Private 1 Day Cooktown Tour from Cairns or Port Douglas
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A Cairns to Cooktown Tour with everything!
This premium full-day private Cairns to Cooktown tour has pick-ups in a luxury 4WD vehicle from Cairns, the Northern Beaches, and Port Douglas. Depending on where you commence your journey, will impact the itinerary.
If you are beginning your journey from Cairns or the Northern Beaches, you will venture along the scenic Great Barrier Reef Drive, to Port Douglas. The drive winds along the edge of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef past unspoiled tropical beaches and iconic views. We will stop at Rex Look out to enjoy these iconic views of the Great Barrier Reef.
Cross the Daintree River on the Ferry and feel the main-land drift away as you become immersed in the completely off-grid community. Travel to Alexandra Lookout, providing picture-perfect views of where the Daintree Rainforest and sweeping views over the Great Barrier Reef. The Marrdja Boardwalk is a walk in the rainforest that you will never forget. This trail is wheelchair accessible, and whilst it is only 1.2km long -it will take you 350 million years back in time. The informative signs along the boardwalk will teach you about the history of this land, and living specimens of each significant stage of plant evolution over time. The lush vegetation and ever-changing scenery are sure to captivate, and you will be mesmerized as you stroll along this incredible route. You’ll come across aviewing platform that looks out over Noah Creek, providing you with stunning views… just be sure to keep your eyes peeled for crocodiles lurking in the waters below!
Pitstop in to the Daintree Ice Cream Company, which is a family-friendly destination that features unique ice cream made from exotic fruits grown in their very own orchard. There is a beautiful Self-Guided Orchard Walk for those interested in fruit trees of the Tropics. This place serves amazing ice cream delights and is an absolute must-see for anyone visiting the Daintree Rainforest!
Next stop Cape Tribulation Beach is one of the most beautiful parts of Tropical Far North Queensland, and its beauty comes from its untouched wilderness. Cape Tribulation is a truly unique, completely off-grid community where theRainforest is so dense, it is one of the few places that weren’t affected bythe Ice Age.
Experience the breathtaking gigantic 500-year-old Fig Tree. Your 4WD will cross the cool, clear waters of Emmagen Creek, pretty as a postcard. Then we get onto the iconic Bloomfield Track, a 4WD mecca steeped in controversial conservation history connecting Cape Tribulation to the Indigenous township of Wujal Wujal. The Bloomfield Track is rated as one of Queensland’s most scenic 4WD short road trips – a bucket-list drive for bothlocal and international enthusiasts. Flanked by pristine coastline on one side and ancient rainforest on the other, this track to Cooktown is a feast for the eyes.
Experience the captivating natural beauty of Australia’s Top End through th eeyes of our visionary artists. Bana Yirriji is a centre for artists in a rainforest, who create contemporary artworks inspired by their traditional culture and landscape; telling stories that explore relationships between land, country and people. The Collection includes paintings and works on paper, textiles and artefacts, complemented by locally made contemporary jewellery, wearable art, decorative accessories and products for the home –bringing the wild and the exquisite into your world. With artwork often sold-out, this is a exclusive experience. Wujal Wujal is a remote region in Far North Queensland sacred to the Kuku-Yalanji people. The area is home to ancient coastal rainforests, stoney Black Mountains and intricate Mangroves providing habitat for many forms of marine life that have evolved over thousands of years alongside the Aboriginal people. Travel alongside the winding Bloomfield River, ending at the base of the beautiful Bloomfield Falls; also known as Wujal Wujal Falls or “Roaring Meg”. Returning via a short 400m walking track.
Leaving Wujal Wujal behind, we’re ready to venture to the elusive Black Mountain; a place of mystery and legend to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike. To traditional owners, Kalkajaka is a sacred battlefield of both spirits and warring clan groups. It’s also a site where the natural elements of water and fire formed the Earth, giving birth to numerous other landforms along the Trevathan Range. Kalkajaka has its own Rainbow Serpent, called Walumba. Enjoy lunch and a cold one at the legendary 1875 Lions Den Hotel. The Lions Den Hotel is one of the oldest Pubs in Far North Queensland and though it’s well off the beaten track, the pub has long been on the bucket-list for adventure seekers in Cape York. The walls still boast the signatures – dating back to the 1800s – of thirsty tin miners on the walls and ceilings.
When the 1878 Cooktown Botanic Gardens were established, they were the first of their kind in Far North Queensland, offering the ideal environment to cultivate a diversity of exotic plants found only in the Cape York region. Today, the acclaimed gardens represent and reflect the cultural heritage of Cooktown, Australia’s European Pioneer Settlement. It is also a popular refuge for local birdlife, including the Zebra Finch and Crimson Finch. We will make our way to the top of Grassy Hill, one of Cooktown’s most popular attractions. Even if you’re only inspired by a walk in the park, Grassy Hill offers a 360-degree view of Cooktown, The Endeavour River and The Great Barrier Reef. As you climb the Hill and look over every direction, you’ll notice that very little has changed since Captain James Cook first set foot on this land. Afterwards we will head to James Cook Museum where you will discover the rich history of Cooktown in Far North Queensland. Set in a stunning nineteenth-century convent, Cooktown Museum is a must-see when visiting Far North Queensland. The museum houses an extensive collection of local Guugu Yimithiir artefacts, along with an original anchor and canon from HMB Endeavour that were salvaged in the 1970s. This heritage listed idea was constructed in1880 and has been reimagined to tell the fascinating stories of the region. We will journey south towards Cairns and Port Douglas via the Mulligan Highway. Be in awe of your incredible Cooktown Tour and join us on a tour of a lifetime.
