Queensland

Kuranda Scenic Railway Day Trip from Cairns

Badge of ExcellenceQueensland, Australia

From $134.59

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 7 hours
  • Pickup offered
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore the lush beauty, amazing wildlife, and rich heritage of Tropical North Queensland on this customizable full-day trip to Kuranda from Cairns. Travel to this enchanting rainforest village aboard the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway, and choose from a variety of activities including visits to Birdworld and Rainforestation Nature Park. Hang out with koalas and exotic birds, browse local markets, and more. At the end of the day, glide through the treetops back to Cairns on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
  • Experience the wildlife, history and lush landscape of Tropical North Queensland
  • Enjoy spectacular views from the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
  • Explore the markets and wildlife attractions of Kuranda during free time in the village
  • Pickup and drop-off at Cairns and northern beaches hotels included

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Choose from multiple tour options, all including the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail.

What's Included

  • Cairns pickup and drop-off
  • One-way trip on Kuranda Scenic Railway
  • Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
  • Rainforestation Nature Park (if option selected)
  • Kuranda Boarding Pass
  • Written itinerary available in German, Italian, French, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Birdworld, Kuranda Koala Gardens & Butterfly Sanctuary (own expense)
  • Any other optional activities not mentioned

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

  • Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
    6 Skyrail Dr, Smithfield QLD 4878, Australia

    6 Skyrail Drive, Smithfield, Bus Zone at the front of Skyrail Terminal

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Pickup is available from selected locations in Cairns - please contact the operator after booking to confirm your pickup location and time.

What To Expect

Create your own perfect day in the beautiful rainforest of Tropical North Queensland with several different activities that showcase the best of Kuranda.

Learn about butterflies at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary; take an exciting Army Duck tour at the Rainforestation Nature Park; observe Australian wildlife at the Kuranda Koala Gardens; or see hundreds of exotic birds at Birdworld.

All itineraries include a one-way ride aboard the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway. During the 1.5-hour journey, learn about regional history as your train winds through Barron Gorge National Park and wraps around mountain curves for spectacular vistas. Cross Stoney Creek Bridge and chug by gorgeous waterfalls before arriving at the charming Kuranda train station. 

To return to Cairns, get an aerial view of the rain forest as you glide above the treetops on the 4.5-mile (7.5-km) Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Ride in a 6-passenger gondola and disembark at two different vista points to take in fantastic views and explore the forest via a boardwalk. 

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairns is included with all options.

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rainforestation Nature Park

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Kuranda Scenic Railway

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Kuranda Koala Gardens

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Barron Gorge National Park

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Barron Falls

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Birdworld Kuranda

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Down Under Tours - Day Tours (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 80 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Gaynor_Z
It was the WWS trip with Greg it was absolutely fabulous he was informative knowledgeable & funny, would recommend this trip

