The 15 Best Great Barrier Reef Tours from Cairns

Boat Trips and Cruises, Boat Trips in Cairns, Cairns Tours, Great Barrier Reef Tours, Snorkeling and Diving, Snorkeling and Diving in Cairns, Tour Reviews

Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Cairns

1.Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,714 reviews · from $190Our pick

Review of Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef cruise, with two outer reef stops, snorkeling, optional scuba, lunch, and practical booking tips.

“I am an inexperienced snorkeler, so I was doubtful when I booked this cruise. My partner really wanted to do it though. I was pleasantly surprised. They had a guide in the water with a floater who took me around the great barrier reef so I could see all the best spots. I felt safe and didn’t have any anxiety.”

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From Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Cruise by Premium Catamaran

2.Great Barrier Reef Cruise by Premium Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 3,567 reviews · 9 hours · from $190

Review of Passions of Paradise from Cairns, with two outer reef stops, snorkeling, scuba, lunch, marine guides, and practical booking advice.

“Fab, Crewe were amazing , so helpful, so friendly , so knowledgeable”

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Cairns: Outer Edges of The Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight

3.Outer Edges of The Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,912 reviews · 40 min · from $169

See the Great Barrier Reef from above on a 40-minute Cairns flight with pilot commentary, reef views, and a chance to spot whales and turtles.

“Unbelievable!! The view was amazing.🤩 Our pilot, Sean, explained everything to us and made sure that everyone had a good view.”

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Passions of Paradise Great Barrier Reef Cruise by Catamaran

4.Passions of Paradise Great Barrier Reef Cruise by Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,564 reviews · from $192Top rated

Review of Passions of Paradise, a full-day Cairns catamaran cruise with two reef stops, snorkeling, scuba, lunch, and marine talks.

“The crew were great, really informative and I felt confident with our guide Simon. We did a scuba taster session and enjoyed it so much, we paid for a 2nd one on the same trip. The reefs we visited were amazing and we got really close to them. There was loads of food provided, unfortunately I was too sea sick to eat anything but bread at lunch, but there were lots of fruit and snacks later.”

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Ocean Freedom Great Barrier Reef Luxury Snorkel and Dive Cruise

5.Ocean Freedom Great Barrier Reef Luxury Snorkel and Dive Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,895 reviews · from $181

Review of Ocean Freedom’s Cairns reef cruise, with two snorkel sites, glass-bottom tour, seafood lunch, gear, and practical tips.

“The reef was a disappointment but that was because of the recent storm. The boat and crew were outstanding!”

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Airlie Beach: Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight

6.Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,810 reviews · 1h 10m · from $211

See Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Heart Reef, and the Whitsundays from a small plane with hotel transfers and guaranteed window seats.

“Extremely good fun. First time in a small plane and it was great. Loved every minute. It went by so quickly! It’s about an hour and 10 minutes in total but it felt like 30 minutes! Constant great views! Thank you!!”

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Cairns: Outer and Coral Cay Snorkel and Dive Cruise

7.Outer and Coral Cay Snorkel and Dive Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,467 reviews · 9 hours - 1 day · from $183

Review of Ocean Freedom’s Cairns reef cruise, with two snorkel sites, optional scuba, glass-bottom tours, lunch, costs, and practical tips.

“The staff were all amazing. You can tell they really enjoy their job. The nibbles they provided throughout the day and the lunch was really good. I expected it to be alot busier given it was peak season but was fortunate to book onto a tour that only had just over 30 people compared to the max 75 capacity”

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Calypso Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise from Port Douglas

8.Calypso Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise from Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,385 reviews · from $227

Review of Calypso’s Port Douglas reef cruise, with three snorkel sites, optional scuba, meals, practical tips, costs, and honest drawbacks.

“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”

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Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkelling Tour

9.Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkelling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,326 reviews · 4 hours · from $126Best value

Review of Cairns’ half-day Great Barrier Reef snorkel tour, with fast boats, small groups, guided water time, pricing, tips, and who should book.

“Experience was unreal! The girls were great looking after us and showing us around the reef! Loved it! Thank you”

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Great Barrier Reef Full Day Tour from Cairns

10.Great Barrier Reef Full Day Tour from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,316 reviews · from $197

Review of Divers Den’s Cairns reef tour, with snorkeling, scuba options, two reef sites, buffet lunch, gear, and practical booking tips.

“Absolutely incredible experience! The service was outstanding from start to finish, and the snorkeling was even better than we imagined. Everything about this reef tour was perfect — smooth, fun, and unforgettable. We cannot recommend it highly enough!”

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Cairns: Outer Great Barrier Reef Full-Day Tour with Lunch

11.Outer Great Barrier Reef Full-Day Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,298 reviews · 8h 30m · from $187

Spend a full day on the Outer Great Barrier Reef with two snorkel sites, a superyacht cruise, buffet lunch, and wine on the way home.

“Awesome snorkeling. The Evolution crew was outstanding and took safety very seriously. Beautiful big new comfortable boat. Excellent lunch. Good snorkeling equipment and suits. Highly recommend.”

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Seastar Luxury Outer Great Barrier Reef Island and Reef Tour

12.Seastar Luxury Outer Great Barrier Reef Island and Reef Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,010 reviews · from $190

Seastar’s Cairns reef cruise visits Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef, with guided snorkeling, lunch, small groups, and optional scuba.

“The tour took us to two different areas of the reef. The guides are excellent, focused on safety and experiences of the customers. Very good casual lunch with vegan options. The snorkeling was great - many species of fish. You can snorkle by yourself or follow a guide around the area.”

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Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Cruise & Scenic Helicopter Flight

13.Great Barrier Reef Cruise & Scenic Helicopter Flight

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,003 reviews · 8h 30m · from $279

Review of Cairns’ Outer Great Barrier Reef cruise with snorkeling, scuba, BBQ lunch, and a scenic helicopter flight over Hastings Reef.

“Lovely trip out to the great barrier reef. we thought the crew were very warm, entertaining and welcoming. they looked after everyone well. it was also very well-run so we didn't have to wait around for equipment at all. lunch and other snacks provided were tasty and plentiful. can't fault the tour at all! just be wary in wet season that some of the visibility of the reef is murky and high winds can cause the helicopter flight to be cancelled. we didn't get to experience it, sadly, so can't comment on that part of the trip.”

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Ocean Safari Great Barrier Reef Experience in Cape Tribulation

14.Ocean Safari Great Barrier Reef Experience in Cape Tribulation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 902 reviews · from $148

Review of Ocean Safari Cape Tribulation, a fast half-day Great Barrier Reef snorkel with turtles, coral, rainforest views, and small groups.

“We went on a snorkeling half day on the reef from Cape Tribulation. Our guide Eve and our skipper were fantastic. I was very so happy to see the reef -one of the 7 wonders of the world . I was also very impressed by the lengths the crew went to to ensure our safety and efforts to preserve the reef. Huge Thanks!!”

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Sunlover Reef Cruises Cairns Great Barrier Reef Experience

15.Sunlover Reef Cruises Cairns Great Barrier Reef Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 830 reviews · from $211

Review of Sunlover’s Cairns reef cruise to Moore Reef, with snorkeling, glass-bottom tours, lunch, waterslide, costs, crowds, and practical tips.

“It was hard to know what else you could do if you did not choose to snorkel Most of the activities were based on snorkeling Also the buffet lunch was not very good And drinks were not included only free drink was water from sink extrRead more”

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