⭐ Rated 4.64/5 · based on 58,000+ verified traveller reviews
Cairns has been a backpacker base for decades, and this is the category that explains why: 28 tours from €53. White-water rafting on the Tully and the Barron, tandem skydiving over the coast, the bungy tower in the rainforest at Smithfield, river tubing, jet skis on Trinity Inlet and quad tours inland.
Find your tourTop rated · Season 2026
Hand-picked from everything bookable in Cairns – ranked by real reviews, price and experience.
28 tours available · Sorted by number of verified reviews. Prices from GetYourGuide as of our last update. The current price and availability are shown on GetYourGuide before booking.
⏱ 5 hours · 4.7 (625)
Drift along the Mulgrave River, ride gentle rapids, and take in stunning rainforest scenery on a fun-filled river adventure in Tropical North Queensland.
from €54.95 per person
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⏱ 2.5 - 6 hours · 4.7 (621)
Discover the excitement of white-water rafting on the Barron River! Enjoy up to two hours of fun on grade two and three rapids—perfect for beginners and returning rafters seekin…
from €72.16 per person
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⏱ 3 hours · 4.8 (363)
The only skydive operator that lands you right in Cairns. Views over the Great Barrier Reef and you're walking back to your hostel before lunch. If you're doing one jump…
from €218.94 per person
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⏱ 4 - 6 hours · 4.9 (313)
Experience unparalleled views of tropical North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef with a tandem skydive of up to 14,000 ft. Freefall for up to 60 seconds followed by a seren…
from €215.24 per person
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⏱ 6.5 - 11 hours · 4.8 (239)
Conquer the mighty Tully River on a full-day rafting adventure. Take on world-class rapids, soak up lush rainforest scenery, and enjoy an unforgettable day of thrills and fun.
from €98.68 per person
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⏱ 5.5 hours · 4.9 (231)
Australia's only year-round rainforest canyoning. Slides, cliff jumps, and abseil through Behana Gorge. Small groups, all gear, ages 8 to 80.
from €163.44 per person
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⏱ 5 hours - 1 day · 4.8 (209)
Experience Australia’s highest jump and an idyllic beach landing, an adrenalin rush, and spectacular views, on this Mission Beach tandem skydive.
from €237.45 per person
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⏱ 30 minutes - 1 hour · 4.7 (198)
Experience the thrill of a jet ski ride in Cairns with a choice between a 30-minute and a 60-minute tour. Choose to go solo or tandem.
from €54.27 per person
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⏱ 2.5 - 5.5 hours · 4.7 (148)
Enjoy a rafting adventure through Barron Gorge, blending peaceful stretches of calm water with the thrill of Grade 2-3 rapids. All equipment and training are provided to ensure…
from €61.67 per person
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⏱ 3 - 3.5 hours · 4.9 (110)
Leap from 50m above World Heritage rainforest at Australia's ONLY Bungy Tower - operated by AJ Hackett since 1990. Choose from 16 jump styles - Transfers from Cairns included
from €87.42 per person
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⏱ 9 hours · 4.8 (62)
See Daintree National Park in a whole new way with a zipline tour, river cruise, and a walking tour of Cape Tribulation beach. Stay energized with lunch and refreshments on this…
from €196.74 per person
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⏱ 1 hour · 4.4 (46)
Spot wild crocodiles and speed up your jet ski on this epic 1-hour adventure through Cairns’ mangrove-lined waterways. Thrills, nature, and fun—no license or experience needed!
from €108.55 per person
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⏱ 2 hours · 4.8 (36)
Located 3-4 hours from Cairns in the ancient Daintree Rainforest, experience the canopy up close and learn about the unique ecology of the world heritage area on a fully guided…
from €91.89 per person
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⏱ 2.5 hours · 4.7 (27)
Explore the rainforest and a working cattle farm on this self-drive day tour from Cairns. Feed animals at a petting zoo, take a ride on the ATV quad bikes.
from €110.40 per person
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⏱ 1 day · 4.7 (22)
Experience Australia’s highest jump and an idyllic beach landing, an adrenalin rush, and spectacular views, on this Mission Beach tandem skydive.
from €237.45 per person
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⏱ 1.5 hours · 5.0 (18)
Cairns' only 1.5-hour jet ski tour. Ride to Palm Cove, loop Double Island and spot the reef below on clear days. Fully guided Sea-Doo adventure, no licence needed.
from €123.98 per person
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⏱ 1 - 4 hours · 5.0 (18)
Australia's only Bungy Jump combined with its only multi-person Giant Swing - one day, two experiences. Includes hotel transfers and option of photos and videos.