Reviews

4.5
881 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 881 reviews
Karunda trip with Viator is amazing
Sunil_N, Apr 2024
First of all The trip is well organised by viator. It was hassale free. Now we enjoyed karunda scenic railway with most amazing views, learning about its history.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thanks Sunil for the review. We love to hear it was an overall seamless hassle free experience for you.
A nice and relaxing day!!
Corrine_L, Apr 2024
The experience was lots of fun!! The weather didn’t cooperate very much- lots of rain!! Barron falls was amazing Both true train and sky rail were good
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for the review Corrine. There is one up side to all our wet season rain and that is stunning waterfalls, like the mighty Barron Falls.
Disappointed
Alan_W, Mar 2024
The rail was shutdown due to weather conditions. Apparently the wet season shuts the railway down this time of year. No warning until the day before.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Hi Alan We are very sorry to hear that you have not had the best experience. Unfortunately, our Kuranda tours were cancelled last week due to heavy rainfall in the region, which led to the Kuranda Scenic Rail cancelling their services. We do apologise for the disruption to your plans and hope you enjoyed the remainder of your time in Tropical North Queensland. Kindest regards, Down Under Tours
Tour canceled
Brennr, Mar 2024
The tour operator canceled the tour. We did not find out until we called after waiting at the pick up location and no pickup.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Hello. Please feel free to contact us on sales@downundertours.com with your booking details and we can assist you and look into this further.
Fabulous
Gaynor_Z, Feb 2024
It was the WWS trip with Greg it was absolutely fabulous he was informative knowledgeable & funny, would recommend this trip
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your review. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed our Waterfall Wetlands and Skyrail Day Tour! We will pass on your feedback to driver Greg.
Terrible communication/terrible experience
Michael_R, Jan 2024
Tour operator failed to notify me that the tour was cancelled and in fact tried to upsell me the day before our scheduled tour to a "waterfall" tour. They failed to pick us up at the designated location in Cairns, and cancelled us without notice. We took an Uber to the Skytrain on our own and paid separately for the Skytrain. A very nice manager at the Skytrain called this tour operator for us and was told that they'd cancelled our tour - taht was the first we knew of it. The Kuranda experience itself was meh - not horrible, not terrible, not great either. BTW, I emailed the tour operator two days ago and they didn't even respond to my email. Do yourself a favor - rent a car for the day and drive up there on your own. You'll save money and won't have to deal with these folks.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Hi Michael, I would like to look into this further for you if you would like to email me on sales@downundertours.com with your booking number and details. I look forward to hearing from you.
Wonderful experience!
Julia_T, Dec 2023
They planned this experience out really well! The train and skyrail were really unique/beautiful experiences, and there was plenty of time in the quaint town of Kuranda. Would definitely recommend. The train does get pretty hot though, so bring a fan!
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Hi Julia, thanks for the review. We are glad you enjoyed the experience.
Fantastic sky ride.. but not so great train ride.
Venkatarao_I, Dec 2023
Our suggestion is Skip the train ride and do both ways on the skyway. It is fantastic ride on the skyway. Much cheaper also. You will get to see the beautiful natural forests just beneath your cable car .. it is a wonderful experience. The train views are not great. No air conditioning. You have to share a small seat with 3 other passengers. The train is old fashioned and not comfortable at all. Sky ride was so much fun especially after the train. We enjoyed sky ride very much. It just feels like you’re flying.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thank you for your feedback and your review. Happy to hear how much you enjoyed the Skyrail rainforest cableway experience.
Fabulous rides, great village! Wish we had more time to spend though.
Preran_K, Dec 2023
I loved the train ride to Kuranda conducted by Down Under Tours - I never knew I would be going through the world's oldest rainforest. The train and Skyrail views are amazing and worth every dollar you pay for, and more. I only wish we could have had more time in Kuranda - you get around two and a half hours, which is insufficient to do everything you want. We had to forego the boat ride because of a lack of time. Overall, we loved the experience. The only thing that could have been better is for the tour operator to have been more communicative about our pick up timing.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thank you for the review, so happy to hear you enjoyed your day travelling with us to Kuranda. If you would like to discuss anything further in regards to your pick up time communication, feel free to email us on sales@downundertours.com
Spectacular scenery!
Marcia_B, Dec 2023
Kuranda scenic railway was breathtaking. Beautiful scenery. The ride on the army duck through the rain forest was so much more than expected. It was good to see the animals and birds of course that is always fun,
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thank you Marcia for the review. It's great to hear you enjoyed your Kuranda experience.
Great Excursion
Shirley_S, Dec 2023
