Outdoor market with colourful clothing and craft stalls, shoppers browsing, and trees providing shade throughout the area—just a short journey from Cairns via the Kuranda Skyrail or Scenic Railway.
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Kuranda Skyrail and Scenic Rail – Self Drive from Cairns

from A$185
5 hours 15 mins
Smithfield
All Ages (0+)
Free Cancellation (24 hours prior)

Park free at the Skyrail Smithfield Terminal and ride both of Kuranda's classic journeys in one day: Skyrail over World Heritage rainforest and the Kuranda Scenic Railway through Barron Gorge. Choose Skyrail or the train first, spend the middle of the day in Kuranda village, and a transfer links Freshwater Station back to your car.

  • Outdoor market with colourful clothing and craft stalls, shoppers browsing, and trees providing shade throughout the area—just a short journey from Cairns via the Kuranda Skyrail or Scenic Railway.
  • A waitress in a red shirt serves drinks to a smiling seated woman on the Kuranda Scenic Rail as it travels from Cairns. Other passengers are visible in the background, enjoying the journey.
  • A passenger train on the Scenic Rail crosses a steel bridge over a rocky river gorge surrounded by dense green trees under a clear blue sky near Cairns.
  • A man and woman sit together on a Scenic Rail train, smiling and holding drinks, with large windows revealing the breathtaking outdoor views near Cairns.
  • A red and white train from the Scenic Rail travels past a large waterfall cascading down a green, rocky hillside, with mist and trees in the background near Cairns.
  • A passenger train travels along a curved elevated track through dense green forest with hills in the background under a clear sky, offering a scenic rail journey reminiscent of the famous Kuranda Skyrail near Cairns.
  • A colourful train travels along a winding track through dense green forest and rocky cliffs, offering a breathtaking scenic rail journey near Cairns, much like the renowned Kuranda Skyrail experience.
  • A family with two children listens to a guide holding an animal on a wooden boardwalk in a lush, green forest, set near the renowned Kuranda Skyrail in Cairns.
  • A green cable car travels above dense green forest under a clear blue sky, with a station partially visible among the trees—this iconic scene captures the Kuranda Skyrail experience near Cairns, offering breathtaking views along the renowned Scenic Rail route.
  • Four people stand on a wooden viewing platform in a forest near Cairns, overlooking a large waterfall surrounded by dense green trees—a breathtaking scene reminiscent of the views along the Kuranda Skyrail or Scenic Railway.
  • Three adults walk on a wooden boardwalk in a lush, green forest near Cairns; one points ahead towards the path, reminiscent of exploring the vibrant landscapes along the Kuranda Skyrail or Scenic Rail, whilst the others look in the same direction.
  • A green cable car travels above a dense forest on the Kuranda Skyrail, with farmland, distant mountains, and the sea visible under a blue sky in the background near Cairns.
  • Kuranda boarding pass displaying the tour name, booking details, travel instructions, departure times, and contact information on a green background. Includes essential information for the Kuranda Skyrail and Scenic Rail journey from Cairns.
  • Outdoor market with colourful clothing and craft stalls, shoppers browsing, and trees providing shade throughout the area—just a short journey from Cairns via the Kuranda Skyrail or Scenic Railway.
  • A waitress in a red shirt serves drinks to a smiling seated woman on the Kuranda Scenic Rail as it travels from Cairns. Other passengers are visible in the background, enjoying the journey.
  • A passenger train on the Scenic Rail crosses a steel bridge over a rocky river gorge surrounded by dense green trees under a clear blue sky near Cairns.
  • A man and woman sit together on a Scenic Rail train, smiling and holding drinks, with large windows revealing the breathtaking outdoor views near Cairns.
  • A red and white train from the Scenic Rail travels past a large waterfall cascading down a green, rocky hillside, with mist and trees in the background near Cairns.
  • A passenger train travels along a curved elevated track through dense green forest with hills in the background under a clear sky, offering a scenic rail journey reminiscent of the famous Kuranda Skyrail near Cairns.
  • A colourful train travels along a winding track through dense green forest and rocky cliffs, offering a breathtaking scenic rail journey near Cairns, much like the renowned Kuranda Skyrail experience.
  • A family with two children listens to a guide holding an animal on a wooden boardwalk in a lush, green forest, set near the renowned Kuranda Skyrail in Cairns.
  • A green cable car travels above dense green forest under a clear blue sky, with a station partially visible among the trees—this iconic scene captures the Kuranda Skyrail experience near Cairns, offering breathtaking views along the renowned Scenic Rail route.
  • Four people stand on a wooden viewing platform in a forest near Cairns, overlooking a large waterfall surrounded by dense green trees—a breathtaking scene reminiscent of the views along the Kuranda Skyrail or Scenic Railway.
  • Three adults walk on a wooden boardwalk in a lush, green forest near Cairns; one points ahead towards the path, reminiscent of exploring the vibrant landscapes along the Kuranda Skyrail or Scenic Rail, whilst the others look in the same direction.
  • A green cable car travels above a dense forest on the Kuranda Skyrail, with farmland, distant mountains, and the sea visible under a blue sky in the background near Cairns.
  • Kuranda boarding pass displaying the tour name, booking details, travel instructions, departure times, and contact information on a green background. Includes essential information for the Kuranda Skyrail and Scenic Rail journey from Cairns.

