Kuranda River Cruise: Explore Ancient Rainforest

Explore Kuranda’s ancient rainforest on a 45-minute Barron River cruise. Spot wildlife, learn history, and enjoy nature’s beauty. Book your adventure today.

Duration: 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Embark on an enlightening and enjoyable 45-minute rainforest river cruise through the lush tropics of Kuranda.
Begin your journey by boarding the boat at the riverside landing located below the Kuranda Railway/Skyrail Station. Cross the railway footbridge and descend the stairs along Kuranda’s picturesque esplanade.
Relax as knowledgeable guides…

What's Included
  • 45-minute river cruise
  • Live on-board commentary
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Explore the serene waters of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest with our 45-minute cruises on the Barron River in Kuranda. A local guide will share insights about the region as you encounter its distinctive flora, fauna, and the history of Kuranda. Keep an eye out for freshwater crocodiles, turtles, fish, and various bird species. There are five…

Location
Kuranda Riverboat
River Esplanade
OUR CRUISES ARE ON THE BARRON RIVER IN KURANDA ONLY. YOU CANNOT DRIVE DOWN TO THE RIVER TO ACCESS OUR CRUISES. Park your car and walk cross the Kuranda Railway Station footbridge and go down the stairs to the river where you will see our red flags flying at our jetty.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(312 Ratings)
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Asnicholas
Oct 9, 2025
Great, quick tour - We had a very knowledgeable captain. Great mix of historical and natural knowledge. Easy cruise down the river, great views from the boat
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vinny4x4
Oct 6, 2025
Great additional activity - We did the Kuranda scenic train and walked around the shops and markets in the village and then we saw the signs for the river boat cruise. It fitted in with our return train timetable and it turned out to be a great unplanned bonus to our day. The guide Andrew was really informative and a genuinely nice guy. We saw the Turtles, fish, various birds and got a great view of a freshwater crocodile. It really was good value and a great way to spend 45 minutes
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nickh4406
Sep 23, 2025
Fun tour - Brilliant tour. We saw 2 fresh water crocodiles, turtles and fish. The guide was funny and entertaining and gave a great commentary about the area. We all enjoyed the tour and would recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wns57
Sep 20, 2025
An excellent Sightseeing Cruise - A short but very enjoyable cruise. The 45 minutes passed very quickly as the captain gave a good commentary - pointing out many features along the river and riverbanks- including the local birds, fish, crocodiles and other marine life. Its a relatively small boat but that's a positive because it allows the trip to be less formal and more interactive than would be possible on a larger vessel. It was excellent value for money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brb654
Sep 18, 2025
Leisurely Cruise - Gary was friendly, funny and informative. Although it had been raining heavily prior to departure and there was only us and another couple, he still willingly to us on the tour. Lucky for us the rain stopped and we were fortunate enough to see a crocodile, turtles, fish and a few bird species, whilst we had a pleasurable cruise along the river.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
174jenn
Sep 17, 2025
Great addition to our Kuranda trip. - Enjoyable addition to our Kuranda trip. Leisurely paced with informative and at times, humorous commentary. We saw a couple of crocs, turtles and fish. Thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
932kristys
Sep 15, 2025
Must do in Kuranda - Loved this riverboat cruise. Our guide Warren was knowledgeable and friendly. He delivered great commentary and was happy to answer all our questions. We were lucky enough to see crocodiles, a variety of fish, ducks and turtles. This river cruise was the best part of our visit to Kuranda.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
L695aulindseyw
Sep 8, 2025
Fun and interesting g for the whole family. - Absolutely loved this short river cruise along the Barron River. The guide was fantastic with lots of stories and information about the rainforest and river life. We saw a couple of freshwater crocodiles, turtles and birdlife. Suitable for the whole family from grandparents to small children. The short walk to the river from the Kuranda train had quite a few steps to navigate but we managed to wave to the boatman as we were at the top so he waited patiently for us as we navigated the stairs. Just enough time to get off the train and make the boat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kylie_mort_aroundaus
Sep 6, 2025
Gary is the man to learn from if you are visiting Kuranda 🙌 - 🚐 Travelling Australia, One Lesson at a Time! 🧠 After nearly 12 months on the road with our van, our kids, and our chaos, it’s high time we shared the places that made us smile, the tricks that saved our sanity, and the tips that helped us balance family, fun, and learning along the way. Booking this riverboat tour was definitely the school teacher’s idea but surprisingly it turned out that is was a 9/10 from both the children and a 10/10 from both the adults! The first big tip: Gary works three days a week but folks MAKE SURE YOU GO EITH GARY! This bloke is a legend, not only is he a wealth of information, he is super funny, clearly loves the place and knows exactly how to make this trip a well-timed experience from dock to dock. We learnt about plants, animals, town history, local history, boats, turtle-olympics, even stain-glass window creation! 100% this is a MUST do experience for visiting the gorgeous Kuranda. Master 12 loved the fact it was action packed but not too long at 45mins total. Follow along for real reviews by a real travelling family — big rig, bigger opinions, and a whole lot of context-based education! #kyliemort #mortresort #tkmd #onsiteandonlinearoundaustralia #aroundaustralia #familytravelgoals #caravanlifeaustralia #travelingtutor #contextuallearning #adhdfamilytravel
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sabine1705
Sep 13, 2025
A quick and sweet little boat ride. - A good little trip (45 minutes). We spend a lot of time looking at turtles and ducks, which our little girls loved. The tour guide was great - very knowledgeable and funny. It was a quick little boat ride, great if you don’t have much time in Kuranda.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $20
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).