Best of Cairns
Daintree Rainforest from Cairns: Day Trips and What to See
The Daintree Rainforest, part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area, sits north of Cairns along the Captain Cook Highway through Port Douglas. The town of Port Douglas is about an hour from Cairns, and the Daintree River crossing (by cable ferry) marks the entry to the Daintree Lowland Rainforest section, where ancient rainforest meets the Coral Sea at Cape Tribulation. Key stops include the Daintree Discovery Centre near Cow Bay (a canopy walk and interpretive tower in the forest), Cape Tribulation beach, and guided night walks for wildlife. Many visitors combine Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation in a single day from Cairns, but an overnight stay in the Daintree allows a more relaxed experience.
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- 1
Mossman Gorge Centre
The gateway to the Mossman Gorge, the southern entry to the Daintree National Park, with a Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal cultural experience and guided rainforest walk.
- 2
Daintree River Crocodile Cruise
A wildlife cruise on the Daintree River with guaranteed crocodile sightings, kingfishers and an extraordinary density of birdlife in the World Heritage rainforest mangroves.
- 3
Cape Tribulation Beach
A World Heritage beach where the rainforest meets the reef, one of the world's most extraordinary natural landscapes, 2.5 hours from Cairns.
- 4
Alexandra Range Lookout
A free lookout off the Daintree Road with a panoramic view over the Daintree lowlands, the river mouth and the Coral Sea beyond.
- 5
Daintree Discovery Centre
A canopy tower and self-guided boardwalk through the ancient rainforest, with an audio guide and interpretive displays about the 135-million-year-old ecosystem.
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