Quick read before you book.

  • Drive yourself and keep the day flexible
  • Pick rail first or Skyrail first
  • Free guided boardwalk tours at Red Peak Station
  • The Edge Lookout over Barron Falls
  • A couple of hours or more to explore Kuranda village

What people say about this operator.

Google Reviews
4.1 Stars|260 reviews

What could be better?

Honestly, not much. Double check your pickup time the night before so your day starts stress free.

Summarised by AI, verify on Google Business Profile before booking

Included in this tour.

  • Free parking at the Skyrail Smithfield Terminal
  • One way Skyrail Rainforest Cableway journey, with stops at Red Peak and Barron Falls
  • One way Kuranda Scenic Railway journey between Freshwater and Kuranda
  • Coach transfer between Freshwater Station and the Skyrail car park
  • Kuranda Boarding Pass with your tickets

Commonly asked questions.

Park for free at the Skyrail Smithfield Terminal, north of Cairns city. The coach transfer between Freshwater Station and the Skyrail car park is included whichever way round you travel, and if you don't have a car, our guide to getting around Cairns without a car has other options.

Down Under Tours lets you cancel most of its day tours free of charge up to 24 hours before departure, and a tour cancelled because of a weather event is fully refunded. Your booking confirmation sets out the exact terms for your fare.

Skyrail and the Kuranda Scenic Railway may not operate in extreme weather. If that happens, alternative arrangements are offered on the day.

Both rides run most of the year, apart from planned maintenance days such as the Kuranda Scenic Railway closure from 2 to 6 November 2026 and Skyrail's closure on 8 and 9 December 2026. Check availability for your date before you plan the day around it.

Children aged 4 to 14 pay the child rate and children 3 and under travel free. A family ticket covers two adults and two children.

Lunch isn't included, so plan to buy it in Kuranda village between rides. The village has plenty of cafes around the markets.

Yes, Birdworld, Kuranda Koala Gardens and the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary are all in the village at your own cost. Birdworld Kuranda is inside the Heritage Markets, right beside the koalas.

Kuranda day tours are among Down Under Tours' most accessible. Contact the team on 07 4047 9097 before booking to talk through mobility, vision, hearing or cognitive needs.

More about this tour.

If you've got wheels in Cairns, this is the simplest way to ride both the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail in one day without joining a coach tour. You park free at the Skyrail Smithfield Terminal, and Down Under Tours sorts the tickets and the transfer that joins the two ends of the loop.This tour has multiple options;
  • Skyrail first: board the cableway at Smithfield at 9.45am, explore Kuranda, then take the 2pm train down to Freshwater Station, where a coach returns you to your car
  • Train first: transfer from the Skyrail car park to Freshwater Station for the 8.50am train, then ride Skyrail back down to Smithfield at 12.45pm
Skyrail stops at Red Peak, where free guided boardwalk tours run through the day, and at Barron Falls for The Edge Lookout and the Rainforest Interpretation Centre. The train winds through Barron Gorge past waterfalls, and in between you have Kuranda village to yourself: the markets, the cafes and wildlife parks such as Kuranda Koala Gardens, at your own cost.Still deciding which way round suits you? Our Skyrail vs Kuranda Railway guide compares the two rides. Explore the options, check availability for your date, then book.

Additional info.

  • Park at the Skyrail Smithfield Terminal; train check in is at Freshwater Station
  • When booking, choose Cairns as the location and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Smithfield as your accommodation
  • Children 3 and under travel free
  • Kuranda wildlife parks are at your own cost