Kuranda Scenic Railway Day Trip from Cairns

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. 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.

   30 min

2. 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.

   1.5 hAdmission included

3. 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

   2 h

4. Take a historic journey on the Kuranda Scenic Rail, travelling through the rainforest and along the mountainside of Barron Gorge.

   1.5 hAdmission included

5. 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.

   30 min

6. 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.

   10 min

7. 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.

   10 min

8. 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.

   30 min

9. 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.

   Passes by

Cancellation

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

Reviews

Ratings come from 1,163 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.

• 5The Kuranda scenic...

  The Kuranda scenic railway train ride should not be missed! Beautiful scenery, interesting history. Great bus service with pickups and drop offs and detailed agenda and information. Only did part of the Skyrail due to construction but still worth it.

  Joey_BOctober 2026via Viator

• 1Terrible Experience and water time! Book directly through the railway and skyrail cableway

  We were instructed by Viator/Down Under Tours to be at the meeting point at 8:15 a.m. When we arrived, our names were not on the passenger list for the bus taking us to the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Once we arrived at the Scenic Railway, we were then instructed to go to the ticketing office to get our tickets and get on the 9:10 am train. Throughout the morning, we received conflicting information from Viator & Down Under Tours. Unfortunately, Claire from Down Under Tours was extremely rude and unhelpful and did not provide any clear guidance or assistance in resolving the issue. She yelled at us on the phone and was very unprofessional. This was not our fault. We followed the instructions and times provided to us by email this AM and the confusion was caused by the incorrect and conflicting information provided by Viator and the tour company. As a result, we have lost valuable time in Kuranda and are not receiving the experience we paid for. We believe we should receive appropriate compensation for this disruption and lack of professionalism by the staff. I would suggest you book directly through kuranda scenic railway and the skyrail rainforest cableway and avoid down under tours.

  lunamarrero5October 2026via Viator

• 5Good day trip

  Nice day, the history of the train and building of the track is very interesting. The village it self is very busy, shops, places to eat etc.

  Caroline_KOctober 2026via Viator

• 3Feed back

  The lady served in the cabin no 8 was good. She always inform the guests when arrive lookouts or attractions

  747civichSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 4That the cable car...

  That the cable car doesn’t travel on Monday or Tuesdays. But that the train trip is well worth the money.

  Chris_LSeptember 2026via Viator

• 4Sadly the train was...

  Sadly the train was inoperable due to work being done on the track and only a portion of the Sky Rail was working but the trip up to experience the rainforest and village was still very much fun.

  Scott_MSeptember 2026via Viator

Know before you go

How it compares in Cairns & the Tropical North

• Its from-price is 38% below the median of the 89 day trips we list in Cairns & the Tropical North.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 4 of 89.
• 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