A day trip from Port Douglas to the World Heritage-listed rainforest at Kuranda: ride the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the treetops, wander Kuranda Village, and travel the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway, with a stop at Palm Cove on the way back.
Days
- 8 to 9 hours
Age
- All ages
Group size
- Small group, max 20
Start / finish
- Port Douglas / Port Douglas
- Port Douglas, about 4:30pm (8am tour) or dusk (11am tour)
Return
- Port Douglas, about 4:30pm (8am tour) or dusk (11am tour)
Transport
- Air-conditioned bus with hotel pick-up, Skyrail cableway one way and Kuranda Scenic Railway the other
Meals
- No meals are listed as included; lunch in Kuranda at own cost
Route
Included experiences
- Skyrail Rainforest Cableway — two mid-station stops
- Kuranda Scenic Railway — 1.5 hours through rainforest and tunnels
- Kuranda Village — markets, galleries and 2 hours free time
- Palm Cove — Esplanade stroll at sunset
- Captain Cook Highway — coastal drive
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
4.9
Based on 68 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 68 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the scenic train and Skyrail cable car rides, which they describe as offering breathtaking rainforest views and representing a worthwhile way to experience the area's natural beauty and heritage in a single day. The most significant standout is the quality and personality of the tour guides, who are frequently noted for their local knowledge, friendliness, professionalism and ability to engage groups with entertaining commentary and stories throughout the day. A common caveat is that Kuranda itself, whilst offering markets, dining and wildlife attractions, receives mixed reviews with some travellers finding it rather limited or run-down, and the town stop often feels too brief to fully explore both lunch options and the available attractions, particularly if the train or Skyrail experience any operational disruptions.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
“Day Trip from PD”
Chris was a colourful, knowledgeable guide, and the rainforest, Kuranda village and the train were all great. The Skyrail let us down, being crowded and mostly shut for construction, but that was out of anyone's hands.
“Great day trip”
I'd definitely recommend this tour. My only wish is that we'd known Gold Class was an option on the train, as we'd have loved to dine on board.
“Successful daytrip with great sceneries”
An enjoyable day trip. Chris, our guide, was punctual and well informed, with great stories about each place. The Skyrail was closed for works, so we got free entry to the butterfly sanctuary instead, though the short stop in Kuranda meant choosing between that and lunch. Thanks for the bus party back to Port Douglas.
“A jewell not to be missed.”
A superb day despite the weather. Pete, our guide, knew the area well and was clear about pick-up times and places, and there was good commentary on the train. Plenty to do in Kuranda, though I'd have liked more time there, and the train was late into Freshwater. Glad we got to enjoy the Skyrail.
“Perfect Day Trip to Kuranda”
A very well organised day taking in the train, the Skyrail and the butterfly sanctuary. Andrea shared plenty of information and stories on the drive.
“good”
An enjoyable and informative trip, though a long day from an 8am pick-up. An unexpected stop at Palm Cove added an hour and made us late for our evening plans.
