Daintree River Cruise

The Daintree River is estuarine crocodile country, and an hour on the water with a guide who knows where to look is the simplest way to see one. The cruises run through mangroves and past mud banks where crocodiles bask, with birds, tree snakes and butterflies along the edges. Tickets start at $25 per person. Transport is the catch: the cruise-only tickets don’t include any, so the first decision is how you are getting to the river.

Five boats on one river

Our top pick is the Daintree River Wildlife Experience Cruise (our breakdown) from the Daintree River Cruise Centre, rated 4.7 by 521 guests. At $25 it is the lowest price on the site, and it includes morning or afternoon tea plus use of the Centre’s displays, picnic areas and bathrooms, which counts for something after a long drive.

The Crocodile Express cruise (our breakdown) costs $28 and is rated 4.7 by 450. Your ticket covers two routes. The Upper Daintree cruise leaves from the jetty in Daintree Village, and the Lower Daintree cruise leaves from the Daintree Ferry Gateway and explores what the operator calls the largest collection of mangrove species in the southern hemisphere. The two jetties are 13 km apart by road, and the pass stays valid for 14 days, so you can ride the second route on another day. The same operator also sells a Lower Daintree cruise with the same 14-day pass at $28.

The Bruce Belcher cruise (our breakdown) is $31, rated 4.6 by 149, and starts with a wander through the operator’s tropical garden before an hour on the river. Its listing flags it as unsuitable for pregnant travellers, people with back problems and anyone prone to seasickness. Daintree Crocodile Tours runs from the Daintree Village jetty for $35 with a cap of 24 people; it has 12 reviews so far.

The Crocodile Express listing notes that both its routes start on the southern side of the river, so there is no ferry to queue for.

Getting there from Cairns

The ferry crossing sits about 35 km short of Cape Tribulation, which puts the river a little over 100 km north of Cairns. If you have a hire car, a cruise-only ticket and a drive up the coast make an easy day, and the listing for our top pick suggests exactly that. Our guide to touring versus driving yourself weighs up the whole day.

Without a car, the cruise comes as part of a day tour. Every Cairns day tour on this site includes a crocodile cruise, usually for an hour. The Billy Tea Safaris 4WD tour (our breakdown) starts its day with one at the Daintree Cruise Centre, tea and biscuits first. The Mossman Gorge day tour and both small-group tours include one too, and so does every tour on our Cape Tribulation page. From Port Douglas, the afternoon Daintree tour (our breakdown) pairs a cruise, with a beer, wine or soft drink on board, with Mossman Gorge in about five hours.

About the crocodiles

The crocodiles here are wild, and the operators note that sightings can’t be guaranteed. What you can count on is a guide who reads the banks for them and knows the river. Never swim in the Daintree River, its estuary or at any croc-signed beach along the coast; the boats are the safe way to get close.

Where to go from here

A cruise fits neatly into a bigger day. For the gorge as well, see Mossman Gorge tours from Cairns; for the drive north of the ferry, see the Cape Tribulation tours. The best time to visit guide covers the seasons.

Driving up yourself? Check availability for the Wildlife Experience Cruise and pick a session.