Premium Cape Tribulation and Daintree Tour from Cairns

About This Experience

Northern Experience Eco Tours sells this as its premium day, and the difference is mainly the group size: the inclusions cap it at 14 guests in a Mercedes Sprinter with panoramic windows. At 4.7 from 663 reviews it is also the best-rated Cairns departure on this site with more than a hundred reviews. Pickups run from Cairns, the Northern Beaches and Port Douglas, with a short stop in Port Douglas and the view over Four Mile Beach from Flagstaff Hill.

Mossman Gorge comes first, with about an hour and a half for morning tea (scones, jam, cream and tea or coffee), a guided walk through the forest and the chance of a swim in the Mossman River. Lunch follows at a local restaurant, about 45 minutes, with barramundi, chicken, steak, kangaroo or a vegetarian option, then an hour on the Daintree River looking for crocodiles and other wildlife.

After the cable ferry the afternoon runs through the forest north of the river: Alexandra Lookout over the river delta and the Coral Sea, a guided botanical walk under the canopy, and about 30 minutes at Cape Tribulation with the view from Kulki Lookout. On the way home the group stops at the Daintree Ice Cream Company, where the ice cream is your own purchase.

It suits couples and families with children over three who want everything the region offers in one day, in a minibus, not a full-size coach. The trade-off is time on the road: the listing describes roughly a 12-hour day with about three hours each way between Cairns and Cape Tribulation.

Highlights

• Share a Mercedes Sprinter with no more than 14 guests, per the listing's inclusions
• About 90 minutes at Mossman Gorge with scones, a guided walk and a chance to swim
• Restaurant lunch with barramundi, kangaroo, steak, chicken or vegetarian options
• An hour on the Daintree River looking for crocodiles and birdlife
• Guided botanical walk under the canopy and Alexandra Lookout over the river delta
• Stand at Kulki Lookout on Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the reef

What's Included

• ✓ Pickup from Cairns CBD and Northern Beaches accommodation
• ✓ Small group (maximum 14 guests) in a Mercedes Sprinter
• ✓ Morning tea with scones, coffee and tea at Mossman Gorge
• ✓ Restaurant lunch and tropical fruit tasting
• ✓ One-hour Daintree River cruise and cable ferry crossing
• ✓ Guided Mossman Gorge walk, botanical walk and all national park fees

Not Included

• Ice cream at the Daintree Ice Cream Company (own expense)

What to Bring

• Swimwear and a change of clothes
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a sun hat
• Insect repellent
• Water
• Comfortable shoes
• Cash or a card for ice cream and extras

Good to Know & Caveats

• Pickups start from about 7am in Cairns, 7:50am in Palm Cove and 8:35am in Port Douglas; the listed starting time is not your pickup time.
• Expect roughly a 12-hour day, with about three hours on the road each way between Cairns and Cape Tribulation.
• The listing states a 14-guest cap in its inclusions and a 16-guest cap in its notes; either way it is a minibus, not a coach.
• Oversize luggage is not allowed on board.
• Mossman Gorge swimming depends on conditions: the Cultural Centre advises against swimming in the Mossman River because of strong currents and submerged objects, so only swim in the sheltered spot, in calm dry-season conditions, and where your guide directs.

Meeting Point

Hotel pickup from Cairns city, the Northern Beaches including Palm Cove, and Port Douglas; your exact pickup time is confirmed by email after booking.