Top Things to do in Cairns
Attractions:
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Home to vibrant coral gardens, sea turtles, reef sharks, and thousands of species you won’t find anywhere else and spanning over 2,300+km, the best way to truly experience the Great Barrier Reef is to go**** beneath the surface.
Scuba diving tours let you float beside clownfish, explore coral canyons, and experience one of the planet’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems from eye level. Whether you're a seasoned diver or it's your first time breathing underwater, there’s a tour made just for you.
Here’s why a diving tour is worth it:
Every tour varies slightly, but here’s what most Great Barrier Reef diving experiences include:
No. Many tours offer supervised intro dives with no certification required.
Intro dives are 5–10 meters; certified dives may reach 18–30 meters depending on experience.
Expect clownfish, parrotfish, sea turtles, rays, reef sharks, and vibrant corals.
Yes, most tours offer full buffet lunch plus snacks and drinks onboard.
You’ll be given full instruction and guided underwater every step of the way.
Family-friendly reef adventure with waterslide and diverse pontoon activities.
Inclusions
Full-day cruise to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns
Access to Sunlover Moore Reef pontoon with 4.5 hours to spend
Snorkeling equipment and expert guidance
Premium buffet lunch (menu here)
1-hour Snorkel Safari (if option selected)
Seawalker helmet dive (if option selected)
Access to Sunlover waterslide & sun deck
Semi-submersible tour
Glass bottom boat tour
Marine naturalist & fish feeding presentation
Underwater observatory
The ticketing process was easy and straightforward. The day was a good surprise! The staff the biologists, every staff member was good and respectful ! Joelle was great ! The food was yummy , what a good buffet at such a good price, the salads excellent!! We enjoyed our day at the Greenland Island. Thank you Head out !
Well run. Everything went smoothly and on time. Staff where very helpful and informative.
I only gave a Good rating because the Big Cat Green Island tour itself was good. The details of the tour on Headout's website were incorrect. The end of the trip was two hours after what was advertised on the site. I had selected to go snorkeling but, on the day, was told I was booked on the semi submarine and glass bottom boat. Two other parties from my group booked through Headout and we all ended up being booked on different things. It didn't make sense. Not only that but my sister's family booked the same tour through Headout days before I did but never received tickets. When she enquired with Headout about the booking, Headout had not yet submitted the necessary paperwork with the tour operator. Headout submitted the paperwork late and then ended up canceling my sister's booking by email. No call. I don't recommend booking through this site.
Great day out. Glass bottom boat was good and informative. Lunch was excellent as was our walk around Green Island.
Very well organised trip.to the island. Great snorkelling.
Staff were helpful & very friendly, easy to booking system
Full-day freedom and flexible Green Island reef experiences from Cairns.
Inclusions
Full-day cruise to Green Island
Stay on Green Island for 5 hours with a self-guided walk on island trails
Buffet lunch (menu here) (if option selected)
30-minute semi-submarine tour for up to 27 guests (if option selected)
30-minute glass-bottom boat tour (if option selected)
Snorkeling gear including mask, snorkel, fins, Lycra suits, and flotation vest (if option selected)
Guided snorkel safari tour with marine biologist (if option selected)
Snorkeling demonstration and reef presentation en route to Green Island
Everything was great. Crew were friendly and helpful. Enjoyed the commentary on the glass bottom boat tour and in the croc museum.
The glass bottom boat and the island it was where my dad proposed to my mum in about 1939
It was a great trip on the water there and back, great day ,plenty of fish and turtles, even seen a reef shark. I wish the captain would of given some commentary about the surroundings e ect besides how long we will take to get to reef and back to the mainland. Besides that , half day tour was enough time for what we went to see.
The ticketing was easy. Transfer on catamaran was on time and it was clean..staff were lovely.
Nice day for a swim, but to call it a barrier reef snorkeling trip is a stretch to far! I was very disappointed
Due to terrible weather this should have been cancelled. Did not get snorkeling as too rough and boat ride a complete disaster
Quick reef getaway with snorkeling or glass bottom boat ride on a modern catamaran.
Inclusions
Half-day cruise to Green Island from Cairns
Stay on Green Island for 2 hours
Self-guided walk on the island
Semi-submarine tour (if option selected)
Snorkelling gear, Lycra suits, and flotation vest (if option selected)
Glass-bottom boat tour (if option selected)
Snorkeling demonstration and reef presentation en route to Green Island
Full‑day reef cruise with pontoon activities, island exploration, and lunch.
Inclusions
Full-day cruise to the Great Barrier Reef and Fitzroy Island from Cairns
Snorkeling equipment and expert guidance
Premium buffet lunch (menu here)
Onboard amenities: Air-conditioned lounges, sun deck, Sunlover waterslide, freshwater showers, change rooms, licensed bar, and snorkel assistance station
Access to reef platform activities: semi-submersible and glass-bottom boat tours, underwater observatory, and marine presentation with fish feeding
Self-guided walk on Fitzroy Island National Park trails
1-hour Snorkel Safari (if option selected)
Seawalker helmet dive (if option selected)
Turtle Rehabilitation Centre talk (if option selected)
Explore two exclusive reef sites with scuba diving and snorkeling aboard a luxury superyacht.
Inclusions
Full-day cruise to the Great Barrier Reef
Round-trip superyacht transfers from Cairns to 2 reef sites
Introductory or certified diving course with licensed diving instructor
8-hour cruise with 5 hours on the reef
Snorkeling equipment, masks, and lycra suits
Guides/captains
Chef-prepared BBQ lunch
Tea and coffee
1 glass of wine and light snack on return journey
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
Guided snorkel reef tour with lunch on a purpose‑built vessel.
Inclusions