Review: Is Kuranda Worth Visiting near Cairns? Pros & Cons!

If you’re looking for day trips from Cairns, chances are you’ve already heard of Kuranda Village. It’s famous for the Scenic Railway journey and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. But the big question: is Kuranda really worth visiting, especially for first-timers?

Here’s where many travellers get stuck, some people rave about Kuranda, while others say it’s too touristy. With ticket prices for the train and Skyrail adding up, plus the cost of attractions once you arrive, it’s natural to wonder whether this experience will live up to the hype.

Having visited Kuranda a few times over the years, I don’t think it’s perfect or suitable for everyone. In this review and guide, I’ll cover my honest opinion with Pros & Cons, the ways to get to Kuranda, and highlight the top things to do. In the end, you can decide if it’s the right choice for your itinerary.

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So, is Kuranda Worth visiting?

The short answer is “Yes”, I personally think Kuranda is worth visiting, especially for “first-time” or overseas visitors. You can tick off a few experiences in one day with an intriguing ride to get to and from Kuranda Village, Local Markets and also see Australian Wildlife.

For international tourists, it’s known as a big hot spot for activities, and there are plenty of things to do there. However, you do need to ask yourself a few more questions to determine that. This includes,

• is it offering things that are of interest to you?
• Are you visiting at the best time of year to do it?
• Does your Budget allow you to do it?
• And, do you have enough time?

My Personal Review with Pros & Cons!

For me, visiting Kuranda is not necessarily about what you can do in the village, as opposed to the journey itself. Since I’ve been there before, I find it’s more about experiencing the Kuranda train and the Skyrail Cableway.

I definitely find the Village very touristy, and if you’re not into crowds, then you might want to miss it. However, the Journey up and back is gorgeous and well worth it for the ride.

➡  Find Kuranda Tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator

On the other hand, if you’re a first-time visitor or international traveller, the wildlife and experiences in Kuranda Village might be just what you’re looking for.

It will allow you to tick off a few bucketlist items in Australia in the one day.

Although, If you’re trying to escape the crowds or save money, then a self-drive itinerary might be better for you. This will skip the train and gondola adventure, but allow you to explore in your own time and get it done in the early morning before the crowds.

✅Pros

• Skyrail Rainforest Cableway or Kuranda Scenic Railway is a Scenic journey
• Contained within the UNESCO World Heritage Wet Tropics Rainforest
• Browse the Kuranda Markets with local food, crafts and souvenirs
• Family-friendly wildlife attractions at Koala Gardens, Birdworld, & Butterfly Sanctuary. In fact, the whole day is generally exciting for all kids!
• Stunning photo opportunities at Barron Falls, on Train & Gondola.
• Easy day trip from Cairns with no car needed
• Good accessibility for seniors, families, and low-impact walkers

➡  Search Skyrail Cableway Tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator.

❌Cons

• Can be Expensive – Skyrail & Railway round trip can cost add up.
• Very touristy – The place is packed with crowds in the high seasons.
• Limited dining options compared to Cairns or Port Douglas.
• Repetitive if you’ve seen similar rainforest villages.
• Not ideal for adrenaline seekers or high-energy activities.

You can watch my full day experience below!

My Best Tips to Make the Most it!

• Best Combo: Take the train up and the Skyrail down – Tickets can be purchased with both.
• When to Go: Early morning for fewer crowds, but this only works on a Self-Drive Itinerary
• How Long to Stay: 4 hours in the village is enough time.
• What to Bring: Comfortable shoes for all day walking, hat, water, insect repellent
• Book your tickets in Advance as this is a busy place, especially in the high season.
• Book Wildlife tours online and in advance to save money.
• Take a backpack to carry snacks, water, and anything else.
• Bring your lunch if you’re on a budget and eat in the park areas
• Take some cash, but most places will accept cards.
• Look up the map of Kuranda Village and plan your day.

Do you need help planning your trip to Queensland? Book a one-on-one consultation call with me, to get your questions answered & personalised help!

How to get to Kuranda Village?

The small village of Kuranda is located in North Queensland, about 40 minutes’ drive, northwest of Cairns (Please see Map Directions here). It’s a small tourist village in the mountains of the Kuranda National Park.

It’s made up of only a couple of streets with shops, gallery’s, cafes, markets, restaurants, and wildlife parks that help entertain the daily tourists.

There are 3 ways you can get there, which include the Kuranda Scenic Railway, the Skyrail Gondola, or self-drive in your own schedule.

I will explain the situation of all three, including the pros and cons, which will in-turn, help you decide on how to get there.

