Last Updated on January 19, 2024 by Ariana Svenson
If you are travelling to tropical North Queensland and are considering a once-in-a-lifetime road trip adventure, then we highly recommend exploring the Great Barrier Reef Drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation. Cape Tribulation is the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage sites meet: the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, hence their slogan, “where reef meets rainforest”. If you’re planning a Cairns Family Holiday, you won’t regret including a Cairns to Cape Tribulation road trip in your itinerary!
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Cairns to Cape Tribulation Road Trip Itinerary
Cairns to Port Douglas: 68km (1h)
Port Douglas to Cape Trib: 75km (1.5h)
The Great Barrier Reef Drive along the Captain Cook Highway is one of the most scenic drives in Australia. The drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation (known by locals as “Cape Trib”) takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. The road winds along the east coast of Queensland with stunning views of the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef all along the way.
There are endless things to do along the way. There are so many we have done a full post on Cairns to Port Douglas too called 19 AMAZING Things To Do In Port Douglas | The Best Cairns Holidays. Here’s a quick summary before we dive into the details:
- Stop to stretch your legs at the Rex Lookout, just 42km (about 40 minutes) from Cairns.
- Visit the Mossman Gorge and enjoy a self-guided rainforest walk, a guided tour or a swim in one the Mossman Gorge swimming holes.
- Take a wildlife cruise on the Daintree River. The River is home to crocodiles, numerous species of fish, lizards and snakes, birds and butterflies;
- Visit the Daintree Discovery Centre – a great place to learn about the tropical rainforest. One of our favourite things is a walk over the Aerial Walkway and climbing the Canopy tour. There is also a cassowary circuit, flying foxes, spiders, and insects. Read some fascinating Amazing Daintree Rainforest Facts in this post!
Best Time to Visit: Daintree Rainforest Climate & Seasons
We recommend visiting Cairns and Port Douglas in the dry season, from May through to November. This is also a good time for visiting the Great Barrier Reef as visibility is usually better for snorkeling.
The area in which Daintree National Park is located has one of the wettest climates in Australia. During the “wet season”, from December to April, there are heavy, frequent downpours. Some areas receive over six meters of rainfall annually! Maximum temperatures through the wet season range from 27 to 33 degrees Celsius, with humidity often exceeding 80 percent. That said, temps in the rainforest can be surprisingly mild due to the protective canopy layer of tall trees. The air is often humid but cool.
Wet season is also stinger season in Northern Queensland, which means it’s not a good time to swim the Great Barrier Reef.
Great Barrier Reef Drive: Day Trip or Overnight?
Whether you do the drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation as a day trip vs an overnight trip depends totally on how much time you have, and how much driving you like to do. It can totally be done as a there-and-back trip in one day. However, this means as much as 6 hours of driving total which can be a lot – especially if you have kids in the car. If you have the time, we recommend moseying up the road and stopping at some of the northern beaches along the way and then spending the night in Port Douglas before heading deep into the Daintree Rainforest.
You can also drive all the way to Cape Trib and spend a night there. Spending a night inside the rainforest can be a really special experience. There are many eco lodges and cabins to choose from. Camping is also an option! Find more details about where to stay in Cape Trib in our accommodation post.
Which car to hire is always an important consideration when making your holiday plans. Take a look at the offers from Discover Cars or Economy Bookings.
Port Douglas
Starting from Cairns, the first stop on your drive is Port Douglas, only a one-hour drive north. While Cairns is quite a bustling spot, Port Douglas has a much more laid-back vibe. It’s a great place to relax, surrounded by nature, and it’s an excellent jumping off point for visiting the Great Barrier Reef.
There are plenty of things on the way to Port Douglas that are worth a visit, like the Thala Beach Nature Reserve, Ellis Beach or Palm Cove. What we do know is that you won’t be short of things to do in Port Douglas if you decide to spend a while there! In fact, check out our 19 AMAZING Things To Do In Port Douglas.
If you are not planning to call into Port Douglas, the main highway doesn’t enter the town at all. You can drive straight past and continue through Mossman until you reach Mossman Gorge. It is 78km or about an hour and a quarter from Cairns.
Mossman Gorge
The Mossman Gorge has always been an excellent place to experience the Daintree Rainforest. Part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, it is located within the traditional territory of the Kuku Yalanji people who have been part of managing access to the Gorge since 2007. Your gateway into Mossman Gorge is the Mossman Gorge Centre. Here you can find information, book guided Dreamtime Walks, tour an indigenous art gallery or take a break at their café, which features bush tucker food.
From the centre, you take a short 10-minute ride on a low-emissions shuttle bus into the Gorge itself. Once there, there are various swimming holes to visit and walks you can do throughout Mossman Gorge. You should allow at least 1.5h to visit Mossman Gorge, depending on how much time you want to spend swimming or exploring the rainforest. Read more about the Mossman Gorge walks and swimming here!
En route between Mossman Gorge and the Cape Tribulation Road turnoff you could check out the Nightwings Rainforest Centre or the Daintree Wild Zoo. Alternatively, if it is around lunchtime why not grab a bite to eat at the Crossroads Café!
Daintree River Crossing
From Mossman Gorge it’s 32km or about a 30-minute drive to the Daintree River ferry crossing. If your objective is to skip the river cruises and head straight into the rainforest, then you will turn right onto the Cape Tribulation Road at the Lower Daintree. There is no bridge over the Daintree River. This ferry is your only way to continue your scenic drive along the Great Barrier Reef Drive. The ferry operates from 5 am to midnight every day, with crossings approximately every hour.
