Kuranda Scenic Railway Day Trip from Cairns
Description
Experience the rainforest beauty of Tropical North Queensland on a scenic day trip from Cairns. Enjoy a journey on the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway and a ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. You’ll have free time in the village of Kuranda to browse its markets, have lunch or visit wildlife attractions like Birdworld or Kuranda Koala Gardens or choose the option including Rainforestation Nature Park. (Food, drinks and activities in Kuranda are at your own expense)
Tour Options
Itinerary
The largest butterfly flight aviary & exhibit in Australia. Situated next to the Kuranda Markets, it is home to over 1500 tropical butterflies. Wander through the aviary's lush tropical gardens and breeding laboratory to learn more about a butterfly's life cycle & behaviour.
Glide over and through the canopy of the ancient rainforest and marvel at the spectacular views from Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. There are two stops along this gondola journey where you can alight and explore the rainforest from within.
Choose the Rainforestation Package if you would like to visit this wonderful nature park. See Australian wildlife in their wildlife park, and take an amphibious Army Duck tour through the rainforest. PLEASE NOTE: NO free time in Kuranda if this option is selected
Take a historic journey on the Kuranda Scenic Rail, travelling through the rainforest and along the mountainside of Barron Gorge.
Visit this wonderful Wildlife park to see iconic Australia wildlife. Feed and pat the tame wallabies and kangaroos. Discover wombats, freshwater crocodiles, lizards, snakes and much more! Koala photos are also available.
See the might Barron Falls from both the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Edge Lookout, and at a stop on your journey on the Kuranda Scenic Rail.
See the might Barron Falls from both the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Edge Lookout, and at a stop on your journey on the Kuranda Scenic Rail.
Immerse yourself in this wonderful free flying bird exhibit. See and enjoy the company of hundreds of rare and beautiful exotic and Australia native species in the lush tropically landscaped setting.
Down Under Tours is Tropical North Queensland’s leading day tour operator with an extensive range of tour options to suit any taste. We love to share the beauty of Tropical North Queensland and the ancient rainforest with our passengers.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup is available from selected locations in Cairns - please contact the operator after booking to confirm your pickup location and time.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Reviews(1,111)
We booked the day tour through Viator including the hotel transfer. We were picked up from the hotel on time and taken to Smithfield terminal in Cairns for our Skyrail journey. There were 2 stops in between, Red Peak where we got off to explore the rainforest through walkways and Barron Falls, a stop with views of Barron Falls. In Kuranda, we had about 4 hrs of leisure time to explore the historic village and surrounds. There were options to either learn about indigenous history at the Tjupakai Aboriginal Cultural Park or encounter native wildlife like kangaroos, butterflies and koalas in the village for us to choose with our own expenses in that time. We realised that we didn't have enough time to go to The Aboriginal Cultural Park. So ended up visiting the Kuranda Koala Gardens, The Australia Butterfly Sanctuary & the Birdworld. We spent some time browsing the famous Heritage Markets in Kuranda before walking back to the station. We came back on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, winding through lush mountain passes and waterfall gorges along the way for 37km. When we got to the station, we were picked up and dropped off at our hotel.
*This is not a "tour"- this company drives you to the rail station and drops you off then drives you back to town at the end of the day. Kuranda railroad is a fun historic train line with beautiful scenery and well narrated. The cableway down was beautiful as well, but not for those with a fear of heights! Time in town at the top was too long, as the shops are mostly tourist junk. After lunch we had nearly 2 hours before returning down. When arriving in parking lot we had another 45 min wait for bus. Worth a day if you have extra time in Cairns
Kuranda scenic railway day trip a bit too long. too noisy people in our train cabin. stopped for 15 minutes as there was a sound came up help. no one in the carriages were among that. delayed over half hour. felt tired. no announcements were made, and even at the railway station. we had to fend for our selves finding the carriage.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your Kuranda Scenic Railway experience. We’re sorry to hear the journey did not meet your expectations and that the delays, lack of communication, and difficulty locating your carriage impacted your day. Please note that we do not have staff stationed at the railway stations or Skyrail terminals to assist with seating or boarding arrangements. Staff at these locations are available to assist passengers directly and should be able to provide guidance regarding carriage locations, seating, and any operational updates on the day. We understand how frustrating the delays and lack of announcements would have been, and we appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention. Your feedback is valuable and will be shared with the relevant operator for their review.
