Cairns Northern Beaches Tours, Sightseeing And Attractions

If you have come to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef then you have a wide range of tours and options to choose from. You should firstly select the perfect reef tour that compliments your swimming ability, the ability of the other guests you may be travelling with, along with taking in the overall options available on each tour to get the full Great Barrier Reef experience. We have the widest range of tours available on The Tour Specialists website for you to peruse or you may speak to one of the local Cairns Tour Specialists so they may guide you on the perfect tour to suit you.   

After visiting the Great Barrier Reef the next day tour or overnight tour on most visitors’ itineraries is a tour to the Daintree rainforest and Cape Tribulation region to see the spectacular rainforests that were thankfully saved by the greenies in 1983-84 with a blockade to prevent the bulldozers from coming in and destroying the rainforest. These rainforests are one of the most spectacular ecosystems in the world and home to 1145 Species of trees and plants (that have been discovered to date),  20% of Australia’s bird species,  30% of Australia’s frog species, 30% of Australia’s marsupial species, 30% of Australia’s reptile species, 65% of Australia’s bat species,  65% of Australia’s butterfly species, the highest number of rare or threatened plant and animal species, anywhere in the world, all living in only 0.1% of the total Australian landmass.

One of the top three day tours in Cairns is a trip up the McAlister Ranges on the Skyrail Gondola and the Kuranda train to the quaint rainforest village of Kuranda. Your journey begins on either the Kuranda train as it traverses the range in and out of the many hand cut tunnels or you can glide over the top of the rainforests like a bird in the Skyrail Gondola. Once you reach your destination you can visit the Kuranda Markets, Bird World, the Venom House, Cuddle a Koala and feed Kangaroos, watch street performers, browse the many shops for souvenirs, try the home baked goods or relax with a lunch and watch the world go by. There is always so much to see and do in Kuranda you surely cannot miss this day tour.

The best way to see a holiday destination is from both ground level and then up in the air in a helicopter, fixed wing aircraft or a hot air balloon and in Cairns we have scenic flights, day tours and private charters for guests to see the Great Barrier Reef, the rainforests and the Australian outback in just one day. Flights depart from Cairns and can take you all the way to exotic places like Lizard Island, Heli fishing, to an outback cattle station or to visit an Aboriginal tribe in a remote location or even land on a solitary sand cay in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef for a picnic and a snorkelling adventure. The dream is all yours take a look at the options and discuss your personal scenic tour with the local Cairns Tour Specialists

Have you ever heard of Flyboarding or Minjin Swinging or how about Jungle surfing? If it’s an adventure and adrenaline all in one you are looking for then you have come to the right place as Cairns is known as the action and adventure destination to get your jollies off with the adrenaline pumping tours and attractions that are on offer for the not so faint hearted. You could be jumping from a perfectly good plane down onto a tropical beach or you could jump off a platform with only rubber bands around your ankles as you plunge hundreds of feet headfirst down to the water. With our huge range of adrenaline tours your choice of poison adrenaline rush is yours for the choosing.

Cairns Beaches offer the perfect destination for a family holiday as they provide quiet tropical beaches and a good assortment of holiday accommodation options and dining options should you not wish to self- cater. From Cairns Beaches the local tour operators can pick you and your family up from your holiday accommodation and take you out for a day of sightseeing and adventure on tours that are specifically designed for particular age groups. For the younger ones they can enjoy some animal adventures or a trip to a tropical island to snorkel the safe waters on the reef and for the teenagers who are looking for a bit of a rush you could take them White Water Rafting, Bungy Jumping, or Jungle surfing.

Whether it is a full day or half day fishing tour in Cairns you are sure to be satisfied with your catch and the comradery of your fellow anglers as they all haul in their very own prize fish. Most anglers have heard of the famous Barramundi and this fish is always high on the list when river fishing and the Red Emperor and Coral Trout are high on the list for table fish when fishing the Great Barrier Reef. For the deep sea angler the Sail Fish and the Black Marlin are the fish dreams are made of and this region is known as the best Marlin fishing ground in the world. The Cairns region supports a tag and release system to ensure the ongoing reproduction of these magnificent fighting fish for generations to come.

