Home > Cairns > Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation and Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary Day Tour
USD $128.00
Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation and Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary Day Tour
Cairns, Australia
Travel from Cairns or Port Douglas along one of Australia's most scenic coastal roads to Cape Tribulation in World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park. Along the way, visit Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, Mossman George, the Daintree River and more. Gaze across the Coral Sea to the inner Great Barrier Reef when you stop at Mt Alexandra Lookout, and enjoy a refreshing lunch and optional swim at Cape Tribulation Beach. See wildlife such as koalas, kangaroos, cassowaries and crocodiles as you explore the natural beauty of the Wet Tropics of Queensland.
After pickup from your hotel, travel by comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle north along the coast, taking in rugged mountains to one side and miles of golden sand and crystal clear waters to the other.
When you reach Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, disembark to explore the wildlife park, which features native Australian wildlife in rainforest, wetlands and grasslands exhibits. See the critters up close, including cassowaries, tree-kangaroos, crocodiles, koalas and a variety of birds. You can even hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies.
Next, travel another 15 minutes north to Mossman Gorge, located in the southern section of Daintree National Park. Your guide shares informative commentary as you take a leisurely walk through the rainforest to viewing decks above the Mossman River. Learn about how local Kuku Yalanji people utilize forest plants for food, shelter and medicine and look for wildlife such as the Ulysses butterfly and Boyd's forest dragon.
Continue up the coast to Cape Tribulation, using the Daintree River Ferry to cross the river. Stop at the Mt Alexandra Lookout for spectacular views that extend on a clear day from the Daintree Rainforest and Daintree River across the Coral Sea to the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.
Arrive at Cape Tribulation and enjoy a delicious lunch at Cape Tribulation Beach House. For your main course, choose from locally caught barramundi (fish), steak or a vegetarian option, accompanied by garden salad, chips, fresh-baked bread and tropical fruit.
In the afternoon, enjoy free time to explore the white sands of the world famous beach. You can swim in the Coral Sea (in season), cool off in the rainforest pool at Cape Tribulation Beach House or stroll along the beach and boardwalk.
Then return to the Daintree River for a 1-hour cruise in calm waters. Be on the lookout for birds, butterflies, reptiles and saltwater crocodiles, and marvel at the tall mangroves that line the banks.
After the river cruise, your guide returns you to your hotel with a brief stop at Rex Lookout between Port Douglas and Cairns.
As others have said, all three places were very nice, worth seeing but our big tour bus had every seat taken and we were often given way less time than we would have liked. First stop we were just dropped at the entrance with no guidance about how to plan our very short time. Luckily we went right to the kangaroos or we could have easily missed them all together. A 5 minute bathroom stop had 4 minutes used just getting off the bus. The rainforest was also a quick tour and we left feeling like there was so much more to see but had to rush out to keep on schedule. The rides to all places were excessively long. Our guide shared interesting information on the way there but did not interact with us in any way on the way back. Lunch and beach time were especially rushed. Had hoped to get in the water but never did. Each person was allotted one piece of bread and when a vegetarian family with many children did not like their meal they were reluctant to give them bread. I had kangaroo which was rare I usually love rare meat but it was so tough I couldn't cut it even with the steak knife I had to ask for. Our guide seemed disinterested and didn't even get off the bus when he made the hotel stops, like he really wanted to get home. We always tip very generously on our excursions, but this one was not tip worthy .
Review by: libbypoints, March 2018
Amazing and educational! Andrew was our driver on this day trip and he did a great job. I learned a LOT about these places, learned small details that were fun! I even got a chance to eat a kangaroo steak! I was yummy! The time spent on the beach was short, but relaxing after the long day of adventure!
Review by: Deborah W, March 2018
We weren't lucky enough to see a croc, but I guess it was the wrong time of the year!
Review by: Twyla R, March 2018
We did both Kuranda and this excursion through Viator. Both were very well organized with excellent guides. We loved the Port Douglas Wildlife Sanctuary but the drive to Cape Tribulation was very long. The lunch outside was very nice upon arrival. We preferred the rainforest view via gondola at Kuranda better. It was pouring rain during the crocodile river cruise portion but our guide did manage to find us one crocodile which was exciting and much appreciated! This tour is good but If given a choice I would pick Kuranda over Daintree Rainforest. Our guide did a great job despite uncontrollable rainy conditions. _br/_ Canadian travellers
Review by: IAIN M, March 2018
The guide was excellent and we enjoyed visiting the Rainforest ,Wildlife Sanctuary and Cape Tribulation. The transport however was very uncomfortable . A better quality coach is required!
