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Fitzroy Island for families
There is something about watching a five-year-old spot their first sea turtle from the shallows that makes the whole trip worth it....
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Fitzroy Island Tours and Activities
Discover Fitzroy Island from Cairns and enjoy unforgettable fitzroy island adventures including snorkelling, rainforest walks and beach relaxation. Choose from half day or full day fitzroy island tours for an easy tropical escape.
Special Deal
Best of Fitzroy Island Day Tour – Save $36
Adult $166+ $4 Fuel levy | Child $110 +2 Fuel Levy (4-15yrs)
Family 2A+2C $444 + $10.00 Fuel Levy
Includes Snorkel equipment + Glass bottom boat tour + Picnic lunch
2 Departures daily 8.45am or 10.15am – Return 4.30pm
Discover the best of Fitzroy Island’s natural beauty and vibrant marine life. Perfect for adventure seekers and nature lovers alike, this tour offers an unforgettable day on one of Cairns’ most picturesque islands.
Adult $170.00 | Child $112.00 (4-15yrs) | Family 2A+2C $454.00 | $0.00
10:15 am
4:30 pm
Adult $196 – Child $98 – Family $490
Departs Daily from Cairns 8:30am – 5:00pm
Make the most of your time in Far North Queensland with the Two Island Explorer tour, combining both Fitzroy Island and Green Island in a single unforgettable day. Departing from Cairns, this reef and island adventure lets you snorkel vibrant coral reefs, swim in crystal-clear waters, or simply relax
Adult $196.00 | Child $98.00 | Family 2A+2C $490.00
8:30 am
5:00 pm
Special Deal
Adult $159.00| Child 4-14yrs $89
Family 2A+2C $496
Includes 1.5 hour dedicated Whale Watching tour plus free time at Fitzroy Island
Depart Cairns 8.30am – 2.45pm
Depart Cairns 10.45am – 4.45pm
Experience an unforgettable day of nature and relaxation. Cruise off the coast of Cairns to witness the spectacular migration of Humpback Whales, then spend time unwinding on a tropical island with snorkelling, hiking, marine life, and stunning beaches.
Adult $159.00 | Child $89.00 4-14yrs | Family 2A+2C $496.00 2A+2C 4-14yrs
8:30 am
Special Deal
Departs Cairns 8.00am – 4.30pm
Kids 50% off
Adult $10 Child $5 Fuel Levy
Experience the ultimate Great Barrier Reef adventure combining 2.5 hours at Moore Reef Pontoon + 2.5 hours Fitzroy Island stop over in a day! Moore Reef Pontoon includes coral viewing with semi-submersible, glass bottom boat, underwater observatory, snorkelling & kids waterslide. Then a leisurely time at Fitzroy Island to relax & unwind including lunch.
Adult $337.00 | Child ( 4 - 16yrs ) $169.00 | Kids 50% OFF $92.50 | Family 2A+2C $859.00 | $0.00 10 Adult $5 Child Fuel Levy
8:00 am
4:30 pm
From Adult $108| Child $62 (4-14yrs)| Family 2A+2C $278
Departs daily at 10.45am – Returns at 2.45pm
Escape to Fitzroy Island for a half day adventure. A quick 45-minute ferry to the beautiful coral Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Things to do on Fitzroy Island. You can hire snorkel equipment, glass-bottom boat tour, go swimming, stand-up paddle boards and sea kayaking. providing the perfect mix of natural beauty and marine experiences.
From Adult $108.00 | Child $62.00 (4-14yrs) | Family 2A+2C $278.00
10:45 am
2:45 pm
From Adult $108| Child $62 (4-14yrs)| Family 2A+2C $278
Departs daily – 8.30am or 10.45am
Return to Cairns- 4.45pm
Fitzroy Island Adventure is a quick 45-minute ferry to the beautiful coral Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Things to do on Fitzroy Island. You can hire snorkel equipment, glass-bottom boat tour, guided snorkel tours, go swimming, stand-up paddleboards and sea kayaking. Those more active can do the Lighthouse Trail, a steep climb with rewarding views.
From Adult $108.00 | Child $62.00 (4-14yrs) | Family 2A+2C $278.00
Adult $109| Child $63 (4-15yrs)| Family 2A+2C $289
+ Fuel Levy Adult $4.00 Child $2.00 Family $8.00
Departs daily 10.15am – 4.30pm
Fitzroy Island’s full-day experience includes 55 minutes ferry transfer each way. Choose from the many optional activities available. You can hire snorkel equipment, do a guided Snorkel Tour, Glass Bottom Boat coral viewing tour and visit the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. You can snorkel straight off the beach and discover amazing marine life and sea turtles. Sit back and soak up the serenity on the shores of the famous Nudey Beach (by name only) – once voted the best beach in Australia.
