9 Days Cairns and Cooktown Discovery
Awake to sweeping views of tropical landscapes as your rail journey continues. Arriving into Cairns mid-afternoon, you’ll be greeted by your friendly tour host and transferred to your centrally located hotel. This evening, gather with your fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner. 3 Nights: DoubleT...
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Embark on an unforgettable nine-day adventure through the tropical wonders of Far North Queensland. From the moment you board the Spirit of Queensland Train in Brisbane, you’ll be treated to breathtaking scenery, incredible wildlife encounters, and fascinating history. Discover enchanting rainforests, ancient geological marvels, and the frontier town of Cooktown, all while enjoying the comfort of fully hosted touring with Great Value Holidays.
This afternoon depart Brisbane on the Spirit of Queensland train. The train is scheduled to depart at 3.45pm from Roma Street Station. As the train glides northward along Queensland’s picturesque coastline, watch the scenery transform — from city skylines to rolling cane fields, charming coastal towns, and lush hinterlands. Relax with a good book, chat with fellow travellers, or simply gaze out the window as the rhythm of the rails sets the tone for your incredible adventure ahead. All meals included for RailBed fares. (D)
- 9 Days
- 8 Nights
- 11 Meals
- Coach Tours
Select a day to see the stop details.
Duration
9 Days
Meals Included
2 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
What's Included:
- Welcome Dinner
- Paronella Park
- Mossman Gorge
- Daintree River Cruise
- Port Douglas Township, Palm Cove
- Palmer River Roadhouse & Black Mountain
- Cooktown Museum & Cemetery
- Grassy Hill Lookout, Botanical Gardens
- Endeavour River Sunset Cruise
- Lions Den Hotel, Annan River
- Free time to explore Cairns City
- Coach touring and commentary
- Fully hosted from Cairns
- Overnight accommodation is 3-4 star motel style with own ensuite
- Included meals as per Itinerary
- Spirit of Queensland Train (When combining rail + tour from Brisbane)
DEPART BRISBANE
This afternoon depart Brisbane on the Spirit of Queensland train. The train is scheduled to depart at 3.45pm from Roma Street Station. All meals included for RailBed fares. (D) _Note: If making your way to Cairns under own arrangements, please see Day 2 for details_
CAIRNS WELCOME
Enjoying the rail journey, you arrive into Cairns mid afternoon with time to freshen up before enjoying the included Welcome Dinner at Dundee’s at the Aquarium. 3 Nights: DoubleTree by Hilton, Cairns (B,L,D) _Note: If arriving today under own arrangements, please check in and meet the host and other travellers for your welcome dinner at the hotel restaurant at 6pm._
Meals & Dining
Cairns to Cooktown
Cooktown today! Making our way north via the Atherton Tablelands, we stop at the historic Palmer River Roadhouse for lunch. From here we pass the Annan Gorge and Black Mountain on the last leg into Cooktown. Black Mountain, named by the local Indigenous people ‘Place of Spears’, is a mysterious pyramid of stones and a natural geological formation thought to be 150 million years old. On arrival we check in with time to visit the Cooktown Botanical Gardens. 2 Nights: Cooktown River of Gold Motel (B,D)
Meals & Dining
Discover Cooktown, Famous Lions Den Hotel, Endeavour River Cruise
Today we will embark on a town tour of Cooktown starting with Grassy Hill Lookout for breathtaking views of Cooktown and its renowned ‘River of Gold’. Next, we visit the Captain Cook Museum which showcases the history of this extraordinary town, including Cook’s significant encounter with Indigenous peoples during his stay at the Endeavour River. After this enriching experience, we travel to the iconic Lion’s Den Hotel for lunch and a refreshing beverage, situated by the banks of the Annan River and surrounded by century-old mango trees. After lunch, we visit the Cooktown Cemetery, a fascinating place to explore and absorb the history. Finally, we depart for a magical Sunset River Cruise on the Endeavour River. We embark on an informative journey down this historic river, stepping back in time as we go. (B,AT)
Meals & Dining
COOKTOWN TO CAIRNS
Departing Cooktown, we stop off at the little town of Mount Molloy for lunch at the local pub. Then on to Mareeba to visit the Heritage Museum and Coffee Works for all things coffee and chocolate. This afternoon we make our way back into Cairns for an evening at your leisure. DoubleTree by Hilton, Cairns (B)
Meals & Dining
Paronella Park, Cairns
This morning, we make our way south to Innisfail. Jose Paronella’s dream was to build a castle and he chose a special part of Australia to created Paronella Park. On 5 hectares beside Mena Creek Falls he built his castle, picnic area by the falls, tennis courts, bridges and wrapped it up in an amazing range of 7,500 tropical plants and trees, now a lush rainforest. We tour through the Castle Ruins in the rainforest and enjoy lunch before departing back to Cairns for an afternoon and evening at your leisure. 2 Nights: DoubleTree by Hilton, Cairns (B,L)
Meals & Dining
Mossman Gorge, Daintree River Cruise, Port Douglas, Cairns
Today we venture to Mossman Gorge, where the Mossman River tumbles its way over and around huge granite boulders that line the gorge creating cool, clear, freshwater swimming holes. We then make our way to the Daintree River for our Croc Cruise. Snaking through the heart of the area, the densely populated mangrove estuary is home to an abundance of wildlife. Then into Port Douglas with time to explore the town before returning to Cairns for a free afternoon and our Farewell Dinner. (B,D)
Meals & Dining
DEPART CAIRNS ON THE SPIRIT OF QUEENSLAND
After breakfast, we board the Spirit of Queensland Train for your relaxing journey towards Brisbane. Overnight Spirit of Queensland train (B) (All meals included for RailBed passengers) _Note: If not using the rail service, please check out by 10am and enjoy your remaining time in Cairns. Extra nights in Cairns can be pre-arranged on request._
Meals & Dining
ARRIVE BRISBANE
The Spirit of Queensland arrives into Brisbane this morning leaving you with cherished memories of both the Australian outback and tropical north Queensland. The train is schedule to arrive at 9.00am. B = Breakfast, M/T = Morning Tea, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Meals & Dining
Prices and itinerary subject to change.
Twin Share
POA
Single Supplement
+$800
additional
Prices are subject to availability and may change without notice. Early bird discounts may apply for bookings made 6+ months in advance.
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