was sad

Brilliant

We did the KDLAB tour with the train ride to karanda, tour of the butterfly sanctuary, the Army duck tour with a buffet lunch, and finished with the skyrail back down the mountain. It was a brilliant day and the drivers (Adrian and mark) were very informative and had excellent local knowledge. Don’t miss out on a fantastic opportunity to tour your own back yard. Highly recommended and great value for money.

Worth the trip

The views were spectacular, the ride was comfortable & informative. Kuranda is a little bit of paradise with quaint little shops & lovely people. Highly recommend!

Day trip to Kuranda

Really enjoyed and would highly recommend the train ride and the Skyrail. Disappointed with Butterfly enclosure. Last time we were there we saw very big colourful butterflies- not this time. Army duck-saw no creatures. Did learn a little about the rainforest vegetation. We visited on a Monday, very few shops open and by 2.00 pm most food outlets closed.

Great experience

The whole tour was informative and well organised. The tour guides gave great information and the views from both the train and shy rail were breath taking.

Highs and lows

The scenic rail trip was enjoyable. Too much time between rail trip and army duck. Army duck was average - did a circle of a lagoon. Unfortunately issue with sky rail and trip back was delayed preventing us due to time restraint from hopping off on way down and having a look at falls. All Information provided on the day about the area and history was great.

Fabulous

This was an amazing day tour which included so many activities and was well worth the money spent. Our guides and advisors were so happy to be able to give us information and knowledge. Well done.

Great tour of Kuranda

This was such a great day and tour in Kuranda. We saw the best of everything all in a day. The railway was great, the skyway view was incredible, the aboriginal demonstrations were fantastic and the zoo interactions was unreal. We were able to touch a koala and feed kangaroo!!

Train was great

The train was wonderful but due to weather, the skyrail was cancelled. Army duck was a little hokey.

Great tour but not enough time!

We were picked up at our B&B and taken to the train station where we rode the Scenic Railway with a stop at Barron Falls. Scenery all along the way was beautiful and once we arrived at Kuranda we spent some fascinating time at the Butterfly Sanctuary. We then went on the duck boat ride through the rainforest area. Following that we went to an aboriginal dance performance and then we were introduced to the traditional boomerang and each of us were given a chance to try throwing it after a lesson. We had the buffet lunch which was optional and very good. Following the performance we went to the Wildlife Area where we saw a nice collection of Australian creatures. The day ended with The Skyrail gondolas going back down the mountain to across from the railway station.

Not to be missed

We don't normally do day trips, but felt this would be an exception We booked the train, DUKW tour and Sky Rail. Picked up from the hotel by a friendly and helpful driver and transported to the Kuranda Railway station. Nice little cafe for breakfast. Allocated seats but after the first mile one of the onboard staff came and led us to an empty carriage with window seats. Spectacular views and informative commentary. Onboard staff were excellent. There were options on arrival to visit the Butterfly Sanctuary and a BBQ with aboriginal dancing. We went to the pub and ate pies. DUKW tour was educational. Once again great staff and commentary. Sky Rail down once again provided spectacular views. Ok, so we enjoyed it. There was a fair bit of hanging about. We went on an organised trip so kind of expected it. This was clearly designed to gain revenue. We knew that and frankly didn't care. There was no pressure to buy anything in the village. Loads of tourist type stuff. You could probably book everything yourself if you had transport, we just took the easier option.

Kuranda Day Trip

I enjoyed the activities but not all the wasted time between. We were picked up more than an hour early from our hotel. Waited 45 minutes for the train. Downtime before the Duck Tour was almost 2 hours in a small village with only local craft shops. Another break after the Duck Tour, and then time wasted waiting for a bus after the Sky Rail. I wish I had arranged the attractions myself and saved the several hours time lost for another adventure.

Great Day Trip

We really enjoyed the Scenic Railway trip. The audio told the history of how the railway line was built & it was very interesting. The train also stopped along the way & everyone got off the train for photos. The Kuranda Markets were interesting enough, but we are not really market people & this is all very touristy. The Skyrail experience was very good. However, you could get off twice. One stop was certainly enough. And if its very busy, I probably wouldn't bother. Then back to Cairns. Overall the three of us really enjoyed the day.

Skip the Duck Tour

The Railway was great. The skyrail was good, but remember you MUST stick to your exact time. The Duck Tour was an absolute waste. I would've preferred to stay in town 20 minutes longer rather than do the wasteful Duck Tour.

Just an awesome day- well worth the time and money- a must do!!!!

