Great Barrier Reef: Explore the Outer Reef

3 Ratings

Cairns City

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Explore the Great Barrier Reef by cruise and helicopter. Dive, snorkel, or stay dry with semi-submersible tours. Book your adventure today.

Duration: 7 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Great Barrier Reef - Great Adventures offers a journey to an exclusive and spacious activity platform on the stunning Outer Barrier Reef. Enjoy snorkeling, diving, observing the reef from the underwater observatory, and taking a semi-submersible tour. Additionally, explore the reef from above with a 10-minute scenic helicopter flight.
**Great…

What's Included

Return fast catamaran transfer from Cairns
3 hours at the Outer Reef platform
Use of snorkelling equipment, buoyancy vests and instruction
Semi-submersible coral viewing tour
10-Minute Scenic Helicopter Flight
Underwater observatory
Reef education presentation
Hot and cold buffet lunch, including prawns
Morning and afternoon tea
Environmental Management Charge

What's Not Included

Hotel pick up and drop off
Optional activitiés

Additional Information

Discover the awe-inspiring beauty of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. From the expansive reef activity platform of Great Adventures, anchored at the stunning Outer Reef, witness the coral and marine life at its most vibrant. A wide array of activities awaits visitors of all ages, whether they swim or prefer to stay dry. Enjoy snorkeling and…

Location

1 Spence St

Spence Street

Please check-in at the Great Adventures counter inside the Reef Fleet Terminal at 9:30am for boarding at 10am (departure at 10:30am). If traveling 'Green Island & Reef Pontoon', please check-in at 7:30am for boarding at 8am (departure at 8:30am).

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings

4.7

(3 Ratings)

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1 star

W6345crlucieh

Sep 21, 2025

Highly recommend - A fantastic way to see the reef. The staff were fantastic! Friendly, approachable and informative. Very accommodating to my husband’s shellfish allergy also with the buffet lunch. Be sure to take advantage of the activities onboard. Great value for money

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Julien

Aug 3, 2025

The best option to see the most marine life! - I had a great time on that trip! We did so much in one day between the boat trips, the snorkeling, the semi-sub experience, etc! Of all the snorkeling I have done around Cairns, this was definitely the one in which I saw the most. And it was gorgeous! All the multicoloured fish, the diverse coral... If I can give one piece of advice, it would be to get a good underwater camera! You'll see my pictures don't do it any justice. I was also supposed to do a helicopter trip but weather conditions wouldn't allow it and they refunded me straight away. The crew was also very friendly. I definitely recommend this trip!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Sharon_k

Aug 2, 2025

Enjoyable trip but quite a few flaws - Overall, this was an unforgettable and enjoyable trip, though there were quite a few flaws along the way. Paul, one of the crew members on the boat, was extremely friendly, kind, and proactive in offering various kinds of help, which truly enhanced our experience. We departed at 10:30 AM. The boat carried passengers joining different tour packages. The first stop was Green Island. At this first stop, some passengers disembarked while another group boarded. I found this arrangement rather chaotic. I was on the Outer Reef day trip, which did not include Green Island. I had to proactively ask the crew for clarification about the details; otherwise, I might have mistakenly disembarked at the first stop. I'm not sure if it was because we sat outside the cabin and couldn't hear any announcement.....) We arrived at the reef platform at 12:30 PM. My package included a 10-minute helicopter scenic flight. The helicopter operation was managed by separate staff, and the flight time was only announced on the spot. I was informed to wait at the assembly point on the platform at 1:15 PM. Before that, we did a 30-minute semi-submersible tour. We arrived punctually at the assembly point at 1:15 PM, but due to organizational issues, we still hadn't boarded the helicopter by 1:45 PM, nor did any staff inform us how much longer we'd have to wait. During this waiting period, we couldn't start snorkeling or have lunch. Given that we only had a total of 3 hours for activities, by the time we finally took the helicopter flight (after 2:00 PM), we had to rush to grab lunch and change into our snorkeling gear. We only ended up with about 45 minutes for actual snorkeling. The snorkeling equipment provided on the boat was quite new, and the staff were very friendly. The coral was breathtaking, and we saw many large fish swimming around us. Both the adults and the children were thrilled. However, considering the round-trip boat journey took a total of four hours, the highlight – snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef – lasted less than an hour. I felt that most of the time were spent on transit and waiting. I was extremely dissatisfied with the helicopter company's arrangements. That said, we didn't let this ruin our mood. In the end, we still consider this journey unforgettable and pleasant. However, now Ithat I'm fully aware of all the details, if I given another chance, I believe I wouldn't choose this exact tour package.

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $313

up to 8 guests

1 - Adult