Enjoy the sunrise at Palm Cove, a suburb of Cairns

Adventures in Cairns Tour: Discovering Daintree & The Great Barrier Reef

Ratings of Zicasso's Service
Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Australia

Places Visited

Cairns, Kuranda, Green Island, Mossman Gorge...

See all

Suggested Duration

7 Days

The adventurous spirit of Australia thrives around the Queensland seaside city of Cairns. Your custom tour will put the natural wonders of Australia first to immerse you in the emerald canopy of the northeast rainforest and then submerse you in the crystalline turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean as you view the Great Barrier Reef. Listen to the tales of the Earth’s creation during Dreamtime, and watch the colors of sunrise expand across the sky as you sit inside a drifting hot air balloon. Indulge...

Customizable Itinerary

Expand All

Trip Highlights

  • Discover the iridescent colors of the remarkable marine life of the Great Barrier Reef on a VIP tour around two snorkeling destinations
  • Explore the winding rivers and mountainous panoramas of Daintree during a guided luxury exploration of the rainforest and riverbanks as you search for crocodiles
  • Venture to Green Island to visit the powder white sand of a land body set amidst the radiant coral of the Great Barrier Reef
  • Visit a mangrove forest on horseback as you traverse the grounds of a thriving sugarcane plantation
  • Savor the unique opportunity to swim with whales during your whale watching excursion off the coast of Queensland
  • Relish a sunrise as you glide through the air in a hot air balloon in view of the Great Dividing Mountain Range
  • Enjoy the thrill of whitewater rafting down the rapids of the Barron River

Detailed Description

The adventurous world of Australia is within reach during your unique and active 7-day tour, perfect on its own or as an addition to another journey through Australia or New Zealand during the winter of the Southern Hemisphere. The wonder of it all will begin with your arrival in Cairns as your private transfer will escort you to a charming boutique hotel nestled in the rainforest trees.  With a view of the powdery beaches of the northeast coast, you will have the remainder of the day to relax at your hotel or explore the charms of Cairns and its celebrated esplanade. The following morning, you will venture to the marina and board a boat bound for the Great Barrier Reef.

With a marine biologist on board, you will partake in the luxuries of your catamaran cruise. Dip into the water and follow your individual guide while snorkeling at two separate spots along the reef before returning to Cairns. The next day, you will journey to Daintree Rainforest for a full day of wandering along the riverbanks and the jungle brush. Search for crocodiles around the Daintree River, sample enticing exotic fruits, enjoy the quality panoramas and cross the jungle terrain on a cable ferry.

The next day, you will return to the marina, this time bound for the open sea in search of migrating whales. Your particular vessel will offer the unique opportunity of jumping into the water to swim with the majestic mammals as you pass Australia’s eastern coast. The following day, you will set out to reach the shores of Green Island on a half-day tour where you can opt to relax on the white sand beach or dip into the water at your leisure.

To round out your day, travel back to the shore for a horseback-riding excursion across the landscape of a sugarcane plantation.  Trot through creeks and wander along mangrove forests before you come back through the tall strands of sugarcane. The next morning, you will glide through the morning air to catch the sunrise from a hot air balloon. Upon your return to Cairns, you will venture into the rainforest terrain to travel down the Barron River on a guided whitewater-rafting excursion. To conclude, your private transfer will meet you at your hotel and escort you to Cairns Airport where you can continue your adventure around Australia or journey home.

Starting Price

$2,900 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.86 stars based on 1812 reviews.

Australia Tour Review: Ningaloo Reef, Bungle Bungle, Mitchell...

Zicasso's travel designer put together a trip that got us to the places we wanted to see, with companies that suited our abilities and desires. He offered excellent suggestions, was always available, and was a pleasure to work with.

Reviewed By Mark H.

Australia, New Zealand Tour Review: 13-Night Trip

We very much enjoyed our time in New Zealand and Australia. The tours were all very good. Zicasso's travel agent and our tour partner were very responsive and helpful throughout the planning phase and while we were on vacation.

The only feedback we have is that the hotels selected, other than the hotels in New Zealand, did not have the amenities we were hoping to get from four-star properties. We'll do a better job of indicating what we need in hotel selections moving forward, but we thought the hotels could have been a notch better than they were.

Reviewed By Tim G.

Australia Travel Review: Melbourne, Tamborine Mountain,...

I would use our travel company again in a minute! Zicasso's travel consultant really “got me” and designed the perfect trip for us.

The highlights especially included picking perfect places for us to stay (close to most everything we were doing and in the heart of the cities). The tours, both private and small group, gave us not only what we asked for, but even more that we didn’t know existed.

The itinerary was as detailed as it could possibly be, describing the day, what to bring, names and phone numbers to call if there were issues, and who we needed to call to confirm future tour dates.

One of our highlights was the penguin experience. Our guide was great and our trip planner got us “plus” tickets, which I would definitely recommend. Finally, she provided us with the necessary info and guides (where necessary) for our amazing hikes.

Reviewed By Ellin A.

Australia Travel Review: Cairns, Blue Mountains, Bungee...

Zicasso's travel specialists were fantastic! They provided excellent and unique recommendations. As a traveler seeking adventure and outdoor experiences, they completely understood my needs. Additionally, all accommodations were high quality, communication was very clear, and pricing was reasonable. I would strongly recommend them to anyone traveling to Australia/New Zealand.

Reviewed By Emil S.

Australia, New Zealand Trip Review: Tasmania, Rotorua, Uluru,...

We absolutely loved so much of our trip! My kids’ (ages 11 and eight) favorite activities were luging in Rotorua, NZ, and the sunset camel ride in Uluru, AU, while my husband and I were enchanted by Hobbiton and enjoyed exploring a glowworm cave with the owner's father! We all loved Tasmania.

There were a few hiccups. However, we were very happy with all the support the Zicasso travel company's team provided in real time to help us get back on track. 

The overall trip was fantastic. My husband and I appreciated having the team support our adventures, both the highs and the lows. The team members were detailed-oriented. This trip exceeded our expectations and we’re incredibly grateful for their expertise in curating such memorable experiences.

Reviewed By Sivly R.

Australia Trip Review: Sydney, Uluru, Kakadu, Freycinet...

Zicasso's tour planner did a superb job for us. She collaborated with us on working out our itinerary and had useful information on how to combine our desired destinations efficiently.

While we were in Australia, she was available via the company's app, including helping us on a late evening when our flight from Sydney to Hobart was canceled because of a cyclone and we needed a short-notice hotel in Sydney.

Reviewed By Henry H.

Your Dream Vacation

in 3 simple steps

  1. 1

    Describe your dream trip

  2. 2

    Get matched with top travel specialists

  3. 3

    Book the trip

Free service - no credit card required