Immersive Guided Excursion to Kuranda, Cairns

4.7 (3 reviews)
An immersive excursion into Kurunada with a trip to the rainforest and animal park, scenic railway ride, & Indigenous experience.
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H
Hari R.
May 22, 2023
We truly enjoyed this experience. The skyrail and train were great! The experience at Kurranda was wonderful.
Vaibhav
Vaibhav M.
Feb 21, 2023
Everything from the Gold Class train ride to the park to the views from the sky train was amazing. Highly recommend.
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Overview

Explore the UNESCO-listed Kuranda Rainforest and observe native Australian wildlife on this guided full-day excursion. This trip includes a ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, which passes Stoney Creek Falls and other sites en route to Kuranda Village. Hop aboard the one-of-a-kind Army Duck vehicle, made for land and sea, as you traverse through the Rainforestation Nature Park to see koalas, kangaroos, and other creatures at the Koala and Wildlife Park. Learn about Indigenous culture at the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience, featuring traditional dances and boomerang throwing. Enjoy a barbecue lunch and end the day with panoramic views of the rainforest from the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway gondola ride.

Highlights

  • Hand feed kangaroos and see koalas and other animals at the Koala & Wildlife Park
  • Walk through the Rainforestation Nature Park, learning about local flora and fauna
  • Enjoy an informative demonstration of Pamagirri traditions like boomerang throwing and dances
  • Savor a tasty Australian barbecue lunch
  • Ride sky high in the Skyrail gondola high above the rainforest

Know before you go

Duration
8 hours
Recommended for
All ages
Group
Group tour
Food & Drink
Lunch Included

What you'll do

Your full-day adventure begins with a pickup at your accommodation, where you'll meet your expert guide, who will take you to Kuranda, a mountain village in the Rainforestation Nature Park. The order of activities may change, but you can expect to ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, which will take you through 15 tunnels and past sites like Stoney Creek Falls and Barron Falls. This train ride ends in Kuranda Village and once there, you'll head to the Rainforestation Nature Park to explore this lush area via an Army Duck vehicle, which can travel on land and sea. During this journey, you'll get to hand feed a kangaroo and meet a Cassowary in the Koala & Wildlife Park, a site filled with native animals and local plants.

You'll attend the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience, where you'll see traditional dances and customs like boomerang and spear throwing. After taking in these different experiences of nature and culture, you'll get to relax and recharge with an Australian barbecue. The day will end with a ride in the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, where you can soak in panoramic rainforest views from a gondola before being brought back to your accommodations.

What's included

  • Return transfers to and from hotel accommodation
  • Kuranda Scenic Railway
  • Free time in Kuranda Village
  • Entry to Rainforestation Nature Park
  • Aussie barbecue Lunch
  • Pamagirri Indigenous Experience
  • Koala & Wildlife Park
  • Army Duck Rainforest Tour
  • Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

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Traveler photos
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Traveler reviews

3 total ratings, 3 with reviews
4.7
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
5.0
Food
4.5
Guides, Drivers and Staff
5.0
Transport
4.0
D
Debra G.
Charlotte, NC | Reviewed on Jul 29, 2023
Another amazing experience. Thoroughly enjoyed visiting this area, and getting to see the tropical rainforest and learn a bit more about the original inhabitants, plants, and animals. The cable car up and train down were a fun way to get to the town. And I was thrilled the buffet lunch had food choices there was both healthy and tasty. My major critique is that the entire day was so tightly programmed, it did feel a bit rushed. I understand that this can be an occupational hazard of... Read more

Another amazing experience. Thoroughly enjoyed visiting this area, and getting to see the tropical rainforest and learn a bit more about the original inhabitants, plants, and animals. The cable car up and train down were a fun way to get to the town. And I was thrilled the buffet lunch had food choices there was both healthy and tasty. My major critique is that the entire day was so tightly programmed, it did feel a bit rushed. I understand that this can be an occupational hazard of having a tight schedule, but in our case, we were dropped off at the cable car entrance and had to wait for an extended time (maybe 45 minutes?) for our guide to show up with our tickets. It wasn't exactly clear what was going on at the time. If it could be arranged, it would have been a better use of that time for us to have our tickets when we arrived at the cable car entrance, so we could have just immediately gone up. Even better, I'd recommend that the train be used to go up, and the cable car to go down. That would provide a bit more flexibility in heading back down, rather than having to be at a precise location at a precise time in order to leave.

Tips for future travelers

When you take the train, the left side (going down) or the right side (going up), is much much better for the views (although you are allowed to stand up and move around). I think these seats are assigned, however, so not sure if this is something you can request. Also, I'd recommend taking the train up, and the cable car down, if that's an option.

Transport
As I mentioned above, there was a lot of waiting around on this trip. Also, it was very confusing finding our transport van at the end of the train trip. We were not picked up where all the other buses where loading, but had to walk over to a separate area. If someone had not directed to this location, I don't think we would have found it on our own.
H
Hari R.
Irving, TX | Reviewed on May 22, 2023
We truly enjoyed this experience. The skyrail and train were great! The experience at Kurranda was wonderful. Read more

We truly enjoyed this experience. The skyrail and train were great! The experience at Kurranda was wonderful.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Vaibhav
Vaibhav M.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Feb 21, 2023
Everything from the Gold Class train ride to the park to the views from the sky train was amazing. Highly recommend. Read more

Everything from the Gold Class train ride to the park to the views from the sky train was amazing. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience
Punctual, friendly, with clear instructions.
Food
Food at the park was sorta meh.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very knowledgeable and friendly guides.
Transport
I mean, whaddya expect from a bus? It was a nice bus, though. USB ports included.

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