What’s my recommended way?
Well, I like to experience everything I can in the little time I have. Therefore, I travel one-way on the Scenic Railway up to Kuranda, explore the village, then the Skyrail Gondola back down to Smithfield.

1. The Kuranda Scenic Railway to the Village

The Scenic Railway will leave at 930am every morning from the Cairns City Train station. There is an earlier train, but I believe this is only running during holidays and busy periods.

It takes about 2 hours to travel through the rainforest and passes by the Freshwater train station (another pickup point), Stoney Creek Falls, and a short 20-minute stop to look at Barron Falls (Din Din).

➡  Find Kuranda Tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator

• A Standard Kuranda Train ticket costs about $56.50 per adult one way, but there are discounts for children, families, and return tickets.
• Variations to this would be purchasing on Gold Class for $112 per Adult (One Way), which includes food, drinks, and more comfortable seating.

2. Skyrail Gondola Rainforest Cableway back to Cairns

The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway leaves from Smithfield terminal, about 20 minutes north of Cairns (this is a different spot to the Rail). This is an enclosed Gondola, with a window, that travels along a cableway above the rainforest.

Prices start at $71 per Adult one Way (or $107 return), although there are variations to this when packaging with the Train ticket.

While this only takes 1 hour to get back and forth from Kuranda Village to Smithfield, the stops and transfers will increase your travel time. There are two different stops at Barron Falls (a different lookout to the Train) and Red Peak Station.

➡  Search Skyrail Cableway Tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator.

Red Peak is a transfer station and you’ll need to exit one Gondola and enter another. However, while you’re there, you can complete the newly designed rainforest boardwalk and read up on the plants and wildlife.

You also need to consider a Bus Transfer from the Skyrail Depot at Smithfield, that gets you back to your Hotel or Cairns City areas.

Just like the Train, Skyrail has a Gold Class experience (called the Diamond View) in the form of a Glass Bottom Gondola. Know that only every ten Gondolas have a glass bottom, so you might have to wait a short while for them to come around.

However, the experience of looking down is very exciting.

In my opinion, if you were only taking the Skyrail one way, then I would personally leave it for the way home, as it runs constantly all day. When booking, you are requesting a specific period of time to travel.

This helps space out the crowds and limits the line-up and your wait time. However, if you want to leave early and it’s not too busy, then you simply line up and get on the next one available.

3. Self-drive to Kuranda

If you have your own car in Cairns, then self-driving to Kuranda might be the best option for you. Obviously, this will be the most cost-efficient way, and perfect for travelling in your own time schedule.

➡Find your favourite brand & compare prices for your Rental Car HERE

But, you will miss out on the best part – The Rail and Gondola!

If you don’t have your own car, then you can hire a car for the day to get there. These roads are relatively easy and all sealed bitumen. Although, expect them to be single lane, lots of turns and wind around the rainforest.

About the Village

Kuranda Village is made of one main street and a couple of smaller ones coming off it. It will take about 10 minutes to walk each side of the street. This goes past the Cafes, souvenir shops, indigenous arts, local crafts, and clothing stores.

It’s a purpose-built tourist village, servicing the needs of the visitor. Therefore, it’s a nice place for a meal with rainforest views, to see some well-known Australian Wildlife, and buy something to remember your trip.

On the downside, the prices for meals and items can be expensive, but comparable with other tourist areas like this.

But, If you have the funds to experience all Kuranda Village has to offer, then please read on to find out everything there is to do there.

It’s very handy to familiarise yourself and download a Map of Kuranda Village Here to bring with you. This will help you plan out your day, find out where everything is, and waste less time wandering the streets.

9 Things to do in Kuranda Village

There are plenty of ways to fill in your time at Kuranda, and I have most of them mentioned below. If you’re travelling on the Train or Gondola, then you’re probably not going to get time to do everything.

Therefore, pick and choose your favourites and start planning from the list below!

1. Barron Falls

Barron Falls is not actually in Kuranda Village, but something you can see on the way there or back. This includes a stop off on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, Skyrail Gondola, or driving yourself up to the village.

This is one of the biggest waterfalls in Australia, but you do need to pick your time of year to see it.

Barron Falls are at their best during the summer season from December to March, or after some heavy rain. There is an enormous amount of water that flows down the rocks at once.

With this in mind for the rest of the year, it’s can be reduced to a mere trickle.

2. Grab a meal or a few drinks

Know that lunchtime is the busiest time in the village, so it’s best to find as quickly as possible to be seated. Especially since the Train arrives around 11am and hundreds of people are looking at the same time.