Review by: Susan R, March 2018
If you want to see a lot of the Rainforest and Cape then this isn't a great tour. Only 30 minutes at Mossman Gorge and didn't get up to waterfall. If you have lunch at Cape then you only get a max of 30 minutes there too. Swimming at waterhole not mentioned. We could have swam in pool near restaurant which looked filthy. Riverboat to see Crocodiles was great and wildlife park good but again not a long time spent there.
Review by: Helen D, March 2018
Excellent Tour guide who divulged lots of information during long bus trip that we would not have gained if made trip ourselves by car. Would have preferred more time at the animal sanctuary as did not have time to see all of the sections._br/_ The lunch was OK but not good,
Review by: barbara.lam, March 2018
We started off at the wildlife reserve in Port Douglas and absolutely loved it. You get to interact with the kangaroos and wallabies, and there was a chance to hold a baby snake, crocodile, or koala. My group would have liked more than 45 minutes at this wildlife reserve as we wanted to take advantage of all the opportunities to interact with the animals. We then went to the Mossman Gorge, where we did a guided hike on an elevated platform through the rainforest. We loved hearing about the different flora and fauna, and our guide was helpful in pointing out interesting, camouflaged animals to us. The walk is extremely easy to do with no elevation, no rough parts. In hindsight we would have enjoyed a more rigorous hike through the rainforest. This walk follows a clearly laid out elevated path and takes about an hour. Lunch was very good and we got nearly an hour to explore Cape Tribulation. On the drive up we also saw lots of different animals, including cassowaries. We ended up with a crocodile tour, and did see some crocs bathing on the banks of the Daintree River. The drive up to Cape Tribulation takes quite a while, and we ended up spending a lot of our day on the bus. This was partially good because it was so hot out, but we would have rather spent that time exploring the rainforest instead hence, minus one star. This is a perfect trip for those who want to do something easygoing and relaxed.
Review by: provencd, March 2018
It was a rainy day, but nothing stopped us from enjoying the DaintreemRain Forest. It was so peaceful in the Mossman Gorge as we had the trail to ourselves. Saw incredible plants and birds. We especially enjoyed the Wildlife park as well as there were very few people and the wallabies were everywhere hoping to be fed by us. Seeing the giant Cassowaries up close was incredible. Stopped for a great lunch at Cape Tribulation and then did an hour long river cruise where our guide gave extensive knowledge about life on the river. We were just feet away from huge crocodiles and traveled into water passageways which were lush and dark. Really a wonderful tour. Thanks to Daniel our guide for a day to remember.
Review by: beatriz m, February 2018
I liked the travel guide, the places we visited. I think there should be a driver and a tour guide, not the same person for both activities._br/_ I didn't like the cruise on the river, we could only see 4 crocodiles, 3 of them very small
Review by: Shelly S, February 2018
If you have kids this trip might not be for you as you are rushed during the day. It was our instructor’s 3rd day on the job. He was knowledgeable but when talking outside the bus, only those standing next to him got to hear. The destinations are beautiful. The highlight: crock river boat ride
Review by: Emanuel S, January 2018
just an ok tour
Review by: davenewlyn, January 2018
Really good day trip to the Daintree. Excellent guide/driver. Didn't see any crocodiles but the trip on the river was still fun. Gave us a great overview of the area so if we go back in the future we can explore further.
Review by: Peter S, December 2017
Max was our guide/ driver and he was great. We saw lots and had a fun day.
Review by: Sam L, December 2017
Loved the Wildlife Sanctuary, though we were given just 45 mins to go around the whole thing. We couldn't cover most of the sanctuary 'cuz of this. But this place is a must-visit. Cape Trib was really beautiful. It's just like you see it in pictures. Mossman Gorge makes the trip really worth taking. The food we got as part of the package was not that good though. Mind you, we had asked for a vegetarian option and we just got a super-heaped bowl of very very sour arrabbiata pasta and nothing more. That's the only sore spot for us in the whole trip. Otherwise, all good!