More: Cooktown Tours | Cooktown Tours from Cairns | Cairns to Cooktown 4WD Tours | 4WD Tour
Please note: All itineraries are subject to change due to weather, road conditions, unexpected circumstances or Tour Guides decision based on what is best for the group and preferences. This itinerary is ONLY a guide. Our itineraries are flexible, at Far North Escapes we modify our itineraries based on our guests needs and operational requirements. We believe in accommodating all our guest’s needs and creating a remarkable Far North Queensland Adventure.
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Our guide was Jason, and he is, quite simply, exceptional. His passion for the Daintree — for its conservation, its flora, its fauna, and all the extraordinary little creatures that call it home — is completely infectious. You can tell immediately that this isn't just a job for him. He was bursting with knowledge and enthusiasm, sharing fascinating detail about plants and animals that we would have walked straight past without ever noticing.
One of the highlights of the evening was the UV light Jason brought along. Seeing plants and critters illuminated in ultraviolet was truly amazing!
The only thing we regret is not having more time for our stay in the Daintree. If our stay had been longer, a daytime walk with Jason would have been at the top of the list.
Highly, highly recommended.
Jason the guide rocked up barefoot and I could feel how enthusiastic and passionate he is about the rainforest - awesome!
We unfortunately didn't see any bigger or exotic animals, but lots of little critters and had some UV light action going on. ;)
I would do it again next time I'm up there.
Our guide was incredibly passionate about the rainforest and very talented at spotting animals in the middle of the pouring rain at night. He was so in touch with the place that he gave the entire walk barefoot. He highlighted the main thing he wanted us to take away is that we’re losing our rainforest and that’s an absolute shame. I’d recommend this tour to everyone.
We would never have explored it that way on our own, so it was fantastic to have a guide and learn more about the wildlife and the forest. It was also very special to see the plants and insects under UV light. Beautiful!
We are so glad we did this tour! Our guide, Jason, was amazing! We didn't stay another night, otherwise we would definitely have gone again. With a guide like Jason every walk will be amazing!
I have never met a guide who treats his place with such passion, love and gentleness. He showed us plants that change colour, trees and mushrooms glowing in the dark, insects and animals that seemed to appear from another world. The entire walk felt magical.
Kane walked barefoot the whole time, and it added something I didn’t expect. It made the forest feel alive and safe. It made our group feel protected, as if we were following someone who truly belongs to this land.
I enjoyed every minute. At moments it felt like stepping into Avatar, as if I had suddenly found myself on another planet. At other times it was like walking through Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder”, and I could almost feel myself travelling a hundred million years into the past.
Thank you, Kane. This night will stay with me for a long time.
Inessa
I would highly recommend all visitors to the Daintree to go for a night tour!
Feel it, do not read it!
If you’re coming at Cape Trib, do not even miss this tour, it’s a must-do !
Our guide tried hard and got a second star, she was very enthusiastic and helpful and good at making spiders and crickets sound interesting.
Three young kids under 10 from one family didn’t make the experience any better the youngest got very tired about 1/2 way through.
If you like looking at spiders and crickets and the odd bit of glowing fungi then this is the trip for you.
Did manage to glimpse the eyes of a small croc near the end but all in all a very disappointing noisy boardwalk night walk.
Not worth the $110 per couple
I can just tell you that by the end of it, I was comfortable walking in the forest in the dark (right, it was full moon) and just feeling and observing the wonders of this forest. Thank you Kane!
Thanks Far North Escapes AMAZING!!
Jan & Mike
Although we didn’t see many larger animals, we were very intrigued by all the smaller insects and fungi! Definitely recommend this tour, would love to do it again after some rain.
Despite the fact the area had only recently opened up to the public after Cyclone Jasper devastated the area, the group got to see a whole host of fungi, plants, insects, and even mammals. Each that we saw was met with engaging facts and exploration of the symbiosis of the rainforest.
A well crafted story from start to finish. Thoroughly recommend! (Bring a better than a phone camera if you want to photograph the coolest stuff)
We ran across them while looking for a tour through the Daintree Rainforest, but we also wanted a tour up through the middle of the country and were unable to find any offerings. So, after booking a 3-day Daintree tour, we asked if they had any suggestions for the outback tour we wanted. Instead of a recommendation, they created a custom tour for us.
Both of these tours greatly exceeded our expectations.
Had we done our own outback tour, we’d have missed the wine country north of Adelaide, the incredible Brachina Gorge with it’s hundreds of millions of years of geologic history, a tour of the opal mines of Coober Pedy, the iconic Uluru and it’s nearby (and arguably better) Kata Tjuṯa, and the awesome Kings Canyon.
Similarly, I doubt most Daintree tours would have exposed us to its unexpected treasures, from its intertwined symbiotic plant/animal relationships and ecologic ties to the adjacent Great Barrier Reef, to quiet forest trails, beaches, and waterholes. And the night tour’s spiders, opossums, walking sticks, sporing fungi and bioluminescent flora were out of this world!
By the time we were done, our heads crammed with experiences and information we never expected, the owner and staff, especially Mark, Kane, and Jackie, felt more like friends than tour guides.



















