Daintree Rainforest tours

How to choose the tour

The right Daintree tour depends mostly on one thing: where you sleep the night before. Everything north of the Daintree River is a long drive from Cairns, so visitors based in the city need a full day, while those already in Port Douglas or Cape Tribulation can pick shorter, more focused experiences.

If you sleep in Cairns

A single full day covers the distance best. The Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation full day tour runs 9 hours from Cairns and includes a one-hour Daintree River cruise, a guided boardwalk walk, a freshwater swim, lunch, National Park fees and the ferry crossing, from A$239 per adult. For the widest itinerary and the convenience of being collected at the door, the Cape Tribulation, Mossman Gorge and Daintree Rainforest day trip lasts 10 to 12 hours with hotel pickup and drop-off, a 60-minute wildlife cruise and a Welcome to Country and smoke ceremony, also from A$239.

If you sleep in Port Douglas

Port Douglas sits closer to the forest, which means more time on the ground. The small-group day from Port Douglas leaves at 7.15am or 8.15am, runs 9 hours and adds the private Noah Valley rainforest property, Alexandra Lookout and Cape Tribulation Beach, from A$270 per adult. It is also the most-reviewed option on this site, with ★ 4.9 from 2,567 reviews. Undecided travellers can start from the comparison of six Daintree day trips, which lines up departures from both towns between 9 and 12 hours.

If you sleep in the Daintree or at Cape Tribulation

Short experiences make more sense once you are already north of the river. The Solar Whisper crocodile and wildlife cruise takes one hour on a silent solar electric boat, and the night walk in Cape Tribulation lasts 1.5 hours from the reception of Ferntree Rainforest Lodge. For something more physical, the UTV ride to Cassowary Falls fills 2.5 hours with creek crossings, an army truck ride and a swim.

Language and guiding style

All eight tours on this site run with live commentary in English. The difference is who delivers it: a driver-guide on the long day trips, an interpretive guide with a zoom Croc Cam on the river cruise, a rainforest guide on the UTV adventure, and a Kubirri Warra clan member on the Aboriginal coastal adventure, which also includes an art class at Janbal Gallery where you paint a canvas to take home.

By budget

Prices start at A$35 per adult for the one-hour river cruise and A$55 for the night walk, which makes them easy add-ons to a day already spent in the forest. Full days sit between A$239 and A$270 per adult, the UTV adventure costs from A$184 per adult, and the most in-depth cultural day costs from A$402 per adult.

All tours compared