from €165.90 per person
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⏱ 45 minutes · 4.7 (7)
Ride a jet ski through Cairns' Trinity Inlet on a fully guided 45-minute tour with a local experienced guide. No license or experience needed, with a real chance of spotting…
from €78.96 per person
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⏱ 1 hour · 4.6 (7)
Ride a jet ski through Cairns' Trinity Inlet on a fully guided, one-hour tour with a local experienced guide. No license or experience needed, with a real chance of spotting…
from €122.82 per person
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⏱ 1 hour · 4.2 (7)
Ride a Jet ski through Cairns' Trinity Inlet on a fully guided, one hour tour with a local experienced guide. No license or experience needed, with a real chance of spotting…
from €122.82 per person
Check availability → ⏱ 9.5 hours · 4.1 (7)
Adventurous Full Day Experience filled with thrilling abseils, slides, waterfalls, and unique volcanic rock formations, this trip will send you to Behana Gorge and Crystal Casca…
from €246.08 per person
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⏱ 8 hours · 4.9 (6)
Enjoy a relaxing morning rainforest river tubing adventure, drifting through lush rainforest, then ramp up the excitement with afternoon Barron River rafting and its exhilaratin…
from €130.13 per person
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⏱ 5.5 hours · 5.0 (4)
Drift through the rainforest on a relaxing river tubing adventure, then turn up the thrill with high-speed spins and slides on an exciting Cairns jet boat ride
from €98.68 per person
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⏱ 3 hours · 5.0 (3)
Two Jumps, including the only running roof bungee jump on Earth. Leap from 53m above World Heritage rainforest. Includes free return transfers and option of photo & video.
from €165.90 per person
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⏱ 2 days · 4.6 (2)
Conquer the mighty Tully River, then unwind in the ancient Daintree Rainforest with this incredible package of two full-day adventures.
from €253.48 per person
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⏱ 2 days 0
Take on the mighty Tully River rapids, then explore stunning waterfalls and surrounding nature on this thrilling, action-packed 2-day adventure tour.
from €227.58 per person
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⏱ 1.5 days 0
Experience high-speed jet boating in Cairns and whitewater rafting on the Tully River. Enjoy adrenaline, tropical scenery, and an unforgettable full-day adventure.
from €178.24 per person
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⏱ 2.5 hours 0
Experience thrilling jet boating with high-speed spins and splashes, then unwind on a scenic sunset river inlet cruise with wildlife, a complimentary drink and stunning evening…
from €96.21 per person
Check availability →Before you book: Read where the activity actually happens before you book. Several skydives leave from Mission Beach, 140 km and about ninety minutes south of Cairns, and full-day Tully rafting is a similar distance — the pick-up is early and the day is long, even where the activity itself lasts an hour. Operators set minimum ages and weight limits per activity, and those are on the booking page, not here.
Before you book
The outer reef has the better coral and costs you the day: about 90 minutes by boat each way and eight to nine hours door to door. Green Island and Fitzroy are much closer, cheaper and calmer, and you can sit on a beach between swims. If you only have one reef day and do not get seasick, take the outer reef.
Not in the city itself. The waterfront is a tidal mudflat on an estuary that is crocodile habitat, which is why the free Esplanade Lagoon exists — patrolled, netted off and open all year. Real beaches start north of the city, and from November to May they are swum behind stinger nets.
From roughly November to May, box jellyfish and Irukandji are present in coastal waters. Reef operators hand out full-body stinger suits in that period and the trips run as normal — it is a matter of wearing the suit, not of cancelling the day. On shore, swim only inside the netted enclosures or in the lagoon.
Only on some days. The operator states that the cableway does not run on Mondays and Tuesdays until the end of October 2026, and that from 19 August to 1 November 2026 it runs as a shortened Kuranda–Barron Falls loop during the upgrade works. The Scenic Railway has its own separate maintenance dates, so check both before booking a combo.
Not for the reef. Every reef boat leaves from Cairns and most operators pick up in the city, so a car sits in a car park all day. It pays off for the north and the hinterland — Daintree, Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands — where a tour ties you to one route. Remember that Australia drives on the left.
The outer reef crossing is open sea and takes about 90 minutes each way. The inner reef around Green and Fitzroy Island is a much shorter, more sheltered run, and the rainforest and Tablelands days involve no boat at all. What helps on board without any medication: an early departure when the sea is calmer, a seat amidships and eyes on the horizon. Anything beyond that belongs in a conversation with a pharmacy before you travel.
from €69.69 · Available today
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