The crossing takes 10 minutes and costs around $17 for a one-way ticket for a car, or $30 for a return ticket. Note that the return ticket is flexible. It can even be used on a different day if you plan to overnight in Cape Tribulation. Prices are subject to change. For an up-to-date full timetable, check out the official ferry website.
If you’re lucky, you might spot some crocodiles in the river during the passage!
Daintree River Cruises
If you wish to do a Daintree River Cruise, continue on the Mossman Daintree Road past the ferry terminal and head towards the Daintree village itself. There are a number of different Daintree River Cruise operators, and a wide range of departures. These are either on the hour or every half hour, depending on the company you choose.
A river cruise up the Daintree River is a wonderful way to get a different perspective of the rainforest and its ecosystem. Several different tour operators depart on one hour river cruises from the car ferry boarding point. These tours explore the mangrove estuary which is home to a seriously amazing variety of wildlife.
There is one animal though, that seems to be on everyone’s bucket list – the Estuarine Crocodile! Also known as saltwater crocodiles, they are the largest of all living reptiles. They can seem deceptively docile but don’t let that fool you! These iconic Australian animals are actually apex predators, and will attack prey with surprising agility.
The different boat operators claim a 98 or 99% success rate in spotting crocodiles, so it’s not guaranteed. You can also see tree snakes, frogs, crabs and fish. When choosing your Daintree River Cruise make sure that you look at the eco credentials of the different operators. From our reviews some may be more sustainable than others.
After the cruise, you will head back to the Daintree River Crossing in order to continue on to the Rainforest itself.
Daintree Rainforest
After crossing the river you’re now inside the Daintree Rainforest, just 2 hours away from Cairns. If it is lunchtime, you might like to treat yourself to a delicious lunch at the highly recommended Julaymba Restaurant at Daintree Ecolodge or Daintree Teahouse Restaurant.
If you are doing a one-day Cairns to Cape Tribulation road trip, you will want to keep moving! There are two important places to visit between the ferry crossing and the Cape Tribulation village. They are the Alexandra Lookout and the Daintree Discovery Centre.
Alexandra Lookout
Also known by its Indigenous name, Walu Wugirriga, the Alexandra Lookout is your first stop inside the Daintree Rainforest. It is located just 10 minutes inside the rainforest after you cross the river. From here you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of the Daintree River, the coast, Port Douglas, Low Isles, Snapper Island, Cape Kimberley, Black Rock and Shipwreck Bay.
The lookout has been a government-managed site since 1993. This is in order to preserve this beautiful part of the Wet Tropics Heritage Site.
Daintree Discovery Centre
Just 5 minutes’ drive from the Alexandra Lookout or 15 minutes’ drive from the ferry crossing, the Daintree Discovery Centre is a must-visit place. This is another place that gives fantastic perspective of the Daintree Rainforest through the many elevated walkways. Definitely take advantage of the audio guide to learn more.
Cost of entry to the Centre is $35 per adult, which includes access to the canopy walkways. You can also add “jungle surfing” – a zip-line through the canopy – for an addition $109 per adult.
Daintree Rainforest to Cape Tribulation
Cape Tribulation – where rainforest meets the reef – is a 50-minute to one hour drive from Daintree, depending on how many stops you make. Cape Tribulation got its name from Captain James Cook. His expedition on the HMAS Endeavour ran aground here and they had to put to shore – giving him much “tribulation”! Along the way from Daintree to Cape Trib you will pass beautiful white sandy beaches – totally isolated and untouched. They aren’t even signposted!
Note: Do not try to go swimming, no matter how inviting the water looks. This area is known for being home to Saltwater Crocodiles.
More Cape Tribulation Tours
There are loads of other tours you can take in and around Cape Tribulation. For more ideas, check out our post on Things to do in Cape Tribulation.
Cape Tribulation to Cairns
If you’re doing the Cairns to Cape Tribulation drive in one day, you might want to split up the activities and see something different on the way back. Cape Tribulation to Port Douglas is about an hour and 45 minutes. If you missed it on the way down, you might want to stop off here to wander the boutiques on Macrossan Street before having dinner at one of Port Douglas’s diverse eateries.
Another thing you can do to mix things up on your road trip is to stop off at the Kuranda Skyrail on the way back from Cape Tribulation to Cairns. The skyrail offers another perspective on the rainforest which might be a nice to complement to your day’s activities. You can also visit Kuranda and ride the Skyrail as a day trip from Cairns. For more on the Kuranda Skyrail and Cairns daytrips, read our 17 BEST Cairns Day Trips – Explore Tropical North Queensland.
The Verdict – Exploring Cairns to Cape Tribulation Along the Great Barrier Reef Drive: An Amazing Addition to Holidays in Cairns!
Without a doubt, where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most fascinating places in the world. If you are spending some time in the Cairns or Port Douglas area, we highly recommend that you include a road trip from Cairns to Cape Tribulation in your itinerary.
Whether you decide to stay overnight or make it a day trip, you won’t regret getting to this unique, unspoiled part of the world. And, apart from the ancient rainforest and the beautiful scenery, this is an adventurous trip that involves a car ferry crossing and plenty of adventure options. We say just do it!!! You won’t regret a Cairns to Cape Tribulation road trip!
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