Yes – it is worth visiting the Cairns Rainforests. These are the oldest continually surviving tropical rainforests on the planet. Older than the Amazon. There’s lots of ways to see / explore / visit them, from Cairns rainforest tours (Skyrail Cairns and Active Tropics Explorer) to waterfall tours and self-drive adventures. Cairns is known for the Reef and Rainforest – don’t come and not see both – they are both amazing and beautiful.

The Cairns rainforests are everywhere around Cairns. You will have seen them when you arrived, from the plane, train, bus or car. The mountains that surround Cairns are all covered in rainforest and the forest extends north up to Cooktown – which includes the Daintree and Cape Tribulation National Park and Mossman Gorge – and south down to Paluma (just our side of Townsville) – which includes Wooroonooran National Park – and west on the Atherton Tablelands.

There is no definite answer to this question, as it all depends on who you are, what you are interested in seeing and who you are travelling with. The Daintree Rainforest is the most well-known, but the rainforests in the Barron Gorge National Park, Wooroonoran National Park, Crater Lakes National Park and Davies Creek National Parks are also amazing. If you are visiting with your family, then the Cairns Skyrail in the Barron Gorge National Park is great for accessibility and information. If you are traveling by yourself or with friends and want to learn about the rainforest, then take a coach tour and pick your own destination – the Daintree for pure rainforest or the Tablelands for rainforest and waterfalls. If you are seeking adventure, there’s waterfall tours on the Tablelands, rafting tours in Barron Gorge National Park and Tully National Park and ATV and army truck tours at Cassowary Falls in the Daintree. If you want to self-drive to explore the rainforests, then you can choose your own adventure. The Daintree is amazing with boardwalks and interpretive signage. The Tablelands offers crater lakes, waterfalls and trees that are thousands of years old – again with boardwalks and interpretive signage.

The Daintree Rainforest is a well-known name for the Cairns Rainforests, but it is one of many National Parks you can visit. The Daintree Rainforest is a complex environment which includes the Daintree River, home to saltwater crocodiles, Mossman Gorge where you can swim, soaring mountains, rainforest boardwalks, coastal mangroves and quite a few beaches including Cape Tribulation. You can self-drive or book a tour.

The closest rainforest to Cairns is Barron Gorge, which has the Barron River, Barron Falls and the gorge itself. You can see this on a tour (Skyrail or the Kuranda Scenic Railway) or self-drive and wander the boardwalks in and around Kuranda. You can’t swim in the Barron River, due to the presence of saltwater crocodiles.

The Tablelands has crater lakes, curtain fig trees and waterfalls. You can swim in the lakes and waterfalls and there’s lots of boardwalks and interpretive signage. There’s also several delightful villages and towns across the Tablelands, including Kuranda, Mareeba, Malanda and Yungaburra. There are Cairns Tablelands tours or you can self-drive and explore.

There’s no definite answer to this, as it all depends on the age of your children and your own interests. There are quite a few tours available, so we will quickly give you an overview of our favourites.

Kuranda.

A great family destination. Cairns Skyrail is very family friendly – the gondola cabins can accommodate prams – there’s boardwalks and guided tours, and lookouts over Barron Falls and Gorge. Kuranda itself has lots of great family attractions, from the markets themselves to Kuranda Koala Gardens, Birdworld Kuranda and the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. You can self-drive to Kuranda if you prefer.

Daintree.

Another great family destination. You can take a full day Cairns Daintree Tour, which usually includes swimming at Mossman Gorge, a Daintree River crocodile cruise, rainforest boardwalk and beach walk. These are suitable for all families, but I’d suggest your child is at least 10 years old, because it is a big day on the bus. Another great Daintree family tour is Cassowary Falls. This is an adventure tour which includes an ATV ride with creek crossings, an army truck ride through the rainforest and swimming at Cassowary Falls itself, with fish and turtle feeding. We have done this tour many times – it’s awesome! From Cairns, you would need to self-drive to Cassowary Falls, but they do offer transfers to and from Port Douglas. You can also self-drive the Daintree and book a crocodile cruise yourself.

Tablelands.

There is an awesome half day and full day waterfall tour that takes in the best of the Tablelands. It is on a coach, so again – probably more enjoyable if your kids are just that little bit older (around 10 years of age). This tour is called Waterfall Wanderers.

Tubing and Rafting.

If your family are adventurous and love being in the water, then there is rafting (minimum age to participate is 12 years old) in the Barron Gorge and Tully Gorge National Parks. There’s also tubing tours (minimum age to participate is 5 years old) which is lots of fun.

Any time of year is a good time to visit the Cairns Rainforests. They are not deciduous, so are green throughout the year.

