2-Day Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest Tour from Cairns

About This Experience

Billy Tea Safaris sells this package of two separate day tours from Cairns, and the days do not have to be back to back. You book the reef cruise as the first date, then contact the operator to choose the rainforest day. Accommodation is not included, so you sleep wherever you are staying in Cairns between the two.

Reef day starts with your own trip to the Reef Fleet Terminal for check-in between 7:15am and 7:45am, as transfers on this day cost extra. You board a superyacht, have tea, coffee and morning tea, and head out to the first of two outer reef sites. Snorkel gear, flotation devices and lessons are provided, and Lycra suits are available. Lunch is a barbecue with seafood, prawns, steak and salads, then the boat moves to a second site. With about five hours on the reef in total, the day ends with wine, cheese, biscuits and fruit on the way home.

Rainforest day starts with pickup from your accommodation in Cairns, the Northern Beaches or Port Douglas; guests staying on Cairns Southside meet at the operator's office on Draper Street. The driver-guide narrates the drive north, and the first stop is a one-hour Daintree River cruise to look for crocodiles and birds, with tea, coffee and biscuits beforehand.

From there you follow a guided elevated boardwalk through the rainforest, stop for lunch, and swim in a freshwater spot in the forest. Next comes a walk on Cape Tribulation Beach, a tropical fruit ice cream at the Daintree Ice-Creamery, and the ferry back across the Daintree River before drop-off.

It suits travellers with a few days in Cairns who want the reef and the rainforest sorted in one booking. Both are long days, and one reviewer suggests bringing extra snacks. The reef boat is large and can feel busy. Pack swimwear, a change of clothes, a hat and closed-toe shoes for the rainforest, and leave large bags behind as they are not allowed.

Highlights

• Snorkel two outer reef sites with about five hours on the reef
• Aussie barbecue lunch with prawns and steak on the reef day
• One-hour Daintree River cruise looking for crocodiles and birds
• Guided elevated boardwalk walk through the Daintree Rainforest
• Freshwater swim in the rainforest and a walk on Cape Tribulation Beach
• Book the two days on separate dates to suit your plans

What's Included

• ✓ Full-day outer reef cruise with about 5 hours at 2 reef sites
• ✓ Snorkel equipment, flotation devices and Lycra suit hire
• ✓ Barbecue lunch on the reef day and lunch on the rainforest day
• ✓ Wine, cheese, biscuits and fruit platter on the reef-day return
• ✓ Return transfers and a driver-guide on the rainforest day
• ✓ 1-hour Daintree River cruise, guided rainforest walk, freshwater swim, Cape Tribulation Beach and Daintree ice cream

Not Included

• Accommodation
• Transfers on the reef day (available on request at extra cost)
• Pickup for Cairns Southside accommodation on the rainforest day (meet at the operator's office instead)

What to Bring

• Swimwear
• Change of clothes
• Hat
• Closed-toe shoes for the rainforest
• Sunscreen
• Extra snacks for two long days

Good to Know & Caveats

• Reconfirm your booking directly with the operator 48 hours before travel.
• Book the reef cruise as your first date, then contact the operator to set the rainforest day. The days need not be consecutive.
• Reef day has no included transfer: check in at the Reef Fleet Terminal between 7:15am and 7:45am, or pay extra for a pickup.
• Rainforest day includes pickup from Cairns, the Northern Beaches and Port Douglas; Cairns Southside guests meet at 287 Draper Street, Parramatta Park.
• Weather can cancel the reef day, and sea conditions affect visibility. Crocodile and wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
• Luggage and large bags are not allowed on either day.

Meeting Point

On the reef day, check in at the Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns between 7:15am and 7:45am; on the rainforest day you are picked up from your accommodation in Cairns, the Northern Beaches or Port Douglas (Southside guests meet at the Billy Tea office).