Cairns: Waterfall Tour with Lunch
⏱ 10 hours · 4.7 (1,069)
Explore the waterfalls and rainforests of North Queensland on a full-day Atherton Tablelands tour from Cairns.
from €116.56 per person
Check availability →⭐ Rated 4.64/5 · based on 58,000+ verified traveller reviews
Atherton Tablelands & Waterfalls
An hour inland and 700 metres higher, the coast gives way to farmland, crater lakes and waterfalls — the cool half of this region and the one most visitors never see. We compare 25 tours from €22: the waterfall circuit around Millaa Millaa, the volcanic lakes Eacham and Barrine, the giant fig trees, and the day trips that combine them with a swim.
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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.
27 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.
From Cairns: Chillagoe Caves and Outback Full-Day Tour
⏱ 11 hours · 4.6 (223)
Journey back in history to spectacular outback landscapes, ancient coral reefs, limestone caves and Granite Gorge. See an array of birdlife and wildlife, and visit the Smelters…
from €147.40 per person
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Atherton Tablelands: Lakes, Waterfalls, Rainforest Day Tour
⏱ 11 hours · 4.8 (178)
Waterfalls, rainforest, swimming, music, laughs & legendary Uncle Brian’s vibes! Explore the Atherton Tablelands on an epic day of fun, adventure & unforgettable memories from C…
from €115.33 per person
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Cairns: Paronella Park, Lake Barrine & Waterfalls Tour
⏱ 10 hours - 1 day · 4.7 (155)
Discover the highlights of North Queensland with a guided trip to Paronella Park, Lake Barrine, and a Tablelands waterfall. Depart from Cairns by coach and enjoy a day packed wi…
from €141.85 per person
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From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands and Paronella Park Day Trip
⏱ 10 hours · 4.8 (154)
Discover the beauty and history of the Atherton Tablelands on this premium small group tour from Cairns. Explore lush rainforests, waterfalls, lakes, Paronella Park, and enjoy a…
from €148.02 per person
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Cairns: Paronella Park Ticket
· 4.7 (97)
Set amongst 7500 trees in the lush rainforests of Far North Queensland, Paronella Park is a wonderland of castles, tunnels, bridges, fountains and secret staircases built by the…
from €36.39 per person
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Cairns: Waterfall and Daintree Rainforest Tour - 2-Day Combo
⏱ 2 days · 4.4 (60)
Reconnect with nature and experience the diverse landscape of Queensland, during two-day trips from Cairns. Explore the Atherton Tablelands, Daintree Rainforest, Mossman Gorge a…
from €202.04 per person
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From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Wildlife & Waterfalls
⏱ 11 hours · 3.9 (16)
Swim under waterfalls, spot wild platypus and cassowary, and explore the Atherton Tablelands with Cairns' top-rated small-group eco guide.
from €141.23 per person
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Cairns: Historic Village Entrance Ticket in Herberton
· 4.9 (12)
Step back in time at the Historic Village Herberton, located just 90 minutes from Cairns. Explore over 60 original buildings, each housing an extensive display of memorabilia, o…
from €28.37 per person
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Cairns: Forest and Waterfalls Half-Day 4WD Guided Adventure
⏱ 5 hours · 4.5 (9)
Explore the Wet Tropics on a premium small-group 4WD tour from Cairns. See Barron Falls, swim at Davies Creek, spot ancient King Ferns, visit Kuranda, and enjoy local ice cream.
from €113.48 per person
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Cairns: Paronella Park Rainforest Full-Day Tour with Dinner
⏱ 10 hours · 4.5 (8)
Go for a rainforest walk or swim at Babinda Boulders, enjoy afternoon tea on the beach with the chance to spot a Southern Cassowary, explore Paronella Park, and enjoy dinner on…
from €172.07 per person
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Cairns: Waterfall, Wetlands and Skyrail
⏱ 10 hours · 4.4 (6)
Uncover cultural and natural wonders on this Cairns adventure! Explore Cattana Wetlands & Barron Falls, enjoy lunch at Skybury coffee plantation and a Skyrail journey through th…
from €195.51 per person
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2-Day Paronella Park, Tablelands and Cape Tribulation Tour
⏱ 2 days · 4.2 (2)
Discover the natural beauty of Far North Queensland with this 2-day tour package, including 1-Day Rainforest, Waterfalls & Paronella Park Tour & 1-Day Cape Tribulation, Daintree…
from €297.27 per person
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Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Day Tour with Tastings
⏱ 10 hours · 5.0 (1)
Discover the Atherton Tablelands on a day tour from Cairns. Enjoy tastings of coffee, cheese, and chocolate, hand-feed rock wallabies, and swim at Millaa Millaa Falls.