Review by: Chiara O, December 2017
Amazing tour with such an inspiring guide, Eddie. The Rainforest and Cape Tribulation are such beautiful and unique places that you won't get to see anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately we couldn't spend much time in there because of the tight schedule but overall it definitely was an unforgettable experience.
Review by: GILLIAN C, November 2017
We loved this trip! Our tour guide was Eddie and he was just amazing! He was so passionate about the area and the people. We enjoyed the variety during the day. We stopped first at the Wildlife park and were able to feed Kangaroos and Wallabies so sweet!. Then we went to Mossman Gorge and walked in the Rainforest. After that we carried onto Cape Tribulation and had a lovely lunch there with some time afterwards to wander on the beach. To end the day we went on a river cruise where we managed to see some crocodiles! I would thoroughly recommend this trip!
Review by: Kerrie-Anne W, November 2017
The tour and guide were great. The tour started late for me, I got to the wildlife habitat later than my fellow tourists. My guide gave me return ticket so I could go back before I left. The place is amazing. Mossman gorge and the Daintree are both pretty. The boat ride on Daintree river was fantastic.
Review by: Diana s, November 2017
Loved this tour, our guide Eddie was so knowledgeable about the area and the Aboriginal people!! This area is so beautiful reminds me of Hawaii. The wildlife sanctuary was fun with being able to interact with some of the animals. Enjoyed the trip on the Daintree River and getting to see some crocs along the river.
Review by: coop19691, November 2017
Great tour!
Review by: Krystle S, October 2017
This is a good tour if you don't have a car and want to quickly see these sites. The highlight of this trip was feeding the little kangaroos at the wildlife habitat, BUT it was so early in the morning and there was a big bowl of food already out for the kangaroos which defeated the whole purpose, so most didn't want to eat from us...we were also given only 45 minutes and missed the chance to take pictures holding a koala or other animals. It would have been nice to have more time and been informed about the schedule for animal appearances. Daniel our driver/ tour guide never took role call before or after getting onto our bus. There were at least 2 times where 1 or 2 people got lost from our group, which delayed our tour. You spend A LOT of time on the bus, but we get that you're trying to cram all these things in one day...which makes it even more important to be more organized about role call or finding a way to keep everyone together.
Review by: Naomi H, October 2017
Very enjoyable whistle-stop tour of the area. I think if we were going back we'd take more time and see places more thoroughly, but given our constraints this worked very well for us.
Review by: Wendy H, October 2017
What an amazing tour_br/_ Eddie or driver and guide was an encyclopaedia of information about the area, the environment. The indigenous culture ( mind opening) the stars and the world it made the trip so well informed _br/_ If you don’t speak English you would miss out on so much_br/_ Brilliant guide
Review by: Barbara K, October 2017
Tour was amazing and our guide was great. He knew when to share information and when to let us sit back and enjoy the view. He was also very timely.
Review by: Ken M, October 2017
The day starts early and is a jammed packed long day._br/_ Our driver/guide was fantastic with a wealth of knowledge, doing your own thing would have meant missing out on a lot of things._br/_ There is so much to see and the amount of time spent at each attraction was spot on. _br/_ Highlights? Too many to list a favorite, each has its own unique drawcard. From the interesting Wildlife Sanctuaries animals/birds, the majestic view at Cape Tibulation to the Daintree Rainforest._br/_ This is a value for money trip not to be missed.
Review by: Edward M, September 2017
The trip to Cape Tribulation was superb. My husband daughter and myself enjoyed the trip. However, the tour guide leaves much be desired. I will not mention his name for the purpose of privacy The tour guide was rude during the drive and I have a 9 year old daughter who is impressionable and has seen firsthand the hospitality of the locals. In any case the trip to Cape Tribulation is a definite place to visit. The beach was beautiful and the food at the nearby restaurant was delicious. I wish we could have spent at least 90 minutes at the wildlife habitat. I would have loved to have fed the wallabees. I wish the tours were at least 90 mins in each area and I often felt rushed. I recommend the private tours if you are willing to pay top dollar. As trips go this is a scenic tour which I highly recommend.
Review by: Linda R, August 2017
Enjoyed very much
Review by: ndgesq, August 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Polona G, August 2017
Amazing nature! We expecially liked Mossman Gorge!