Thoroughly enjoyed the railway ride through all 15 tunnels , the village, athe reainforestaton nature park with just a wonderful bbq lunch featuring kangaroo on a stick, crocodile corn and saltbush soup and blended pumpkin soup which were delicious.. The Aboriginal dancers were fun as was throwing a boomerang and the cableway journey back down was breathtaking.

Loved the Railway and Skyrail. The...

<p>Loved the Railway and Skyrail. The Army Duck was interesting with the operator talking about the plants etc but at the end of the day these Army Ducks have a little play in a pond / small lake and then suddenly its all over. Maybe my exceptions where to high but was hoping to see more wildlife in and around the water.</p>

Worst experience ever!! DO NOT...

<p>Worst experience ever!! DO NOT BOOK!!! DO NOT BOOK!! My husband and I attended this tour Dec30/2017. The company said the driver will pick us up at 7:15am, but he is late for 15mins. It is a small town,15mins walking you can go anywhere. I can understand for the late. Then the driver drop us off at the railway station around 7:50am. We wait outside for one hour! It is very humid and hot! No AC! I do not understand why the company drop us so early! And the driver did not tell us anything! we think we should have a tour guide, however it is not! We do not know how to get the tickets for railway!and the company did not tell us which cart to go! It is messed up! No tour guide the day! At noon time,the driver gave us the tickets for the Skyrail,he told us it is 3:00pm .He confirmed for many times! He told us to take the 3:00pm skyrail. But when we were there the tickets shows it is 4:00pm. So many people at there,we are so upset! It is very hot without AC! But the staff worked there is very nice,she lets us go in. We still need to wait for the long line. Finally we were down and arrived the terminal at 3:45pm.other company already arranged many buses to pick up clients arrived at different time, tropical wings company did not show up until 430pm and they said they can only departed at 5:00pm. We waited again! We wasted our money and time! There are thousands local tour here, cheap and better service! We are so disappointed with our tour! When I complained this to the company, their service attitude is so bad!! They never apologize!! They waste my money and time for nothing!!! I am so upset with their terrible service!!</p>

This was basically a tour that gave...

<p>This was basically a tour that gave you a train ticket and a sky rail ticket and a short Ducktour. We were picked up late. There were several different tours sold and picked up on the same bus. We got different colored stickers and handed our itinerary times. Our tour included less, so we hung around doing nothing for 2 hours waiting for our return to the hotel because the other tours were ending later. The Ducktour was very short and the water portion useless. Buy your own train ticket and Skyrail and do it yourself.</p>

Good tour of a rain forest and free...

<p>Good tour of a rain forest and free time to get to know nature or shop whichever was your preference. Train ride up and gondola down was perfect trip.</p>

We enjoyed this trip. The scenic...

<p>We enjoyed this trip. The scenic railway was beautiful, only to be outdone by the skyrail trip back. The skyrail stops at a couple of places where you can venture off into the forest! The duck boat operator was informative, but it is a really short tour that only ventures out about a mile.</p>

This basically becomes a self guided...

<p>This basically becomes a self guided tour but all transport is covered beautifully scenery from the train and sky rail <br/> Do it</p>

Excellent day with breath taking...

<p>Excellent day with breath taking scenery. Skyrail amazing. Army Duck tour very interesting and worth doing. Only slight moan was a bit too much time to wander in Kuranda after doing some shopping.</p>

First of all this is an all-day...

<p>First of all this is an all-day experience and worth the cost. This is the chance to see the Kuranda area by railroad and realize just how difficult it was to build the whole thing. The Army Duck Rainforest Tour could have been longer. We would have enjoyed riding the duck more. But the Skyrail was just plain awesome!!! And what made it even better is that you can stop at two places and get off and take your time to see the area. Great fun!!!</p>

This is a must for any tourist or...

<p>This is a must for any tourist or even residents. Wonderful experience to see the beauty of Kuranda rainforest by rail and skyway. So much beauty in every turn. The duck tour was a wonderful experience. We saw native plants, tour guide explaned what they were used for, oh so much information but worth knowing it all. It was also wonderful to visit the different shops. Had to control myself not to buy a lot of things I liked. Thought of my luggage weight. Skyrail was awesome, we were so high up in the air, horizon was beautiful, forest floor was awesome and we had a chance to gey off the gondola to walk in some areas of the rainforest. We had light sweater just in case it gets cool.</p>

Fantastic tour and experience. I would...

<p>Fantastic tour and experience. I would recommend this tour to everyone going to Cairns</p>

The train ride to the rainforest was...

