From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Wildlife & Waterfalls
Description
The Atherton Tablelands holds ancient rainforests, volcanic crater lakes, and wildlife found nowhere else on Earth. This is the best way to spend a full day in it. Departing Cairns, your small group heads into World Heritage-listed rainforest for a day of swimming, exploring, and wildlife watching. Slide down natural rock chutes at Josephine Falls, swim beneath Millaa Millaa Falls, cool off in volcanic Lake Eacham, and stand beneath the 500-year-old Cathedral Fig. Watch for platypus, cassowary, tree kangaroos, and turtles. Sightings are a regular part of the day. Your guide is local and genuinely passionate. They will point out wildlife you would walk straight past and adapt the pace to your group. Maximum 20 guests, so every stop gets proper time. Picnic lunch, entrance fees, national park permits, and return Cairns transfers included. Certified carbon-neutral. Fully accredited Queensland operator.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet the Barefoot Tours bus at Reef Fleet Terminal, Bus Bay #7, 1 Spence St, Cairns Marlin Marina. Look for the vibrant green or orange Barefoot Tours bus - arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
Your first stop is Babinda Boulders, known as nature's playground - a fast-flowing tropical creek set among huge granite boulders and lush Bellenden Ker rainforest. Take a refreshing swim in the natural rock pools or walk through the forest and hear the Aboriginal legends that surround this magical place.
One of the Tablelands' most loved swimming spots. The clear waters of Josephine Falls glide over smooth boulders into a natural pool with a rock slide that guests come back for again and again.
A scenic lunch stop in the heart of the Tablelands. Enjoy your included picnic lunch of sandwiches and fruit platter in a beautiful rainforest setting.
A panoramic vantage point over the rolling hills and lush farmland of the Atherton Tablelands. One of the best photo stops of the day.
One of the most photographed waterfalls in Australia, a single-drop curtain of water into a clear pool surrounded by protected rainforest. Time to swim, relax, and take photos at Cairns' most iconic waterfall.
Your guide takes you through the heart of the Tablelands, rolling hills, ancient rainforest, and local towns. Commentary throughout covers the region's natural history, geology, and wildlife. Watch for tree kangaroos along the way.
A swim in one of Australia's most beautiful volcanic crater lakes. Lake Eacham's crystal-clear waters are surrounded by ancient rainforest and are home to turtles and freshwater fish you can see clearly from the surface.
Marvel at one of Australia's most remarkable living structures, a 500-year-old strangler fig with roots that have grown to form a cathedral-like chamber in the forest.
The highlight wildlife stop of the day. Wander along the rainforest creek at dusk and watch for wild platypus in their natural habitat, one of the most elusive and iconic animals in Australia. Sightings are not guaranteed but are a regular feature of this tour.
Wet Tropics Wonder: Immerse yourself in the heart of one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is a living museum of natural history, home to ancient flora and rare wildlife. (The Region we visit throughout the day, not an actual location)
Drop off back in Cairns CBD.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Meeting point: Reef Fleet Terminal, Bus Bay #7, 1 Spence St, Cairns Marlin Marina, Cairns CBD Meeting time: 7:30 AM Or, arrange pick up at your accommodation in Cairns city.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Meeting point: Reef Fleet Terminal, Bus Bay #7, 1 Spence St, Cairns Marlin Marina, Cairns CBD
- Look for the vibrant green or orange Barefoot Tours bus - arrive 15 minutes before departure
- What to bring: towel, swimwear, comfortable shoes or sandals, sunglasses, hat, camera
- Water can be provided and there are water stations available along the route
- Pack a jumper or light jacket in winter months - temperatures in the Tablelands are cooler than Cairns
- Wildlife sightings including platypus, cassowary, and tree kangaroos are common but not guaranteed
- Itinerary is flexible and may vary based on weather and road conditions on the day
- Minimum age 8 years
Reviews(902)
When we reviewed the iternerary the night before we wondered what made us pick this tour. It turned out to be an excellent tour. Our guide Renae, was delightful, friendly, fun and a enhanced out day. She also had a great Playlist. Our group of 7 plus Renae really hit it off. The chatter and engagement continued until the end and we were sad to say good bye. The sights and tour was amazing. We even saw a couple of tree kangaroos and platypus!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review! We're so glad the tour exceeded your expectations and that you had such a great day with Renee. We'll be sure to pass on your kind words to her. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you again for another adventure!
Looking at the iternerary we wondered why we picked this long ago... We had the best day!!! Our tour guide, Rene was the best. Friendly, energetic, enthusiastic, calm. And had a great Playlist! We had a great mix of people on the tour who matched Rene's spirit. The sights were amazing and well spaced. We saw a tree kangaroo and a couple of platypus. It turned out to be her first trip as a guide and you would not have known that.
Thanks so much for the lovely review! We're so happy you had such a great day with Renee. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to her—they'll mean a lot. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Amazing experience with dominic and renee, covered alot of places and very professional
Thanks so much for the awesome review! We're so happy to hear you had an amazing day out with Dominic and Renee. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to them—they'll really appreciate it. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you back for another adventure soon!
