Australia · SNORKELING & DIVING TRIPS IN CAIRNS

15 Snorkeling & Diving Trips in Cairns Worth Booking

23 tours  ·  from $88

Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 snorkeling & diving trips in Cairns justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.

Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Cairns - First Reef Session: Saxon or Norman Reef
Cairns Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Great Barrier Reef Tours, Great Barrier Reef Tours in Cairns, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Snorkeling & Diving Trips, Snorkeling & Diving Trips in Cairns, Tour Reviews

Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Cairns

1.Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,714 reviews · from $190Our pick

Sail from Cairns aboard Evolution to two Outer Reef sites, usually Saxon or Norman Reef and Hastings Reef. Snorkel with supplied gear, enjoy a barbecue lunch, and add an introductory scuba session or 10-minute helicopter flight. Marine staff including Indy, Phil, and Lourie help make the day approachable.

“Great experience with the operator. Went for scuba diving with family for the first time. Awesome. Highly recommended.”

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Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkelling Tour - The reef stop: about 90 minutes that goes quickly
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Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkelling Tour

2.Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkelling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,326 reviews · 4 hours · from $126

Ride a fast boat from Cairns Marlin Marina to the Great Barrier Reef with up to 27 people. You get quality gear, a guided 1.5-hour snorkel, snacks, flotation aids, and seasonal stinger suits. Guides such as Bradley, Lily, Caitlin, and Gus help you spot coral and marine life.

“Our snorkeling guide Caitlyn was very helpful and super kind”

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Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Premium Diving Full Day Tour - A Better Introduction for Nervous Snorkelers
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Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Premium Diving Full Day Tour

3.Great Barrier Reef Premium Diving Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 792 reviews · 9 hours · from $127

Cruise from Cairns Marlin Marina to two outer reef sites with five hours in the water. Snorkel among turtles, clams, coral, and schools of fish, or choose an introductory or certified scuba session. English-speaking guides, marine science talks, Indigenous stories, tea, and buffet lunch are included.

“This was an amazing day. The crew were so helpful and kind. Be prepared for sea sickness on way to reef… take the travel calm tablets on the way out they help alot! The lunch was small but good. It was a perfect day on the reef!”

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Port Douglas: Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Cruise - From Port Douglas to the edge of the continental shelf
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Port Douglas: Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Cruise

4.Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 711 reviews · 8 hours · from $210

Join Wavelength from Port Douglas for an eight-hour, snorkelling-only trip to three Outer Reef sites. Marine biologists such as Kate and Kaia help beginners, lead reef walks, explain coral life, and take free in-water photos. Lunch, snacks, drinks, suits, and reef-safe sunscreen are included.

“The crew were really energetic and knowledgeable. Taught us a lot about the incredible reef. We went to three reef areas to snorkel and all quite varied. Wish we had more time to repeat this amazing experience!”

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Full Day Low Isles Sailing & Snorkelling Cruise from Port Douglas - Low Isles and the 1878 lighthouse
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Full Day Low Isles Sailing & Snorkelling Cruise from Port Douglas

5.Full Day Low Isles Sailing & Snorkelling Cruise from Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 565 reviews · from $243Top rated

Spend 7.5 hours sailing from Port Douglas to Low Isles aboard a 33-passenger catamaran. Snorkel in a sheltered lagoon, join a marine biologist, ride the EV Discovery glass-bottom boat, walk to the 1878 lighthouse, and enjoy buffet lunch with tea included.

“Everything was wonderful. They may need to get a few bigger sized flippers as they weren’t able to provide a larger size for my brothers”

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Port Douglas: Low Isles Glass Bottom Boat & Snorkeling Tour - From Crystalbrook Marina to the Low Isles
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Port Douglas: Low Isles Glass Bottom Boat & Snorkeling Tour

6.Low Isles Glass Bottom Boat & Snorkeling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 469 reviews · 4 hours · from $135

Take the Calypso XI from Port Douglas to Low Isles in 30 minutes. Snorkel the calm lagoon, join a glass-bottom boat ride, and walk to the lighthouse. Guides such as Roman, Katie, Dani, and Cedric have led reef and island tours, with tea, coffee, fruit, and muffins included.

“Awesome! Staff where wonderful & looked after us really well.”

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Half Day Low Isles Snorkelling Tour from Port Douglas - Leaving Port Douglas from Crystalbrook Marina
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Half Day Low Isles Snorkelling Tour from Port Douglas

7.Half Day Low Isles Snorkelling Tour from Port Douglas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 390 reviews · from $175

From Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina, Calypso Reef Charters takes you to the sheltered Low Isles lagoon for guided or independent snorkelling, a glass-bottom boat ride, and island time. Early and afternoon departures help avoid the busiest hours, with gear, snacks, coffee, and tea included.

“Small group of people with opinions to snorkel, tour the island or experience the glass boat ride. Friendly staff who gave plenty of advice & freedom”

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Cairns Half Day Tour a Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Experience - The guide makes a difference for first-time snorkelers
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Cairns Half Day Tour a Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Experience

8.Cairns Half Day Tour a Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 386 reviews · from $128

Set out from Cairns Marlin Marina on a fast boat with up to 26 other people, then spend about 1.5 to 2 hours snorkeling at Upolu Reef. Guides such as Sophia, Lilly, Bradley, and Renee lead the water time, with gear, snacks, and seasonal stinger suits included.

