A tour bus parked on a coastal road near Cairns overlooks lush green hills and blue sea under a sunny sky, promising the start of an unforgettable 4WD adventure.
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Cairns to Cooktown 4WD Day Adventure

from A$399
13 hours
Cairns
Free Cancellation (7 days prior)

A big day from Cairns to Cooktown and back with a local guide and a group of no more than 10. Drive the 4WD Bloomfield Track, stop at the 1875 Lions Den Hotel, lunch on the Cooktown waterfront and return on the inland route past Black Mountain and the Palmer River goldfields.

  • A tour bus parked on a coastal road near Cairns overlooks lush green hills and blue sea under a sunny sky, promising the start of an unforgettable 4WD adventure.
  • Six people stand in front of The Lions Den Hotel entrance sign on a sunny day, with a life-sized lion statue to their left—making it a perfect stop for those embarking on a 4WD adventure between Cairns and Cooktown.
  • A calm river with clear water flows around rocks and small islands, surrounded by dense green trees and vegetation, creating an idyllic setting often discovered on a 4WD Adventure between Cairns and Cooktown.
  • A calm river flows between green, tree-covered hills under a partly cloudy sky—a scenic haven often discovered on a 4WD adventure from Cairns to Cooktown. Shrubs and small trees grow along the riverbank in the foreground.
  • A group of people stands in front of a parked 4WD adventure tour coach on a rocky, wooded path with trees and greenery in the background, ready to explore the scenic route from Cairns to Cooktown.
  • A man in a blue shirt and cap stands in front of a tour bus labelled Cairns to Cooktown 4WD tours, ready to embark on an exciting 4WD adventure in a sunny, outdoor setting.
  • A tour bus parked on a coastal road near Cairns overlooks lush green hills and blue sea under a sunny sky, promising the start of an unforgettable 4WD adventure.
  • Six people stand in front of The Lions Den Hotel entrance sign on a sunny day, with a life-sized lion statue to their left—making it a perfect stop for those embarking on a 4WD adventure between Cairns and Cooktown.
  • A calm river with clear water flows around rocks and small islands, surrounded by dense green trees and vegetation, creating an idyllic setting often discovered on a 4WD Adventure between Cairns and Cooktown.
  • A calm river flows between green, tree-covered hills under a partly cloudy sky—a scenic haven often discovered on a 4WD adventure from Cairns to Cooktown. Shrubs and small trees grow along the riverbank in the foreground.
  • A group of people stands in front of a parked 4WD adventure tour coach on a rocky, wooded path with trees and greenery in the background, ready to explore the scenic route from Cairns to Cooktown.
  • A man in a blue shirt and cap stands in front of a tour bus labelled Cairns to Cooktown 4WD tours, ready to embark on an exciting 4WD adventure in a sunny, outdoor setting.

Quick read before you book.

  • Creek crossings and climbs on the Bloomfield Track
  • A stop at the Lions Den Hotel, built in 1875
  • Views over Cooktown from Grassy Hill Lookout
  • Coast road up, outback road home, with no backtracking
  • Black Mountain and the Palmer River goldfields
  • A secluded beach walk at Cape Tribulation

What people say about this operator.

Google Reviews
5.0 Stars|11 reviews

What could be better?

Honestly, not much. It's a big day on the road to Cooktown, so settle in, charge your camera and enjoy the scenery.

Summarised by AI, verify on Google Business Profile before booking

Included in this tour.

  • Local guide
  • Air conditioned 4WD coach from Cairns, Trinity Beach, Palm Cove or Port Douglas
  • Morning tea with homemade scones and jam in Mossman
  • Cold bottled water
  • Lunch at the Sovereign Resort Hotel in Cooktown

Commonly asked questions.

Pickups are about 6:30am in Cairns City, 7am at Trinity Beach and Palm Cove, and 7:45am in Port Douglas. You are back around 6:30pm in Port Douglas, 7pm at the beaches and 7:30pm in Cairns City, though unforeseen events can cause delays.

It is a 4WD track north of Cape Tribulation with creek crossings, climbs and descents, following the Bloomfield River and crossing it at Wujal Wujal. Our Cape Tribulation day trip guide covers the rainforest country you pass on the way.

Cancel 7 or more days before your tour for a full refund. Cancellations within 7 days and no shows are not refunded, and if minimum numbers are not met you will be offered another date or a full refund.

Morning tea of homemade scones and jam, cold bottled water and lunch at the Sovereign Resort Hotel are included. You are welcome to bring snacks to eat on board, but alcohol is not permitted on the coach.

A visit is optional and admission is not included, so bring cash or a card if you would like to go in.

No, wheelchair access is not available. Only small carry on bags fit on board, not suitcases, and there are toilet stops at least every couple of hours.

Bring a small carry on bag with snacks and some cash or a card for purchases, and expect patchy phone coverage on the track. Our rainforest day tour packing checklist has more ideas.

More about this tour.

Cooktown is a long way from Cairns, and this day makes the most of every kilometre by going up the coast and coming home through the outback. Your guide, Cathy, a North Queensland local with more than 30 years in tourism, drives a small group of up to 10 in an air conditioned 4WD coach.Morning tea is homemade scones and jam in Mossman, then you cross the Daintree River by ferry, keep an eye out for cassowaries in the rainforest and stretch your legs on a secluded beach at Cape Tribulation. North of there the Bloomfield Track begins, with creek crossings, climbs and descents, and a crossing of the Bloomfield River at Wujal Wujal before a stop at the Lions Den Hotel, built in 1875.In Cooktown you will see the Captain Cook monument on the Endeavour River, look out over the town from Grassy Hill Lookout and sit down to a waterfront lunch at the Sovereign Resort Hotel, where tiger prawns or coral trout might be on the menu. The return leg takes the inland route past Black Mountain, Lakeland Downs, the Palmer River goldfields and the Desailly Range, with Australian Bustards sometimes seen south of Mt Carbine.Short on time? The Daintree and Cape Tribulation day tour covers the rainforest stretch of this route. Explore the itinerary, check availability for a Wednesday departure, then book your seat.

Additional info.

  • Runs on Wednesdays, with pickups from 6:30am in Cairns City, 7am at Trinity Beach and Palm Cove, and 7:45am in Port Douglas.
  • Be waiting out the front a few minutes early.
  • Back in Cairns around 7:30pm.
  • Bring cash or a card for drinks and purchases along the way.