The experience was fantastic. I enjoyed it. The only thing I can recommend for the tour guide/driver is to do trivia facts or live commentaries while driving and walking so it will not be boring during the travel. Other than this, it was near perfect experience. Thank you Caroline for being the tour guide
Thanks so much for your lovely review and for sharing your feedback! We're so glad you had a fantastic day and that Caroline helped make it such a great experience. We really appreciate your suggestion too, and we'll be sure to pass it on to the team as we're always looking for ways to make the journey even more enjoyable. Thanks again, and we hope to see you back for another adventure soon!
A fantastic day out for any nature lover or those unfamiliar with rainforest environments. Pristine waterfalls, easy graded walking tracks, and if you’re lucky enough, native wildlife. Wear good water shoes if swimming at the waterfalls. Incredible guides who were knowledgeable and friendly with a warm sense of humour and made everyone feel welcome and comfortable throughout the whole day. 10 out of 10 day.
Thanks so much for the fantastic review! We're absolutely happy you had such a great day exploring the rainforest with us. It’s awesome to hear you enjoyed the waterfalls, wildlife, and the company of our guides. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to the team—they'll really appreciate it. Hope to see you back for another 10/10 adventure soon!
Unfortunately we did not enjoy this tour all that much. Our guide only gave a brief few facts on cane toads at the beginning of the drive, then entirely dropped off with any other interesting guiding facts throughout the day. We were dropped off at locations, told where to go, and not much else. We were not too impressed with the guides driving, management of other members on the tour, and her overall guiding approach. Sadly we would not recommend this tour. Josephine Falls and Babinda Boulders were the only good things on this tour.
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear the tour wasn't what you were hoping for, although we're glad you enjoyed Josephine Falls and Babinda Boulders. Our guides each have their own style and may focus on different topics depending on the group, conditions, and interests on the day. We appreciate you sharing your experience and will certainly take your comments on board as we continue to improve our tours. Thank you for travelling with us.
We had a great time with Dom. You can really see his love of nature, Cairns, and the Tablelands. It was a pleasure having him as our guide. We got to see so much. As a bonus, he also graciously took lots of great photos along the way and offered them free to the group. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip.
Thanks so much for your lovely review! We’re absolutely stoked to hear you had such a great time exploring with Dom—he really does have a genuine passion for the Tablelands and it’s awesome that it shone through on your day. Sounds like you made the most of it and saw plenty along the way! We’re also glad you enjoyed the photos—Dom will be chuffed to hear that little extra made your experience even more memorable. Hope to welcome you back for another adventure in Cairns sometime soon!
1. Ten hour trip and the tour agency did not supply any water. Previously I have travelled with other tour agencies in Cairns and they all had water bottles on-board. I couldn't find any refill spots other than the lunch spot. 2. The tour guide, Trevor was fantastic. A great guy and very chatty. 3. Lunch was pathetic. 4. I won't travel with this agency again. 5. Tourists- passenger seatbelt is mandatory in the state of Queensland.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, we do appreciate you taking the time. All of our vehicles are fitted with seat belts, and they’re there to be used throughout the trip while travelling. Thanks again for joining us. Safe travels!
What a fantastic day with Tim and Andy! We saw an amazing number of beautiful places in a relaxed and incredibly informative way. We’ll be processing all the information we learned for weeks and we’re so grateful for the chance to see so much and learn so much about the rain forest, and the history and culture of the area. Thank you Andy, for being the best driver ever, and Tim for being so attentive and flexible! The bats were a true end of the day treat! It’s a must do when you’re in Cairns!
Thanks so much for the lovely review — we really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience! We’re thrilled you had such a fantastic day out. They’ll be absolutely chuffed to hear your kind words. We’re big believers in keeping things relaxed, informative and flexible, so it’s great to know that came through on the day. And how good are the bats at sunset! 🦇 Such a special way to wrap things up. Thanks again for joining us — we’re so glad you got to experience the rainforest, local history and culture in a meaningful way. If you’re ever back in Cairns, we’d love to have you out with us again!
The good stuff: The first swimming hole was very pleasant and everyone enjoyed the swim. The guide was pleasant and knew what she was doing. So why the one-Star review? We booked a full day tour to visit several waterfalls in the national park. The operator canceled our full day tour and substituted a half day tour that consisted of one lookout and two waterfall swimming holes. It is now four days since the tour and no refunds have been provided. I suspect they never notified Viator about the change in booking. Their communication regarding the cancellation was poor. They called my US phone number but I don’t have service in Australia. They could have messaged me on WhatsApp but they didn’t try that. They had my email (to sign a waiver), but never tried email. I found out about the cancellation when I used the Viator app to contact them when our pickup never arrived. The operator cancelled our full day tour because we were the only people who hadn’t already cancelled. So it was surprising that the half day tour only had two other people; apparently that one wasn’t cancelled even with only two people. The guide on the half day tour promised to send us the photos she took but we never received them.
Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback. We’re genuinely sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate you also acknowledging the positive aspects of the tour and our guide. We apologise for the frustration caused by the change from a full-day to a half-day tour, as well as for the breakdown in communication around this. That’s certainly not the standard we aim to provide. We also understand how disappointing it would have been not to receive the promised photos and to still be waiting on a refund. We’d really like the opportunity to properly look into this and resolve it for you as soon as possible. Could you please let us know the date you took the tour and email us directly so we can follow this up with Viator and our team? Once we have those details, we’ll be able to address both the refund and the photos. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention, and we appreciate the chance to make things right.
