Kuranda Scenic Railway Day Trip from Cairns

Overview

Available languages

German

Chinese

Japanese

English

Italian

French

Spanish

7 hours

Mobile ticket

Experience the rainforest beauty of Tropical North Queensland on a scenic day trip from Cairns. Enjoy a journey on the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway and a ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. You’ll have free time in the village of Kuranda to browse its markets, have lunch or visit wildlife attractions like Birdworld or Kuranda Koala Gardens or choose the option including Rainforestation Nature Park. (Food, drinks and activities in Kuranda are at your own expense)

Additional Info

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Written itinerary available in German, Italian, French, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin

One-way trip on Kuranda Scenic Railway

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Rainforestation Nature Park (if option selected)

Cairns pickup and drop-off

Kuranda Boarding Pass

Food and drinks, unless specified

Birdworld, Kuranda Koala Gardens & Butterfly Sanctuary (own expense)

Any other optional activities not mentioned

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

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 minutes • Admission Not Included

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

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 hour 30 minutes • Admission Included

Options

Rail-Sky

Travel to Kuranda on the Scenic Railway and return on Skyrail; approx. 8 hours; departs at 8am and 7:45am
Pickup included

Sky-Rainforestation-Rail

Rail-Rainforestation-Sky: Travel to Kuranda on Skyrail, visit Rainforestation Nature Park and return from Kuranda on Kuranda Scenic Rail.
Pickup included

Sky-Rail

Travel to Kuranda on Skyrail and return on the Scenic Railway; approx. 10 hours; departs at 8am and 8:45am
Pickup included

Reviews

4.36

1,055 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

643

250

very nice tour
bridget W,
Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
a great way to see the rain forest in one day. But the train ride back is bit long. It could be better to lave more time to explore in the village instead of taking the long train ride. But overall it is a great trip
Decent experience but nothing to write home about
Brianna B,
Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00
The communication from the tour operator was lacking slightly. I really liked the Skyrail part. The views from there were great and I enjoyed the stops along the way. The train was just okay. Very hot, sticky and crowded. With the lack of rain, the few waterfalls were not that impressive. (I know this isn’t the tour operators issue, but it was part of my experience which is why I’m including it). Kuranda itself was cool. Lots to see, places to eat and shops to check out. I would have rather driven up to Kuranda though honestly.
Try and have a forward...
Regina C,
Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Try and have a forward facing seat as you’ll see the most spectacular views. Take the opportunity to stretch your legs at Barron Falls station too.
Venture through the forest
Gena P,
Nov 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Kuranda via cable way and train is an iconic, must-do experience while in Cairns and the area. This door-to-door coach transport-from-hotel service made it easier for the older folks; but keep in mind, it's cheaper if you get yourself to the stations instead. Kuranda Village is a charming touristy stop, but meander through the artists' shops and soak up the history and various activities; you won't be sorry. You also have plenty of time to take in the views from way above and meander on walking trails to learn about the fauna and incredible plants. The staff members who operate the various modes of transportation are exceptionally helpful and kind. I definitely recommend this one-of-a-kind round-trip experience. I also recommend going off the main street to visit the stunning artwork (and try the tasty homemade sauces that went back to Brisbane w/me) of Imogen O'Neil at her Art of Ion shop. Across from IGA, you will see the spectacular, cozy pillows outside her shop, showcasing her work. Then take a walk to the nearby market where her story of Kuranda mural graces the stalls on a GRAND scale.
Admin not on the ball when tour cancelled
Chevindogwalker,
Nov 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
I have already shared a 5 star review of the Daintree Forest trip that we took with Down Under Tours. This review concerns administrative processes which were not acceptable. We had booked 2 trips with DUT, and as reviewed, the first one was excellent. At the end of the day a young couple shared with us that they had received a text saying the following day's trip (Scenic Railway and Skyrail) was cancelled as the railway was not running. We had not received any information and tried to ring DUT at 6.10pm as their voicemail message said they were open until 6.30pm. No answer. (we saw later that their website says 5pm - not consistent!) I sent DUT a query on their website form - but as there was understandably no response that evening we had to set an early alarm and prepare to get up breakfasted and off to the meeting point as if the tour were going ahead. Around 7am we did get a response from DUT who confirmed the trip was cancelled (obviously not their fault) but said they had no contact information for us. (we will be checking with our travel agent to see if they had indeed provided contact information when they booked it for us - and if not we'll suggest they revise their own procedures) 1. We had contacted DUT as required to confirm our tours 3 days beforehand and no one at that point checked contact information in case of needing to contact us (we had no idea they didn't have it) 2. They did know which hotel we were staying at as they had arranged an appropriate meeting point for the trips - they had not left a message at the hotel reception which would have been an obvious course of action, given that this was all last minute. Funnily enough we did the trip under our own steam and shared a cable car with another couple who had the same experience and who said exactly the same thing - "why not confirm contact details when we are doing the confirmation telephone call 3 days beforehand?" Hopefully DUT will take this on board and improve their administrative procedures. I've given 2 stars, not 1, as the person who eventually contacted me was apologetic in her email. On a positive note our money has been refunded - thank you.
A must do! Had a great...
BilleeJean S,
Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
A must do! Had a great experience the sky rail was my favorite. Loved walking thru Kuranda and the koala experience to be up close with the kangaroos was amazing
Train
maddied181,
Nov 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
We went up on the train. It was fun and the audio was good. The downside is you if you don't have a window seat the views aren't very good and you don't get to chose which way you seat as your seat ticket is allocated. If it was between the train and the gondala I'd do the gondala
Dissatisfied
kathy w,
Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00
The communication was very poor did not get documented items on time and left getting a taxi from one place to another
Good day! Just paying for transportation
Hannah M,
Nov 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00
You are paying for transportation only. If you expect a guided tour you will be disappointed. The bus picked us up, brought us to the cable cars, and then picked us up at the bottom of the railway. It was great! Just unexpected based on the wording of the tour. The train is fine at best - but the cable cars are incredible!! I wish we had just ridden those twice and skipped the train. Kaunda is a cute town with lots of shops and restaurants! The tour listed and end time of 5pm, however the train was not back at the station until after 5 and then we had to continue with drop offs, so don’t make any plans until later in the evening.
Terrific Views
Aaron F,
Nov 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
Of course we booked a Great Barrier Reef trip while in Cairns, and this seemed like the other "must see". The Skyway ride was fun and had some amazing views. The stops along the way were informative and again great views. The town itself was far less impressive. On the October Sunday we were there about half the restaurants and stores seemed to be closed. The zoo was fine but very small. The train ride back was not as impressive as the skyway. It was slow, hot, and much of the time you aren't seeing much of anything. Overall, glad we did it but might have been better to rent a car and take the skyway both to and from, be on our own schedule, and skip the train.