<p>The train ride to the rainforest was not all that spectacular as it was advertised. The rainforest itself was mediocre. We took a duck tour through the rainforest but didn't really see much other than a few types of ferns! Our duck also broke down and we had to change the duck in the middle of a pond. The cable car ride down from the hill top was scenic and was the highlight of our trip. Would not do it again.</p>

This was a very interesting tour...

<p>This was a very interesting tour. The narrow gauge railway was very scenic, but the duck ride was especially fun! We didn't know those existed, and it was good to see those vehicles from World War II being recycled.</p>

The Tor by Train and Skyrail was ok...

<p>The Tor by Train and Skyrail was ok. The stop in Kuranda was a boring stay as there is absolutely nothing to do than shopping in expensive tourist shops even the shops at the airport are not so expensive. The Army Duck Tour was very poor: a very short tour with a lot of stops on a prepared road and not a really offroad Rainforest tour i assume this was not more than 2km. <br/> There are other tours which are much better!!</p>

There was a lot of time between...

<p>There was a lot of time between arriving at Kuranda and being able to return to Cairns. Would rather have been able to leave about two hours sooner</p>

Beautiful view from Skyrail and Barron Falls

The view from the Skyrail was amazing, and we could see wild kangaroos at the foot of the mountain. We were blessed with good weather, so we could see the plants and trees of the rainforest clearly, and Barron Falls, which was on the way, was also majestic with a lot of water, probably because it was the end of the rainy season. Kuranda is a small and cute town, and it was just the right time to spend time between activities. The Army Duck driver's stories were very enjoyable and the ride went by in a flash. On the way back, the Scenic Railway had some interesting broadcasts about the history and scenery, but we couldn't see much of the scenery, and it was a bit boring during the two-hour ride. The view of Barron Falls also seemed more beautiful from the Skyrail stop. We enjoyed the whole day, so I think it was a good tour. The driver from the local travel agency (Tropic Wings Cairns Tours) was very nice.

Wonderful excursion.

Beautiful excursion, especially the skyrail. Incredibly beautiful. Everything has been arranged down to the last detail. No worries.

I'm glad

The scenery was beautiful and I was impressed. The bus stop on the way there was at a different address than the original address, so I'm sorry for making the bus and other passengers wait. But everyone waited without a single complaint, which made me happy. It was a trip that left me impressed by the tour and the people. Thank you.

It's a good tour

This is my second time to do the Kuranda Railway and Skyrail, but if you want to go with the Army Duck, it's better to take the tour. Considering the trouble of arranging the Army Duck and the shuttle bus (I'm not sure if you need to make a reservation for the shuttle bus, but I saw some people who couldn't get on), it's better to make a reservation here. However, if you only want the Kuranda Railway and Skyrail, you can make a reservation on the website (when I looked, there were no openings at the time I wanted, probably because it was at the last minute). The rough schedule was as follows, but it was a fulfilling experience with a little extra time. 07:30 Hotel pick-up 08:50 Kuranda Railway 10:15 Arrive at Kuranda Village, see the koalas or eat a meal 12:15 Move to Rainforestation by shuttle bus 13:00 Army Duck 14:00 Return to Kuranda Village, see the koalas or eat a meal 15:30 Skyrail 16:30 Arrive at Smith Station 17:30 Arrive at hotel

Renate

Es war alles sehr gut organisiert. Es wurde immer freundlich und zuvorkommend geholfen. Ich kann es nur weiterempfehlen.

Excursión obligatoria si estás en Cairns.

Es una excursión de día un día entero que incluye un trayecto en un tren turístico con unas vistas muy bonitas, un teleférico y un tour por la selva en vehículo anfibio en el que te cuentan muchas curiosidades sobre la selva. Todo el tour está muy bien sincronizado, ya que el autobús te va dejando en ciertos puntos y tú vas avanzando (ya sea en tren o teleférico) y cuando llegas al destino el autobús está esperando. Como punto a mejorar, yo quitaría tiempo en el tour por la selva y lo dejaría para estar un poco más por Kuranda. Pasamos un día sensacional, totalmente recomendable.

Toller Tagesausflug

Bei der Cableway und der Scenic Railway kommt man Villa auf seine Kosten. Einstieg lief völlig unkompliziert und stressfrei mit kurzen Wartezeiten. ArmyDuck Tour war sehr unterhaltsam und informativ Dank des guten Guides aber leider viel zu kurz (20 Minuten .... gefühlt waren es 10) Rainforeststation ist dafür aber mit 17 AU$ pro Person sehr günstig und super gemacht! Ansonsten sind andere Attraktionen wie das ButterflySanctuary und die BirdWorld sehr empfehlenswert. Alles in allem ein sehr toller Reisetag!