Cairns: Rainforest River Tubing
⏱ 5 hours · 4.7 (565)
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 €55 per person
Check availability →⭐ Rated 4.64/5 · based on 58,000+ verified traveller reviews
Adventure & Adrenaline Tours from Cairns
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.
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Top rated · Season 2026
The tours travellers book most
Hand-picked from everything bookable in Cairns – ranked by real reviews, price and experience.
28 tours available · Sorted by number of verified reviews. Prices and availability come live from GetYourGuide.
Cairns: Tandem Skydive Experience
⏱ 3 hours · 4.9 (354)
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 €220 per person
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Cairns: Tandem Skydive
⏱ 4 hours · 4.9 (287)
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 €216 per person
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Tully River Rafting - Cairns, Mission Beach or Self-Drive
⏱ 6h 30m · 4.9 (229)
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 €99 per person
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Cairns: Behana Gorge Rainforest Canyoning Tour
⏱ 5h 30m · 4.8 (226)
Australia's only year-round rainforest canyoning. Slides, cliff jumps, and abseil through Behana Gorge. Small groups, all gear, ages 8 to 80.
from €164 per person
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Mission Beach Tandem Skydive Experience
⏱ 5 hours · 4.8 (205)
Experience Australia’s highest jump and an idyllic beach landing, an adrenalin rush, and spectacular views, on this Mission Beach tandem skydive.
from €238 per person
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Cairns: Guided Jet Ski Tour 30 or 60 min
⏱ 30 minutes · 4.7 (184)
Experience the thrill of a jet ski ride in Cairns with a choice of a 30-minute or 60-minute tour. Choose to go solo or tandem.
from €54 per person
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Cairns: 35-Minute Jet Boating Ride
⏱ 35 minutes · 4.9 (151)
Hold on tight for a high-adrenaline 35-minute jet boat ride through the heart of Cairns! Feel the rush as you spin, splash and speed across the water. It’s fast, fun, and packed…
from €53 per person
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Cairns: Rainforest Bungy Jump - Australia's Only Bungy
⏱ 3 hours · 4.9 (108)
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 €117 per person
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Cairns: 1-Hour Croc Spotting Jet Ski Tour
⏱ 1 hour · 4.6 (40)
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 €109 per person
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Cairns: Daintree Rainforest Canopy Ziplining Tour
⏱ 2 hours · 4.8 (36)
Explore the Queensland rainforest and get a bird’s eye view of Daintree National Park as you glide along on a zipline course. Fly up to 15 meters above ground on this guided tou…
from €92 per person
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Kuranda: Quad Ride Bike and petting farm
⏱ 2h 30m · 4.6 (25)
Explore the rainforest and a working cattle farm on this day tour, self drive from Cairns. Feed animals at a petting zoo, take a ride on the ATV quad bikes.
from €111 per person
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From Cairns: Tandem Skydive Experience over Mission Beach
⏱ 1 day · 4.6 (20)
Experience Australia’s highest jump and an idyllic beach landing, an adrenalin rush, and spectacular views, on this Mission Beach tandem skydive.
from €238 per person
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Cairns: Bungy Jump and Giant Swing - Australia's Best Combo
⏱ 1 hour · 5.0 (17)
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 €166 per person
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Cairns: 1.5 Hour Jet Ski Coastline Tour
⏱ 1h 30m · 5.0 (16)
Cairns' only 1.5hr 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 €124 per person
Check availability → Cairns Full-Day Canyoning Adventure tour
⏱ 9h 30m · 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 €278 per person
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Cairns: 1-Hour Jetski Crocodile Spotting Tour (No License)
⏱ 1 hour · 4.0 (6)
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 €99 per person
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Cairns: Rainforest River Tubing & Barron River Rafting Tour
⏱ 8 hours · 4.8 (5)
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 per person
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1 Hour Cairns Jetski tour (no license required)
⏱ 1 hour · 4.5 (4)
Experience the thrill of a jet ski adventure through the calm waters of Trinity Inlet. Navigate winding mangrove creeks, enjoy scenic views, and keep an eye out for local wildlife.
from €99 per person
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Cairns: Rainforest River Tubing & Cairns Jetboating -2 Tours
⏱ 5h 30m · 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 €99 per person
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Cairns Harbour 45 Minute Guided Jetski Tour
⏱ 45 minutes · 5.0 (3)
Ride a Jetski 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 €64 per person
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Cairns: Two Jumps - Classic & Roof Bungy Jumps
⏱ 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 €166 per person
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ATV Adventure Cairns Port Doulgas
⏱ 2 hours · 5.0 (2)
Experience the thrill of a guided buggy adventure in Far North Queensland. Drive through rugged bushland, splash across creeks, and navigate muddy terrain on a family-friendly t…
from €226 per person
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Tully River Rafting & Daintree Rainforest - 2 Day Tours
⏱ 2 days · 4.0 (1)
Conquer the mighty Tully River, then unwind in the ancient Daintree Rainforest with this incredible 2 full-day adventure package.
from €254 per person
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2 Full-Day Tours: Waterfall Tour & Barron River Rafting
⏱ 15 hours 0
Discover stunning rainforest waterfalls on a full-day tour, then take on the exciting Barron River with a thrilling whitewater rafting adventure through scenic rainforest rapids.
from €177 per person
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Tully River Rafting & Waterfall Tour - 2 Day Tours
⏱ 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 €228 per person
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Cairns Jet Boating & Tully River Rafting - 2 Tours
⏱ 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 €179 per person
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Cairns Jet Boating & Sunset River Inlet Cruise - 2 Tours
⏱ 2h 30m 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 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
Questions travellers actually ask
Outer reef or Green Island — which should I 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.
Can I swim at the beach in Cairns?
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.
What is stinger season and does it stop me snorkelling?
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.
Is the Skyrail cableway running in 2026?
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.
Do I need a hire car?
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.
I get seasick easily. What are my options?
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.