Is Kuranda the best rainforest tour to do in Cairns?
Published on Wed 17th Jan 2024 2:49:40am AEDT
That is a common question that people ask us when choosing a rainforest tour to do in Cairns.
There are 3 types (locations) of rainforest tours in Cairns: Kuranda, Cape Tribulation and Atherton Tablelands. So which one to choose? This is an answer that I can´t give to anyone. Clients need to learn as much as they can about each tour and decide which one would be the best choice for them.
In this blog Tourism Cairns will explain why the Kuranda tour is a “must do” in Cairns.
Kuranda tour has to be the most popular rainforest tour in Cairns. Hundreds of people travel on the skyrail and train to visit Kuranda village and its beautiful rainforest. Maybe it is so popular because it is the closest rainforest to Cairns city. The train departs from the city and the skyrail from Smithfiled, 20 minutes from Cairns cbd.
The tour is quite beautiful. Most people choose to travel one way to Kuranda village by train and one way by the skyrail, having both experiences.
Kuranda village is located about 28 kms from Cairns, and it is a “village in the rainforest”. At Kuranda village clients can find a good range of restaurants and cafes, and also markets that sell locally handmade products. The village is also well known for its several wildlife parks. The parks are: Koala Gardens, Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld Kuranda and also the famous The Rainforestation.
The rainforestation is a 40 hectare park surrounded by beautiful rainforest and tropical gardens where many activities are available for visitors. They activities are:
Amy Duck: Army Duck is half car and half boat vehicle which carries up to 30 passengers and can travel on roads and water.
Koala & Wildlife Park: At Koala & Wildlife Park features elevated boardwalks which provide an uninterrupted views of many different Australian animals including reptiles.
Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience: At Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience a local indigenous guide welcome visitors to join them on a journey to discover the Dreamtime and learn about the aboriginal customs and traditions.
There are packages with Kuranda train, skyrail and the Rainforestation. Please click on the link below.
Kuranda Train & Skyrail with Rainforestation
To get to Kuranda village visitors travel on the skyrail and return on the train (or vice versa), and this is the best experience.
Skyrail Cableway is a 7.5-kilometre scenic tourist cableway running from the Smithfield terminal in Cairns to the Kuranda terminal on the Atherton Tableland. The skyrail gondolas “flies” on top of the gorgeous Kuranda rainforest and above the Barron Gorge National Park. Passengers can see how big and beautiful the rainforest is from the top. It is a unique experience. The Skyrail Cableway has won more than 25 awards.
The skyrail experience takes about 1.5 hours including 2 stopovers at 2 platforms, the Red Peak boardwalk and Barron falls. At Red Peak visitors walk through the rainforest where unique plants and animals have survived the forces of nature and time. There is a nice scenic lookout in this location. The Barron Fall stopover visitors experience a panoramic view of the Barron Gorge falls surrounded by the rainforest. Depending on the time of the year the waterfall can be quite big and extreme.
The other way to get to Kuranda village is by the scenic railway which is a gorgeous train with 15 carriages that travel from Cairns city to Kuranda twice a day. On this train journey travellers will sit and enjoy beautiful views of Cairns, the rainforest, mountains, waterfalls, going through 15 hand-made tunnels and 37 bridges. It is such a nice relaxing experience.
It takes around 1.5 hours between the 2 locations (Kuranda and Cairns city) and there is one stop along the way to admire and take photos of the Barron Gorge waterfall.
On the train clients can organise an upgrade to the Gold Class carriage. At Gold Class travellers receive VIP treatment. The upgrade features are: Quality refreshments (including sparkling Australian wine, beer, orange juice, soft drink, ice water, mocktails, tea, coffee); appetisers; a chilled refresher towel during the journey; a dedicated host service to all guests and individual seating in a lounge-style chairs. Travellers also receive a gift pack including a Kuranda Scenic Railway badge, pen, postcard and postage.
As you can see the Kuranda Rainforest is a great tour and the above details show you why it is so popular.
If you are interested in visiting Kuranda, please visit our website below.
Or you can also contact us on info@tourismcairns.com