Some of these choices are:

• Kuranda Hotel Motel
• Barron Falls Hotel
• Big Forest Café
• Rainforest View restaurant
• Thai Kai Café
• Sue’s Cafe
• The Petit Café
• Kool & Sushi
• Fruibie’s Organic Vegan Café
• Lan’s Vietnamese cuisine. (and more)

➡  Find Kuranda Tour HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator.

3. Shopping

Ok, so you’re not going to be buying your groceries, but there are specialty stores to browse or purchase. This includes dresses, T-shirts, Soap and Bath supplies, souvenirs, Candy, chocolate, and other locally made foods.

You can wander both sides of the streets and purchase a few things to remember the occasion.

Browsing the streets won’t cost you anything, and you can always bring your own lunch and sit down for a picnic in the park. Additionally, you can view the Aboriginal Art Gallery, Photo Gallery, and Opal store and check out the Kuranda Information centre for experienced knowledge of the area.  

4. Kuranda Heritage Markets

The Kuranda Heritage Markets are open every week, from Thursday to Sunday, and are the original Rainforest Markets. They have a wide range of stalls from Local crafts, gems and precious stones, clothes, jewellery, and of course, more souvenirs.

They run from 10:00am to 3:00pm and are one of the more popular activities to do in Kuranda Village.

All the Wildlife Parks!

While all the parks and experiences have an individual charge of around $20 to $25, but prices get cheaper by purchasing passes to see 2 different parks or even all of them.

Although, keep in mind it takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour to see each Park, so I would factor that into your time schedule. On my visits, I only had enough time to do 2 parks, and look around at everything else.

5. Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

You can walk around at your own pace in the largest Butterfly enclosures in the southern hemisphere. This is a big hit with the kids, especially when the butterfly actually lands on them.

➡  Click to Book tickets or Tours HERE to the Butterfly Sanctuary

Know that butterflies are more active during sunny, warm days, so keep that in mind for your visit.

There are wildlife talks, tours, and weekend activities for the kids, along with over 1500 butterflies and many different species.

6. Koala Gardens

The Koala Gardens are a highlight for overseas tourists, especially those wanting to see the native Australian animals. However, it’s not just koalas, and I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity.

➡  Find Tickets or Tours HERE to the Koala Gardens

They also have plenty of crocodiles and in fact, you walk over them as soon as you enter. Others include wallabies, wombats, beaded dragons, quokkas, gliders, Kangaroos, snakes, and a nocturnal house.

7. Birdworld

Much like the Butterfly, at Birdworld, you’re in an open-air enclosure, and the animals are free to fly in and around you. They have over 60 different species from the rainforests around the world, like the Macaws.

However, it also includes some of Australia’s finest, like the Cassowary, Lorikeets, and Galahs.

➡  Click to find your Tickets HERE to Birdworld in Kuranda

Interestingly, the enclosure is naturally landscaped with waterfalls, ponds, and native plants to feel like you’re in their natural environment.

8. Barron Riverboat Cruise

The Barron Riverboat Cruise runs about 4 or 5 times a day, and priority is given to those who book online in advance (this is probably the better way to go).

Everyone else can pay $33 cash to the driver on the day, until the boats fill up and set forth on a 45-minute cruise.

The tour will cruise down the Barron River and through the Wet tropics area of North Queensland. The operator will provide a commentary on the area and this ancient tropical rainforest, the History of Kuranda, and life on the river for its habitants.

This is also home to some freshwater crocodiles, turtles, ducks, fish, and hundreds of bird species. If you’re lucky, you might even see one of the local Cassowary’s.(Like we did)

9. Rainforestation Nature park

If you’re taking the Self-drive option up to Kuranda then you might want to stop off at the Rainforestation Nature Park.

Its home to the Army Duck tours, the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience, and a Koala Park. Rest assured they also have tour options available, including the Train/Cableway, with pickups from Cairns and Port Douglas.

Wrap up & Read More!

Thanks for reading this post today on “Is Kuranda worth Visiting” I hope you found the information you were looking for. Don’t forget to check out other posts in Cairns, or others travel guides in Queensland.

• Things to see on a Brisbane to Cairns Road trip
• Sydney to Brisbane Road Trip Stops & Itinerary
• Best Snorkelling Sites in Queensland + Map
• Best Place to Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
• Best Beaches in Queensland with Map & Photo’s
• Exposing the Downsides to a Great Barrier Reef Pontoon Tour
• Tips to know BEFORE planning a Queensland Road Trip