“So fun and informative with top notch equipment and guides. Saw so much sea life and a half day was the perfect amount of time.”

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Snorkelling and Glass Bottom Boat at Green Island from Cairns - What the glass-bottom boat adds
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Snorkelling and Glass Bottom Boat at Green Island from Cairns

9.Snorkelling and Glass Bottom Boat at Green Island from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 386 reviews · from $107

Take a 45-minute fast catamaran from Cairns to Green Island, a coral cay wrapped in rainforest. Your day includes snorkel gear, a glass-bottom boat ride, island walk, pool access, and return transport. Snorkelling is unguided from the beach, while guided reef sessions cost extra.

“Well done trip. Some of the activities are not available at Green Island that are available at the leaf Island. Can easily spend the whole day at Green Island and if possible try to do the longer duration trip.”

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Cairns: All-Inclusive Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkeling - Starting at Cairns Marlin Marina
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Cairns: All-Inclusive Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkeling

10.All-Inclusive Great Barrier Reef Half-Day Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 373 reviews · 5 hours · from $140

From Cairns Marlin Marina, Pure Snorkelling Adventures takes you by purpose-built speedboat to an Outer Reef site chosen for the day’s conditions. You get more than two hours in the water, marine biologist guides, quality gear, prescription masks, snacks, and a 10:30 AM reef presentation.

“Loved the whole experience, the staff were professional and friendly. Just the right amount of time to see the amazing coral and fish.”

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Cairns: Best Value All-inclusive Reef Trip With Scuba Dive - Starting early at Cairns Marlin Marina
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Cairns: Best Value All-inclusive Reef Trip With Scuba Dive

11.Best Value All-inclusive Reef Trip With Scuba Dive

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 307 reviews · 1 day · from $184

Spend a full day aboard Reef Experience, a 24-meter catamaran from Cairns. You get breakfast, BBQ lunch, unlimited snorkeling, one introductory or certified scuba session, and afternoon wine with cheese. Patient instructors such as Dylan, Dan, and Tia help beginners feel safe while marine life guides explain what you see.

“It was my first time doing scuba diving and I had an amazing experience! the crew were really nice :)”

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Snorkelling or Glass Bottom Boat at Green Island from Cairns - Arriving on a 6,000-year-old coral cay
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Snorkelling or Glass Bottom Boat at Green Island from Cairns

12.Snorkelling or Glass Bottom Boat at Green Island from Cairns

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 282 reviews · from $87Best value

Take a fast catamaran from Cairns to Green Island National Park, then choose beach snorkelling or a glass-bottom boat tour. You also get a self-guided rainforest walk and pool access. Marine biologist Clarissa may add useful reef insight, while the flexible 3 to 12-hour format suits both quick visits and full days.

“Glass bottom boat was awesome just wish it went for longer the best part of our trip was the turtle and croc feeding”

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Half Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Tour - A fast ride to the outer reef
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Half Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Tour

13.Half Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 219 reviews · from $142

Join Pure Snorkelling from Cairns for a five-hour afternoon trip to the Great Barrier Reef. A fast boat carries you to one or more of 15 outer reef moorings, where marine biologists such as Justin, Seb, Cam, and Izzie guide snorkelers of varied abilities. Gear, seasonal suits, snacks, and reef fees are included.

“Wonderful choice for going out to the Reef! The half day option was the perfect amount of time to snorkel. Check-in was pretty straightforward. Since this is a smaller vessel, there's a smaller group which made the experience feel more eRead more”

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Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Pontoon with Snorkeling & Activities - Semi-submersible and underwater observatory
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Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Pontoon with Snorkeling & Activities

14.Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Pontoon with Snorkeling & Activities

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 132 reviews · from $214

Travel from Cairns by fast catamaran to an Outer Reef pontoon for snorkeling, swimming, a semi-submersible tour, and an underwater observatory. You get gear, instruction, reef talks, morning and afternoon tea, and a hot and cold buffet lunch. Optional scuba, helicopter flights, and Scuba-Doo cost extra.

“Absolutely devastated!! The reef around the pontoon was dead. No colour whatsoever. Very few fish The submersible was cloudy … nothing at all to see. Very few fish to view from the cloudy observation area. All in all we really wished that we had booked a completely different trip. Certainly not worth the money. Everyone I have previously spoken to had raved about the reef …… this is NOT … the trip to go on if you want to see colour and beautiful reef. I would suggest that you avoid at all cost!! So many more trips less expensive and hopefully take you to a better part of the reef!”

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Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Overnight Snorkeling Boat Trip - From Cairns to a three-deck floating base
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Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Overnight Snorkeling Boat Trip

15.Great Barrier Reef Overnight Snorkeling Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 51 reviews

Sail from Cairns to Saxon, Norman, and possibly Hastings reefs aboard OceanQuest, with several guided snorkel sessions, meals, hot showers, and an overnight cabin. Skilled guides such as Will, Laura, and Sandy help you spot turtles, reef sharks, stingrays, and colourful fish.

“My family had a great time on the overnight reef experience! I highly recommend it and hope to come back again. The intro dive class offered was such a great treat for my 15 year old son. All the guides were great!”

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New in Snorkeling & Diving Trips in Cairns

★ 4.5Private Helicopter Tour: Reef Island Snorkeling and Gourmet Picnic LunchFrom $83322 reviews
★ 4.8Half-Day Low Island and Lagoon Snorkeling TourFrom $17624 reviews

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