From start to finish, this excursion was fabulous. The only problem we encountered was the time difference for pick up at one of our stops was confusing. Our itinerary sheet, which was correct, vs Kuranda sign was different. We met lovely people…..go for it. It was well worth the price.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Hi Shirley, thank you for the feedback. If you would like to share more information about the timing difference, feel free to email us the details and your booking number. sales@downundertours.com
A must tourist trip if you are in Cairns
Subhash_P, Nov 2023
Train ride provided an amazing view of the mountains and the water falls Eventough we had banch seating, it was comfortable and enjoyable. The stops on the way provided opportunity to take pictures. The village experience was also good.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thank you for your review. Kuranda is a "must see" experience while in Cairns for sure.
Wonderful trip through the rainforest.
Robert_C, Nov 2023
The train ride up to Kuranda was beautiful. The guide on the train did a great job explaining the history of the railway and pointing out interesting sights along the way. We were given a few minutes to stretch and view Barron Falls on the way up. Walked around town for a few minutes and then visited the Rainforestation for a duck tour. The skyrail included two stops on the way back down. One gave another great view of Barron Falls. Our tour included bus transfer to and from the stations.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Hi Robert, thanks for the review. Sounds like you had an amazing day!
Disappointing
Shruti_K, Nov 2023
While the train ride and cable car were excellent, did i really have to pay so much for what was essentially a pick up from Cairns CBD to the railway station, and back? It may be better if you can yourself buy tickets for the train and cable car. They charged a bomb for almost nothing! You anyway have to pay to get into the butterfly park or koalas or birds, which are essentially just zoos. Will not recommend this. Very disappointed.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback, it is invaluable to us. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed the Scenic Rail and Skyrail Cableway experience during your visit. Regarding your disappointment with other components of the day, please reach out to us should you wish to discuss further. Sales@downundertours.com. PH: +61 7 4047 9066
NOT AS ADVERTISED!
Sherene_H, Nov 2023
This was a very disappointing and frustrating experience. The scenic rail trip and cable car trip up and down from Kuranda were good but that was about the only thing. I very regrettably chose the rainforestation package. We had very little time in the village of Kuranda due to having to get the shuttle bus to Rainforestation meaning I hardly got to see anything in the village. Then we got the shuttle bus to Rainforestation which is ultimately a zoo, which is not what it was described as on this website and definitely not what I wanted to see. We had very little time to even go around the zoo that I didn’t get to see half the animals (not an exaggeration) before the army duck tour which was the worst part of this trip. It was a 45min trip around the rainforest where the guide talked about trees and plants, not a single bit of wildlife to be seen or discussed such as it was described on the website. We then got the shuttle bus back to get the cable car back down from Kuranda, well before the time we were scheduled for our cable car, meaning we could have easily had more time in Kuranda or the zoo if they would have allowed it. The cable car down was nice but very little to do at the stops along the way only take in a nice view and take a photo. We arrived back for our bus back to Cairns about a half hour before the bus arrived so once again, we could have had more time actually on the trip. Overall this trip was a total waste of money and time! I would recommend booking the rail and cable car trips yourself and just making a day of it yourselves on your own schedule and not opting for this scam of a day tour. I will be requesting a refund!
Very beautiful !!
Jerrica_H, Nov 2023
The skayrail is amazing !! Beautiful views and great stops. You can look at the inspiration that they took for the avatar movie !! It such a sight to see. The kuranda village is amazing ! Many shops and markets for anyone that loves retail therapy and the train back has some nice views aswell
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for your lovely review.
Fun Day
Aniva_W, Nov 2023
Such beautiful views and a nice relaxing comfortable train ride to fun village. We enjoyed the birds, butterflies and koalas.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
We are pleased you enjoyed your Kuranda day out. Thanks for the review.
Fun day for all ages
Jinshan_L, Nov 2023
It was a fun day for our family with a three year old. Picked up from hotel to the railway station. Our children were very excited to be on the train while went through many tunnels and bridges. Kids also liked the army duck ride also the skyrail back. We would like to recommend these activities, we had love of fun and took many nice photos alone the way.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for the review. Happy to hear you had a great day with the family.
Great Tour!!!
Jill_B, Nov 2023
Very enjoyable way to see the rainforest by rail & sky!!! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on this tour & we would recommend it to everyone!
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for the review. It's great to hear you will recommend this tour to your friends.
The old railway which is...
Juliet_A, Nov 2023
The old railway which is really good experience and to know the history how it was built and the sneezy of the rainforest is beautiful
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for the review Juliet.
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