Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
4.6
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
About
Embark on a fascinating journey of discovery over and through the oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest on earth. Enjoy a truly unique perspective of Australia's World Heritage listed Tropical Rainforest as you glide just metres above the pristine rainforest canopy before descending to explore the forest floor at Red Peak and Barron Falls to learn about one of the most botanically fascinating and diverse areas in the world. Enhance your experience by unlocking the secrets of the ancient rainforest at the Rainforest Discovery Zone at Red Peak, put the story of the rainforest in your hands with the Skyrail Interpretive App & Audio Guide and experience the beautiful Barron Falls and Gorge like never before from The Edge Lookout. Explore Kuranda village known for its markets, cafes, art galleries and wildlife parks and return via the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway to complete your day. Discover, encounter and immerse yourself in this unforgettable experience of a lifetime.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
61 within 5 kms
Attractions
69 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.6
4,106 reviews
Excellent
2,781
Very good
1,002
Average
211
Poor
53
Terrible
59
Doug S
Foster City, CA3 contributions
Jan 2025 • Family
Very enjoyable trip. We wanted to combine with the railroad scenic tour, but the weather closed the railroad. We were in the "wet season" so rain was moderate to heavy, but still worth the trip. Views were spectacular, even with the clouds. First stop was a short walk, but the opportunity for a ranger-led walk was great - very interesting and informative. Second stop was Barron Falls, which were spectacular! ability to walk to a couple of different overlooks and enjoy the majesty of the Falls. Last stop was Kuranda Village at the top, which was a little "tourist-trappy" with the shops, etc. Recommend taking the creek trail through part of the forest, which was beautiful, quiet, peaceful and had the ability to observe the forest from below. Overall, highly recommend the tour.
Written 2 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your experience exploring the Wet Tropics Rainforest! It sounds like you had an incredible trip despite the weather challenges of Kuranda Scenic Railway not operating. We're glad to hear that you found the Ranger Guided Tour insightful and that Barron Falls left such a strong impression on you – it truly is a stunning and magical place.
It’s great that you were able to enjoy the creek trail in Kuranda Village. That peaceful escape into nature really adds a special touch, doesn’t it? We appreciate your recommendation for others to take that trail, we have a blog on our website which gives even more information! Thanks again for your detailed review and high recommendations of our experience and top travel tips for Kuranda village. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon!
Written 3 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
GrassValleyMe
Grass Valley, CA68 contributions
Dec 2024 • Friends
Almost 3 miles over the rain forest at a leisurely pace. Birds singing all the time. Only time the line of gondolas all stop is assisting mobility challenged passengers at the stations. There are two intermediate stops where you can get out, both with a short walk - good idea, especially the falls. Kuranda was built as a tourist trap - very little acknowledgement of the Aboriginal village and culture. But the butterfly sanctuary was lovely. Air in the village was a tad cooler than down on the coast (still sweltering). Great view of the Cairns region coming back down.
Written 23 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greetings from the ancient rainforest,
Thank you for sharing your wonderful connection with nature during your Skyrail Rainforest Cableway experience. We are glad you had such a relaxing time with us and enjoyed wandering and discovering the two stops, Red Peak and Barron Falls. Thanks again for sharing, we hope you cherish these memories of your holiday to Cairns for years to come. Kindest regards, Marni
Written 27 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sakura_wingz
Sydney, Australia149 contributions
Jan 2025 • Solo
There's a few details missing on the website and booking confirmation that would've made the railway/Skyrail/Kuranda trip better for me personally.
While the train journey is strict with the departure, the skyrail can be done at your leisure, and shuttles depart the Skyrail Smithfield terminal once an hour (ending at 5pm)
The audio guide is a bit of fun and I had no problems with it.
Otherwise it's a relaxing and great way to view the rainforest from the canopy.
While the train journey is strict with the departure, the skyrail can be done at your leisure, and shuttles depart the Skyrail Smithfield terminal once an hour (ending at 5pm)
The audio guide is a bit of fun and I had no problems with it.
Otherwise it's a relaxing and great way to view the rainforest from the canopy.
Written 2 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Sakura,
Thanks for visiting Skyrail and the ancient rainforest with us. We are constantly seeking to improve the experience we offer and would love to hear how we can make changes to our wesbite to deliver a better journey. Please email me on communications.officer@skyrail.com.au to share your insights.
Skyrail does have set departure times, you will notice this during the booking process and on your booking confirmation. While the train only has 2 departures in the morning and afternoon, Skyrail has departures every 15 minutes. However, these do in fact need to be booked in advance to secure your preferred departure time, especially if you are coordinating with a bus pick up and or drop off. Our bus transfers also occur at set times and also must be booked in advance, and when doing so are matched with your Skyrail departure times.
Thanks for mentioning the Audio Guide & Interpretive App - we are glad you found this fun and informative.