Review by: Rosalie M, August 2017
This tour is great for any one for wants to see the rainforest and Cape tribulation in a comfortable airconditioned bus
Review by: jedelph, August 2017
This tour allows you to scratch the surface on some of the things that is available near Cairns. Since this is only a day trip we were picked up at 6:55 and dropped back off at our hotel at 6:20 we were still able to experience some gorgeous sights. Even though it was winter time - it is well worth the trip. Our guide Max was great! Very energetic,informative and friendly. The Rainforest Habitat is very nice - lots of animals to see and interact with. Mossman's Gorge is a great way to get out and stretch your legs. Views were great and it is an easy walk. The drive through the rainforest is breathtaking while Tribulation cove was amazing. You have the chance to try a Kangaroo steak there if you are willing! There is a small ferry that you take to cross the Daintree river. The cruise on the river is interesting - the boat captains know where all the crocodiles hang out and even have names for all of them so you do get to see them in their natural habitat. I was torn between taking this tour or the Kuranda Scenic tour. I was able to take both and highly recommend this one as my favorite.
Review by: Andrew C, August 2017
This was a great trip that I recommend everyone do. Our driver and guide were very knowledgeable, telling us the history of the area, and pointing out different types of plants. We walked through the Rainforest, had lunch at Cape Tribulation and then walked along the beach! _br/_ We also walked along the path of the Mossman Gorge followed by a river cruise where we saw several crocodiles! Long day but recommended!
Review by: crishernandeze, July 2017
Great experience we did so much things!
Review by: Paul J, July 2017
Great day tour, highlight was the guided river cruise with, commentary from the guide on the boat was brilliant. he informed us of the full ecosystem and the need to preserve it.
Review by: Marina K, June 2017
Great tour and an incredibly friendly and knowledgeable guide, who did all he could to make us feel welcome and keep us plenty informed and happy. And comparatively reasonable price, about 60 of what you would pay if you did it without Viator.
Review by: nataliebtreisen, May 2017
Great guide, huge knowledge of the area and fun talking to. The rainforest as well as the cape tribulation are amazing - like all the nature here in Australia I think.
Review by: Rome M, May 2017
The Daintree was awesome and so was Cape Tribulation and the crocodile boat ride. Unfortunately it was the first time our tour driver had used this particular bus and he did not know how to work the PA system or air conditioning. So we did not get much information about the Daintree etc. I was also expecting a guided walk with an aboriginal guide and a swim at Cape Tribulation, which did not happen. The boat ride was great, the captain knew and loved the river, the fauna and flora do we saw crocs, pythons birds and learnt about mangroves etc. the trip was long and because of the distance we whizzed past a lot, I would suggest if possible at least two day trip to get the most out of a truly wonderful experience
Review by: vgibson67, April 2017
This was a great trip. Our driver and guide was very knowledgeable. We learned a lot about the area. The walk through the rainforest was beautiful. Our guide pointed out many varieties of trees and plants. It was an easy walk with great views. We had lunch at Cape Tribulation, food was ready for us and the barramundi was very good. We had enough time for a walk along the beach. We also walked along the path of the Mossman Gorge. On the short river cruise we saw several crocodiles, the guide was very informative. It was a liong day but definitely worth it.
Review by: JadeUSA, April 2017
Australia is a big country. If one wants to visit the Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation and Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary in one day, one has to wake up early to be picked up from one's hotel. We didn't get to enjoy our hotel's free breakfast due to the early morning trip although they were nice enough to give us breakfast-to-go boxes. Due to the distance, the time to enjoy the places were limited. Nevertheless, it was a good trip and our driver/guide shared his in depth knowledge of the places we visited. The rain was a damper though.
Review by: Katherine C, April 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Mukesh P, April 2017
A very good tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and very pleasant. We were not rushed along at any point during the trip.
Review by: Waldemar Z, March 2017
very nice trip, worth recommending. the guide was excellent, so was the atmosphere among all of us
Review by: SANDRA B, March 2017
This was a very interesting tour, The wildlife sanctuary was lovely, situated amongst the trees. A cruise on the river was fascinating and the boatman was very knowledgeable. Visits into the rainforest and to a swimming hole added to the interest. An excellent lunch was in a lovely rustic restaurant but the scenery was second to none - the bay and beach were almost empty and so beautiful! A great day and an excellent, knowledgeable driver
Review by: John M, March 2017
This was an excellent tour. We had a knowledgeable guide who kept us to the brisk schedule. It was a great way to see so much in one day.