Adult $109.00 | Child $63.00 (4-15yrs) | Family 2A+2C $289.00
10:15 am
4:30 pm
Adult $166 +4 Fuel levy| Child $110 +2 Fuel Levy (4-15yrs)
Family 2A+2C $442 + $10 Fuel levy
Includes return Ferry + choice of 2 activities
Snorkel Equipment – Glass Bottom Boat Tour – Picnic Lunch
Departs Daily 8.45am or 10.15am – 4.30pm
Fitzroy Island a tropical paradise and a favourite spot for locals and tourists. Lush rainforest, stunning beaches, walking trails, coral reefs. Ideal for nature lovers and adventurers alike. Take a 45-minute journey on the Fitzroy Island Sundancer to the sandy shores of the famous Nudey Beach (by name only)- voted one of the best beaches in Australia. Snorkel straight off the beach to discover amazing marine life.
Adult $166.00 | Child $110.00 (4-15yrs) | Family 2A+2C $442.00 | $0.00 4 Adult $2 Child Fuel Levy
10:15 am
4:30 pm
Fitzroy Island is one of Cairns’ most loved Great Barrier Reef escapes and a perfect destination for a tropical fitzroy island vacation. Covered in lush rainforest and fringed by coral beaches just a short ferry ride from the mainland, it’s ideal for snorkelling, swimming, paddle boarding and relaxing on the beach.
Visitors can choose from half day and full day fitzroy island day tours including glass bottom boat tours, snorkelling packages, adventure activities and relaxing beach days. These fitzroy island tours offer something for every type of traveller.
Many visitors choose fitzroy island day tours as part of a relaxing fitzroy island vacation when visiting Cairns.
The island also offers plenty of facilities including a beach hire centre, café, bar, walking trails and marine education experiences. With its mix of adventure and natural beauty, Fitzroy Island is a favourite for travellers planning a fitzroy island vacation and enjoying unforgettable fitzroy island adventures near Cairns.
Here’s why thousands of customers trustCairns Discovery Tours.
🗓️ Flexible Cancellations
Enjoy peace of mind with our flexible booking policy. Most Cairns Tours can be cancelled up to 24 hours before departure with a full refund. (Helicopter tours are 48 hours) We make exploring Cairns stress free, so you can book with confidence.
💳 Book Now, Pay Later
Reserve your place on our popular Cairns day tours with Klarna’s Book Now, Pay Later option, or just give us a call or send us an email to secure your booking. We will be in touch to arrange payment 7 days before your departure. Perfect for planning your Cairns holiday without upfront costs.
🌴 Local Since 1995
For over 30 years, Cairns Discovery Tours has been proudly locally owned and operated. Established in 1995, we’ve shared the tropical beauty of Far North Queensland travellers from around the world. Based in Cairns, we offer authentic tour experiences backed by genuine local knowledge and long standing connections to the region.
👩🏫 Expert Local Guides
Our passionate Cairns tour guides are storytellers, historians, and nature enthusiasts. With deep local knowledge, they bring the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, and Cairns’ tropical heritage to life, ensuring an unforgettable and educational experience.
Rena Keeney
17 days ago
We had such a fun time on a half day tour of Fitzroy island with Cairns Discovery Tours! We managed to do an everything we wanted (Nudey beach, long snorkel and lunch) within the time period we had and we even got to swim with turtles 🐢 an unforgettable experience!
This would not have been possible without the fantastic help of Maryanne who booked us in for the tour. She went above and beyond to help us find somewhere to leave our bags during our tour and we wouldn’t have been able to go without her help.
We enjoyed the experience so much and we are very grateful to Maryanne for her help and her exceptional customer service! I would definitely recommend booking local for these kind of experiences because that kind of customer care just doesn’t come when you book through third party sites.
10/10 experience ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Seka Mrkonja
1 month ago
Highly recommended!
karen McArthur
6 days ago
We went on a tour with Discovery Tours today, doing the Mossman Gorge, Daintree / Daintree River Cruise, finishing of visiting Cape Tribulation…
Our driver was James, who was exceptional.
Giving running commentary along the trip. Guiding his group of people through all the different areas. Thanks James, top job.