There is so much to see and do around the Cairns Beaches one week is just not enough to experience it all by yourself so the best way is to book some tours and be taken directly to the places of interest by a local tour guide to ensure you get the full experience this beautiful region. We have a huge selection of outback tours and overland day tours to historical and beautiful scenic locations on the Atherton Tablelands. If you are finding it hard to choose for yourself just call one of our local Cairns Tour Specialists and they can advise the best tours that will suit your individual needs.

In Cairns Beaches and Tropical North Queensland you can pre-book just about any private charter you like whether it is a private charter boat or land based, a helicopter,  a fixed wing aircraft for longer scenic flights or a luxury motor cruiser for a day  on the Great Barrier Reef fishing, scuba diving or snorkelling.  You just need to speak to the team at the Cairns based Tour Specialists office and they can make all of the personal arrangements for you. When you book a private charter for the day you have everything arranged to your own needs, requirements and timings (subject to weather)to ensure you visit the places of interest and see the things that you were particularly interested in. The great thing about booking a private charter tour is that you do not have to share with a lot of other holiday makers and you can really enjoy the time at each destination with your personal tour guide.

For your day tour to the Cairns Great Barrier Reef you may select from mono hull sailing boats or classic sailing catamarans to high speed catamarans with big inboard motors that get you to your scuba diving and snorkelling destination faster.You can even take a helicopter scenic flight out over the Great Barrier Reef and land on a solitary sand cay where you can spend some time snorkeling and enjoying the surrounding sights just like a modern day Robinson Crusoe. You can even add a bottle of bubbles and some nice food platters to really make you feel like you are living the high life!

These scenic helicopter flights can also take you out to the big pontoons that sit on the outer barrier reef and you can snorkel and ride around in the submarines and glass bottom boats as well. The scenic helicopter flying time is from 25 to 30 minutes dependant on your intended Great Barrier Reef destination. You fly only 500 feet above the reef and you may even see Manta rays, Dolphins, Dugongs, Whales (June to August) and the beautiful formations of the coral reefs, sandy coral cays and tropical islands of the Cairns Great Barrier Reef. Scenic helicopter flights are the ultimate way to really see and experience your once in a lifetime journey to see one of Mother Nature's miracles from above the water and also below the water when snorkeling.

Take a quick peek here for some of the scenic helicopter options you can do from either Cairns or Port Douglas

There are tours to the Cairns Great Barrier Reef and the World Heritage Daintree and Cape Tribulation Rainforest on a daily basis with coach transfers from all of the Cairns Northern Beaches holiday accommodation resorts, hotels and apartments.

There is however no coach transfers for Machans Beach as there are only a handful of holiday houses in this groovy little beach suburb and the balance of accommodation is made up of permanent residents. If you require any further information on how to book Transport contact us via the information below

For the best Cairns Tours and Sightseeing website take a look here as you get a locals perspective on each day tour and you can also book your tours instantly on line or alternatively you can call the team at the Cairns Holiday Specialists on 07 4059 59 59 or 1300 852 526 and they can give you more advice on all the things to see and do on your Cairns and northern beaches holiday that may be more suitable for you.

And another great thing is you can even post your own comments on the Blog about your Cairns tour experiences for fellow travellers, friends and family to read.

The Great Barrier Reef boat tour companies will charge a minimal coach transfer fee to get you to the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal from your northern beaches holiday accommodation or a little more if you wish to see the famous Agincourt Ribbon Reefs which depart out of Port Douglas Marina Mirage for some snorkelling, diving and glass bottom boat touring.

All snorkelling gear, morning and afternoon tea and buffet lunch are provided on board all of the reef boats and pontoons.

Flotation vests and pool noodles are on board all boats to the Great barrier Reef for the not so good swimmers or for those that want to spend hours just lolling about and marvelling at the coral and marine life below without worrying about trying to stay afloat. The larger reef boats that go to the pontoons out of Cairns and Port Douglas also have enough room for strollers and the crew will provide you with a hot water vessel to heat any baby foods as necessary.

Please note at no time are the boat crew permitted to microwave any baby foods. The pontoons that are permanently moored on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef also have a wide assortment of water toys for the non swimmer to ensure they also get to see and enjoy the Great Barrier Reef.

The non swimmer can choose to see the reef from the safety of the glass bottom boats, semi-submersible submarines, on the back of a Scuba Doo, from the underwater observatories and by Helmut diving and Ocean Walking on the ocean floor or a submerged platform. There are lots of ways for the non swimmer to enjoy Australia's Great Barrier Reef just as much as the keen snorkelers and scuba divers.

