Daintree River cruise: Can I see crocodiles near Cairns?
A Daintree River cruise is the best way to see crocodiles near Cairns in far north Queensland. Several crocodile cruises operate from near the Daintree River ferry.
To see crocodiles near Cairns, Queensland, try a Daintree River cruise. A first hand write-up of the experience is further down the page. But for those who just want to secure their place on a croc-watching boat, the best booking options are below.
- Tickets for the Solar Whisper cruise: BOOK HERE.
- Half day tour from Port Douglas including Mossman Gorge and Daintree River cruise: BOOK HERE.
- Late afternoon cruise (more expensive, but better for photography): BOOK HERE.
- Early morning cruise (again, good for photography): BOOK HERE.
- Full day Cape Tribulation tour from Cairns, including Mossman Gorge and Daintree River cruise: BOOK HERE.
Daintree River cruise: The story
The pilot of the Daintree River cruise boat is justifiably wary. Half in the murky water and half on the bank, an enormous saltwater crocodile lies in wait. The pilot wants to get close enough for his passengers to have a good look, but not so close that the croc can suddenly turn into a problem. It is more than capable of clambering up the side of the boat, toppling it and getting in.
Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday
- Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
- Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
- Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
- Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
- Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
- Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
- Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.
The passengers’ best defence is, apparently, the crocodile’s own laziness. They’re ruthlessly efficient killers, and will only go for what they’re pretty much certain to get. A big boat full of mildly nervous tourists isn’t worth the effort.
What you’ll see on a Daintree River cruise
The Daintree River is one of Australia’s great frontiers. It may be filled with crocodiles who’ll happily attack anyone stupid enough to go for a swim, but it is beautiful. Get a day when the skies are blue and you’re in for an extraordinary treat. The rainforest puts the river in a green box, and the surrounding mountains jag up in triangles like mouldy Toblerone.
It’s a dividing line between wilderness and relative civilisation. To the south lies mainstream Australia; the Queensland resort town of Port Douglas, the tropical city life and Botanic Gardens of Cairns. To the north lies the Captain Cook’s nemesis jungle settlement of Cape Tribulation, cassowary country, then four wheel drive tracks all the way up the remote Cape York.
There’s no bridge over the Daintree River. The way across is on a cable ferry which relentlessly ploughs forth from bank to bank. The moment you’re across, however, farmland becomes a thing of the past and the road is enveloped in the thick canopy of the rainforest.
Throw in the birdlife, and the occasional snake dangling from a tree, and this sense of divide makes a Daintree River cruise about more than just spotting crocodiles.
5 Daintree experiences worth booking in advance
- Daintree Discovery Centre tickets.
- Hour-long Daintree River cruise.
- Mossman River drift snorkelling.
- Daintree River late afternoon cruise.
- Barramundi fishing experience.
Daintree River cruises on the Solar Whisper
However, there’s no danger that the crocs are going to be hiding out of sight. That’s why several Daintree river cruise operators have set up shop near the cable ferry crossing for one of the best river activities in Australia.
The Daintree River Cruise Centre runs four crocodile cruises per day, each lasting an hour to an hour and a half. Tickets cost $35. Solar Whisper does one hour cruises on a zero emission boat for $20, while Bruce Belcher charges $32.70 for an hour’s tour. The latter has the advantage of numerous daily departures.
The Daintree ferry is 105km north of Cairns – a one hour, 32 minute drive in a rental car. It’s 49.1km north of resort town Port Douglas, and that drive takes just over 40 minutes. You’ll need to use it on the drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation.
Save time queuing – Book these Cairns attractions in advance
- From the air: Outer Reef helicopter flight | Sunrise hot air balloon ride | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
- At night: Sunset dinner cruise | Pub and club tour | Aquarium by Twilight experience.
- For wildlife: Birdworld Kuranda | Kuranda Koala Gardens | Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome | Cairns Aquarium | Rainforestation Nature Park
- For culture: Cairns Museum tickets | Street art walking tour | City and surrounds highlights bus tour.
- For thrills: AJ Hackett giant jungle swing | High speed jet boat tour | Barron Gorge white water rafting | Mulgrave River tubing.
More crocodile-spotting in Australia
Other places where you’ve got a very good chance of seeing big crocodiles in Australia include the Proserpine River in Queensland, the Willie Creek Pearl Farm in Western Australia, Yellow Water in the Kakadu National Park and the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in the Northern Territory.
More Australian river cruises
See Iron Pot on a Derwent River cruise from Hobart.
Darling River cruises from Menindee.
Noosa Everglades cruises on the Sunshine Coast.
Take the Parramatta ferry to Parramatta in Sydney.
Cruise along the Nepean River in the Nepean Belle paddlewheeler from Penrith.