- Duration
- 3 days based in Cairns, a car on day 3
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- walk, ferry, drive
- Start
- Cairns Aquarium
- Finish
- Kulki boardwalk, Cape Tribulation
- Pace
- moderate pace
- Best time
- May to October
- Budget per adult
- about A$250: aquarium, Green Island, ferry and shuttlePrices as of: October 2026
Getting there
Cairns Airport is 10 minutes from the centre. From 23 November 2026 Translink bus 100 runs to Cairns City and the Lagoon every 30 minutes, 4am to 10:30pm, for 50 cents. Before that it is a taxi or a shuttle: taxis pay an airport access fee of A$4 (A$5 for an international terminal pick-up).
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
Day 1. Central Cairns
Day in Google Maps ↗1. Cairns Aquarium~2 h at the stop
Meet the reef before you sail: who is who among the fish, corals and turtles.
Worth knowing: Opened in 2017, it holds more than 15,000 animals across 10 ecosystems and houses the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.
Tip: Tickets from A$61, last entry 2:30pm.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 10 min · 0.6 km
2. Cairns Esplanade Lagoon~1 h 30 min at the stop
The free Esplanade Lagoon, the one place in the centre for a relaxed swim.
Tip: On Wednesdays the Lagoon opens at noon.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 3 min · 0.2 km
3. Cairns Night Markets~1 h at the stop
Dinner at the food court and a browse of the shops, which open at 4:30pm.
Tip: Get an early night: tomorrow's reef boat leaves in the morning.
Open on the map ↗
Day 2. Green Island
Day in Google Maps ↗4. Reef Fleet Terminal~30 min at the stop
The Green Island ferry leaves from here: A$112 return per adult, A$56 per child, Marine Park charge included.
Tip: Snorkel gear or a glass-bottom boat ride can be added for A$32.
Open on the map ↗↓ ferry · 50 min · 27 km
5. Green Island~5 h at the stop
A coral cay with rainforest in the middle of the reef: snorkel straight off the beach, boardwalk through the trees. The easiest reef day with kids.
Worth knowing: Cook named it after the Endeavour's astronomer, Charles Green. The coral cay itself formed only about 6,000 years ago from sand and coral rubble.
Tip: From November to May, only swim in a Lycra stinger suit. The outer reef is more colourful, but this island is calmer and cheaper.
Open on the map ↗
Day 3. The Daintree
Day in Google Maps ↗6. Mossman Gorge Centre~2 h at the stop
77 km from Cairns. The gorge shuttle is A$15.50 plus a A$2.70 fee, then the boardwalk and the riverside track.
Worth knowing: The circuit track is 3.4 km, about 2 hours.
Tip: Leave Cairns by 7:30am to catch the first shuttles: they run every 15 minutes from 8am, the last one back at 4:30pm.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 30 min · 30 km
7. Daintree River Ferry~15 min at the stop
The cable ferry across the Daintree River, the only way north to Cape Tribulation. It runs daily from 5am to midnight; a car costs A$57 return.
Tip: Keep back from the water on the bank: the river has crocodiles.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 45 min · 36 km
8. Kulki boardwalk, Cape Tribulation~45 min at the stop
The lookout over Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the reef. 600 m return.
Worth knowing: James Cook named the cape in 1770, after his ship struck the reef nearby.
Tip: The drive back to Cairns is about 2.5 hours, so leave by 3pm.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.