Cairns Diving Tours
Looking for diving tours from Cairns? You don’t need a certification to dive the Great Barrier Reef – most of our diving trips offer an introductory dive with an instructor as well as options for certified divers, and there’s even a helmet diving option if you can’t swim at all.
Adult $195.00 Child 4-14yrs $165.00
Departs Cairns 9.00am – 2.00pm
Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat & Sun
Experience the Outer Great Barrier Reef on this small-group half-day snorkel and dive tour. With a maximum of 60 guests, enjoy personalised attention from expert marine guides and spend up to 2 hours exploring the reef’s vibrant coral and marine life. First-timers can try a Scuba Introductory Dive — no experience needed, all equipment provided.
Adult $195.00 | Child $165.00 4-14yts | Family 2A+2C $660.00 2A+2C | $10.00 Fuel levy payable on the day
Adult $275.00| Child 4-14yrs $175
Family 2A+2C $795
Departs Cairns daily 8.00 am – 5.00 pm
This Great Barrier Reef Tour is another of my favourites as a local. Why? You will visit 2 stunning outer reef locations discovering the vibrant underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel or dive among turtles, tropical fish, and an incredible variety of corals. This is a very popular Cairns reef tour and often books out in advance!
Adult $275.00 | Child 4-14yrs $175.00 | Family 2A+2C $795.00
$275 Adult|Child $170 4-16 yrs|
Family 2A+2C $800
Departs daily 8.00am – 4.30pm
Embark on an unforgettable adventure with our Cairns Great Barrier Reef tour aboard the spacious and modern yacht, Evolution. This 35-meter vessel departs from Cairns and takes you to two exclusive, breathtaking locations on the Outer Great Barrier Reef. Perfect for families with children aged 4-16, this tour offers an action-packed day of snorkelling or diving in one of the world’s most stunning natural wonders. Optional extras are available to enhance your experience. Join us for a day filled with excitement and wonder!
Adult $275.00 Adult | Child $170.00 4-16 yrs | Family 2A+2C $800.00
Adult from $255| Child $160 4-14yrs Family 2A+2C $670
Seasonal dates and prices apply
Departs daily 9.00am – 5.00pm
Step back into the Great Barrier Reef’s Dreamtime with Indigenous Sea Rangers as they recount the Dreamtime stories of the local people and help you gain a deeper cultural understanding of the diverse ecosystems that make up the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy up to 5 hours of fun with unlimited snorkelling with 2 Reef locations in air-conditioned lounges and a licensed bar.
Adult from $255.00 | Child $160.00 4-14yrs | Family 2A+2C $670.00 2A+2C
Adult $308 | Child $228
Departs daily Cairns 8:30 – 4.30 pm
Fuel Levy Adult $10 Child $5 payable on checkin day of travel
Dive & Snorkel from Cairns with Silverswift, the only Cairns-based vessel to visit 3 spectacular outer reef locations in one day – It is also the fastest! Exclusive Outer Barrier Reef sites at Flynn, Pellowe, Milln and/or Thetford Reefs. Enjoy 5 hours of fun snorkelling and diving
Adult $308.00 | Child $228.00 | $10.00 Fuel Levy - Adult Child $5 payable at checkin on day of travel
Adult $289| Child 4-14yrs $236
Family 2A+2C$1050 + Fuel levy $4 Adult $2 Child
Departs Cairns 8.30am or 10.30am
Returns 3.20pm or 5.20pm
Underwater helmet diving experience on the Great Barrier Reef. Immerse yourself in the marine wonderland of the Great Barrier Reef and discover the underwater world from a different perspective. It’s a fun and engaging and easy to do. There is no equipment to operate, and non-swimmers are welcome; Seawalker is accessible to almost everyone and you don’t even have to get your hair wet!
Adult $289.00 | Child 4-14yrs $236.00 | Family 2A+2C $1050.00 | $0.00 Fuel levy $4 Adult $2 Child payable direct
Michaelmas Cay
Adult $288|Child $149|Family $734
Departs daily 8.30am – 5pm
Sail to Michaelmas Cay on the Great Barrier Reef aboard Ocean Spirit Cruises spacious catamaran. Snorkel or dive the pristine reef in the shallow waters of the cay or view the reef from a glass bottom boat. Michaelmas Cay is a National Park and a protected sanctuary for hundreds of migratory seabirds.