Rachael E
29 days ago
In June I came to Cairns on holiday from the UK. It was the biggest holiday I've ever taken and because my health limits what I can do took a lot of planning. Maryanne at Cairns Discovery Tours was brilliant. She helped me choose suitable trips, gave me additional information so I could be prepared, advised on the easiest way to get to the departure point for those trips that don't pick up from my accommodation, etc. I booked all my trips except one with Maryanne. Her knowledge of Cairns was invaluable to me. She spoke to me on Whatsapp to answer my questions (we had to arrange call in advance because of the time difference) and when it occurred to me quite close to departure date that I'd need a way of protecting my head and neck from the sun when snorkelling Maryanne got me a suitable headscarf and dropped it off at my accommodation ahead of my arrival. When a friend decided to join me on some of the trips Maryanne was really helpful to her as well. If I am able to come back to Cairns I'll book as much as I can with Maryanne and Cairns Discovery Tours. The service couldn't be bettered.
Trevor Andrews
13 days ago
We have just done the 3 day/2 night Cooktown and Cape Tribulation Tour with 2 friends. An unbelievable experience due to our fantastic guide Steve, who had so much local knowledge on everywhere we visited, especially historical info on the Palmer River gold rush in the 1800s, and Daintree Rainforest botany. Steve was such a good raconteur with friendly personality, who went out of his way to make our trip so enjoyable. Accomodation at both Cooktown and Cape Tribulation was excellent, with amazing setting of the cabins at Cape Tribulation in the rainforest right by the beach. Everything advertised for the tour and more was an memorable experience. Thank you so much Steve!
John Power
9 days ago
I was delighted with the Kuranda tour arranged by this company. The timings worked excellently and it was an eminently well organised tour. The train trip up to Kuranda was great fun and fascinating. Personally, I was particularly interested in the engineering. We had an hour in Kuranda Village, which was enough for me, although I expect some people would have liked to have seen the village and visited the butterfly world, which I think would have been tight. Rainforestation was great, plenty of activity of a variety of natures. I could not throw a boomerang to save my life, but it was fun to try. Then the bus down to Cairns was efficient and friendly, with a superb guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the ferry ride from Cairns to Fitzroy Island?
The ferry to Fitzroy Island takes approximately 45 minutes from Cairns. Multiple departures are available throughout the morning (typically 8.00am, 9.00am, 9.30am and 11.00am), making it easy to plan your day. Return ferries run in the afternoon.
What can you do on Fitzroy Island on a day trip?
Fitzroy Island is a National Park covered in tropical rainforest, with a range of activities for different interests. You can snorkel directly off the beach, swim in clear water, hire a sea kayak or stand-up paddleboard, or take the Lighthouse Trail (a 3.6km return walk with views over the Great Barrier Reef). Nudey Beach famous for its beauty and one of Australia’s most photographed beaches is a short walk through the island’s Secret Garden track. Optional extras include guided snorkel tours, glass-bottom boat tours, and picnic lunch.
Can you snorkel directly from the beach at Fitzroy Island?
Yes, Fitzroy Island is popular precisely because you can snorkel straight off the beach without needing to take a boat to the reef. The fringing reef surrounding the island means good marine life is easily accessible from the shore, making it ideal for beginners and families.
Is Fitzroy Island suitable for families and first-time visitors to Cairns?
Yes, Fitzroy Island is a great choice for families and first-timers. The ferry is quick and comfortable, the beach is patrolled, and there are activities to suit all ages and fitness levels from relaxed beach days to gentle bush walks. It’s also one of the more affordable reef experiences available from Cairns.
What facilities and walking tracks are available on Fitzroy Island?
The island has a resort with a café, bar, beach hire equipment, showers and toilets. Walking tracks include the Lighthouse Trail (3.6km return, moderately difficult) and the Secret Garden track to Nudey Beach. A downloadable island map is available to help you plan your day.
How do you get to Fitzroy Island from Cairns?
Fitzroy Island is reached by ferry from Cairns, with departures from the Cairns marina area. The ferry trip usually takes around 45 minutes each way. Day trip options generally include return ferry transfers, with optional extras such as snorkel hire, glass-bottom boat tours or lunch depending on the package.
Where do you catch the ferry to Fitzroy Island?
Most Fitzroy Island ferries depart from the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal or nearby marina departure points in central Cairns. Your booking confirmation will show the exact check-in location and time, so it is best to arrive early before departure.
How much is the ferry to Fitzroy Island?
Fitzroy Island ferry prices vary depending on the operator, travel date, age group and whether you add extras such as snorkel hire, glass-bottom boat tours or lunch. Check the current tour options on this page for up-to-date pricing and inclusions.
For questions about bookings, cancellations, group travel and accessibility, visit our page.
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