Back by Afternoon
Reef and back in four to five hours, from $126.
Book Your Experience
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
The Experience
Our top pick caps each boat at 27 guests and runs three departures a day.
Four steps from this page to the reef and back.
Our top pick runs three departures a day, so you can take a morning boat and keep the afternoon free, or sleep in. The other half-day boats leave at 9am or noon.
Choose your date and time in the calendar. You can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund if the forecast turns.
Check in at the Reef Adventures office on Finger B of Marlin Marina half an hour before departure. Hotel transfers aren't included.
Fast boats make short work of the crossing, and the sea decides how smooth it is. Take seasickness tablets beforehand if you need them, and eat a light meal.
Photo Gallery
Fast boats, clear water and the coral under it.
Out and back in four to five hours, each from a different finger of the marina.
| Feature | RECOMMENDED Reef Adventures Half Day (Our Top Pick) | Pure Snorkelling Afternoon | Tusa Morning Catamaran |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $126/per person | From $147 per person | From $137 per person |
| Rating | 4.7 from 1,933 guests | 4.9 from 626 guests | 4.7 from 66 guests |
| Departures | 3 a day, Finger B | 12pm from D Finger, back about 5pm | 9am from A Finger, back 2pm |
| Time in the Water | 1.5 hours, guided | About 2 hours, guided | Up to 2 hours, guided tour |
| Group Size | Up to 27 guests | Up to 40 guests | Not stated on the listing |
| Food | ✓ snacks | ✓ fruit and snacks | ✓ morning tea, fruit platter |
| Extras | ✓ free GoPro photos | ✓ marine biologist talk, showers | ✓ hot showers, optional intro dive |
| Hotel Pickup | ✗ not included | ✗ not included | Not listed |
| Best For | Choosing your own time of day | A late start and a biologist's briefing | A first dive on a short day |
| Check Dates | See Pure Snorkelling | See Tusa |
More Options
Outer reef cruises, islands, pontoons and flights, ranked by what guests actually rated them.
FROM $76A return ferry from the Cairns waterfront to Fitzroy Island with up to seven hours to snorkel off the beach, walk the national park trails and swim, with snorkel gear, a glass-bottom boat ride or a picnic lunch added through the package you choose.
HALF DAYReef Adventures' half-day trip takes a fast boat from Marlin Marina to one of two reefs for an hour and a half of guided snorkelling, with a maximum of 27 guests and three departures a day.
SMALL GROUPReef Adventures runs a small-group snorkelling day from Marlin Marina on a fast boat, with a guided snorkel at two reef locations, lunch, snacks and free GoPro photos.
MICHAELMAS CAYA 32-metre sailing catamaran spends four hours at Michaelmas Cay, a protected seabird island, where you snorkel off the beach, ride a semi-submersible and eat a prawn buffet lunch before sailing back with a glass of sparkling wine.
SCENIC FLIGHTA 30- or 40-minute fixed-wing flight from Cairns over Green Island, Arlington Reef, Vlasoff Cay and out to the edge of the outer reef, with a window seat and pilot commentary through headsets.
OVERNIGHTAn overnight trip for up to 12 guests on the 16-metre Coral Sea Dreaming, snorkelling as much as you like across outer reef moorings such as Flynn and Milln reefs, with meals, a cabin and dives available to buy on board.
Short on Time
Three fast boats, and what you give up for the shorter trip.
A full reef day from Cairns runs eight or nine hours, and not everyone wants to give up a whole day of a short trip to one boat. The half-day snorkel trips cut that roughly in half with faster, smaller boats and less time on the way out, and you still get to the reef and into the water. What you give up is a sit-down lunch, a second site on most boats, and some of the slow hours on deck.
The Reef Adventures half-day snorkelling tour (our breakdown) is the lowest-priced half day to the outer reef on this site, from $126, and rated 4.7 by 1,933 guests. It caps each boat at 27 guests and runs three departures a day from Finger B of Marlin Marina. A fast boat takes you to one of two reefs for an hour and a half of guided snorkelling, and the whole trip takes about four hours. Snacks, flotation, a stinger suit in season and free GoPro photos are included. Drinks, wetsuits and prescription masks cost extra, and hotel transfers aren’t part of the deal.
The listing is strict about who should book. It rules out non-swimmers, children under six, people over 65 and anyone prone to seasickness, so check the list before you pay.
The Pure Snorkelling afternoon trip (our breakdown) rates 4.9 from 626 guests, higher than any other boat trip leaving Cairns with more than 100 reviews. It starts at 10:30am with a marine biologist’s talk before you board, sails at noon from D Finger, and gets you back around 5pm. The reef site is chosen on the day for the conditions, and you get about two hours in the water with a maximum of 40 guests on board. Suits, prescription masks, freshwater showers and fruit and snacks are included, from $147.
