Cairns: Best Value All-inclusive Reef Trip With Scuba Dive
Description
Discover the magic of the Great Barrier Reef on our Cairns Outer Barrier Reef tour! Visit two breathtaking outer Reef sites (weather dependant), perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving. One 20-min introductory or 40-min certified scuba dive is included (subject to medical conditions), giving you an up-close encounter with vibrant coral gardens and exotic marine life. Start your day with a freshly prepared breakfast egg & bacon roll and enjoy a hearty BBQ lunch made onboard by our dedicated cook. As you cruise back to Cairns, unwind with crackers, cheese, and a glass of wine. Our fun and passionate crew ensure an unforgettable experience filled with expert guidance, laughter, and adventure. This is truly the BEST VALUE day trip to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns!
Tour Options
Itinerary
7.30am Boarding Starts directly at the vessel, located on A Finger at the Cairns Marline Marina 8.00am Depart 8.30am Breakfast is served & briefings conducted
Travel to the Great Barrier Reef! 1.5 hours travel time. Please note we are also a transfer vessle to our overnight liveboard Reef Encounter. This usually take about 15 minutes. Visit Hastings, Saxon, or Norman Reefs We have access to multiple sites across these reefs. The skipper will choose the best two locations on the day, depending on the weather.
Spend up to 2 hours at the first outer reef site, enjoying snorkelling and/or scuba diving, relaxing onboard, or simply soaking up the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef.
Enjoy a delicious tropical buffet lunch onboard before cruising to a second outer reef site, where you will have up to 1.5 hours to continue snorkelling, scuba diving, and exploring the incredible marine life of the Great Barrier Reef.
Depart the Reef and head back to Cairns Marlin Marina. Enjoy a glass of wine, cheese & crackers and share your new memories with new friends! 1.5 hour travel time
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(42)
I got a call at 4pm on the day before the boat was supposed to go out saying its cancelled and to go another day. for people who are touring. this is pathetic. 4pm on the day before is insufficient time - Very pissed off with this operator - who could of done the curiosity of calling earlier in the day to organise something else. Go to another operator -
Our trip was amazing from start to finish, with a great breakfast and a very educational talk from a marine biologist which sets up the trip perfectly. We opted to do the intro dive which I was very nervous for which Harry from the team picked up on and made me feel more at ease and assisted me the whole of the dive. We enjoyed it so much we extended the introductory dive and did an extra one which was amazing! The food on board was also delicious but not too much as you’re straight back in the water! Couldn’t recommend this trip enough and if we’re ever in Cairns again I would definitely do it again !
New experience, learned a lot about the great reef barrier. Nice swimming with scuba diving Good food
Untrustworthy provider. CAREFUL! Our tour with the Reef Encounter belonging to the same company was cancelled 4 weeks before departure because the ship was broken. A full refund would be promised after 45 days. It's been almost two months now. No repayment, provider pretends dead. We also did a tour with the Reef Experience, you can also notice here that the equipment is partly poorly maintained. We had 2x broken equipment in a row (BCD/Octopus). Bulk handling. I can only explain this by a financial misalignment of the provider, who is still trying to make money somehow. CAREFUL!
The most incredible experience with such lovely staff, I spoke to many of them about their jobs and they were all very enthusiastic. A shout out to my guide Nadav, one of the many tentative and friendly people on board. I can’t wait to go back!
Great staff and nice boat. The reef location was very good. We saw a ton of coral and fish. Great day
Last minute cancellation due to mechanical failure No issues with getting refunded but was a bummer to find out last minute.
Thank you for your understanding. We’re very sorry for the disappointment caused by the last-minute cancellation due to an unexpected mechanical issue. While guest safety must always come first, we completely understand how frustrating this would have been. We’re glad the refund was processed smoothly and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on board in the future under better circumstances.
We booked a package trip from Sweden with flight-hotel-excursions to Australia where this excursion was included. When we boarded, we were immediately asked to pay 150 AUD for a weekend supplement. We had no money with us because it was "all inclusive" and information about this was given to us. The fault also lies with the travel agency but why doesn't Reef... charge the full cost? There were problems and we had to visit their office afterwards and pay. Bad Experience! In addition, the concept of "All inclusive" took on a new meaning. Breakfast sandwich was served but with it only tap water. Had expected, for example, juice. There was nescafe but could only be picked up when the boat was stationary. Would have been nice otherwise for breakfast. Lunch was served and had expected a beer or soft drink but no, only tap water. The food was not enough for everyone - cole slaw and regular salad ran out. A glass of wine from the bag-in-box was included on the way home - completely ok. if you wanted another glass it cost 7 AUD. When we asked the bar staff about a drink for our 15 year old, the answer was "we only have wine but maybe there is milk". The wife got angry and asked another staff member who brought out a coke. There were soft drinks to buy for 4 AUD and there would have been good information on the website so we would have known the conditions. There is much more to complain about unfortunately - the briefing that was done by security etc. on the way out was impossible to hear depending on weak voices and engine noise. Having said that, the snorkeling was great but we leave the trip with a bad aftertaste.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re very pleased to hear you enjoyed the snorkelling, though we’re sorry that other aspects of the day left you feeling disappointed. To clarify, a peak-season surcharge of $50 per person applies on Boxing Day. This charge is advised to all our trade partners and agents, however we appreciate that this information was not communicated clearly to you, and we regret the inconvenience this caused on the day. Regarding inclusions, complimentary tea, coffee and Milo are available throughout the trip. Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at very reasonable prices, which is standard across many reef day tours. We’re sorry if expectations around the “all-inclusive” wording were not clearly explained, and we agree that clearer pre-trip information helps avoid misunderstandings. We also apologise for the issues you experienced with food availability, drink service for your child, and the audibility of the safety briefing. These matters have been shared with our team for review and improvement. Thank you again for your honest feedback. While we’re glad the reef itself was a highlight, we’re sorry the overall experience did not meet expectations and appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention.
Organized, efficient, pleasant, professional + helpful staff . Great experience snorkelling with incredible views of reef fish + brilliant coloured coral . The trip was everything I had hoped it would be. 🙏
Thank you so much for your kind review, we’re thrilled to hear that your time on the reef was everything you hoped for! It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the snorkelling, vibrant coral and marine life, and felt well looked after by our organised and friendly team. As a locally owned company, feedback like this truly means a lot to us. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable reef experience in the future! 🙏
A bit disappointing. Only stopped at one spot, not two, with no explanation as to why. A person in our group took the scuba dive, but was in the last group in the afternoon and photographer only took photos in the morning. Price of photos was over the top - $35 for one digital photo. Boat was overcrowded with no space to put belongings - snorkels, stinger suits, flippers all got mixed up as everything was piled on top of one another. Not enough space to sit outside. Food was average.
Hi Susan, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback although we’re sorry to hear the day fell short of expectations. 🥺 We’re currently operating on a temporary vessel while our main boat is out for a refit, and while we do our best to deliver the same experience, we understand the layout and storage can feel more limited, especially on busy days. Your comments about gear organisation and outdoor seating are helpful, and we’ll keep working on improvements while we’re on this vessel. We normally visit two reef sites each day so we’re disappointed to hear this didn’t happen on your trip and that it wasn’t communicated properly onboard. We’ll follow this up with the crew to make sure guests understand any changes. The photography company typically capture both morning and afternoon sessions so we’ll look into why your diver missed out. And we appreciate the feedback on the catering as well, it’s always valuable for us to review.🙏🏼
