Australia · GREAT BARRIER REEF TOURS
The reef is two thousand kilometres long, so the real question is which departure point and which boat. These 15 cover the pontoon days, the small-group sailing catamarans and the dive trips out of Cairns, Port Douglas and Airlie Beach, with prices and what is actually included.
Spend a full day at two Great Barrier Reef sites from Cairns, with snorkeling, optional scuba, BBQ lunch, marine guides, and a scenic flight upgrade.
“Everyone on board was very friendly. Very lovely cruise to two spots of barrier reefs. Amazing experience”
Review of Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef catamaran cruise, with two outer reef stops, snorkeling, scuba, lunch, safety, and practical booking tips.
“Great experience, Staff were excellent! Highly recommended! Incredible trip! The”
Review of Passions of Paradise’s Cairns reef cruise, with two Outer Reef sites, snorkeling, scuba, lunch, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.
“Amazing experience, get to see plenty of fish and coral - just like out of finding nemo! Staff are very friendly and the lunch was excellent! Marine biologist talk on the way back to shore was also very insightful. Great trip which is worth every penny!”
See the Great Barrier Reef from a fixed-wing plane, with window seats, pilot commentary, Green Island, reefs, cays, and whale spotting.
“Great experience. Unforgettable view from the plane. Special thanks to Daniel our pilot and Luke our guide, very friendly service from both of them. All in all absolutely recommendable.”
Spend six hours at two Great Barrier Reef sites from Cairns, with guided snorkeling, glass-bottom viewing, lunch, and optional scuba.
“The best boat trip I've ever been on! Highly recommend! We opted for the 2 scubadives. Boarding 7:30 for 8am departure. Pastries, fruit and hot drinks were available on board. Lovely boat, clean and decent space for everyone. We had an intro talk for the scuba while we were making our way out to the first reef. The first dive lasted around 25 minutes. We had one instructor to 2 people and they linked arms and guided us around the reef. We saw a shark and various other fish. Then there was time for snorkeling and a glass bottom boat trip. Whilst snorkeling we saw a turtle and jellyfish. Lunch…”
See Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Heart Reef, and the Great Barrier Reef on a 70-minute scenic flight from Airlie Beach.
“Great communication and everything went really smoothly and all staff were amazing! Had a great time thank you”
Review of Divers Den’s Cairns reef tour, with two outer reef sites, guided snorkeling, meals, gear, hot showers, and practical tips.
“Absolutely breathtaking. Highly recommend. I had to cancel the dive and switch to snorkeling because of my flight time but I saw just as much and had just as great of an experience as I would have had I been diving. There is a photographer who takes incredible pics- don’t forget to look before you leave! The guides were amazing. Helpful, and present. The safety procedures were top notch and the whole operation was a finely tuned machine.”
Review of Calypso’s Port Douglas reef cruise, with three snorkel sites, optional scuba, meals, practical tips, and honest value advice.
“The team were awesome and made sure we had all the gear and some idea of what we were doing. We got to see so much wildlife at all three spots which were all completely different from each other. A great day out, would 100% recommend”
Review of Cairns’ fast, small-group Great Barrier Reef snorkel tour, with practical advice on price, timing, conditions, gear, guides, and value.
“Bucket list activity! Seemed good value compared to other trips. Lovely and friendly staff - Sofia, Bradley, Renee - they made everyone welcome, were very organised and safe. Music playing on the boat was a great addition. And they take photos with a gopro of everyone in and out the water as well as getting some pics of the reef which are amazing souvenirs to have.”
Review of Divers Den’s Cairns reef day trip, with snorkeling, scuba options, two outer reef sites, lunch, gear, and practical tips.
“It was a beautiful day out on the ocean! Saw a ton of beautiful fish, a reef shark, and gorgeous coral. Met a great French couple who I've stayed in touch with! The staff was great! Really informative, helpful, and fun! Lunch was great too! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND! Thanks to the staff for everything on 12/27/25!”
Spend five hours snorkeling two Outer Reef sites from Cairns, with a 35-metre superyacht, buffet lunch, and wine on the way home.
“Thanks to Phill Jnr. Awesome guide on my dive. Friendly and entertaining crew, will recommend this to anyone that wants to explore the reef.”
Seastar’s Cairns reef cruise visits Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef, with guided snorkeling, lunch, glass-bottom views, and a small group.
“Excellent day out with a very professionally run crew. Friendly, helpful team members who obviously enjoy their jobs! Lunch was excellent with salads, chicken and vegetable bake, with plenty for everyone. Two stops along the way and I reRead more”
Cruise from Cairns to two Outer Reef sites, snorkel, enjoy a BBQ lunch, and fly by helicopter over the Great Barrier Reef.
“It was such an amazing experience. We love the food, and the staff were really nice too. Super recommend💖”
Review of Ocean Safari Cape Tribulation, a fast half-day reef trip with two snorkel sites, turtles, coral, and Daintree views.
“Very well run trip with an excellent crew - Muzza and Connor did a great job making everyone feel welcome and safe while having plenty of laughs along the way. The snorkelling was great too, we got lucky with excellent visibility.”
Review Sunlover Reef Cruises from Cairns to Moore Reef, with snorkeling, a waterslide, glass-bottom boat, lunch, and optional scuba and helicopter flights.
“It was a great day. Sunlover offers a product with tremendous value, a good lunch, snorkelling, a semi-submersible boat, and a glass bottom boat to see the reef. Unfortunately, that's it. The reef was nice to see but I was expecting A LOT morRead more”
Pick a coast, a rock or a vineyard.
