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The Undara Lava Tubes are a natural phenomenon. It’s the world’s longest lava tube cave system and was formed over 190,000 years ago, with the eruption of the Undara Volcano. Hidden in plain sight amongst the open woodlands and grassy savannah, this cave system is an integral part of the landscape and contains unique ecosystems which have evolved over thousands of years and are considered internationally significant. This is a place you simply must visit at least once in your life; we’ve visited a few times to see them in different seasons, and every time has been amazing. From the magic of seeing the tubes filled with clear blue water, to exploring the underground boardwalks in the ‘dry season’, you can’t help but be filled with wonder. The Undara Lava Tubes are a 3.5 hour drive from Cairns. You can choose to stay at the Discovery Resorts – Undara Holiday Park, which offers accommodation and camping. Or if you are travelling with a furry friend and have your own rig, the nearby Pinnarendi Station offers pet sitting for while you are on tour. Don’t think just do – here’s our review.
The Undara Lava Tubes are in a National Park and are only accessible on tour. This is for your safety and their protection. The Archway System offers an impressive introduction to the Undara Lava Tubes.
The Undara Lava Tube Tours operate seasonally, between May and October. For this review, we visited on 1 June 2025 and did a morning tour. The departure point for tours is clearly marked with signage on Undara Road, and there’s plenty of parking available. We arrived early and enjoyed the golden show of flowering wattles, which was just magnificent. Once all the guests had arrived, our Savannah Guide Tanya welcomed everyone and provided an overview of the tour ahead. Then we climbed into the air-conditioned coach for the transfer into the Undara Volcanic National Park. It’s a relatively short drive of around 15 minutes, and along the way our guide provided introductory information on the park and talked about the eruption of the Undara Volcano; she also advised there was still some water in the tubes, which we were excited to see.
“The Undara Lava Tubes are just spectacular. As you wander towards them on the boardwalk, you start to catch glimpses which reveal the size and scale of the tubes. They are enormous, and the walls and ceilings are dappled with colour, patterns and textures. Each tube and cave system is slightly different, and you visit a few of them during the 3.5 hour tour, with plenty of time for photos and questions. The temperature inside the tubes was markedly different to outside, and there is a ‘stillness’ within that defies their violent origins. Our Savannah Guide Tanya was very informative, providing information on their creation and details on the different types of rocks and stone. As well as the tubes themselves, this tour also spends time exploring the savannah grasslands, open woodlands and fringing semi-evergreen vine thickets, that grow at the entrance to some of the caves. Our group was a mixture of overseas and domestic travelers, as well as quite a few locals. We loved the colour and clarity of water, it was visually spectacular against the backdrop of the tube.” – Julie Johnston
The Undara Lava Tubes are the world’s longest lava tube cave system, with more than 70 caves already discovered in the National Park. Each cave and tube varies in size and condition – some of them have collapsed roofs and not all of them are open to the public; this is for their protection and your safety. The air quality in some of the tubes is not suitable / safe for breathing. On the 3.5 hour Undara Lava Tubes Tour we visited 4 of the tubes, including the Archway, Ewamian, Stephenson Cave and Collins (Road) Cave. We started with the Archway System (which features three of the caves, the Archway, Ewamian and Stephenson) which is a very impressive introduction to Undara to say the least. The Archway is up first and is accessed via a boardwalk with stairs and rails, making it accessible for people with reasonable mobility. The Archway is 18m high and 24m wide, featuring a jumble of fallen boulders at its base and a tangle of tree roots swinging in the breeze. The patterns on the ceiling and walls are quite mesmerising. Next up was the Ewamian Cave, taking its name from the Traditional Owners of the area the Ewamian People. This one is smaller in size, but no less impressive in presentation, and finally Stephenson. Stephenson is one of the caves where the air quality is monitored for safety, and this is done by our guide before we descend the stairs.
A common feature of all these caves is the amazing colours that dapple the ceiling and walls. This has been created by mineral deposits and the oxidation of iron within the basalt rock. Another common feature is the presence of the evergreen vine-thicket that surrounds the openings, which contrasts against the golden hues of the savannah grasslands. These vine-thickets contain relic species from Australia’s Gondwanaland past and provide habitat for local fauna. Most of the caves have a resident population of bats, which emerge in the early evenings and provide a reliable food source for snakes and owls. Keep your eyes peeled on tour for some of these critters, we saw bats and a snake on our tour.