Adult $280 |Child 4-11 years $195
Family 2A+2C $755
Departs Daily 8.00am – 4.30 pm
Join us onboard the high-speed Catamaran ‘Reef Experience’ for a great value day on the Outer Barrier Reef. Your day includes Cairns CBD hotel transfers, breakfast, One FREE Scuba Dive, lunch, Snorkelling, and a light snack on the journey home. Great value! Cairns only all inclusive Great Barrier Reef day tour.
Adult $280.00 | Child 4-11 years $195.00 | Family 2A+2C $755.00 | Fuel levy $10 per person payable direct $0.00
Adult $289| Child $207| Family $893
Departs Cairns daily 8.00 am – 4.30 pm
Cruise to 2 unique Great Barrier Reef sites, as you travel in style and speed on a 20-metre motor catamaran. Ocean Freedom is the only boat in Cairns offering a total of 6 hours on the reef, meaning there’s absolutely no rush in the day. Swim, snorkel and dive – with the highest ratio of 2 divers to one instructor. You get to enjoy all the complimentary water activities whilst still having time to relax and enjoy a lazy sumptuous lunch on the Great Barrier Reef
Adult $289.00 | Child $207.00 | Family $893.00
$761.00 per adult
$601.00 per child 3-14 yrs
Family 2A+2C 3-14yrs $2724
Infant under 3 – seated on adult lap – Free of Charge.
Departs daily 10.30am – 5.00pm
Take off from Cairns on a 25-minute scenic flight to the Reef Magic activity platform at Moore Reef and enjoy spectacular views over the Coral Sea. Soar above the lush rainforest coastline and into the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, with panoramic vistas of turquoise waters and reef formations below. Your experienced pilot will provide informative commentary, pointing out marine life such as turtles, dolphins, manta rays, and large schools of fish — and from July to September, you may even spot Humpback whales on their annual migration.
$761.00 per adult | Child $601.00 per child 3-14 yrs | Family 2A+2C 3-14yrs $2536.00
Adult $312.00 | Child $172 (4-14yrs)
Family 2A+2C $805
Fuel Levy payable direct on the day of travel $10 Adult $5 Child
Departs Cairns Daily 10.30am – 5.20pm
Discover the Great Barrier Reef and spend 3 unforgettable hours at the Outer Reef activity platform where both swimmers and non-swimmers can immerse in the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef. Explore a range of activities from snorkelling to underwater observatories to guided tours for a closer look. Relax as you enjoy the sundeck taking in the views of the reef with a delicious buffet lunch.
Adult $312.00 | Child $172.00 (4-14yrs) | Family 2A+2C $805.00 | $10.00 Adult $5 Child | Fuel levy payable on the day of travel
From Adult $325| Child $160| Family $810
Seasonal prices apply
Departs daily 9am – 5pm
Experience the magic of the Great Barrier Reef at the all-weather Pontoon which is the newest and most technologically advanced pontoon on the Great Barrier Reef. A 90-minute cruise takes you to Moore Reef for snorkelling, scuba diving, helicopter flights, and more. Stay dry with a sundeck, and view the coral from the underwater observatory, glass-bottom boat, or semi-submersible tour.
Adult $325.00 | Child $160.00 | Family $810.00
Adult $307|Child 4-15 yrs $172
Family 2A2C $786
Fuel Levy $10.00 Adult $5.00 Child $30.00 Family
Departs Daily 10.15am – 5.30pm
Join Sunlover Reef Cruises for a day of discovery on the Great Barrier Reef. Travel in comfort aboard their fast, air-conditioned catamaran to a spacious pontoon at pristine Moore Reef on the outer reef. The newly refurbished platform caters for swimmers and non-swimmers alike, with an upper-level sun deck and the popular Sunlover Waterslide — a 30-metre spiral splash into tropical blue water.
