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Fitzroy Island Adventures’ half day Cairns Fitzroy Island tour gives you around 2 hours island time, to swim and snorkel and get some selfies. The travel time between Cairns and Fitzroy Island on their catamaran is around 45 minutes each way. This tour departs Cairns at 10.45am and returns around 2.45pm. In your 2 hours at Fitzroy Island you will have time to snorkel from the beach, enjoy the tropical vibes and take in a glass bottom boat tour. We do not really recommend doing any of the walks, as time will be short. You can take your own food and drinks, purchase them from the island’s Foxy’s Bar & Bistro or add a picnic lunch to your tour package.
The Fitzroy Island Adventures’ half day Cairns Fitzroy Island tour includes return transfers on an air conditioned boat. There are some optional extras you might want to add to your tour including hire of snorkelling equipment (mask, snorkel and fins), a glass bottom boat tour and picnic lunch.
We’ve been on all the tours we book. As a couple, as a family with a baby, then with a young child and now pre-teen. We’ve taken non-swimming friends and older relatives to the reef. So, we have first-hand experience and can help you make the right choice for your Cairns Reef Tour. Chat with us or send us an enquiry and we’ll get back to you.
Get In Touch Chat With UsThe tour price includes return transfers to and from Cairns to Fitzroy Island. The island offers a lot of free activities, but please keep in mind that on a half day tour, you won’t have a lot of time at the island – in fact, you’ll only have around 2 hours. During this time you might choose to swim and relax on the beach (please note the main beach at Welcome Bay is a coral beach, so bring reef shoes or thongs), with unlimited snorkelling (if you have your own equipment). Fitzroy Island has walking tracks, but the shortest of these – the Secret Garden walk – is still 45 minutes return – which will take up a lot of your time. There are some extra activities and options you can add to your tour price, to enhance your time at the island and there are details on these below.
If you have your own snorkelling equipment, then you can enjoy unlimited snorkelling during your time on the island. If you do not have your own, then you can hire snorkelling equipment from Fitzroy Island Adventures, with packages including mask, snorkel, fins, lycra sunsuit and buoyancy devices. They have snorkelling equipment for adults and children. The best snorkeling is from the main beach at Welcome Bay (where the boat arrives and departs from), at either end of the beach. You will be snorkelling from the beach which means you can walk into your own comfort levels and depth. It is open ocean so there may be tides and current and you should be comfortable at swimming in the sea, when choosing this tour and activity.
Guided glass bottom boat tours provide non-swimmers, families and those who want to learn more about the reef, with the perfect opportunity to do so. On Fitzroy Island these tours depart from the beach and take you over offshore reef, where you will see hard and soft corals and an array of marine life. Some of the things you might see include parrotfish and angelfish, wrasse, fusiliers and maybe even a sea turtle. The timing of the glass bottom boat tours is somewhat tide dependent and will be advised to you, on your day of travel.
Fitzroy Island has a resort, licensed bar and bistro and small convenience shop. When you come on a Cairns Fitzroy Island half day tour with Fitzroy Island Adventures, you can choose to self cater and bring your own lunch, or upgrade your tour price to include a picnic lunch, which can be taken off the boat and eaten on the beach. This is in addition to the tour price. Alternatively, you might also like to visit Foxy’s Bar & Bistro which has burgers and beers, salads and snacks and more. This is all pay as you go and in addition to your tour price.
When you book the Fitzroy Island Adventures – Cairns Fitzroy Island Half Day Tour – it has a 10.45am departure and returns around 2.45pm. This gives you around 2 hours at the island. Check in is at the boat, which is moored at A Finger, Marlin Marina. You should take a towel, sunglasses, hat, change of clothes and sunblock, as well as cash or credit cards to make any food and beverage purchases, or the optional extra tour activities (glass bottom boat tours and snorkelling equipment hire).
Check in is at the Fitzroy Island Adventures boat, which is moored at A Finger, Marlin Marina, adjacent to the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal. You will receive instructions the day before travel.
The Fitzroy Island Adventures boat departs Cairns at 10.45am. During the 45 minute travel time, you can sit in the air conditioned interiors or take in the views from the sun deck.
Arrive at Fitzroy Island. If you have not booked any optional extras, then your time is your own. Disembark and enjoy some time exploring the island’s beaches, with swimming, sun bathing and selfies the order of the day. If you have booked snorkel equipment hire, this will be provided to you on the boat. If you have booked a glass bottom boat tour, the time for this will be advised on the boat. The picnic lunch is also available from the boat.
Boarding commences at the Fitzroy Island Adventures boat, which will be at the Fitzroy Island jetty, in preparation for your return to Cairns. You can sit in the air conditioned interiors or on the exterior sun deck.
Depart Fitzroy Island and enjoy the 45 minute travel time back to Cairns.
Fitzroy Island Adventures arrives back into Cairns’ Marlin Marina.
The tour price includes return transfers, to and from Cairns to Fitzroy Island. You have around 2 hours at the island, on the half day tour. This gives you time to swim, snorkel and relax, enjoying the tropical island vibes. For those on a budget, you can take your own lunch. There’s also the option to add a picnic lunch to your tour price (extra cost) or buy it on the island. If you want to do more on the half day tour, then Fitzroy Island Adventures give you the opportunity to hire snorkel equipment (including mask, snorkel, fins, lycra sunsuit and buoyancy devices) or take a guided glass bottom boat tour.
To Fitzroy Island, which is around 25km offshore from Cairns. Travel time on their boat, is 45 minutes each way. While the majority of Fitzroy Island is National Park, there is also a resort on the island. Please note the swimming pool is for the exclusive use of resort guests.
The snorkelling on Fitzroy Island is done directly from the main beach, at Welcome Bay. We suggest the best places to snorkel here are at either end of the beach, where you will find hard and soft corals and an array of Great Barrier Reef fish and marine life. Keep your eyes peeled for sea cucumbers and starfish, angelfish, parrotfish, clams and more. Please note all snorkelling at Fitzroy Island is open water snorkelling, so you should be comfortable about swimming in the open ocean. Buoyancy vests are available, should you require them
No, you cannot scuba dive on this tour. It is snorkelling only, with a glass bottom boat tour (optional extra to tour price).
Yes, the half day tour is suitable for non-swimmers. You will have time to relax on the beach and/or sit in the shallows. As a non-swimmer, there will be time for you to do the island’s shorter walks (if this is of interest to you). There is the 1km Secret Garden walk, which is around 45 minutes return and takes you into the rainforest. Or the 1.2km return walk to the beautiful Nudey Beach, which was named Australia’s Best Beach in 2018 and is a great place for those picture postcard snaps and selfies. You should give yourself around 45 minutes to complete this return walk. You will also have time to enjoy a beer or cocktail at Foxy’s Bar & Bistro (at own cost, in addition to the tour price).
Yes, this half day tour and Fitzroy Island itself is suitable for kids. There’s always lots of families at Fitzroy Island.
Yes, it is – we’ve taken our family to Fitzroy Island many times, including our young son and older aunt. There are activities suitable for all members of the family at Fitzroy Island.
Lunch is not included in the standard tour price, this gives you the opportunity to self-cater, which is great if you are on a budget. Should you wish, you can add a picnic lunch to your tour price – which is an optional extra – and it includes a baguette, roll or wrap, piece of fruit, museli bar and bottle of water. It is pictured on this page.
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