We highly recommend that should you suspect you may succumb to sea sickness at any time to go to the nearest chemist and seek some assistance on what type of travel sickness pills you should take to ensure you have a great day on the Cairns Great Barrier Reef.

Take these recommended sea sickness tablets the night before travel with dinner and then again in the morning with your breakfast and you should be pretty ready for a great day of snorkelling and diving on Australia's famous Great Barrier Reef. If you do at any stage feel a bit sea sick always ensure you sit up straight and keep your eyes on the horizon. Do not make the fatal mistake of lying down or hiding in the toilets as this will exacerbate your travel sickness.

The Great Barrier Reef boat crew will provide you with sick bags and ice to chew on to make you feel better so make sure you let them know the minute you start to feel queasy. Keep in mind all of the reef boats are designed as a catamaran to glide across the waves with minimal wake. For your day on the Great Barrier Reef ensure you have a hat, towel, sunglasses and lots and lots of sunscreen which you will need to re-apply during the day or you can hire a sun suit to cover your whole body which will solve the sunburn issue immediately.

Another must-see for every visitor to Cairns is the Great Green Tropics World Heritage Daintree and Cape Tribulation rainforests that surround Cairns and the northern beaches covering the towering mountains that create the idyllic tropical backdrop. Whether you view this wonder via a tour on the Sky Rail or Kuranda Scenic Rail, on a waterfall tour of the Atherton Tablelands or in the remote and primitive Cape Tribulation and Daintree Rainforest it is something that cannot be missed out on! The thundering rivers around Cairns create a playground for white water rafting and the calm tropical skies are visited daily by hot air balloons. Horse back riders can enjoy trail rides or guided tours in the outback, rainforest or on deserted beaches and extreme travellers can experience some of the best sky-diving and bungee jumping in the world. Australian Native Wildlife attractions such as the Cairns Tropical Zoo, Hartley's Crocodile Farm and Rainforestation just to name a few are popular amongst tourists, especially families with young children. There are too many attractions and tours to list here so for an in depth comprehensive list of all the tours and sightseeing attractions in and around Cairns northern beaches visit Cairns Travel Reviews and The Tour Specialists and read what the locals say about each and every tour and attraction.

For all day tours to the Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree Cape Tribulation region your comfortable coach or purpose built overland vehicle will have seat belts and air conditioning. Most of these Cairns rainforest tour operators do not carry food as they drop off at quaint cafes in the hills or in the rainforests beside pristine swimming holes and rivers. And don't worry all tour companies ensure they have a lot of convenience stops along the way for the keen smoker or those that may want to visit the bathroom.

For the Cairns rainforest day tours you will have your own rainforest interpreter tour guide to point out things you would probably miss thru your untrained eyes and they can take you deep into the rainforest where rent a cars are not permitted to travel thus giving you a greater appreciation on the importance and beauty of our rainforests, rivers waterfalls and their native inhabitants. Make sure you have some closed in shoes, insect repellent, hat and sunscreen and a great sense of adventure. Some tour companies take you to beautiful rivers and streams to do canoeing and swimming so do not forget your essentials for this activity.

Cairns is well known world wide for its extreme tours, activities and sports which the day tripper and tourists can get to enjoy from all of the Cairns Northern Beaches resorts and hotels.

Try a bungee jump on a BMX bike for some weird fun, or skydive out of a plane at 14,000 feet or white water rafting down a raging river, Four Wheel Drive through pristine rainforests,hang glide off a cliff face and glide over pristine beaches, ride a micro light thru the breezes like a bird, rip a four wheel drive All Terrain Vechile thru rivers streams and rainforests, try sea kayaking on the Great Barrier Reef, scuba diving, river drift snorkel, mountain biking and mountain hiking thru beautiful green landscapes waterfalls and caves, wind surfing, jet skiing, parasailing, wake boarding, water skiing, hot air ballooning, Harley Davidson bike touring, helicopter fishing, Marlin fishing, beach horse riding and so much more.

Cairns and the surrounding northern beaches have all the tours, sightseeing and attractions you could possibly think of you just need to ask so please give us a call we are open seven days a week and our team have experienced just about every single tour or activity going.