Barron River Half-Day White Water Rafting Cairns or Port Douglas
Overview
Available languages
3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Seeking a white water rafting adventure? The Barron River, 20-minutes north of Cairns, offers spectacular scenery as you paddle through the Barron Gorge National Park on this exciting two-hour white water rafting tour from Cairns, Northern Beaches and Port Douglas.
Additional Info
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children aged 12-18 years require a Parents or Guardians counter signature on waiver form
Minimum age is 12 years
$30 per person River Levy is payable on the day of travel
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Raft through stunning rainforest of the Wet Tropics. You will be rafting through the famous Barron Gorge on your afternoon rafting experience like no other.
What‘s Included
Professional river guide
All rafting equipment (except shoes)
Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option selected)
Transport by private vehicle
Rafting Levy
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Cairns & Northern Beaches
Cairns & North Beaches: Includes transfers from Cairns and Northern Beaches hotels up to Palm Cove.
Pickup included
Port Douglas
Pickup included
Self drive to Lake Placid
Meet your tour at Lake Placid: Drive yourself to the starting point for this tour, Lake Placid.
Reviews
166 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
High Water Highlights! Fun, Muddy, and Expertly Managed
gatoreed,,Jan 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We booked the Barron River Half-Day White Water Rafting during a period of heavy rain, and it did not disappoint! The convenience of the hotel pick-up and return from Cairns made the logistics effortless. Preparation & Safety: The team was incredibly organized. The safety briefing on the bus was thorough and professional, which was reassuring given the river conditions. We were outfitted with all the necessary gear quickly and efficiently once we arrived at the launch site. The Rafting Experience: Because of the recent rains, the Barron River was at its maximum level—fast-moving and muddy, which actually made for some fantastic rapids! As someone with rafting experience across the USA, New Zealand, and other parts of Australia, I found this to be a really enjoyable and well-paced run. Note on Safety: The guides are clearly experts. We had to portage the rafts around a Level 5/6 rapid that was too dangerous to run in these conditions. I appreciated the guides' commitment to safety while still ensuring we had a blast on the accessible rapids. Who is this for? Even with the high water, this is a perfect trip for beginners and families. It offers just the right amount of excitement without being overwhelming. Summary: A fantastic way to spend a half-day in Cairns, rain or shine. If the river is pumping, you’re in for a real treat!
We had a brilliant time...
Mary J,,Dec 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a brilliant time at this activity. Our guides Addison and Tina were amazing and good fun, and put my nerves of falling out at ease. Would 100% recommend this activity. All the staff were so kind and friendly.
It’s the best rafting...
Yuki L,,Nov 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00It’s the best rafting experience ever. Fin was our rafting guide who are so passionate and professional.
We got the BEST guide!!!!
377sheilas,,Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Bellau(Not sure of the Spelling :). Was an amazing guide. He made it fun and worth every dollar.. Amazing person and fun experience all around!
Brown Water Bootcamp
weakticket,,Nov 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00We almost booked the full day rafting trip in Cairns. Eight hours of this? I would have needed therapy. The river looked like hot chocolate made in a ditch and smelled like the inside of a septic tank. I am used to clean rivers where I live. I did not expect luxury, but I also did not expect to question whether I needed a tetanus shot after getting splashed. Our guide was brand new. Not kind of new first-day, first-time-on-a-raft new. He was being trained live, which meant frequent stops so the actual guide could explain paddling, steering, and how to tie a knot. On top of that, the trainee spent the entire time barking commands like a drill sergeant. “Forward. Back. Stop.” Right in my ear. I was not sure if I had booked a rafting trip or enlisted in some muddy aquatic military unit. The scenery was jungle beauty, but no waterfalls, just brown water, brown banks and big rocks. The only wildlife sighting they teased us with was a possible crocodile. We did not even get that. Just the smell. At the end, we were asked to load the raft onto the trailer ourselves. That was the final straw. I had officially worked harder than the new guide. To be fair, the experienced guide could see I was hanging on by a thread. After I made a few “incredible” jokes and tapped out at the end, he turned to me and said, “You’re a legend.” I know he meant it. He had watched me survive a comedy-horror rafting film in real time. Spend your time in Cairns doing anything else. Dive. Eat. Shop. Lie on your back and watch clouds. Just skip this trip unless you enjoy yelling, brown water, and disappointment.
White water rafting
Wendy C,,Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Fantastic guides that made the whole experience fun, lighthearted but very safe. Pick up and drop off so easy, paying was no problem.
Ripper day rafting
Craig F,,Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great afternoon with Dorothy so much fun she was fantastic ! Specially with my wife who was apprehensive about falling out of the raft.Good activity to do on a rainy day which we had and made no difference to the experience.Id give it 5 stars out of 5
O'Brien clan
Pauline O,,Oct 5, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great afternoon with our guide John. Managed to manoeuvre us through the rapids without losing anyone from the raft. Highly recommend o
Awesome fun
Paradise33307142429,,Oct 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a family of 4 and our youngest was 12yrs. We had Lexy as our guide and she... (infact all the guides were..) brilliant. It was safe and fun. Couldn't fault the day.
First time white water rafting - but most definitely not our last experience
shanebB3659HK,,Sep 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00First time white water rafting and it was an incredible experience! The Barron Gorge is stunning and Cairns Adventure Group made the whole trip easy and fun. A huge thank you to our raft guide Jacqui and the entire team with our bus guide who was hilarious (unfortunately I don’t recall his name but pretty sure he was French) – knowledgeable, supportive, and kept the energy high the whole way through. We were also lucky to have such a great group in our raft, which made the adventure even more enjoyable. Highly recommend!
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