Amazing experience, Kuranda train has taken us back in time and SkyRail allowed us to see the breathtaking beauty of Atherton Tablelands, thank you for making all possible to see and experience, Absolutely Great Job and Keep It Up, Best Regards and Wishes Longina and Family
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a wonderful experience on the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail journey. It’s fantastic to know you enjoyed stepping back in time on the train and taking in the breathtaking views over the Atherton Tablelands from the Skyrail. We really appreciate your kind words and are so pleased we could help you experience this special part of Tropical North Queensland.
Beautiful views of a rain forest that seems empty of the usual sounds associated this rain forests. Though still visually stunning. Just be aware that anything associated with Queensland rail is cashless and no sympathy is given those that do not have a visa or MC with them. Stupid policy in my opinion. The gondola ride was the best part. The train ride was slow and brought out the incredible job that was done to forge the rail through the land. Worth going to the small town that lives on visitors.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on the Kuranda Scenic Railway experience. We’re glad you enjoyed the beautiful rainforest views and found the Skyrail gondola ride a highlight, as well as appreciating the impressive engineering of the railway. We’re sorry to hear you were disappointed with the cashless policy and aspects of the train journey. Your feedback has been noted and will be passed on to the relevant operators for review. We appreciate your comments and hope you were still able to enjoy your visit to Kuranda village.
Overpriced for what is provided. Train was Out of Action for maintenance, so a return SkyRail trip was offered with coach transfer. Priced at $218, which you can receive the same service with coach transfer from SkyRail direct at $145. Unsure what additional services are being charged $73 for. Karunda is an ok day trip to look around the small town, the best element is the views of the rainforest on the transit there, apart from that, fairly underwhelming day out.
Thank you for your feedback regarding the Kuranda Scenic Railway experience. We’re sorry to hear you felt the tour did not meet expectations in terms of value. As a third-party operator, our package pricing reflects more than just the Skyrail and railway tickets. It also includes return coach transfers, operational handling, and coordination services to deliver a seamless day of travel from start to finish. This differs from booking directly, where services are provided on a ticket-only basis. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts, and your feedback will be passed on to the relevant teams for review.
Amazing full day, very well organised. Memories for life. Would totally recommend taking the train on the way there and skyrail on the way back. Birdland, butterflies and the koala were great activities. Staff at all places were excellent. If travelling with a person who is less able there is a bit of a walk between train station and the village. We got an Uber which was really easy.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you had such a well-organised day and created lasting memories on the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail experience. It’s great to hear you enjoyed the wildlife attractions in Kuranda and found the staff across all locations excellent.
Was very hot on the train and in Kuranda. There isn't much in the town but shops and bars etc unless you do the experiences with the Koalas etc. However, was very worthwhile trip on the train. The Skyrail was excellent- views were amazing. Fab day overall.
Hi Amy, Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear you had a fantastic day overall and enjoyed both the train journey and the Skyrail, along with the amazing views. We appreciate your comments about the heat and your experience in Kuranda, as these are helpful for future guests considering the different activities available. Kind Regards, Claire Guest Experience Consultant
Was very good. From pick up to drop off, everything went smoothly. Well worth having a look. Lots of well planned stops along the way. Very informative.
Hi Peta, Thank you for your trust in us. We’re honoured to have met your expectations whilst on our Kuranda Tour. Kind Regards, Claire Guest Experience Consultant
Absolutely stunning views from both sides of the Barron Falls. The railway is something else. How did they build this marvel?
