Daintree and Cape Tribulation 4WD Tour from Cairns

About This Experience

Billy Tea Safaris has been running this Cape Tribulation day long enough to collect 1,805 reviews, and it is built around the rainforest north of the Daintree River with no Mossman Gorge stop. Pickup is in a 4WD from Cairns, the Northern Beaches or Port Douglas, followed by roughly two and a half hours north along the Captain Cook Highway.

The first stop is the Daintree Cruise Centre for tea, coffee and biscuits, then a one-hour guided cruise on the Daintree River looking for estuarine crocodiles and birdlife. After the ferry crossing comes a 45-minute guided boardwalk through the national park past palms said to be 900 years old, then an hour for lunch in the forest with a freshwater swim.

In the afternoon you get about 30 minutes on Cape Tribulation Beach, with the short boardwalk to the headland lookout for anyone keen to climb. On the way back the group stops for around 30 minutes at the Daintree Ice Cream Company, where a signature cup is part of the tour price, before the ferry and the drive home.

This tour suits travellers who want Cape Tribulation and a swim in the forest more than a Mossman Gorge walk, and who like having the treats covered. The operator describes the touring itself as about 8 hours, but depending on where you are picked up the whole day can run to 12. Some guests find the ride between stops bumpy, so bring motion-sickness tablets if you need them.

Highlights

• Morning tea at the Daintree Cruise Centre before an hour on the river looking for crocodiles
• 45-minute guided rainforest boardwalk past palms said to be 900 years old
• An hour for lunch in the forest with a freshwater swim
• Around 30 minutes on Cape Tribulation Beach, with a short boardwalk to the lookout
• Environmentalist driver-guide in a 4WD vehicle
• A signature cup at the Daintree Ice Cream Company on the way home

What's Included

• ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairns, the Northern Beaches and Port Douglas
• ✓ Tea, coffee and biscuits before the river cruise
• ✓ One-hour Daintree River cruise
• ✓ Lunch and a freshwater swim in the rainforest
• ✓ Daintree ice cream (signature cup)
• ✓ Cable ferry crossing and national park fees

Not Included

• Personal expenses
• Transfers from Cairns southside accommodation (make your own way to the operator's office)

What to Bring

• Swimwear and a towel
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a sun hat
• Insect repellent
• Comfortable shoes
• Water
• Camera

Good to Know & Caveats

• The pickup time on your confirmation is approximate; contact the operator at least 48 hours before the tour to confirm it.
• The touring runs about 8 hours, but the full day can stretch to 12 hours depending on your pickup area.
• Large bags and luggage are not allowed on board.
• Saltwater crocodiles live in the Daintree River and along this coast. Sightings from the cruise boat are common but never guaranteed, and you never swim in the river, estuaries or at croc-signed beaches.
• The rainforest is green all year. The dry season (roughly May to October) is the most comfortable; the wet season (about November to April) brings heavy downpours and high humidity, and marine stingers are around the beaches from roughly November to May.

Meeting Point

Hotel pickup from Cairns, the Northern Beaches and Port Douglas; confirm your exact pickup time with the operator at least 48 hours before the tour.