Thanks for sharing your relaxing time spent in nature with us and I do look forward to hearing from you on email soon.
Kindest regards,
Marni Cadd
Written 5 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Simone
Brisbane, Australia112 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
If you're going to cairns you might as well go on the old train and the cable car. It's a cool experience. I would 100% recommend taking the train UP and then the cable car down. The trains leave twice a day and if you miss it you're stuck. Whereas the cable car goes all day long so you can leave whenever you want.
Also it's likely cooler early so wont be as uncomfortable on the train.
We paid for the cable car with the glass floor - i wouldn't do that again. You end up having to wait for ages for one of the glass bottom cars and you have zero chance of not having to share. We just ended up taking the normal cable car after the first hop.
Also it's likely cooler early so wont be as uncomfortable on the train.
We paid for the cable car with the glass floor - i wouldn't do that again. You end up having to wait for ages for one of the glass bottom cars and you have zero chance of not having to share. We just ended up taking the normal cable car after the first hop.
Written 26 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Simone,
Thank you for sharing your experience with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and the Kuranda Scenic Railway. We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed the journey and found the combination of the train and Skyrail to be a cool experience!
We appreciate your insights on timing and the comfort of the train ride, your tips will certainly be helpful to others planning their trip. Our packages offer Skyrail and train in a number of combinations, all can be found with timing options on the official Skyrail website. (We highly recommend booking in advance.)
We're sorry to hear that the glass floor, Diamond View option didn’t meet your expectations on this occasion. We understand that waiting times and shared gondolas can impact the experience, and your feedback will help us in improving our services for future guests. We hope you were still able to enjoy the breathtaking views on your journey.
Thank you for visiting, and we hope to welcome you back to Skyrail in the future for another rainforest adventure!
Kindest regards, Marni
Written 27 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Oldboganbull
Long Jetty, Australia54 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
My wife, 80 year old sister along with a friend and her special needs son took the Skyrail to Kuranda and whilst it seemed very busy for a Thursday, we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a gondola transfer.
All staff we encountered from ticket sales, gondola entry & exit and even those we passed greeted us with “hellos” and were helpful and obliging.
The experience of the cable ride was terrific and the views spectacular, whilst Kuranda itself was surprisingly large with a good assortment of gift, clothes and souvenir shops and an abundance of food outlets, hotels, bars and cafes to satisfy any hunger or thirst.
I would highly recommend travelling up prior to 9am and returning after 3 or 4pm to take in the full “Kuranda experience”.
$99 per person for a return ticket is reasonable when you consider what would be the massive cost of constructing and maintaining this award winning facility.
All staff we encountered from ticket sales, gondola entry & exit and even those we passed greeted us with “hellos” and were helpful and obliging.
The experience of the cable ride was terrific and the views spectacular, whilst Kuranda itself was surprisingly large with a good assortment of gift, clothes and souvenir shops and an abundance of food outlets, hotels, bars and cafes to satisfy any hunger or thirst.
I would highly recommend travelling up prior to 9am and returning after 3 or 4pm to take in the full “Kuranda experience”.
$99 per person for a return ticket is reasonable when you consider what would be the massive cost of constructing and maintaining this award winning facility.
Written 15 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greetings from the rainforest,
It sounds like you all had a great day exploring the rainforest together. Thanks so much for sharing your day with the TripAdvisor travelling community! We hope your comments provide some great insights to fellow, future travellers.
We sincerely appreciate all of your kind words about our helpful and happy team, and of course our experience. We hope to welcome you all back again some day soon.
Warmest regards, Marni
Written 16 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Navigate48480835753
The Villages, FL20 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
Incredible 5 mile, very comfortable 4 person cablecar ride, starting at Kuranda, over the top of world heritage rainforest, with 2 possible stops along the way for photos and informative nature walks. You MUST make sure to download the skyrail app on your smartphone before you go for a programmed educational talk about the important sites along the way. A nice way to really appreciate Barron Falls and the rainforest from above.
Written 22 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greetings from the Australian Tropical Rainforest, thanks for visiting Skyrail during your time in Cairns and sharing your comments with fellow travellers. Thank you for your recommendation of the Skyrail multilingual app - it's free and provides in gondola commentary and more! Our gondolas can seat up to 6 guests, and offer 360 degree views of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest. Thanks again for your top travel tips and we hope you go home with many fond memories of your time in Cairns. Kindest regards, Marni
Written 25 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tony W
Sydney, Australia4,620 contributions
Feb 2025 • Family
We decided to take the cableway up to Kuranda and then take the train ride back. In the mid morning this is the way to go as you get an amazing view of the rainforest below as you glide over the top of the trees. Don't forget to take advantage of the two stops on the way up and explore the rainforest boardwalk at Red Peak and view Barron Falls. The service is very well run and the staff were great and very obliging.