Review by: maincj21, March 2017
Wow, this tour certainly packed a lot in!
Review by: Caroline B, March 2017
We had a great day with our guide - We highly recommend this tour!
Review by: Bernhard F, February 2017
The tour was awesome. Whitehaven Beach is just breathtaking. The snorkling and daydream island were really nice too. The crew was very friendly and careing
Review by: stracy212, February 2017
This tour was like a glorified bus ride. After a 1.5 hour drive from Cairns, we arrived at the wildlife habitat. We were given 1 hour to walk round. Thought this would not be enough time, but its so small we were outside early waiting for the minibus to pick us up. After about age back on the bus we were at Mossman Gorge, took about 20 mins to walk round there. Nice view but that's about it. On we went again to Cape Tribulation and over lunch venue. The bus driver had already told us it was not a 5 restaurant, so I think he was trying to prepare us to not expect much. My son and I both chose the fish option which was edible, my partner had steak, or should I say fat and grissle! Cape Tribulation beach is a lovely scenic spot but you can't go in the water jellyfish and Crocs, so once you have eaten what food you could and had a stroll and taken pics we found ourselves killing time and waiting for the bus. After about another hour of butt numbing driving we came to the river cruise. Not sure who thought up that title. It was like getting into a skip with a motor on board. We saw 1 small croc a couple of tree pytons and hundreds of bats, bare in mind bats are all over Cairns, so we had already seen hundreds outside our hotel. Then back on that bus again for the 2 hour drive back! This tour was overpriced, with most if the day spent sat on a mini bus.
Review by: Jennifer W, February 2017
Well, let me start off by saying that this trip only confirmed that I am not really a tour oriented person. The whole day was a rush from the moment we made our last of many, many pick-ups. Honestly, as convenient as hotel pick-up and drop-off is, this type of trip would be better off with a few general pick-up and drop-off locations. We hurried up to Port Douglas where we dropped two non-participators off in town and picked up yet more individuals to then go to a wildlife center that we had passed going into town in the first place. That seemed kind of dumb. I appreciate that the Port Douglas people were pick-ups but couldn't they have just met the tour at the center? We had about an hour to run around the center and that just seemed to be for the purpose of selfie takingthe theme of the whole day. The bus was late to pick us up because the driver had been searching for the two non-participators. We knew they weren't to be a part of most of the activities including lunch because the driver mentioned everything they weren't going to be a part of at least 100 times and sadly, that's not an exaggeration. We then scurried up the road through the Daintree where we were vaulted out of the bus at Mossman Gorge and dragged around the loop at a frantic pace to ensure that, once again, there was time for selfies at every single lookout. I don't think I actually learned a blessed thing about the gorge except how one should angle one's self to look amazing in a photo there. We were not given time in the gallery/shop and were given a 5-minute deadline to see the facilities and be back on the bus. The driver was male which almost certainly explains wy he thought there would be no queue for the ladies. It turns out we were rushed back on the bus so we could drive all the way up to Cape Tribulation for a 45-minute lunch. I admit that I chose to eat my lunch as opposed to run down to another beach at which we couldn't swim. The lunch was decent but not worth driving all that distance. We then flew back down the road to ride the boat. I enjoyed the ride even it was the completely wrong time of the year to see crocodiles. The captain has a real issue with the Flying Foxes and really spoke his mind on the topic at length, it seemed a tad dark for a touristy river cruise. On the way back into Cairns we stopped for Cassowary and a few vistasobscured by cloud.
Review by: Gillian M R, February 2017
Fabulous trip. We were only in Cairns for 2 days but this tour included so much in just one day. We were picked up from our hotel and our guide was excellent making the trip fun and informative. Highlights were the Mossman Gorge and the beach at Cape Tribulation where we had Barramundi for lunch and the cruise down the Daintree River where we did spot a crocodile snoozing in the mangroves! The wildlife sanctuary at Port Douglas was also great, saw lots of Aussie wildlife but we were not there very long only 45 mins just about got round and saw everything. Great homemade ice cream on the way back. Would highly recommend the tour.
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