from €178.24 per person
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From Cairns: Mareeba Wildlife, Wallaby Feeding & Coffee Tour
⏱ 5h 30m · 5.0 (1)
Discover the local wildlife and coffee of Mareeba on a half-day tour from Cairns. Feed the cute wild rock wallabies and look for wild kangaroos and other animals.
from €111.35 per person
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Cairns: Mareeba Wildlife Tour with Wallabies & Photos
⏱ 6 hours 0
Join a half-day wildlife tour from Cairns to Mareeba with a Japanese-speaking guide. Visit Granite Gorge Nature Park, hand-feed wallabies, and enjoy free photos of your tour.
from €118.41 per person
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From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Wildlife & Stargazing Tour
⏱ 8 hours 0
Explore the Atherton Tablelands on a guided tour from Cairns. Spot wildlife, visit the Curtain Fig Tree, and enjoy a stargazing photo session with a professional photographer.
from €240.53 per person
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From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands & Paronella Park Day Trip
⏱ 8.5 hours 0
Discover the Atherton Tablelands and Paronella Park on a day trip from Cairns. Search for wild platypus, visit the Curtain Fig Tree, and explore Paronella Park with a Japanese-s…
from €239.60 per person
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From Port Douglas: Atherton Tablelands Private Day Trip
⏱ 8 hours 0
Discover the Atherton Tablelands on a private day trip from Port Douglas. Visit the Curtain Fig Tree, Lake Eacham, and Malanda Falls, and enjoy a casual café lunch in Yungaburra.
from €1,026.87 per group up to 2
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Tully River Rafting & Waterfall 2-Day Tour
⏱ 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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Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Kangaroo Cart & Wildlife Tour
⏱ 8 hours 0
Head out on a full-day cart adventure through the Atherton Tablelands in search of wild kangaroos. Along the way, spot platypus in the wild and feed wild rock wallabies at Grani…
from €199.08 per person
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From Cairns: Babinda Boulders SUP Tour with Transfers
⏱ 5 hours 0
Explore Babinda Boulders on a stand-up paddleboarding tour from Cairns. Paddle through the clear waters of Wooroonooran National Park, get photos and drone footage, and stop at…
from €145.06 per person
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From Cairns: Babinda Boulders SUP & Josephine Falls Tour
⏱ 8 hours 0
Discover Wooroonooran National Park on a guided tour from Cairns. Enjoy stand-up paddleboarding at Babinda Boulders, swim at Josephine Falls, and get photos of your adventure.
from €366.34 per person
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Port Douglas: Waterfall Tour with Lunch
⏱ 12 hours 0
Explore the waterfalls and rainforests of North Queensland on a full-day Atherton Tablelands tour from Port Douglas.
from €178.24 per person
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From Cairns: Reef Scenic Flight & Babinda Boulders SUP Tour
⏱ 7 hours 0
Join a 7-hour tour from Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef from a small plane on a scenic flight, then paddleboard on the crystal-clear creek at Babinda Boulders in the rainfo…
from €344.14 per person
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Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Day Tour with Wildlife Spotting
⏱ 8 hours 0
Spend a full day exploring the Atherton Tablelands with a Japanese-speaking guide. Search for wild platypus, feed rock wallabies, and sample local coffee and mango wine.
from €154.68 per person
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Atherton: Bat Sanctuary Tour with Guide
⏱ 1 hour 0
Join a guided tour of a bat sanctuary near Atherton. Learn about bats, see and hear microbats on a bat detector, and meet ambassador bats up close.
from €21.59 per person
Check availability →Before you book: Most tours climb the Gillies Highway, 80 km with a long series of tight bends — if anyone in the car gets travel sick, this is the road that does it, and sitting in front helps more than anything else. The waterfalls run hardest after the wet season and can be thin in September and October. Swimming holes here are freshwater and far from the estuaries, which is why swimming is normal at these spots and not on the coast.
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.