7 Day Cape York, Cooktown & Port Douglas
This tour is categorised as 1 out of 5
Explore at your own pace: Discover your destination at your own pace with our self-guided itinerary. Options include driving, rail, or cruising (excluding expeditions). Enjoy included guided day trips for sightseeing as outlined in your itinerary.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
This tour features a combination of escorted and independent travel. Part of your journey will be enjoyed as a group experience, led by expert tour leaders or local guides. The remainder is self-guided—whether by rail, cruise, or overland—allowing you the freedom to travel between destinations independently and explore at your own pace.
Experience a superior level of comfort. Our Small Group tours have been crafted for Inspiring Vacations travellers exclusively, with personal and unique experiences in mind. Travel with no more than 26 people, allowing for a more personalised and immersive experience. Please see the Important Information on your selected tour for the exact group size.
✓ Incredible sightseeing, visit the northernmost point of Australia and enjoy bird-eye views of the Great Barrier Reef on an included day flight to Cape York, sail to an unspoilt tropical paradise in the Great Barrier Reef, uncover the wonders of the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, drive along the 4WD-only Bloomfield Track & Telegraph Track, enjoy lunch at the infamous Lions Den Hotel, take a guided tour of James Cook Museum & the heritage listed Cooktown Cemetery
✓ 6 nights in deluxe 4-star hotels in Cairns & Port Douglas
✓ 3 lunches
✓ Full day sightseeing flight & land tour of Cape York
✓ Full day Great Barrier Reef sailing and snorkelling experience to Low Isles
✓ Free time in Cairns and Port Douglas with optional activities available
✓ Departure transfer from Port Douglas to Cairns Airport on Day 7
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to Cairns! On arrival, make your way to your hotel. The rest of your day is free to explore Cairns at your own pace.
Check in & arrival information.
A taxi or Uber from Cairns airport to your accommodation costs approximately $15 per car. Hotel check in is at 2pm. Should you arrive earlier than this, hotel staff will do all possible to check you in as soon as possible. If your room is not available before check-in time, you are welcome to leave your luggage in storage and explore the surrounding area.
Gear up for a spectacular day as you travel by air and 4WD to the northernmost point of Australia. At the appropriate time, make your way to Cairns airport to meet your pilot and guide for the day. Today’s activities are designed to show you the highlights of Cape York, both from the air and by 4WD. Your scenic flight to Bamaga from Cairns is low level, covering approx. 1100 kms of remote and spectacular reefs, rainforests and outback. You will see parts of Cape York which are inaccessible by vehicles, such as Cape Melville, the silica sands of Cape Flattery, Bathurst Heads, Princess Charlotte Bay and the Flinders Islands Group. The 4WD section of the tour takes you to Australia's Northernmost beach - Frangipani Beach- via the Lockerbie Scrub and a pocket of Northern Rainforest. From Frangipani Beach you walk approximately 1000 metres to the Tip of Cape York - you finally made it! You are now standing on the northernmost tip of the continent. On return to Cairns airport, please make your way to your accommodation.
Today is yours at leisure to further explore what Cairns and the Tropical North has to offer. Choose from our range of optional tours, or spend the day relaxing by the pool.
The World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef is the largest natural wonder of the world and the 30 Minute Reef Scenic provides the perfect snapshot. Be amazed by its extraordinary size, palette of striking blue hues, coral formations and views of Green Island, Vlasoff Sand Cay and Upolu Sand Cay – three of the most striking sand islands on the Great Barrier Reef. Sightings of local marine life including turtles and manta rays are also possible – and if you’re lucky, in the winter months, even whales!
Includes: Complimentary transfers from Cairns accommodation, 30 min helicopter flight, tea and coffee
Enjoy a historical rail journey to Kuranda, enjoying breathtaking views across the cane fields of Cairns, to the tropical rainforest of Kuranda. Upon arrival in Kuranda, it’s time to explore this fascinating village. The Heritage Markets operate 7 days a week and are full of colourful and interesting arts and crafts. You might also like to visit Birdworld, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary or Kuranda Koala Gardens (own expense). Your Kuranda Boarding Pass also offers discounted entry into selected Kuranda attractions. At the specified time, your shuttle coach will transfer you to Rainforestation, set in 40 hectares of lush gardens and tropical rainforest, where a number of unique attractions await you. Board the unusual amphibious Army Duck for a different look at the rainforest. Also included in your tour is the Koala & Wildlife Park. The shuttle bus will then take you back to Kuranda. Enjoy your 7.5km journey over and through the World Heritage protected Rainforest. Your Boarding Pass is your ticket for this iconic rainforest experience that includes time at both Red Peak and Barron Falls stations. Explore rainforest boardwalks and lookouts and the Rainforest Interpretation Centre. Complimentary guided boardwalk tours are offered throughout the day at Red Peak Station. Afterwards, board your transfer back to your hotel.
Departs at approx 8am
Concludes at approx 5.30pm
Start your day by travelling between the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. Cross the Daintree River via cable ferry before we make our way to the renowned Cape Tribulation beach for morning tea. Cape Tribulation was named by Captain Cook as ‘here our troubles began’ as their ship was damaged on the reef here.
Continuing our journey north through the ancient Daintree Rainforest, we hit the 4WD-only Bloomfield track and navigate creek crossings and steep mountain ranges as your experienced driver-guide shares stories and history of this unique region.
Enjoy a stop for lunch at the famous Lions Den Hotel; one of Queensland’s oldest and most iconic pubs, built in 1878- this is a true Aussie experience!