Written 7 March 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for visiting the ancient rainforest with us and discovering all that the Skyrail experience has to offer. We are glad you enjoyed our friendly service while discovering the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Kindest regards, Marni
Written 11 March 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
WaggaTraveller
Wagga Wagga, Australia285 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
Skyrail returning from Kuranda, to Cairns. I would like to express how amazing and what privilege it is to experience the Daintree rainforest both from above, and from the vantage point of various boardwalks. The engineering is absolutely astounding. It is so quiet and you can hear the birds and see the tops of the trees. I cannot more highly recommend this attraction. If you can afford it, get the diamond view as you have a glass base to your carriage and you will be able to see everything underneath your feet. Just do this. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Written 19 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi WaggaTraveller,
Greetings from the Ancient Rainforest!
We are pleased to see you had an amazing experience with us in the ancient. Gilding smoothly in your gondola just metres above the lush canopy before descending to discover more at the forest floor of Red Peak and Barron Falls.
It took 7 years of pre-construction planning, feasibility studies, environmental impact study and numerous other reports and assessments before we began to construct Skyrail. It was an epic feat of local engineering and a great read, which is available on our blogs page of our official website.
Diamond View, glass floor gondola, is an exclusive upgrade and provides guests with unimpeded views into the deep green rainforest canopy below. It has a designated boarding queue and arrives into our terminals on average, every 7 minutes.
Thank you for recommending us to future visitors.
Regards, Rebecca
Written 20 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Eden
77 contributions
Sept 2024 • Solo
Amazing views, especially of the Barron Falls
Liked the nature walk at the first stop. Queueing is an issue and they could have queues for singles and doubles to resolve this. Get someone to take a photo for you in the cable car instead of forking out $30 for their photoshopped one at the end.
Liked the nature walk at the first stop. Queueing is an issue and they could have queues for singles and doubles to resolve this. Get someone to take a photo for you in the cable car instead of forking out $30 for their photoshopped one at the end.
Written 6 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good Morning from the ancient rainforest,
We are glad to hear you enjoyed discovering the rainforest at Red Peak and Barron Falls. Thanks for your feedback on our queuing, it is logistically difficult to make queues for the number in each party, however the current practice of checking in the queue to find groups to share is how we are working around this. Thanks for your feedback as it does allow us the opportunity to reflect on the services that we provide. Kindest regards, Marni
Written 9 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rick D
22 contributions
Mar 2025 • Couples
A very smooth operation. The staff were pleasant at every turn during this adventure. Special shout out to Kelly at the entrance whom aided us when our booking company left us stranded, she went above and beyond to salvage our day.
The day was overcast and rainy, that time of year. However, all we did observe was amazing. The story on how the Skyrail was developed, and not one tree cut down to construct it! Wow.
The cable cars were clean and timely, minimal wait time when you wished to traverse to the next vantage point. The explanations at each point were perfect.
The time at Kurada was much more than we expected, so many shops and food venues. Prices at the shops for souvenirs in many cases were less expensive than in Cairns.
To see the Rain Forest in such its natural glory is a bucket list trip!
The day was overcast and rainy, that time of year. However, all we did observe was amazing. The story on how the Skyrail was developed, and not one tree cut down to construct it! Wow.
The cable cars were clean and timely, minimal wait time when you wished to traverse to the next vantage point. The explanations at each point were perfect.
The time at Kurada was much more than we expected, so many shops and food venues. Prices at the shops for souvenirs in many cases were less expensive than in Cairns.
To see the Rain Forest in such its natural glory is a bucket list trip!
Written 16 March 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Absolutely amazing to hear your feedback Rick, thanks for visiting and sharing your experience with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. We are sorry to hear of the series of unfortunate events that occured however we are delighted that our team, especially Kelly, made your day much better. We have shared this feedback with her direct managers and will also share at our senior management meeting this week and on our internal communications to our entire team. So thank you for mentioning Kelly by name in your review and again we are so glad you enjoyed your time discovering the ancient rainforest with us on this bucket list trip! Kindest regards, Marni & the team
Written 16 March 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We are arriving in Carins on a cruise ship. We booked the train and cable car combo. How do we get to the train station or the cable car station?
How do we return to the ship?
Thanks,
Written 5 January 2025
I would suggest taxis from the ship to the Skyrail outlet and then back again when you have completed the train/cable car combo. If you are taking the train up to Kuranda you would probably be better to go directly to the train station. When you arrive in Kuranda the cable car entrance is just next door, if you ask at the station they will direct you.
Written 6 January 2025
Hi, we are booked on the 3:30 gondola back to Smithfield. ( booked through the Kuranda Rail website) Then catching the transfer at 5:20 back to Freshwater.
Is 3:30 the last trip for the Gondola? will we have time to stop at Barron Falls and Red Peak to explore? Or should I change the booking to a bit earlier. I want as much time in Kuranda to look around.
