Kuranda Scenic Railway Day Trip from Port Douglas
Description
Experience the rainforest beauty of Far North Queensland on a scenic day trip from Port Douglas. Enjoy the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway, free time to explore Kuranda Village and glide over and through World Heritage Listed Rainforest on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway,
Tour Options
Itinerary
Take a historic journey on the Kuranda Scenic Rail, travelling through the Barron Gorge National Park
Free time to explore Kuranda - 'the village in the rainforest'. Discover the Kuranda Markets, enjoy lunch at one of the many food stalls or cafes (own expense) or visit a wildlife attraction such as the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld or Koala Gardens (admission at own expense). There are also rainforest walks, art galleries and much more - something for everyone..
Glide over and through the canopy of the ancient rainforest and marvel at the spectacular views from Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. There are two stops along this gondola journey where you can alight and explore the rainforest from within.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup is available from selected Port Douglas hotels - please refer to Operator Confirmation Email for Pickup time/location . Contact the Operator to reconfirm at least 24 hours prior to departure
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(61)
Great hotel pickup and drop-off . Port douglas is about an hour from the train and gondola locations. The train ride is spectacular. Great views. Recorded commentary was helpful. We took the gondola ride back down. Again spectacular. You ride in an enclosed car above the forest canopy. If you're afraid of hights this may not be for you. The town of Kuranda is a giant tourist trap selling lots of cheap souvenirs. You can find some authentic original art if you try a bit. The food along here is mostly awful again geared towards tourists. There are 3 sanctuaries worth visiting. Sadly there was a group of aboriginal people hanging out on a corner getting drunk. I still recommend this activity for the train and gondola rides and sanctuaries.
Long day out, but well worth it. Railway beautiful ride, Kuranda lovely town to wander round and Skyrail back, amazing views. We went to the Koala sanctuary and saw all the animals we hadn't seen during our trip to Australia.
The railway is excellent but the Kuranda village is just a set up tourist trap with little of real interest. Overall not worth the money particulary when the cable car is closed.
Dear GeoffRu, Thank you for sharing your feedback. I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed the Scenic Railway, but I'm sorry the visit to Kuranda Village and Skyrail closure impacted your experience. Thank you for your time. Kind regards Nicolas Vernerey Operations Manager
It was a great experience for all of us. My 4 year really enjoyed his train ride. Views are incredible. 100% kids and adults friendly.
We were based in Port Douglas but most of the tours are based in Cairns and pick up people all over the place. We spent 2 hours in a coach picking up before the experience began and that is very tiring. The same happened at the end of the day and we got back so exhausted we couldn’t have supper. Luckily we did have a big lunch in Kuranda. The rainforest (the clue lies in the word rain) was shrouded in low mist and clouds and we could not see much from the train and it poured all day. The sky ride was a bit better as the rain eased and the view from the gondola was very good. But then we had the 2hour return drop off coach trip. The train is boarded near Cairns and the road between Port Douglas and Cairns has extensive roadworks due to cyclone damage in 2023 making the trip slow and arduous. We arrived back in the dark .
Dear Elizabeth, Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience with us. I'm truly sorry to hear that your day was impacted by lengthy travel times and challenging weather conditions. While we cannot control the weather, we do try to ensure that each guest has the best experience possible regardless of conditions. I'm glad to hear that you were still able to enjoy the views from the Skyrail gondola and that lunch in Kuranda offered some relief. Thank you again for your feedback, and I hope you’ll consider joining us again in the future under better conditions. Kind regards Nicolas Vernerey Operations Manager
Had a mixed experience. Train journey excellent, incredible views. Kuranda ok. Felt 4 hours there was excessive, 3 hours would have been sufficient. Skyrail experience had amazing views from our gondola, all good. Unfortunately our viewing opportunities cut short by impending weather conditions, lighting coming in. So rather disappointing.
Dear Y1946N, I’m glad to know you’re pleased with our service. Your feedback helps us continue to improve. Kind Regards Queena Guest experience consultant
We did train then Skyrail, which I personally think was better way around , as it was hot on the train in the morning I would think in the afternoon could be unbearable
Dear Katrina, Your feedback means a lot to us. Thank you! Kind regards, Queena
The scenery from the railway was fantastic. But for me the views of the rain forrest from the Gondola were brilliant, what an experience.
The Train up to Kuranda (and make sure you go to the Heritage Market there, allow 2 hours there and have Lunch) was fantastic. Do Gold Class it makes for a really special Trip and a wonderful and relaxing and comfortable way to see the region and that amazing waterfall (2 of). We loved this way more than the Cable Cars back but doing both is the way to go, Train first.
Great way to spend on a rainy day. Train and the history was very interesting. And the sights just fantastic Cable car was a good experience also
Happy to hear you enjoyed your day, the rainforest is just stunning on a rainy day
