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Leave Cairns behind for a day of rainforest swimming, crater lakes and some of Far North Queensland’s most beautiful waterfalls. Stand beneath a 500-year-old fig tree, cool off in Lake Eacham, swim below Millaa Millaa Falls and take on the natural rock slide at Josephine Falls, with transfers, tea breaks and a buffet lunch included.
Depending on where you are staying, pickups begin from around 6.45am, with Cairns City collections generally around 7.30am. Settle into the air-conditioned coach as the coast gives way to the cooler highlands and dense Wet Tropics rainforest. At the Cathedral Fig Tree, meet Traditional Owners, descendants of the Yidinji and Mbabaram peoples, for stories, cultural knowledge and a closer look at the tools and traditions connected to Country. The tree itself is an extraordinary sight, with tangled roots and branches reaching into the canopy around 50 metres above the forest floor.
The rest of the day moves between clear freshwater and lush rainforest scenery. Swim in the volcanic crater lake at Lake Eacham, enjoy a buffet lunch surrounded by Tablelands views, and stop at Millaa Millaa Falls, where white water drops through a curtain of tree ferns into a natural pool. Mungalli Falls adds another peaceful cascade to the day.
At Josephine Falls, a short rainforest walk leads to smooth granite boulders and the natural rock slide, one of the most fun moments of the tour when conditions are suitable. Babinda Boulders brings together another beautiful swimming area with Yidinji stories connected to this special place beneath Queensland’s highest mountain.
If the day’s timing allows, the guide may also stop at Peterson Creek for a chance to spot platypus. The route and swimming stops are adjusted to suit local road, weather and water conditions, helping the guide make the most of the day. The tour returns to Cairns at around 5.30pm.
A great day out, Dan was very chilled and helpful. I’d recommend to anyone wanting a day out. The waterfalls are amazing.
Clint was great as a guide very informative ! Day was jam packed but well paced. Really enjoyed it overall. Food was nice and snacks were provided which was a bonus.
Return transfers are included from selected Cairns hotels/locations. Please check availability to see pick-up points.
Check availability to see starting times.
Not allowed
Know before you go
Not suitable for
Yes. Freshwater swimming is one of the highlights of the day, with opportunities at selected lakes and waterfall pools when conditions are suitable. Follow your guide’s instructions and use the designated swimming areas. Swimming is optional, so you can still enjoy the rainforest scenery, waterfalls and lookouts without entering the water.
When water levels and conditions are suitable, yes. The smooth granite slide is one of the most enjoyable parts of the Josephine Falls stop, and your guide will explain where and how to enter the water safely. You can also enjoy the pools and surrounding rainforest without using the slide.
Allow for approximately 3.5 kilometres of walking throughout the day. Most walks are short and gentle, although reaching Josephine Falls involves a sealed rainforest path of around 700 metres each way. The tour suits most guests with a low to moderate level of fitness.
Yes. Guests of all ages are welcome, and the mix of waterfalls, swimming, rainforest scenery and coach breaks makes it an enjoyable family day out. Children need to remain under appropriate adult supervision, and families should be comfortable with a full-day experience lasting around 10 hours.
A buffet lunch and light morning and afternoon tea are included. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. After booking, please contact us with any dietary requirements.
The tour operates in most weather, and light tropical rain can make the rainforest feel even more atmospheric and bring extra life to the waterfalls. The guide can adjust the route and swimming stops to suit the conditions. If extreme weather makes the journey unsafe, alternative arrangements will be offered.
If the day’s timing allows, the guide may stop at the Peterson Creek viewing platform for a chance to look for platypus. They live freely in the creek, so a sighting is an exciting extra alongside the day’s main waterfall, lake and rainforest experiences.
Couldn’t have asked for a better day, our guide Esther was awesome, so fun, great energy and knowledgeable, weather definitely was on our side.
We had a great time. The bus was really nice and the tour guide was great! Super cool spots to see and we had a good amount of time to enjoy them.
This Trip was amazing. I loved it. Thank you so much
It was amazing, the guide was fantastic, made the journey so enjoyable and fun, and all of the visits to the waterfalls and the swim spots were perfect. Well worth it
Great trip. We traveled in the most comfortable mini coach-about 20 of us. This is important as you up are in it for 4-5 hours as we travelled from place to place. Gavin, our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the Tablelands and he had the most amazing playlist. We made stops at 4 areas to swim. I would recommend bringing flip flops as we only had sneakers. Sneakers are good for the walking portions. Bring water as none is provided. Lunch was decent- lasagna. We made a special stop where we could buy the most amazing meat pies. We kept ours and had them for dinner
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