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Day trip

From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands and Paronella Park Day Trip

4.7  / 533 reviews
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Day trip
From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands and Paronella Park Day Trip
4.7  / 533 reviews

Discover the beauty and history of the Atherton Tablelands on this full-day guided tour from Cairns. Cover over 300 kilometers of rainforest waterfalls, explore Paronella Park, enjoy a tasty lunch.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Duration 10 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide
English
Pickup included
This tour operates daily with pick-ups from Cairns (from 7:15am). The 'starting time' is NOT the same as the pickup time. Please refer to the email message you will receive after booking from Discovery Tours Australia for your correct pickup time & details. Northern Experience Eco Tours signage will be on the tour vehicle. Please be ready & waiting for your pick-up 5 minutes before your advised pick-up time.

Highlighted reviews from other travelers

S
Sin Yee – Australia

Our guide is very informative and friendly. The tour in overall is good and enjoyable. If tourists are able to take photos at the Atherton tableland it would be even better.

S
Sin Yee – Australia
S
Silke – Germany

the tour was fantastic, the guide very friendly and experiened in spotting animals and gave a lot of good information All in all a geraten day!

S
Silke – Germany

Experience

Itinerary

  • Timeline stop icon

    98 pickup location options:

    Bohemia Resort Cairns, Mantra Amphora Palm Cove, Tropical Heritage Cairns, Motel Nomad, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns, Cairns Villa & Leisure Park, Travellers Paradise Heritage Historical Place, Mantra Esplanade Cairns, Mantra Trilogy Cairns, Il Palazzo Boutique Hotel, Wanna Stay Hostel, The Reef Retreat Palm Cove, Gilligan's Accommodation, Paradise On The Beach Resort, Crystalbrook Bailey, NRMA Cairns Holiday Park, Cairns Night Markets, Cairns City Palms, Palm Royale Cairns, Lakes Cairns Resort, Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns, 181 Esplanade, Summer House Backpackers Cairns, Pullman Cairns International, Cairns Plaza Hotel, The Village Cairns, Cairns Colonial Club Resort, The Abbott Boutique Hotel, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Global Backpackers Cairns, Cairns Queenslander Hotel & Apartments, Castaways Backpackers, Ingenia Holidays Cairns Coconut, Waterfront Terraces, Cairns Aquarius Holiday Apartments, Tasman Holiday Parks - Cairns Cool Waters, Dreamtime Travellers Rest, Mumma’s Hostel Cairns, Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns Girls Hostel, Ramada By Wyndham Cairns City Centre, Hilton Cairns, The Jack Hotel & Backpackers, Lake Central Cairns, Central Plaza Apartment Hotel, Inn Cairns, Mad Monkey Waterfront, Crystalbrook Flynn, Koala Beach Resort, Southern Cross Atrium Apartments, Mad Monkey Backpackers Village, Clifton Sands Holiday Apartments, Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort, Caravella Backpackers, Pacific Hotel Cairns, Bounce, BreakFree Royal Harbour Cairns, Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns, Acacia Court Hotel, Travellers Oasis, Crystalbrook Riley, a Cairns Luxury Resort, The Benson Hotel, Coral Tree Inn, Oaks Cairns Hotel, Cascade Gardens Holiday Apartments, Red Beret Hotel, Trinity Links Resort and Apartments, NRMA Palm Cove Holiday Park, Mad Monkey Central & Beer Garden, The Espy Hostel, Peppers Beach Club & Spa Palm Cove, City Terraces, Koala Court Holiday Apartments, Cairns Beach Resort - the closest beachfront accommodation to Cairns, Aspect Central Cairns, Cairns Queens Court, Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside, an IHG Hotel, Tropic Days Boutique Hostel, Hides Hotel Cairns, Cairns City Backpackers Hostel, Park Regis City Quays, Cairns Central YHA, Citysider Holiday Apartments, Sunshine Tower Hotel, Comfort Inn Cairns City, McDonald's, Freshwater, ibis Styles Cairns, First City Caravilla, Cairns Central Plaza, Bay Village Tropical Retreat, Mid City Luxury Suites, Pullman Palm Cove Sea Temple Resort and Spa, Hotel Tropiq, Grosvenor in Cairns, The Sebel Palm Cove Coral Coast, 1 Marlin Parade, Trinity Beach Rd at Vasey Street

