Sandy beach and tropical vegetation on Green Island
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0830-1630 – BRS Campaign

4 hours

The full Green Island day from Cairns. Depart at 8:30am, arrive around 9:15am and stay until the 4:30pm boat back, with nearly seven hours to snorkel off the beach, ride the glass bottom boat, walk the rainforest trail and swim in the guest pool before returning to Cairns at about 5:20pm.

  • Sandy beach and tropical vegetation on Green Island
  • Aerial view of Green Island, its jetty and surrounding reef off Cairns
  • Guests boarding a Great Adventures boat at the Cairns marina
  • Smiling snorkellers in stinger suits on a Green Island reef trip
  • Couple walking out of the water with snorkel gear at Green Island
  • Shaded rainforest boardwalk on Green Island
  • Sandy beach and tropical vegetation on Green Island
  • Aerial view of Green Island, its jetty and surrounding reef off Cairns
  • Guests boarding a Great Adventures boat at the Cairns marina
  • Smiling snorkellers in stinger suits on a Green Island reef trip
  • Couple walking out of the water with snorkel gear at Green Island
  • Shaded rainforest boardwalk on Green Island

Quick read before you book.

  • Close to seven hours on Green Island
  • Early arrival ahead of the late morning boats
  • See the reef from a glass bottom boat, then snorkel it
  • Rainforest trail across a coral cay
  • Afternoon swim in the guest only pool

Included in this tour.

  • Return fast catamaran between Cairns and Green Island, about 45 minutes each way
  • Tea and coffee at the terminal until departure
  • Snorkelling demonstration and Green Island eco video on the way over
  • Snorkel equipment (mask, snorkel and fins)
  • Glass bottom boat coral viewing tour
  • Marine biologist reef talk and island walk (limited spaces)
  • Self guided eco island walk
  • Day visitor facilities, including the swimming pool for Great Adventures guests
  • Great Adventures beach bag

Commonly asked questions.

The catamaran leaves Cairns at 8:30am and arrives at Green Island around 9:15am. The return boat leaves the island at 4:30pm and docks at the Reef Fleet Terminal at about 5:20pm.

Collect your boarding pass from the Great Adventures counter inside the Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns, ideally an hour before departure. Boarding closes 30 minutes before the boat leaves and it will not wait for late arrivals.

Cancel before 12pm the day before travel for no fee. Cancelling between 12pm and 6pm the day before costs 50 percent of the fare, and after 6pm the day before the full fare applies. Date changes are free with at least 24 hours notice, subject to availability.

The crossing is short and fairly sheltered, but if the cruise does not operate you are offered another day or a refund. In severe weather you can also change your date, subject to availability.

Yes. Children aged 4 to 14 travel at the child rate and children under 4 travel free. Prams are fine on the boat and the boardwalks but not on the sand, and children must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Lunch is not included, but there are plenty of options on the island, from the Lite Bites Café and Canopy Grill to Emeralds Restaurant, which serves lunch from 11am. Cold drinking water is free at the lunch area.

Pack swimwear, a towel, hat, marine friendly sunscreen, walking shoes and a camera, though drones are not allowed. From November to April, read our guide to stinger season in Cairns and hire a lycra suit on the island.
Absolutely. The glass bottom boat, eco walk and island beaches all work without swimming. Our guide to the Great Barrier Reef for non swimmers has more ideas.

More about this tour.

This is the longest day you can spend on Green Island with Great Adventures. You leave Cairns at 8:30am, step off at the jetty around 9:15am and have the island until the 4:30pm boat home, close to seven hours on a 6000 year old coral cay inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.The early start pays off. You are on the island before the late morning boats arrive, which gives you first go at the beach and the reef flat. Snorkel gear and a glass bottom boat tour are both included, so you can see the coral from above and then get in with it.With a full day to fill, there is time for the self guided eco walk through the island's rainforest, the marine biologist reef talk, a lazy lunch at the island restaurants and an afternoon in the pool kept for Great Adventures guests. Want to add a helmet walk on the sea floor? The Green Island day tour with Seawalker builds it in.You are back at the Reef Fleet Terminal at about 5:20pm, in time for dinner on the Esplanade. For the rest of your stay, our list of things to do in Cairns fills the gaps. Explore the day, check availability for the 8:30am departure and book.

Additional info.

  • Check in at the Great Adventures counter inside the Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, about an hour before the 8:30am departure. Boarding closes 30 minutes before sailing.
  • Return boat leaves Green Island at 4:30pm.
  • Lunch is not included, so budget for the island outlets.