Adult $307.00 | Child 4-15 yrs $172.00 | Family $786.00 | $10.00 Adult $5 Child Fuel Levy
Agincourt Reef is regarded as one of the most significant sites of this natural wonder. Here you’ll find rich, diverse coral gardens that help form these protective ocean walls, filled with hard and soft corals as well as the reef’s most iconic species such as sharks, stingrays, turtles, groupers and cods, maori wrasse and parrotfish.
Adult $338|Child $179|Family $864
Fuel Levy Adult $10 Child $5.00
Departs Port Douglas 10am – 4.30pm
Return transfers from Cairns
Adult $45|Child $25|Family $115
For your experience of a lifetime, Quicksilver’s friendly crew will take you to the renowned Agincourt Reef off Port Douglas, a jewel-like ribbon reef on the very edge of the Great Barrier Reef. From the spacious activity platform, discover an underwater world filled with a dazzling kaleidoscope of colour and brilliance. Enjoy the reef at your pace with options for all ages, swimmers and non swimmers or passengers with limited mobility.
Adult $338.00 | Child $179.00 | Family $864.00 | Fuel levy $10.00 Adult 10.00 $5.00 Child
Adult $315|Child $228
Fuel Levy Adult $10 Child $5 payable on the day of travel
Departs Port Douglas 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Silversonic from Port Douglas takes you to explore three stunning and exclusive outer edge locations at the renowned Agincourt ribbon reefs in superb style and comfort. Spend 5 hours at the reef enjoying unlimited snorkelling and some of the best diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Includes Port Douglas hotel transfers, hot and cold Tropical Buffet Lunch & all snorkelling and dive equipment included.
Adult $328.00 | Child $238.00 | $10.00 Adult $5 Child Fuel levy payable on the day of travel
Introductory Diving – No Experience Required
Most diving day trips from Cairns include the option of an introductory dive, where a qualified instructor takes you down individually or in a small group after a short briefing on the boat. No certification or prior experience is required. A small number of trips, including the Reef Experience, even build a free introductory dive into the tour price alongside breakfast, lunch and hotel transfers.
Certified Diver Tours on the Outer Reef
If you’re already certified, tours such as Silverswift Dive & Snorkel and Down Under Cruise offer multiple dive sites per trip and competitive instructor-to-diver ratios, so you can make the most of your qualification.
Helmet Diving – No Swimming Required
The Green Island Seawalker Helmet Dive lets non-swimmers walk along the seabed in a dive helmet with no swimming ability required and your hair staying dry, making it a genuine alternative for guests who’d otherwise have to sit a dive out.
Best Dive Sites from Cairns
Moore Reef is the most commonly dived site, reached by Reef Magic, Sunlover Cruises and the Great Barrier Reef Fly-Cruise. For something further afield, the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs off Port Douglas are dived by the Calypso Reef Cruise, Quicksilver Cruises and Silversonic, with Silversonic visiting three separate Agincourt sites in a day. Ocean Spirit Cruises dives at Michaelmas Cay, and Down Under Cruise and Great Barrier Reef with Ocean Freedom both run a 2:1 diver-to-instructor ratio, the highest of any tour on this list, with up to 6 hours at the reef.
What to Expect on Your First Dive
If you’ve never dived before, expect a short safety briefing on the boat, fitting of your gear, and a one-on-one or small-group descent with an instructor staying with you the whole time. No certification, prior experience or strong swimming ability is required for an introductory dive.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a diving certification to dive in Cairns?
No. Most of the tours listed here include an introductory dive option that requires no prior experience or certification.
Is there a free intro dive option?
Yes, the Reef Experience tour includes a free introductory dive as part of its all-inclusive price.
What if I can't swim but want to see the reef up close?
The Green Island Seawalker Helmet Dive lets non-swimmers walk along the seabed in a helmet, with no swimming required.
Can certified divers do more than one dive per trip?
Yes, several full day trips such as Silverswift Dive & Snorkel offer multiple dive sites and extended time at the reef for certified divers.
Are there age or health restrictions for introductory diving?
Each operator sets its own minimum age and medical requirements, so check the specific tour page or ask our team before booking if you have any health conditions.