Green Island coral cay and reef from above
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Fitzroy Island & Green Island Explorer

from A$196
8 hours 30 mins
Cairns
All Ages (0+)
Free Cancellation (24 hours prior)

Two islands in one day from Cairns: about two and a half hours on rainforest clad Fitzroy Island, then three and a half hours on the Green Island coral cay. Choose snorkelling gear for both islands or a glass bottom boat tour, with several options for buffet, picnic or no lunch.

  • Green Island coral cay and reef from above
  • Fitzroy Island's rainforest covered hills and bay off Cairns
  • Guests looking through the floor of a glass bottom boat at the reef
  • Woman on granite boulders looking over a beach on Fitzroy Island
  • Family playing in the shallows at Green Island
  • Swimmer in the clear turquoise shallows off a sandy island beach near Cairns
  • Green Island coral cay and reef from above
  • Fitzroy Island's rainforest covered hills and bay off Cairns
  • Guests looking through the floor of a glass bottom boat at the reef
  • Woman on granite boulders looking over a beach on Fitzroy Island
  • Family playing in the shallows at Green Island
  • Swimmer in the clear turquoise shallows off a sandy island beach near Cairns

Quick read before you book.

  • Fitzroy and Green Island paired in a single day from Cairns
  • Rainforest tracks and granite bays in the morning, coral cay sand in the afternoon
  • More than six hours of island time in one trip
  • Green turtles often spotted in the shallows off Green Island
  • Air conditioned Big Cat as your base on Green Island

What people say about this operator.

Google Reviews
4.1 Stars|574 reviews

What could be better?

Honestly, not much. Two islands means more time on the water, so pack seasickness tablets if you need them and pace yourself.

Summarised by AI, verify on Google Business Profile before booking

Included in this tour.

  • Catamaran cruise from Cairns to Fitzroy Island, on to Green Island and back to Cairns
  • About 2.5 hours of free time on Fitzroy Island
  • About 3.5 hours of free time on Green Island
  • Commentary on the cruise and a marine biology presentation
  • Snorkelling gear for use at both islands, on snorkelling options
  • Glass bottom boat tour, on glass bottom boat options
  • Buffet lunch served aboard Big Cat at Green Island, on buffet lunch options
  • Picnic lunch box with a baguette or wrap, seasonal fruit, a muesli bar and water, on picnic lunch options
  • Access to the walking tracks and beaches on both islands

Commonly asked questions.

You check in directly at the vessel at Marlin Wharf, beside the Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns, with boarding open from 8am for the 8:30am departure. Your berth and a marina map are sent by email and SMS the afternoon before.

You have about two and a half hours on Fitzroy Island, then leave at 11:45am for about three and a half hours on Green Island. You are back in Cairns at around 5pm.

Each option pairs either snorkelling gear for both islands or a glass bottom boat tour with a lunch choice: the buffet aboard Big Cat at Green Island, a packed picnic lunch box, or no lunch. The glass bottom boat suits anyone who would rather stay dry.

In poor weather the operator will move your booking at no charge to the next suitable day, subject to availability. If the trip cannot run and a new date does not suit, you receive a full refund.

You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure. Cancellations or changes within 24 hours, and no shows, are charged in full.

Yes. Children aged 4 to 14 pay the child rate, under 4s travel free but must be on the booking, and under 16s need an adult aged 18 or over with them all day. If you are pregnant, talk to the operator before booking about the boat crossings and snorkelling.

The vessels are pram friendly and both islands have paths and boardwalks, though some Fitzroy tracks have steep steps and the beaches are hard going for prams; wheelchair users should contact the operator before booking. Non swimmers can choose the glass bottom boat, and our guide to the Great Barrier Reef for non swimmers has more ideas.
Marine stingers can be around from roughly November to May, and lycra stinger suits come with the snorkelling gear. Our Cairns stinger season guide explains what to expect.

More about this tour.

Most Cairns reef days give you one island. This one gives you two very different ones. You start on Fitzroy Island, a granite and rainforest island with walking tracks, boulder strewn bays and coral right off the beach, then cross to Green Island, a flat coral cay ringed by white sand and reef. Leaving Cairns at 8:30am and back around 5pm, you get more than six hours on land and in the water.Fitzroy comes first, with about two and a half hours to explore. Walk the short Secret Garden track along a rainforest creek, take the 1.2 km return track to Nudey Beach, or simply snorkel the fringing reef in front of the resort. At 11:45am you cruise across to Green Island with commentary on the way, then have about three and a half hours to wander the rainforest boardwalks, snorkel off the northern beach where green turtles are often seen, or cool off aboard the air conditioned Big Cat.Your fare covers your choice of snorkelling gear for use at both islands or a glass bottom boat tour, plus a marine biology presentation. If you would rather spend the whole day on one island, the Green Island full day tour gives you up to five and a half hours on the cay, while the Fitzroy Island day tour leaves time for the longer summit and lighthouse walks.This tour has multiple options;
  • Glass bottom boat tour with the buffet lunch aboard Big Cat at Green Island
  • Glass bottom boat tour with a packed picnic lunch box
  • Glass bottom boat tour with no lunch, so you can buy food on the islands
  • Snorkelling gear for both islands with the buffet lunch aboard Big Cat at Green Island
  • Snorkelling gear for both islands with a packed picnic lunch box
  • Snorkelling gear for both islands with no lunch, so you can buy food on the islands
Explore the options below, check availability for your date, then book the combination that suits your day.

Additional info.

Check in directly at the vessel at Marlin Wharf, beside the Reef Fleet Terminal on Spence Street, Cairns. Boarding opens at 8am for the 8:30am departure. You will receive an email and SMS the afternoon before with your berth and a marina map. Hotel transfers are not included.
  • Children aged 4 to 14 travel at the child rate. Children under 4 travel free as infants but must be added to the booking. Anyone under 16 must be with an adult aged 18 or over at all times.
  • Marine stingers can be present from roughly November to May. Lycra stinger suits are included with snorkelling gear.
  • Optional extras at an additional cost include a guided Snorkel Safari with a marine biologist and a semi submarine tour at Green Island.
  • Picnic lunch boxes must be booked ahead. Vegetarian, gluten free and pork free picnic lunches are available if you call the operator ahead; no infant lunch is supplied.
  • Bring swimwear, a towel, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a change of clothes.
  • BYO alcohol is not permitted. Drinks are sold aboard and at the licensed bar on Green Island.
  • Drones cannot be carried or flown on the tour.
  • If poor weather affects your day, the operator will move your booking at no charge to the next suitable day, subject to availability, or refund you in full if a new date does not suit.
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Changes or cancellations within 24 hours, and no shows, are not refunded.