Yes, there are lots of waterfalls in Cairns. We love waterfalls and have written a whole page just on this – so check our Cairns Waterfalls page for more information. You can self-drive to explore the Cairns waterfalls or book a tour.

Yes – there are Cairns waterfall tours departing every day. For more information check our Cairns Waterfalls page.

Yes – there are lots of walking tracks in the Cairns Rainforests. Some of these are formed, some are boardwalks and some are graded / dirt. The closest walking tracks to the city are the Red, Yellow and Blue Arrow walks in Mount Whitfield Conservation Park, near the Cairns Botanic Gardens and Tanks Arts Centre in Edge Hill. Most of the National Parks have walking tracks and boardwalks with interpretive signage. Remember to always take water and sun protection when walking, it’s a good idea to have insect repellent too.

Yes – you can go swimming in the Cairns Rainforest BUT you need to pick the right places. The best places to swim in the Cairns Rainforest would be Crystal Cascades and Behana Gorge. The waterfalls and crater lakes of the Tablelands are fantastic and you can also swim at the Babinda Boulders and Josephine Falls in Wooroonooran National Park, to the south of the city. Cassowary Falls is the best place to swim in the Daintree and Cape Tribulation Rainforest.

In the coastal section of the rainforest, especially around the city and to its north, many of the rivers, creeks and streams have saltwater crocodiles present. You will see signage. Saltwater crocodiles are very dangerous and if in doubt, assume they are present and not swim.

Yes – there are lookouts in the Cairns Rainforest. Pretty much every National Park has a look out of some description. Some are elevated with sweeping views over the surrounds, some are on boardwalks providing views into river systems and waterfalls.

There are lots of places you might spot a Cassowary around Cairns – and this is such a popular question, we’ve written a story on the Best Places To See A Cassowary In Cairns – so check it out for the answer to this question.

Yes – it is definitely worth visiting the rainforests when it’s raining. They are called rainforests, because they require lots of rain to thrive and survive, so when it is raining you are seeing the rainforests at their best.

You will see lots of trees, that is a given. In fact, there are over 2,800 plant species in the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. Some live for hundreds of years – like the Kauri Pines – some live for just a few years. There are ferns and fungi, climbing palms, tree ferns, orchids, cycads and so much more. It is the plants you will mostly see when you visit the rainforests around Cairns. However, there are an abundance of animals that live in the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area too, this includes 40% of Australia’s bird species, 35% of mammal species, 29% of frog species and 60% of butterfly species. The animals you are most likely to see are the birds and butterflies, perhaps lizards and forest dragons and insects.

What you should wear when visiting the Cairns rainforests depends on the time of year and how you are seeing them. If you are on a tour – they will advise suggested clothes – but generally speaking, you will be on boardwalks so light clothing and sun protection are suggested. If you are walking and exploring some of the many tracks and trails on your own, then again light clothing with sun protection and closed in footwear. At all times we recommend taking lots of drinking water. If you are visiting in winter, perhaps pack / wear a light jacket as well.

Yes, if you are in a wheelchair you can still see the Cairns rainforests – the Skyrail Cableway is very accessible. The gondola cabins can accommodate wheelchairs and there are ramps to the boardwalks.

Yes – you can stay in the Cairns Rainforests. There are lots of accommodation providers across the Tablelands and in the Daintree Rainforest. There are also lots of campgrounds.

As always with these types of questions, there is no definite answer as it depends on what you are looking for and what your budget is. There are lots of places you can stay in the rainforest, which range from 5-Star Properties to Treehouses, Chalets, Retreats, Air BnBs, Bed and Breakfasts and Backpacker Accommodation. For high end properties check out what is available in the Daintree and Cape Tribulation parts of the rainforest. There is also backpacker accommodation in Cape Tribulation and camping grounds. For treehouses, retreats, bed and breakfasts and Air BnBs check out Kuranda and the southern Tablelands – there are also some in Cairns (check for properties in the Edge Hill, Stratford, Freshwater area).

Yes – it is safe to visit Cairns’ Rainforests – on tour or exploring by yourselves.

No – there are no koalas in the Cairns Rainforests – as there are no food sources in the rainforest for koalas to eat. The eucalypt leaves preferred by koalas are not a rainforest species. However, there are lots of places you can see koalas in Cairns – including Kuranda Koala Gardens and Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures.

Yes – there are lots of orchids in the Cairns Rainforests. In fact, 30% of Australia’s orchid species live in the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area.

If you saw a bright blue butterfly in the Cairns Rainforest, then it was most likely a Ulysses Butterfly. These beautiful butterflies have bright electric blue wings and they seem to dance through the leaves, making them easy to spot.