The Collins (Road) Cave is named after the Collins Family, who moved into the area in 1862 as cattle farmers. They were the first European people to ‘discover’ the lava tubes, which were located on their private property. Recognising the potential and their inherent beauty, the Collins Family established the infrastructure to create a successful tourism operation surrounding the tubes. It was the Collins Family who liaised with the Queensland Government to gazette part of their property and protect the lava tubes in a National Park, this was done in the early 1990s. The Collins Family sold their Undara tourism business after COVID and are no longer involved in the operation.
The Collins (Road) Cave was the fourth cave we visited on our Undara Lava Tubes Tour. This one is the most accessible of them all, with an automated ‘ramp’ chair lift providing wheelchair access from the top to the bottom. This is considered one of the longer tubes, extending around 300m, with raised walkways providing the opportunity to explore the interior. The walkway penetrates further than the light and torches are provided for your comfort and convenience. This cave still had some groundwater too and in the darkness it proved the perfect reflective mirror for the dapples of colour on the cave wall. Emerging back into the light, it was time to board the bus and return to our vehicles. This had been an engaging and informative 3.5 hour Undara Lava Tubes tour, which covered a lot of territory with its content, including geology, flora and fauna.
Yes, it is worth doing an Undara Lava Tubes Tour. Why? It’s the only way you can see these geological wonders. Access is via guided tour only, for your safety and their protection. The 3.5 hour tours are well worth the price. Make sure you book ahead, as they do sell out with limited numbers and limited tours.
Yes. The tubes are inside Undara Volcanic National Park and can only be accessed on a guided tour. This ensures visitor safety and protects the delicate cave environment.
Tours run for around 3.5 hours. This includes a short coach transfer, guided commentary, time to explore several tubes and opportunities for photos.
You will see several of the Undara lava tubes, large bottle trees, evergreen vine-thickets, savannah grasslands, bats in the tubes and undoubtedly a wallaby or two. You might also see snakes, but this does not always happen.
The tours operate seasonally from May to October. During this period the weather is cooler and conditions are more comfortable for exploring. From November to April there are high levels of rainfall making roads impassable. It is also very hot, making touring uncomfortable.
Undara is about a 3.5-hour drive from Cairns. The road is sealed and well-signposted, making it an easy trip by car. You do not need a 4WD to get to Undara.
Yes, children are welcome. Some sections include stairs and boardwalks, so reasonable mobility is needed. Kids will find the underground caves fascinating.
Yes. Collins (Road) Cave has an automated ramp chair lift providing wheelchair access, and raised walkways make exploration easier. Other caves require stairs.
Comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, water and a camera are recommended. The temperature inside the caves is cooler than outside.
Yes, you should definitely pre-book an Undara Lava Tubes tour; there are two tours daily with limited numbers and they do sell out. Please note the tours are seasonal and run between May and October.
Comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, water and a camera are recommended. The temperature inside the caves is cooler than outside.
Pets are not permitted on the tours or in the National Park. However, nearby Pinnarendi Station offers pet-sitting services for travellers with their own caravan or rig.
The caves are home to bats, snakes and owls, while the surrounding savannah grasslands support kangaroos, wallabies and a diverse array of birdlife.
You can stay at Discovery Resorts – Undara Holiday Park, which offers accommodation and camping. If travelling with pets, camping at Pinnarendi Station is another option nearby.
This all depends. If you want the chance to see water in the Undara Lava Tubes, then you should plan to visit early in the season. If you want the ability to explore them more fully (when there is no water) then visit towards the end of the season, from July to October.
The Undara Lava Tubes Tours are 3.5 hours and visit several of the tubes. You do not have to stay at Discovery Resorts Undara, to do the tours. Tours operate in the mornings and afternoons, between May and October. The start point for the tours is on Undara Road and is clearly marked. Included in the tours is a comfortable, air-conditioned coach transfer to and from the Undara Volcanic National Park and the tubes, guided commentary, a small torch and of course, visits to the tubes themselves. Guest numbers are limited to ensure maximum comfort and engagement. The tour does involve walking on graded dirt pathways, boardwalks and up and down stairs with rails.
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