Tackle the grade II and III rapids of the Barron River on this adrenaline-pumping half-day tour from Cairns or Port Douglas. Prepare to get wet and wild as you hurtle over the rapids, then float downstream past the jagged cliffs, plunging ravines, and lush rainforest of the Barron Gorge National Park. Best of all: with gentle rapids and full instruction provided, this tour is suitable for all levels, including complete beginners.

White water rafting tour from Cairns or Port Douglas
Navigate the Grade II and III rapids of the Barron River
Full instruction provided: suitable for complete beginners
Great-value tour includes hotel pickup and round-trip coach transport

What's Included

Pickup and drop-off from Cairns or Port Douglas with transport by air-conditioned coach
Safety equipment

AU$30 river levy (payable direct)
Optional extras such as shoe rental ($5)
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

AU$30 River Levy per person payable on board. We pick up from limited hotels and accommodations in Cairns, Northern Beaches and Port Douglas.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for pregnant travellers
Not recommended for travellers with back problems
Minimum age is 12 years
Children between 12 and 17 years require a parent or guardian to sign a waiver form

Not wheelchair accessible
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 70 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

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Q:What time is pickup and drop off for the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour?

A:For guests staying in the Cairns area, approximate pickup is 2 pm with drop off around 5:30 pm. For guests staying in Port Douglas, approximate pickup is 1:15 pm with drop off around 6:30 pm.

Jun. 2021

Q:Can I bring my young child with me on the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour?

A:For safety reasons, the minimum age to participate is 12 years old. Guests under 18 years old require a parent/guardian to sign their waiver form in order to participate.

Jun. 2021

Q:Can I sign the waiver for the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour prior to arrival?

A:Yes - you will receive a link to the electronic waiver form on your ticket upon confirmation.

Jun. 2021

Q:How long do we spend on the river during the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour?

A:The group will spend approximately 2 hours white water rafting.

Jun. 2021

Q:Can I participate in the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour if I have medical conditions?

A:Some medical conditions, disabilities, and impairments may exclude participants from rafting for safety reasons. Guests should disclose any medical condition, disabilities, and impairments at the time of booking.

Jun. 2021

Q:How do you keep guests safe during the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour?

A:All customers are fitted with hand-checked, top-of-the-line safety equipment. Safety handouts are provided in various languages. Detailed safety talks are conducted prior to any rafting and guides monitor passenger safety during every rapid.

Jun. 2021

Q:What kind of training do the guides have on the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour?

A:Guides receive regular ongoing first aid and river training to maintain existing high standards. All guides carry safety equipment to deal with any situation. Guides also have detailed knowledge of their local area and surroundings.

Jun. 2021

Q:What should I bring with me on the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour?

A:Bring your ticket, a large towel, a change of clothes, water-resistant sunscreen, and cash/credit card for the $30 river levy and any additional souvenirs and snacks. Please leave all jewelry and valuables at home or at your accommodation.

Jun. 2021

Q:What should I wear on the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour?

A:Wear your swimsuit under your clothes and secure footwear (lace-up shoes or reef sandals that will get wet.) If you do not have appropriate shoes (or don't want your shoes to get wet) you can rent shoes for $5 upon arrival.

Jun. 2021

Q:What kind of rapids will we encounter during the Barron Gorge National Park Half-Day White Water Rafting tour?

A:On this tour you will enjoy approximately 2 hours rafting on rapids up to grade 3. Your experienced guide will be with you the whole time to make sure you have a safe, fun time!

Jun. 2021

Traveller Photos

Traveller Tips

Rapids are pretty mild, so not a thrill seeking option but would be perfect for families or for a first try at rafting.

We had a fantastic rafting leader and would highly recommend this excursion for anyone visiting cairns!

The Rafting itself is a lot of fun, not too extreme or tiring but a great experience.

Reviews

5.0

1,238 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,238 reviews

Fantastic fun

NINA_A, Mar 2023

The rafting was so much fun! We got plenty of tuition before we started and the guides were terrific. A really memorable experience which was the highlight of our holiday.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hi Nina, Thank you for joining us 😊 It is such a great review and glad we made it to your holiday highlights!

