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Cairns river tubing tours are an awesome way to enjoy some of this town’s rainforest rivers. Cairns Adventure Group (CAG) has three rivers to choose from and will take you to the best one to maximise experience, pending conditions on the day. You can expect to get wet, bounce down rapids and splash along the shallows. The cool freshwater rivers are surrounded by established trees, ferns and long grasses, providing shade and a scenic backdrop. This tour lets you do what the locals love to do, which is making the most of the beautiful natural places you can go, explore and immerse yourself in nature.
The Cairns river tubing tours are half day tours, with morning and afternoon departures, and provide between 1.5 and 2 hours of tubing. The tubes are professional grade and the CAG River Guides provide instruction and safety briefings. Transfers are provided in air conditioned coaches, to and from Cairns city and the Northern Beaches. A drink and snack is provided at the end of the tour. The minimum age to participate is 5 years old.
This half-day tour runs all year round and fits easily into most itineraries. There’s the option to self-drive to Lake Placid or book return transfers from Port Douglas or Cairns. It includes rafting instruction from experienced River Guides, helmets, life jackets and everything needed for rafting. The minimum age to participate is 12 years old.
What We Love About This Cairns Rafting Tour, this is what I grew up doing. Splashing around in local creeks and rivers, having fun surrounded by nature. We’d pack a picnic and head to the river for the morning and afternoon. It’s an accessible experience and this tour makes it happen for visitors. CAG know where to go and provide the professional tubes and River Guides to make it the best experience possible. The rivers aren’t deep, so people who are uncomfortable in large bodies of water will be put at ease. It’s heaps of fun, for people of all ages.
Let us know your preferred date, and we will check availability and email you shortly.
Get a free underwater camera rental when you book tours through us valued at over $750, we’ll lend you a GoPro underwater camera to use for the duration of your tours. Numbers are limited and allocated on a first-come basis. Get in touch with us to claim this deal today.
This Cairns River Tubing tour takes you from the northern beaches and Cairns city, to the southern corridor with its small suburbs, sugar cane fields and rainforest rivers. It includes return transfers on a comfortable air conditioned bus, all tubing equipment, River Guides and a drink and snack at the end. It’s a half day tour, with morning and afternoon departures, which makes it quite easy to fit into most itineraries. The morning tour is 6.45am – 12pm. The afternoon tour is 1.45pm – 6pm. River tubing is a fun activity, that does not require prior experience. It does require a certain degree of physical fitness and the minimum age to participate is 5 years old. Suitable for solo travellers, friends travelling together and family groups.
Cairns River Tubing tours are conducted in rainforest rivers, which commenced their journey in the mountains that surround Cairns, winding their way over the coastal lowlands and out to sea. The rivers themselves have cool, clear water providing habitat for a diverse range of freshwater fish and turtles. They are surrounded by rainforest, from pretty ferns that line the waterway, to large trees which provide shade. From your vantage point on the river, you will see birds and butterflies and you might see dragonflies. The rainforest experience element of river tubing is moving through the water and admiring your lush, green surroundings.
River tubing is a safe water activity, suitable for everyone aged 5 years old and above. The rainforest rivers you tube in have relatively shallow water and small rapids, which are lots of fun. CAG have selected high-quality twin chamber tubes, providing a stable ride and performance in the water. Each participant will be provided with their own tube for the tour. You should wear river shoes with a backstrap or similar to protect your feet from rocks in the river, ‘crocs’, reef shoes and old runners are fine or you can hire some shoes for the tour ($5 additional cost to tour). Their River Guides are trained in safety and are with you in the water, throughout the tour.
The Cairns River Tubing tours are half day tours with morning and afternoon departures. Return transfers are provided and included from Cairns city locations and the northern beaches (morning departures only). The morning tour is 6.45am – 12pm. The afternoon tour is 1.45pm – 6pm. The tour is fully guided and the price includes all safety equipment (helmet and life jacket), safety and tubing briefings and River Guides. A drink and small snack is provided at the end of the tour. We have based the below itinerary on the morning tour.
Pick-ups commence on the northern beaches and then Cairns city. Once all the guests have been collected, your air conditioned coach heads south to Gordonvale. This will take you through Cairns’ suburbs, into the sugar cane fields of the southern corridor and rainforest rivers. The prominent feature of the landscape is the towering Pyramid and rainforest mountains, and your driver / guide will provide some interesting local information during the drive. There’s 3 rainforest rivers you can tube on, the best one will be chosen each day, to maximise your experience pending conditions and weather.
On arrival into the Barron Gorge National Park, you will be allocated your River Guide and provided with all safety equipment and rafting instructions. Then it’s a short walk down to the river, where the rafts are waiting.
On arrival to the river, everyone departs the bus and the River Guides provide safety and tubing instructions. All safety equipment is provided, including helmets and life jackets, and each guest is provided with their own tube. Then it’s a short walk down to the river, where the tubing commences.
You have between 1.5 – 2 hours of tubing. The cool, shallow water runs through the rainforest and you can paddle with your arms. There are some small rapids, which add a little excitement to the day. The tubing tour is more about relaxing and soaking in the serenity of the location and beauty of the rainforest surroundings. It’s refreshing and fun.
Your River Guides will signal when it’s time to leave the river and return to the coach.
A cool drink and small snack is provided for your enjoyment, while the guides pack up the tubes, and then it’s on to the coach for your return to Cairns.
Drop-off commence and this is the end of your tour.
A Cairns river tubing tour is lots of fun, providing you with the opportunity to experience some of our rainforest rivers like a local. The vibe is high and the scenery is stunning, as you splash down and along the freshwater rivers surrounded by ferns and protected by tall trees. There’s lots of calm water, as well as some small rapids. Each guest is provided with their own tube, helmet and life jacket. The River Guides are there to provide safety and equipment briefings, and in the water with you during the tour. These tours are suitable for solo travellers, families (with children aged 5 years old and above) and friends travelling together.
They go to the rainforest rivers in the southern corridor of Cairns. These rivers have run down the mountains, running with fresh, cool clear waters. CAG does river tubing in three places, Mulgrave River and Little Mulgrave River, as well as Behana Gorge, the best destination will be chosen on the day, to maximise experience pending weather and conditions.
This is a half day tour. The morning tour is 6.45am – 12pm. The afternoon tour is 1.45pm – 6pm.
It starts and finishes in Cairns or the Northern Beaches.
Yes, the tour is suitable for children aged over 5 years of age. There were lots of families when we did the Cairns tubing tour.
Yes. The entire tour is guided by Cairns Adventure Group’s River Guides.
Yes, pre-booking is recommended, especially during peak holiday periods. Tours often fill quickly due to limited tour times and tubes.
There are no toilets on the coach, or at the rivers.
This Cairns river tubing tour does operate in the rain. You can’t have a rainforest river without rain. However, in the event of heavy monsoonal rainfall, there may changes made to the tour. This usually happens in February or March and you will be contacted if you are affected.
You should bring a small day pack including a towel, sun sunscreen and insect repellent. Change of clothes, river shoes (crocs are fine) and a hat.
If you have any question regarding this tour, please do not hesitate to contact us, we can help you find the perfect tour for you, we understand it can be overwhelming trying to decide. Our advice and booking service is free.
So Much Fun! Barron River Rafting is an epic way to spend a few hours in Cairns. You’ll head deep into the Barron Gorge National Park, where you’ll raft your way down the Barron River over bouncy rapids, surrounded by beautiful rainforest. Seriously – Smiles For Miles!
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