Given that Cairns is a city in such close proximity to both the Daintree and Great Barrier Reef, it’s only natural that there are going to be some pretty awesome tours that run from town.

We recommend taking both a Daintree and Great Barrier Reef tour, as both will give you an unforgettable adventure into two of the world’s most fascinating ecosystems.

Here is what awaits you with both:

The Daintree Rainforest

The Daintree Rainforest is old – 180 million years old – and the aeons have truly been kind to the forest, with some of the most incredible flora and fauna to be found in Australia or the world for that matter.

A Daintree Rainforest tour is a life-affirming experience, venturing into the heart of this ancient wonderland, with the following activities to be enjoyed upon arrival:

● Croc-spotting cruise

One animal that has stuck fat with the Daintree throughout its incomprehensible years is the legendary saltwater crocodile, a prehistoric predator that is actually millions of years older than the Daintree itself!

For this reason, they feel very comfortable in the forest, lazing about and cruising around on the hunt for a cheeky feed. This makes for the ultimate croc-spotting cruise, where a knowledgeable biologist will take you up the Daintree River to spot some of these formidable beasts in their absolute element.

● Cape Tribulation

It seems only fitting that something so old and majestic should also play host to a pretty miraculous beach – Cape Tribulation. Dreamy, hazy and absolutely mesmerising, Cape Tribulation is the perfect place to laze about after the thrill of a croc-spotting cruise or Daintree forest hike!

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is like nowhere else in the universe, and it only makes sense that a tour out to it is an Aussie travel rite of passage. There are near-daily catamaran tours out to the Cairns section of the reef, which houses some of the most spectacular individual reefs in the whole 2,300 km stretch of coastline!

Dive, snorkel, jump aboard a glass bottom boat – any way you see the reef is sure to inspire the senses in a way that nothing – or nowhere – else can…