Excellent

SooChang_C, Mar 2023

Excellent experience They know what to do It was quite difficult because of rainfall but they tried to do their best

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hi, Thank you for joining us and taking the time to leave us a review! Glad to hear it was an excellent experience for you 😊

Just good fun

David_S, Mar 2023

Meeting a great range of different people and experiencing something exciting with a edge of danger in an awesome surroundings

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hi David, How great is it to step outside that comfort zone? Thank you for joining us and taking the time to leave us a review 😊

Great fun

Michelle_B, Mar 2023

The team were friendly and capable and made sure you enjoyed the experience . Would definitely recommend it and do it again.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hi, Thank you for leaving us a review 😊 Glad to hear you had a great trip with us!

It was a lot of fun.. We...

Joan_P, Mar 2023

It was a lot of fun.. We were set to we get off the Though. We went white water rafting when it was raining too

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hi Joan, So glad to hear you had a great time with us 😊 Rafting in the rain really is something else... we love when the misty mountains come out!

Out of comfort zone AMAZING FUN!

Leonie_M, Mar 2023

I’m 56 was on my list to do , single and thought go for it! Tom (WH) was great and it was the most exhilarating thing I have done! Do it!!!!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

50’s and Fabulous and so glad you stepped outside your comfort zone and joined us 😊

Whitewater Rafting Thriller!

Theresa_L, Mar 2023

The guides were all great, good info shared, fun sense of humor, and the rafting was both thrilling and refreshing! Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Awesome feedback 😊 thank you for your review!

amazing friendly staff....

Safi_H, Mar 2023

amazing friendly staff. full of fun and thrill, making sure everyone is safe while having fun. Captain gave information on wild life as well. Was an amazing experience.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks for the great feedback 😊 we love when the guides get their wildlife spotting skills out to share!

A great experience

Steve_W, Mar 2023

What a great time. The guides made it a very enjoyable outing and special shout-out to Carlos for his skill and entertainment value. Highly recommended

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for the awesome feedback and glad to hear the guides entertained you as much as they entertain us :)

Prepare to get wet ;)

Barbara_K, Feb 2023

Really nice rafting tour that is suitable for beginners. We had a lot of fun and the photos you can purchase afterwards are great. Our guide gave us a really good introduction and everyone was safe.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Hi there Barbar thanks letting us know how much you enjoyed your rafting tour with us! We will pass this onto our amazing guides! Thanks for traveling with us and we hope you enjoy the rest of your time in TNQ!

Nice chill activity

Betty_W, Jan 2023

Loved lived the experience beautiful. Gave 4/5 due to the photos, paid 55 dollars and was promised 50-100 pictures and only got 46. Looked online and some groups only got 37. Don’t by the pictures! You will enjoy the experience!

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Hi Betty_W thanks for taking the time to leave us a review! It's terrific to hear you loved your rafting experience! Sorry to hear you were disappointed with the amount of photo's you received. We do aim to get 50-100 photo's however that is sometimes not possible each and every day. Thanks for traveling with us and we hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

Boring for someone who's been rafting before

Michelle_M, Jan 2023

The location was absolutely stunning and the crew was very prepared. The ride in from Cairns city is very short. The problem with this excursion for us (and potentially we did not read enough reviews first) is that we waited around for rafts for most of the time while on the river. We would get through one rapid and row to the side of the river to wait for the ~10 other rafts. You probably could get down the river within 30min to an hour but the trip took closer to 2.5 because of all the waiting. It was quite boring at the end of the day. If you are thrill seeker or have been rafting before we would not recommend this excursion. If you have never been before the location is gorgeous and worth seeing.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Hi Michell thanks for taking the time to write a review! It's wonderful to hear you appreciated the stunning scenery (it really is beautiful). Being wet season and river levels are higher more time is taken to ensure all our guests and crew get through each rapid safely. As much as we are about fun and adventure safety comes first. The Tully River is internationally recognised as Australia best rafting river, where you can experience grade 3 and 4 rapids. We offer a full day Tully rafting tour which I think would have been better suited to your expectations. Thanks for traveling with us and we hope you enjoy the rest of your time in FNQ.

