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Cairns & Port Douglas Explore New Zealand, Australia & Fiji!tune
Great Barrier Reef and Island Day Trip - Frankland Islands Reef Cruises
Escape to Frankland Islands, a hidden tropical island, with Cairns’ only River, Rainforest and Reef Tour! Spend the day on one of the most beautiful islands on the Great Barrier Reef!
Highlights
- Relax on a calm river cruise down the Mulgrave River, whilst keeping an eye out for crocodiles
- Followed by the shortest open-water crossing of any the Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef day tours, before reaching Normanby Island
- Enjoy a relaxed atmosphere with numbers limited to 100 passengers per day
- Enjoy unspoiled natural paradise with a beachside tropical buffet lunch
Embark on a unique adventure to the stunning Frankland Islands, a hidden tropical island south of Cairns. Our all-inclusive day tour offers the perfect blend of relaxation and exploration, making it the ideal choice for travellers seeking an unforgettable Cairns island getaway. Your day with Frankland Islands Reef Tour begins as you board our air-conditioned coach from Cairns and travel south through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest, fields of sugar cane, and past the iconic Walsh’s Pyramid – the highest freestanding natural pyramid in the world!
Enjoy a peaceful river cruise down the Mulgrave River, followed by the shortest open-water crossing of any Cairns day tour to Normanby Island, the most pristine island off Cairns and a gateway to the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. The Frankland Islands Group offers the best snorkelling experience of all the islands near Cairns, Australia, thanks to its unique geographical location.
Frankland Islands Reef Cruises are the only commercial operator licensed to land on beautiful Normanby Island, so you can relax and explore with plenty of space and time. Once on the island, you can customize your day trip to suit your interests, our all-inclusive day tour offers a fantastic range of optional activities. Set off on a snorkel safari, explore the sea floor while staying dry on our semi-submarine tour with commentary, join our knowledgeable crew for an informative guided island walk, paddle with kayaks or stand-up paddleboards, and enjoy a delicious beachside buffet lunch, do as much or as little as you like, you’re on island time!
Once you’ve had your fill of vitamin-sea, enjoy a relaxing return to Cairns, arriving in the late afternoon.
Complimentary Bus Transfers:
Complimentary transfers are available from select Cairns CBD accommodation but are subject to availability. If the bus transfers are fully booked, you will need to arrange your own transport to the Deeral Jetty.
Self-Drive Check-In:
We recommend allowing at least 45 minutes of travel time south of Cairns along the Bruce Highway to reach Deeral Jetty, located at 169 Ross Road, Deeral 4871. For those driving themselves, please aim to arrive by 8:15 a.m. for check-in. The Turtle Islander departs Deeral at 8:30 a.m. and returns at approximately 4:00 p.m.
Meeting Point: If you prefer to self-drive, please allow time for the drive and check in at Deeral located at 169 Ross Road, Deeral 4871 by 8:15am, for an 8:30am departure.
All prices are shown in AUD ($)
- Adult$208.00
- Adult$208.00 Less than 6 at this price!
- Adult$208.00 Less than 6 at this price!
- Adult$208.00
- Adult$208.00
- Adult$208.00 Less than 6 at this price!
- Adult$208.00 Less than 6 at this price!
- Adult$208.00
- Adult$208.00
- Adult$208.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$234.00
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$260.00
- Child$160.00
- Infant Free of Charge
Authenticated Reviews & Photos All of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme
Showing all 322 authenticated Bookme reviews
Samantha Taylor from Australia wrote on 19 February 2026
Beautiful Island Day Trip!
We had an awesome day on this tour. From the pick up in Cairns, the lovely river cruise, fast ocean ride to the island, amazing snorkeling, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, glass bottom boat ride where we saw fish, a shark and a turtle, the lovely buffet lunch, interesting island walk to the amazing staff on a beautiful island. Highly recommend!!!
katrinaj11 from Australia wrote on 09 January 2026
Fantastic Experience
Highly recommend this experience, you get the river cruise, the sea crossing and then the Island experience. So unique. The staff are lovely, very helpful and reassuring to our guests doing their first reef adventure. Lovely buffet lunch under shade. An all round great day.
Toni Franklin from New Zealand wrote on 20 June 2025
Relaxing and diverse day trip
I found the cruise along the mangroves listening to tunes very peaceful. The snorkelling was good even without ideal conditions and the staff were knowledgeable and educational. It was organised without being rushed. We saw turtles! The tour had a remote feel which was nice.
Beverley CawleyJohnson from United Kingdom wrote on 17 September 2023
Devastated
Huge and expensive disappointment! We went on a day where the visibility was nonexistent. Only 2 out of the five of us could get into the water it was so rough and I got cut and grazed on coral due to being dragged by the waves. We thought the glass bottomed boat would be better, but we couldn’t see ANYTHING and people were being sea sick even on that short excursion. It was meant to be the highlight of our holiday and it was a complete disaster. I tried to get money back but was told I couldn’t. The trip should have been cancelled and money returned to us if the conditions were unsuitable.
From Great Barrier Reef and Island Day Trip - Frankland Islands Reef Cruises
Dear Beverley, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re very sorry to hear that your trip did not meet expectations and that the weather conditions made for a difficult day for you and your family. We understand how upsetting this must have been, and we would like the opportunity to discuss your experience further. Please reach out to us directly at [email protected] quoting your booking reference, so we can look into this in more detail and see what we can do to address your concerns. Your feedback is important, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Kind regards, Kay
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Kent Ronny from Australia wrote on 19 February 2026
Great staff taking care of small group of visitors
Swimming from an island is nice and the environment on the island is great. The group going to this uninhabitated island is small compared to other excursions. Highly recommended.