Arrive in historic Cooktown in the early afternoon; where Captain Cook landed in 1770 and stayed for 7 weeks to repair their ship. First stop is Grassy Hill Lookout which offers panoramic views of Cooktown, the Coral Sea & Endeavour River - you will need your camera here! We make our way into town for a driver-guided tour of the historic foreshore walk, where your guide will enlighten you on the history and scenery of this frontier town. Afterwards, settle in for the drive to Port Douglas, your next destination on this Tropical Queensland adventure.
Travel by Quicksilver’s 30 metre luxury sailing catamaran to the Low Isles. Set like a jewel within a lagoon of secluded coral gardens, Low Isles offers everything you can dream of in a tropical paradise. Today, enjoy a host of reef activities including snorkelling, introductory diving, exploring the island beach with a marine biologist, viewing the coral through a glass-bottom boat or just lazing on the beach.
Today is free for you to simply relax and enjoy Port Douglas, or take on any of the below optional activities.
The traditional fishing ground of the Kuku Yalanji people has three diverse ecosystems: beach, mangrove and coastal reef. Join a member of the Kubirri Warra clan on their daily journey through these ecosystems to spear and gather food for their family. You will be introduced to their traditional fishing and gathering techniques that have been passed down through generations and are still used today by their people.
Afterwards, travel to Mossman Gorge Centre where you are greeted with a traditional smoking ceremony conducted by Aboriginal people with specialised cultural knowledge to welcome people to their land. Enjoy a delicious lunch infused with local flavours served in the Mossman Gorge Mayi Café at the edge of the rainforest.
After lunch, wander through the lush rainforest of Manjal Dimbi (Mossman Gorge); home of the Kuku Yalanji rainforest people. Experience one of the world’s oldest and most beautiful rainforests with your Adventure North Australia Aboriginal guide. Enjoy an easy walk across boardwalks, tracks and bridges that protect the delicate ecosystem and learn about the Kuku Yalanji’s people’s special relationship with this environment.
Departs at approx 9am
Concludes at approx 5.30pm
What to bring : Hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, towel, swimmers and a bottle of water.
This boutique food and wine experience will have you tasting some of the best food and wine that the Atherton Tablelands has to offer. We will take you through a variety of contrasting landscapes, from lush rainforest to stunning ochre savannah plains. The rich volcanic soil allows farmers to grow many and diverse crops from Bananas, coffee, sugar cane, avocados, mangoes, macadamia nuts, citrus and more which you will learn about as we taste our way around the regions ‘Food Bowl'.
Sit back and relax, take in the beautiful views as we take you on a fascinating and tasty journey through another gem of Far North Queensland.
Tour departs - approx 7 to 8am
Tour concludes - approx 5.30pm
Tour includes - return airport transfers, 3 course tropical breakfast, lunch and all wine, cheese, coffee, chocolate and fruit tastings
All good things must come to an end! At the appropriate time, board your included shuttle transfer to Cairns Airport.
Check out & departure information.
Hotel check out is at 10am. You are welcome to leave your luggage in storage and explore the surrounding area if departing later. The first shuttle transfer to Cairns Airport departs Port Douglas at 3am and the last shuttle transfer departs at 6pm.
Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognised and awarded for its handling of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest concern during this time of uncertainty, and we are continuously monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation.
We have adopted the advice of the WHO to ensure all customers can travel with the knowledge of how to travel safely and with confidence.
Australian owned and operated with 100% Australian Customer Service support
We are proudly 100% Australian owned and operated, with our head office located in Melbourne, Victoria. When you make your booking, you will receive dedicated and ongoing support from our team of travel professionals throughout your booking, up until you are due to depart.
Cooling off period
If you change your mind within 7 days of making your booking online, you can request a refund of your initial deposit payment as part of our cooling off period. Once your purchase date falls outside of the 7 day period, our standard terms and conditions will apply.
Please ensure that any request to cancel your booking is received via email to [email protected], including the reason for cancellation.
Deposit & Payments
Booking Process
Booking On Request
To enhance your journey, we are offering guests a choice of the following optional activities (prices are per person):
Optional tours can be selected once you have finalised your tour purchase and paid your deposit. When completing your Passenger Booking Form, you will be asked if you would like to add Optional Tours, where any applicable cost will be added to your final balance. If you choose not to select them at this time, you can choose to add them later by logging in to your Account online or speaking with your Dedicated Support Agent for assistance.
Please note that you must select your Optional Tours no later than 65 days before departure, after which you will be required to purchase them on tour. Please keep in mind that anything purchased on-tour is subject to availability. We appreciate your understanding.
You can enhance your holiday by arriving early or staying longer upon conclusion of the tour. On this tour you can choose from the following options:
Pre and post tour accommodation
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a “2”.
2 – Leisurely Paced Tour: This itinerary will be conducted at a relaxed pace. You will typically spend several nights at one location which means less time spent packing and unpacking, and more sightseeing. You will be required to move about unassisted, including getting on and off vehicles, walking up and down stairs and handling your own luggage.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $559 per person in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
On request
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation including e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Group Size
Minimum 4 - Maximum 12 travellers
When travelling with a group, no matter the size, we ask you to be understanding of the various needs and preferences of your group - patience with your fellow travellers is sometimes required for the benefit of everyone's travel experience.
Bedding requests
We do our best to meet your bedding preference, however, bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only and cannot be guaranteed. All efforts will be made to meet your preference, however, any changes are beyond our control and limited by the hotel facilities and availability.
Tour Styles - This package is an Partially Escorted style.
To meet the needs of various types of travellers, we choose to operate various types of tours and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
Who is operating this package
We have partnered with a wide range of third party operators who assist in fulfilling your booking and delivering an enjoyable on-tour experience. Each package will consist of multiple operators meaning both guides and fellow travellers may change day to day. But don't worry, regardless of the operator, you'll be in good hands to experience the most out of each destination.
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