Excellent First Time Experience

Sachin_A, Jan 2023

We had an excellent experience of rafting; the team was very helpful and made sure we were enjoying and having a good time while keeping our safety in mind.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thanks for sharing your experience, Sachin! It's amazing to hear you had an excellent introduction to rafting! We will pass on your lovely feedback to the crew! Thanks for choosing to experience your first time rafting with us!

A must whilst visiting the Daintree

Evan_F, Jan 2023

Truly fun experience with great guide. Highly recommend. Not only super fun, but awesome scenery through lake placid. Must do experience !!

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Hi Evan_F thanks for taking the time to share your awesome experience! It's wonderful to hear that you had fun and enjoyed the beautiful scenery! Thanks for traveling with us :-)

Excellent experience,...

Louise_W, Jan 2023

Excellent experience, Jason and Marco is an excellent coaches for our 2 rafts. WE enjoy the ride so much.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

It's wonderful to hear you enjoyed the ride! Thanks for traveling with us and for taking the tie to share your experience!

The whole experience was...

nigel_v, Jan 2023

The whole experience was amazing our guide Keaton was so easy to learn from I know all our crew had a ball

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Hi nigel_v thanks for taking the time to write a review and for sharing your awesome experience! We will pass your excellent feedback onto Keaton!

Memorable

Erasmo_P, Dec 2022

The crew is awesome and the day was epic packed with fantastic moments and a scenic view. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thanks for sharing your experience! We're stoked to hear you had such an epic experience! We hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

Must do in Cairns

Mark_M, Dec 2022

Knowledgeable staff sharing a great experience that they love doing everyday with us. Must do in cairns. Stopped in Cairns for two days on a P&O cruise, the whole family of six loved it, our tour guide Matt was terrific. 10 out of 10.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

WOW thanks for the awesome review, Mark_M it's fantastic to hear that you and your family loved every minute of it! Thanks for choosing to travel with us!

A great beginner or family adventure

Matt_D, Dec 2022

A fun experience for the fam including two teens. Rafting: Water is rough enough to have fun but never really felt like we were out of control. Guide was very knowledgeable, personable and safe. He kept another family’s teen from falling out. There was a little time for a swim that the kids took advantage of. Water was warm which was nice. We had a very large group of rafts, so there was some significant wait time between rapids as they sorted out which raft was going when, but we just passed the time talking to the other family on our raft which was enjoyable unto itself. Raft sizes ranged between 4-8 people. Equipment: Rafts, oars and helmets were of suitable quality. The booties were all torn up and there was no effort to size them, so they were just dumped on the ground and people left to fend for themselves to get something that worked. If you have aqua shoes, it’s probably easier to just bring those, but otherwise the booties were good enough. Staff: Every staff member we encountered was there to have fun and ensure we did too. With it being Christmas time, a number of them had their own fun with Christmas decorations on their helmets and gear. Bus and storage: Bus to travel to launch point was air conditioned and in great condition. For storing personal items in the bus, they had all 160 of us put our stuff in the luggage area of the bus, which could have been better handled. I’d suggest you bring along a backpack or zip bag so that all your stuff is self contained in a single bag vs having loose articles that you have to rummage through other peoples stuff to find. Overall if you’re an adrenaline junkie, you probably already know this isn’t the best option for you, but if you’re a beginner or just out for a good time, this was a fun experience and would recommend it.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thanks for the review, Matt_D. We are pleased to hear your family had a great adventure rafting! Thanks for choosing to travel with us and we hope you enjoy the rest of your time in FNQ.

A Beautiful and Fun Rafting Trip

Penny_M, Dec 2022

It was a great rafting trip on Barron river in the beautiful Daintree rain forest. The staffs are very helpful and skillful. Our family of 4 had a blast!

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Hi Penny_M thank you for joining us on our Barron rafting tour! We are thrilled to hear you and your family had a blast! Thanks for taking the time to write a review and we hope you all enjoy the rest of your trip!

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