  • Atherton Tablelands

    Sightseeing

  • Timeline stop icon

    Lake Barrine

    Visit, Coffee, Tea, Guided tour, Sightseeing (1 hour)

  • Yungaburra

    Photo stop

  • Timeline stop icon

    Curtain Fig Tree

    Break time, Photo stop, Visit, Sightseeing

  • Timeline stop icon

    Malanda

    Sightseeing

  • Timeline stop icon

    Millaa Millaa falls

    Break time, Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing

  • Timeline stop icon

    Paronella Park

    Break time, Photo stop, Guided tour, Free time, Sightseeing, Walk (2 hours)

  • Timeline stop icon

    Mena Creek Falls

    Lunch

  • Timeline stop icon

    Babinda Boulders

    Break time, Photo stop, Visit

  • 98 drop-off locations:

    Citysider Holiday Apartments, Cairns Central YHA, Hilton Cairns, Global Backpackers Cairns, The Reef Retreat Palm Cove, Dreamtime Travellers Rest, Bay Village Tropical Retreat, Travellers Paradise Heritage Historical Place, Trinity Beach Rd at Vasey Street, Freshwater, The Sebel Palm Cove Coral Coast, Mantra Amphora Palm Cove, 1 Marlin Parade, Mumma’s Hostel Cairns, The Village Cairns, Comfort Inn Cairns City, Il Palazzo Boutique Hotel, Travellers Oasis, Park Regis City Quays, The Benson Hotel, BreakFree Royal Harbour Cairns, Waterfront Terraces, Southern Cross Atrium Apartments, Gilligan's Accommodation, Cairns Aquarius Holiday Apartments, Tasman Holiday Parks - Cairns Cool Waters, Ingenia Holidays Cairns Coconut, Paradise On The Beach Resort, Cairns Villa & Leisure Park, Bohemia Resort Cairns, Bounce, Oaks Cairns Hotel, Clifton Sands Holiday Apartments, Aspect Central Cairns, Caravella Backpackers, Koala Court Holiday Apartments, Cairns Plaza Hotel, Peppers Beach Club & Spa Palm Cove, Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns, NRMA Palm Cove Holiday Park, Mad Monkey Backpackers Village, Mid City Luxury Suites, Tropic Days Boutique Hostel, Cairns Girls Hostel, Trinity Links Resort and Apartments, Cairns Queens Court, Cairns Queenslander Hotel & Apartments, Pullman Cairns International, Cairns Colonial Club Resort, Pacific Hotel Cairns, Cairns Beach Resort - the closest beachfront accommodation to Cairns, Hotel Tropiq, Pullman Palm Cove Sea Temple Resort and Spa, Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort, Hides Hotel Cairns, Ramada By Wyndham Cairns City Centre, McDonald's, ibis Styles Cairns, The Abbott Boutique Hotel, Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Central Plaza Apartment Hotel, Lake Central Cairns, Summer House Backpackers Cairns, The Jack Hotel & Backpackers, Grosvenor in Cairns, Crystalbrook Riley, a Cairns Luxury Resort, Cascade Gardens Holiday Apartments, NRMA Cairns Holiday Park, First City Caravilla, Mantra Trilogy Cairns, Sunshine Tower Hotel, Wanna Stay Hostel, Coral Tree Inn, Cairns Central Plaza, Cairns City Backpackers Hostel, Red Beret Hotel, Mad Monkey Waterfront, Castaways Backpackers, Inn Cairns, Mantra Esplanade Cairns, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Motel Nomad, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns, City Terraces, Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside, an IHG Hotel, Cairns Night Markets, Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns, Tropical Heritage Cairns, Acacia Court Hotel, Mad Monkey Central & Beer Garden, Cairns City Palms, 181 Esplanade, Crystalbrook Flynn, Palm Royale Cairns, Lakes Cairns Resort, The Espy Hostel, Koala Beach Resort, Crystalbrook Bailey

