Kuranda Village: Full Day Tour with Army Duck Rainforest Adventure and Scenic Skyrail Journey

Embark on a day-long journey to Kuranda, located within a World Heritage-recognized rainforest. Enjoy the illustrious Army Duck Rainforest Tour for 45 minutes, led by a seasoned tour guide. The trip to Kuranda will be via the Kuranda Scenic Railway and the return journey will be on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Skyrail Rainforest Cableway - Travel up to Kuranda by flying over the rainforest in a gondola on Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
    Coach transfer from Cairns city to Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Smithfield Terminal.
  • Kuranda Village - Enjoy free time in the funky Kuranda village! Browse the original rainforest markets, visit one of the many quirky…
What's Included
  • Scenic journey on the Kuranda Train
  • Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off included
  • Panoramic views from Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
  • Knowledgeable driver/guide for informative commentary
  • Comfort of air-conditioned vehicles
  • Unique Army Duck rainforest tour
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Australian Butterfly Sanctuary (Entry available at own cost $24 per adult)
Additional Information
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Order of Itinerary subject to change
Location
Kuranda Scenic Railway Freshwater Station
Freshwater Train Station - Please be waiting in Bus Bay#11 (the bus bays are at the end of the train station)
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.1
(62 Ratings)
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Mrs
Dec 1, 2025
Brilliant! - Did this today and loved it. The organisation was superb from start to finish, with pick ups on time and friendly, informative drivers between activities. We were lucky to be able to ride the Skyrail as there were lots of thunderstorms about and they’ve had to cancel a few times this week. The views are stunning, both from the cable car and the train. The duck tour was really fun too. Definitely recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicole_p
Oct 23, 2025
Gondola ride was amazing.... - Gondola ride was amazing. Hubby is scared of heights and we had to sit him in the middle lol, made it entertaining. The army duck was good too. We got the German driver and he was so funny. The train ride had beautiful scenery and the commentary was informative but we were at the rear of the train so we had to look for what she was talking about lots later than the front of the train. Highly recommended
Review provided by Viator
Dawn_d
Sep 23, 2025
Interesting agenda and beautiful views! - This was a really fun day overall! It was organized well and I was given a printed itinerary specific to me as I boarded the bus. I always checked with my bus driver when I exited as people on the tour had different wristbands and itineraries so our pick up and drop off times and spots were not always the same. It was a rainy day but we still had great views as the weather was off and on. I started on the gondola which had two compulsory stops both of which were for viewing. You could go with a guide along the short path or walk solo and read the educational signs along the way. If the gondola line is long and you are a small group (or as in my case, traveling solo) be prepared to join others in the gondola. The gondola had the best 360* views of all the modes of transport. We picked up the bus again and were dropped off at the Kuranda Village with Shops and restaurants and a Butterfly Pavilion. I had to follow the signs in the Village to find my way to my duck boat tour scheduled for noon. The signs were helpful as they had both distance and approximate walking time listed. I felt my time during this stop at the Village was rushed as I walked quickly without time to shop or eat. The guide for the duck boat was hilarious and was the only "live" guide for the day. It was pouring rain by this time which meant the covers to the boats were drawn and our views were a bit obstructed. However, when there was a slight moment of reprieve from the rain, our guide opened the cover briefly for us. I was disappointed in that I expected to see more wildlife and potentially crocodiles but this may have been my misunderstanding. We only saw wallabies, cockatoos, and butterflies on the gondola. The duck boat was more focused on the flora and forestation. It did feel a bit like Jurassic Park! It was also a bit shorter in the water than I expected as well. Back the area where I learned a bit too late that there was a wildlife demo with crocodiles and a koala so I didn't have time to see it before catching my bus back to the village. The next stop was the Kuranda Village again and this time I had more than enough time to shop and eat (2+ hours while waiting to get on the train). Perhaps too much time as I was ready to start the journey back. The scenic railway ride back into Cairns was truly beautiful! I was lucky to have friendly passengers who let me scoot in to take pictures out the windows too as my seat was against the mountain side and my views were hampered by others' heads and outstretched cell phones, etc. Overall, a fairly long day but you know that when you sign up for the tour. I do not think it is wheelchair accessible as it claims. I think it would be a very long day for small children with a bit of boredom on the long rides (although, several teens fell asleep on the train ride back).
Review provided by Viator
Noelene_b
Sep 7, 2025
A must do experience not to miss. - It was very informative exciting enjoyable and had an absolutely fantastic day. Thank you so much Noelene
Review provided by Viator
Julie_r
Jul 17, 2025
Perfect Day - Such a well organised tour. Our bus driver was so friendly and helpful. Everything went to plan. We did the train, army duck and sky rail and it was a fun packed day.
Review provided by Viator
Bev_c
Jul 14, 2025
Great day with lots of activities. - Great day out - long day with multiple activities. Really interesting dsy. Started with the cable car and finished with the train trip home. The rainforest duck tour was really interesting !
Review provided by Viator
4thwaller
May 29, 2025
Loved It - It was my birthday and I decided to book myself onto this tour. The pickup was prompt and took me and others to the cable car station which took us up to Kuranda village which is 1 of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Whilst there I saw a lot and enjoyed the atmosphere. This included the army duck which was a very unique once in a lifetime experience done by a really fun tour guide. And the final activity was the train back down. That also was out of this world as along with a couple of stops to take photos, there were so many majestic views which I embraced whilst in the area. Should I ever return to Cairns, I will definitely do this again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leah_s
Nov 16, 2025
Great Activities, spectacular views, needed more communication - Two days before the tour they advised us that the train would be closed for unscheduled maintenance. That was well communicated to us. However, if this altered the pick up time, it was not indicated, as we were picked up roughly 40 mins later than what should have been the initial pick up time. The SkyRail was really neat there were 3 different gondolas where you got off in between. The SkyRail staff was really good at communicating how long each ride would be and how long the lookout stops would take. The village is a nice walk, lots of shops and food options. There is a butterfly sanctuary you can also visit for an additional fee. There was some confusion amongst the group about the pick up and drop off times between the village and army duck. This was most likely a result of the train not running. Several of the shops in the village began closing down well before we were scheduled to be picked up at the end of the day, so that felt a bit odd. The army duck driver Mark was very knowledgeable, charismatic and cracked cheesy dad jokes. We just wish the ride was longer, but it is was so fun! It made sense for us to take the tour as logistically getting to all of those places on our own would have been challenging however more clear communication would have been appreciated. Overall we still had an enjoyable day.
Review provided by Viator
Mary_r
Oct 5, 2025
Good overall experience - good overall experience. The skyrail was fabulous although the meeting time for the bus at butterfly sanctuary was too rushed for peak tourism time due to the longer wait for each of the skyrail carriages
Review provided by Viator
Cameron_k
Jun 14, 2025
Great day - wish we had more time! - Great day and experience. The Skyrail, the train ride back and the army duck tour were all great. I only wish we could have started the day earlier. There is so much to do in Kuranda - between the butterfly garden, the bird zoo, the markets, etc. that I ran out of time and was very disappointed that I couldn't see everything. Since no lunch is provided, you also have to spend time finding lunch and ordering during time in Kuranda as well. My hotel pickup was at 8am - feels like we could easily have started at 7am (assuming the skyrail opens up earlier) so we could have had more time to explore and do the activities. The koala and kangaroo park by the army duck tour was incredible and so glad I got to see it! Overall, great day but wish there was more time!
Review provided by Viator
From $155
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).