The Tusa premium half-day catamaran (our breakdown) is the morning option: check in at 8:40am on A Finger, depart at 9am and return at 2pm. It is a 90-minute crossing each way on a larger catamaran, with up to two hours of snorkelling, a guided snorkel tour, hot showers, morning tea and an afternoon fruit platter. It is the only one of the three that sells an introductory dive, limited to 12 spots a day. It costs $137 and has 66 reviews so far, at 4.7.
Every hour saved comes out of the boat ride or the lunch, and on most days it is a fair swap. The water time is the part to watch: 1.5 hours on our top pick, about two hours on the other two, against up to five hours at the reef on a full-day boat such as the Divers Den reef day (our breakdown). Fast, light boats also feel the chop more than a big catamaran. Both our top pick and the Pure Snorkelling trip list people prone to seasickness as unsuitable, so if that is you, a larger boat on a full day is kinder.
Operators also collect the reef charge, which is AUD 8.50 per person on a full day; each listing shows whether it is in the fare. Stinger season runs roughly November to May, and suits are handed out on board. Turtles and reef sharks are common sightings, never promised ones.
If you want a half day with a beach and a pool as well as the reef, the Green Island boats run half-day options in about 45 minutes each way; see Green Island tours from Cairns. Pure Snorkelling’s afternoon trip also comes paired with a morning scenic flight in the GSL fly and snorkel package, which is on our scenic flights page with the other combinations.
With a full day to spare, the snorkelling tours give you two sites and lunch. For how long the crossing really takes, read how far the reef is from Cairns.
Ready to go? Check availability for the Reef Adventures half day.
Guest Reviews
Ratings and review counts are the tour operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift slightly day to day.
"As a solo traveller - first time snorkelling - I felt incredibly welcomed by the crew. Bradley, Brandon and Cisco (San Francisco) were brilliant. Would highly recommend to everyone visiting Cairns!! The photographs we were able to download after the excursion were class, including photos of us in the sea and also the creatures in the ocean. Thanks again!!"
"It the right mix of exercise and informative. Suitable for most ages."
"I had such a great experience with this team! Everyone was amazing — the skipper and both guides were friendly, professional and really helpful throughout the whole day. I felt comfortable and well looked after, and the whole team created such a great atmosphere. I was very happy with the experience and would definitely dive with them again!"
"This was just amazing! I was stunned from the first second I went into the water. Wow, just unbelievable. We also got a lot of insides of the reef. Our guides where so great! Just the perfect experience. Thanks a lot"
"Unreal experience- good time out on the water. Guides were great. Thank you to Elenor and Nicole for making us feel so at ease and explaining everything."
"Was my number one activity I wanted to do while in Australia and the group from reef adventures couldn’t of made the day any better! All so helpful with myself and my partner and just genuinely an amazing group of guides to spend the day with. Would 100% recommend to anyone"
"wonderful half day snorkeling on the reef! the boatride out with captain Harry was a thrill, the snorkeling with Nicole and Kaylen was great and at a relaxed pace. we saw a turtle, a shark and lots if small reef fish. nice touch to provide photos of the tour through a link. Lovely souvenir to take home! would certainly recommend this tour."
"The water was a bit choppy, but the crew took care of us so well. They were very kind and accommodating !! Would book again :)"
Read all 1933 verified reviews
See All ReviewsA fast boat to one of two reefs, 1.5 hours of guided snorkelling, snacks, stinger suits in season and free GoPro photos, with no more than 27 guests. Rated 4.7 by 1,933 guests. Starting from $126 per person.
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What people ask before booking a shorter trip to the reef.
Yes. The half-day boats on this page reach the reef and give you 1.5 to 2 hours of snorkelling, and you are back in Cairns four to five hours after you left. Our top pick, the Reef Adventures half day, takes about four hours.
From $126 per person on our top pick, the lowest-priced half day to the outer reef on this site. The Tusa morning catamaran starts at $137 and the Pure Snorkelling afternoon trip at $147.
For one good snorkel, usually yes. You give up a second reef site on most boats, a sit-down lunch and several hours in the water compared with a full day. If snorkelling is the main event of your trip, the full-day snorkel tours give you more of it.
No. Our top pick serves snacks, Pure Snorkelling serves fruit and snacks, and Tusa serves morning tea and an afternoon fruit platter, with a picnic lunch available as a pre-booked extra. Eat before you go.
They are shorter, but the fast boats can feel bumpy, and both our top pick and Pure Snorkelling list people prone to seasickness as unsuitable. Take tablets before you board, or choose a larger boat on a full day.
Our top pick and Pure Snorkelling exclude hotel transfers. You meet the boat on Marlin Marina, a short walk from the Cairns city hotels.
Still have questions? Email us at info@greatbarrierreeffromcairns.com
Keep Exploring
Every reef trip and planning guide on this site, in one place.