Main stop
Other stop

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

Highlights

  • Go for a swim at the Millaa Millaa Falls and visit the Teresa Falls
  • Marvel at facinating Spanish architecture at the Paronella Park
  • Try local tea or coffee with scones and refuel with a hearty lunch
  • Explore the lush natural beauty of a dense tropical rainforest
  • Admire the unique aerial root formations of the Curtain Fig Tree

Full description

Begin your tour early in the morning by hopping on board a comfortable coach. Take in the the verdant landscapes of the Goldsborough Valley, before ascending to the cool tropical rainforest climes of the Atherton Tablelands. Ride next to towering rainforest trees which stand sentinel over the winding path. Stop at the Heales lookout for a spectacular vista over the valley and out to the Coral Sea. Head to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area's Lake Barrine which is in the Crater Lakes National Park. Learn about the area’s ancient natural history on a guided walk to the 1000-year-old twin kauri pines. Admire these true giants of the rainforest, before being whisked off to Devonshire Tea. Have some locally-grown tea and coffee served accompanied by scones with jam and freshly whipped cream. Continue to the historical town of Yungaburra where the coach stops for a photo or two before moving on to the Curtain Fig Tree, which towers more than 45 meters over the rare Mabi forest of Curtain Fig Tree National Park. Listen as your guide shares the unlikely story behind the formation of this 600-800 year-old epiphyte. Walk along the boardwalk while looking for local wildlife in the rainforest canopy, like green ring-tailed possums, eastern whip birds, Victoria’s rifle birds, and the rare Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo. Drive through the historical dairy town of Malanda. After Malanda, arrive at one of Australia’s most-photographed waterfalls, Millaa Millaa Falls. Jump into the cool rainforest waters as they tumble over 20 meters from volcanic lava flow formed over 1 million years ago. Refuel with a delicious la carte lunch before descending from the Atherton Tablelands via the Palmerston Highway. Pass through the traditional lands of the Mamu people. Take in views of expansive sugar cane and banana fields until you reach the coastal town of Innisfail. Reach the extensive National Trust-listed gardens at Paronella Park and go on a 30-minute guided tour that tells the story of the park’s memorable architecture, set amongst sprawling tropical gardens and inspired by founder José Paronella’s dream of a Spanish castle. Capture pictures of the Kauri Avenue to Teresa Falls, the Grand Staircase, and the suspension bridge over Mena Creek Falls. Go for another dip at Babinda Boulders (time permitting) where tranquil waters are nestled between striking granite boulders. Travel back to your pickup point in the city of Cairns in the evening with unforgettable memories of the stunning Atherton Tablelands and Paronella Park.

Includes

  • Guide
  • Lunch
  • Bus transportation
  • Transfers from Kewarra Beach, Palm Cove, or Trinity Beach (additional fee of $35 AUD per person)

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat
  • Swimwear
  • Towel
  • Camera
  • Weather-appropriate clothing

Know before you go

  • This tour does not operate from Port Douglas
  • Please follow all safety signs when swimming, especially at the Babinda Boulders

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 33 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.6/5
  • Transportation
    4.8/5
  • Value for money
    4.5/5

Filter

By star rating

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Recommended
S
Sin Yee – Australia19 November 2024  – Verified booking
Our guide is very informative and friendly. The tour in overall is good and enjoyable. If tourists are able to take photos at the Atherton tableland it would be even better.
Helpful?
S
Silke – Germany14 November 2024  – Verified booking
the tour was fantastic, the guide very friendly and experiened in spotting animals and gave a lot of good information All in all a geraten day!
Helpful?
s
sonam – Australia29 August 2024  – Verified booking
amazing trip and amazing guide loved every bit of this trip...
Helpful?

Product ID: 622739

Activity provider:Discovery Tours Australia

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