Barron Gorge National Park, Australia: Our most recommended tours and activities

Barron Gorge: Half-Day Barron River White-Water Rafting

1. Barron Gorge: Half-Day Barron River White-Water Rafting

Experience white-water rafting in Barron Gorge National Park, known for its rugged rainforest mountains, steep ravines, and the falls carved out over thousands of years by the Barron River. Enjoy optional pickup from Cairns or Port Douglas before heading to the national park. Meet your guide at Lake Placid, and get ready for your river rafting tour on the river. Enjoy the area’s scenic beauty and a combination of calm water and a series of white-water rapids as well. Spend two hours navigating rapids up to grade three. No experience is necessary, making this a good choice for beginning rafters. There is also plenty of excitement for the more experienced.

Cairns: Raging Thunder Barron Gorge River Rafting Trip

2. Cairns: Raging Thunder Barron Gorge River Rafting Trip

Prepare for adventure and action on this guided white water rafting tour on the Barron River. Receive all rafting training and equipment needed before venturing into the water to experience grade 2 and 3 rapids. The Barron River is located only 20 minutes from Cairns and offers a great introduction to white water rafting. You’ll get to experience up to 2 hours of rafting with a combination of exciting rapids and calm water paddling. Begin with pickup from your accommodation or self-driving to the starting point at Lake Placid. Once here, meet your river guide and fellow paddlers and get fitted with your life jacket, helmet, and rafting shoes, if you choose to rent a pair.  Follow a short track with your group down to the river where you will board your raft and receive a comprehensive safety briefing and paddling instructions from your guide. You will have the chance to practice in the flat water before it's time to hit the white water. The first couple of rapids you raft through are small and easy, giving you plenty of time to get a feel for how the raft moves through the water before it's time to navigate the bigger, more exciting rapids, including the Rooster Tail. The combination of grade 2 and 3 rapids will ensure you have a thrilling trip rafting down the Barron. At the bottom section of the river, enjoy a flat paddle where you'll have time to admire the stunning scenery and learn about the surrounding rainforest and native wildlife. After arriving at the take-out point, change into your dry clothes. On the journey back to your hotel, find the action photos available for preview to purchase.

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Barron Gorge National Park, Australia

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What people are saying about Barron Gorge National Park, Australia

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 196 reviews

Nice hopping tour around some rainforest key places. Best part was the walk in the rainforest where the guide also explained more about the wild life and plants along the way. Cruise highly recommended otherwise you wait on the bus, for few bucks more we saw a crocodile in the wild! The guide explains a lot about the territory with "fun facts" about animals or places. Overall very informative tour.

It was the best activity in Cairns. The activity was full of fun and thrill. Our guide Logan was very competent in her job and looked after us with the safety measures. I will highly recommended this activity in Cairns. Customer service was excellent and there is nothing to complain about.

Great fun, Max our guide was awesome, fun but also educational in that I felt like we had some control of what happened in the boat through his instructions (even though he obviously supported a whole bunch of novices!). Beautiful scenery and fantastic vibe.

Great guides and rapids. We were picked up and dropped off directly to our accomodation in port Douglas with ease. As beginners had an amazing time with the foaming fury cairns adventure group. Would highly recommend to those of all ages.

So much fun! Goofy but experienced guides. Good amount of swimming spots and exhilarating rapids. Worth it.