Written 1 August 2024
Change to a bit earlier if you can..
Written 16 March 2025
hello! how is it with the combi-ticket? one way with the train and one way bsck by the cablecar? how does it work with the car? where we park? where is the most ideal place to sleep next? thank you!!
Written 9 March 2024
Apologies - the train was out of service during our visit because of the flooding / typhoon damage. We stayed at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino (great hotel/great location) and took an Uber each way (easy / relatively inexpensive).
Written 9 March 2024
We are traveling both up and back on the Cableway. Is there any reason to get off at Red Peak and Barron Falls in both directions. If we do not get off at these stops on the way to Kuranda we will have an extra 45 minutes at Kuranda. Does that make sense?
Written 10 January 2024
Hi.
We recommend stopping to explore both mid-stations. You can stop at Red Peak on your ascent to Kuranda and then stop at Barron Falls on the descent to Smithfield. Allowing you more time in Kuranda Village.
At Red Peak guests can meander a rainforest boardwalk loop to the lookout, join a complimentary Ranger Guided Tour to unlock the secrets of this ancient landscape, and learn the story through evolution in the Rainforest Discovery Zone.
At Barron Falls guests can stroll another boardwalk loop leading to The Edge Lookout where they can enjoy panoramic views of the mighty Barron Falls and deep gorge below, or discover the rainforests rich biodiversity in the Interpretive Centre.
Alternatively, you can request a change of return departure time upon arrival at our Terminal. Our reservations team are happy to help change ticket times if there is availability.
Thank you
Rebecca
Written 16 January 2024
Hi all, Just wondering if there is a ticket booth at Smithfield where you can purchase tickets?? How long should you allow to do both Skyrail and Kuranda Railway?
Thanks in advance!!
Written 21 October 2023
Hi Missy M,
We do have a ticketing counter at our Smithfield and Kuranda Terminals. We recommend pre booking your experience to provide you the best opportunity to secure your preferred dates and travel times and to reduce waiting times and avoid unnecessary congestion.
We recommend allowing 90 minutes for a one-way experience, this includes time to explore at Red Peak and Barron Falls.
Regards, Rebecca
Written 23 October 2023
Greetings from the ancient rainforest,
We recommend a 90 minute one-way experience to allow guests time to explore Red Peak and Barron Falls. There is no time limit for guests at these two mid-stations, it is all about taking the time to explore and enjoy your time in the rainforest.
At Red peak guests can join a complimentary Ranger Guided tour, meander the boardwalk loop, lookout across the Barron Gorge National park and learn about the Wet Tropics evolution at the Rainforest Discovery Zone.
At Barron Falls guests can enjoy panoramic views of the falls at The Edge Lookout, stroll another boardwalk loop or discover rainforest biodiversity at The Rainforest Interpretive Centre.
Kind Regards,
Rebecca
Written 11 July 2022
I would really love to do the sky cableway, I get clostrafobic in small spaces, is the gondola open anywhere ? or is it closed up please and is it air conditioned please
Thanks
Vivian
Written 20 March 2022
Hi Vivian, Our gondolas are enclosed however they have large windows, vents for air circulation and 360 degree views. Time spent in the gondola is 10-15 minutes at a time, broken up with two stops where you can take a break and explore the rainforest floor. The other option for an open air gondola is our Canopy Glider experience which is a premium experience escorted by a Skyrail Ranger. Information for this experience can be found on the official Skyrail website.
Kind Regards
Rebecca
#TheAncientRainforest
Written 31 March 2022
What is the minimum length of time coming down from Karanda to Smithfield on the Skyrail if you don't spend time at any of the stops? Just battling against a flight departure time in my planning.
Written 28 February 2022
Greetings from the ancient rainforest, we recommend a 90 minute one-way journey with time to explore Red Peak and Barron Falls. There is so much to discover! If you choose not to stop and explore the lookouts, history and rainforest floor we would still recommend 45-60 minutes.
Kind Regards
Rebecca
#TheAncinetRainforest
Written 31 March 2022
Greetings from the ancient rainforest, we open our doors at 8:30am. The first departure of the day is dependent on the time of year. Feel free to check with our lovely reservations team by contacting them on 40385555 to enquire about our current opening times.
Written 30 July 2021
Have booked the KSR from Cairns train station where we will park our hire car. We are returning by the skyrail how do we get from the end of the Skyrail back to our car? Thanks.
Written 28 May 2021
Hi Susie, you will need to either book our coach service from Skyrail to Cairns Central (this is an additional fee and can be added to your booking by contacting our reservations team), or you can make your own way via uber or taxi.
Hope this helps!
Kind regards,
Monika
#TheAncientRainforest
Written 7 June 2021
…
Showing results 1-10 of 49
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing