Great Barrier Reef Full Day Tour from Cairns

Highlights

Inclusions

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 1,358 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5First time scuba experience at the Great Barrier Reef

  Amazing Great Barrier Reef Experience! First time scuba diver and I felt so safe and cared for! When I arrived I was welcomed by Kathryn who was so lovely! Song was an exceptional scuba guide! He was so professional! I had anxiety going into this, but everyone was so professional and kind. I felt secure and was in complete awe breathing below the water. I saw so many big, small, colorful and unique fish! Even a shark and felt so safe and at peace! The muffins and coffee for breakfast were very fresh! Lunch was delicious and plentiful! There was an afternoon snack of fresh fruit served, but an announcement wasn’t made so I missed out. I was enjoying the glorious views and sunshine on the upper deck of the spacious boat. I highly recommend this very professional and safe excursion! Well worth the price paid to immerse yourself in the beauty below the sea at the Great Barrier Reef!!

  Dan_TSeptember 2026via Viator

• 5Snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef

  The crew on this boat were awesome! 💙 It was our first time visiting the Great Barrier Reef and our first time snorkelling, and it was pretty cool! The crew were so friendly, helpful and made the whole day really easy and enjoyable. We had such a great time and couldn’t have asked for a better day. Even the weather was great!

  Paula_FAugust 2026via Viator

• 4Amazing Trip, Well Worth It

  I did an intro dive and snorkeling on this trip. The intro dive was amazing, the guide was so helpful and excellent at explaining things. Snorkeling was also fun, you go to two different outer reef spots. All of the staff were super inviting and knowledgeable. The boat is very nice. Lunch was ok, everything was hot stuff that was now cold but did the job. I wish they talked more about the pieces of the reef that we saw including the fish and their names/fun facts, etc. on the way back to shore. You go snorkeling for about 3 hours in total, with 3 total hours spent traveling to the reef round trip. I wish you had one photo included in the package because one underwater photo was $25 AUD which feels like a lot after you spend $200+ on the trip

  D8692VIemilykAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 2Disappointing experience

  Whilst the beginning of our trip started off well with efficient pick up and detailed explanations of what we will do and timings of the trip the manner in which the staff spoke to us was nothing sort of unprofessional. After being sick my friend asked politely for a glass of water the member of staff said “well your not getting served here are you” he didn’t offer any other option and instead seemed clearly annoyed with her infront of the whole boat. Whilst not all the staff were rude the overall attitude towards us was not great. We were rudely told to move out of the way multiple times. When one of my friends tried scuba diving and didn’t want to keep going rather than offer some reassurance the member of staff told her she needed to try again and when my friend refused she offered no reassurance instead just speaking to the other member of staff. Maybe we are disappointed in the way the staff interacted with us as we have been on other boat trips this holiday where the members of staff treated us with kindness and seemed genuinely happy to help us.

  H4622LHharrietsAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 2Awful Experience

  This is not a good company. All of the staff on the boat were rude and unfriendly. The only time I saw someone smile was from the photographer and that is only because he was trying to get us to spend money. Interacting with the staff on the boat was extremely unpleasant. The lunch was extremely disappointing. It was bland and almost everything was served ice cold (including the rice, potatoes and chicken). The worst part was the surprise fee. After paying a lot of money for the tour (our group was 2 snorkelers and one scuba), they spring an extra fee on you. For the person in our group who did scuba, during the introductory information session, they say there is an extra $20 fee if you want the guide to show you things. The way they explained it made it unclear that it was PER DIVE. And, in the group setting, it is hard to say "no". They made it sound like you wouldn't see anything if you didn't go with the guide. My son felt like he had to say "yes", even he thought it was just a one-time $20 fee. Imagine spending all this money, having a subpar lunch and interacting with rude staff only to find out there was another $60 to spend (he did 3 dives). The reef is shallow and you can see everything on your own. My son said the guide wasn't worth it. USE A DIFFERENT COMPANY.

  885bebAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Perfect trip

  Great trip, good staff, perfect weather , clear water and nice marine life! Saw a wee shark so happy with that. 10/10

  Alan_TAugust 2026via Viator

Know before you go

How it compares in Cairns & the Tropical North

• Its from-price is 15% above the median of the 255 experiences we list in Cairns & the Tropical North.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 6 of 255.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Cairns & the Tropical North

Cairns is the gateway to Far North Queensland, with the Great Barrier Reef offshore, Daintree rainforest to the north and the Atherton Tablelands inland.

Cairns sits on Trinity Bay between the sea and a wall of forested ranges. The Esplanade has a public saltwater swimming lagoon and a long boardwalk beside mudflats where wading birds feed, and the Botanic Gardens hold tropical plants and a rainforest boardwalk. The city is the departure point for boats to the Great Barrier Reef, including the coral cay of Green Island and the rocky Fitzroy Island, and for flights over the reef.

Top-ranked sights in Cairns & the Tropical North: Great Barrier Reef, Barron Gorge National Park, Green Island.

See all 255 experiences in Cairns & the Tropical North