Day Trips
10–11 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 98% of travelers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$109
per adult
Barefoot Tours
Barefoot Tours
5
Nature & Wildlife AreasNature & Wildlife ToursBus ToursDay TripsWaterfalls
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
Welcome to Barefoot Tours, where adventures are laid-back & every moment counts. Dive into the heart of Queensland with us, exploring the ancient Wet Tropical Rainforest at a pace that lets you savour the beauty around you. Forget rushing; our tours are all about making memories, with flexible itineraries that adapt to what excites you most. From hidden waterfalls to crystal-clear swimming spots, we’re here to show you the wonders of nature, not just pass by them. Each tour is a unique journey, filled with unexpected stops & plenty of opportunities to swim, laugh, & explore. Pack your swimmers & a towel; we’re about to dive into adventure. Barefoot Tours is your gateway to experiences that are as unique as you. Ready to step into a world where time slows down, & the wonders never cease? Let’s make your day unforgettable. Join us for an adventure where the vibe is chill, the landscapes are breathtaking, & every moment is an invitation to immerse yourself in the great outdoors.
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Barefoot Tours
Day Trips
5 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$92
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,672 reviews
Excellent
1,557
Very good
95
Average
10
Poor
3
Terrible
7
Chris Lopez
1 contribution
Jan 2020 • Couples
My partner and I decided last minute to book a trip to the waterfalls, after some research we found Barefoot tours and decided to give it a go. Boy did we do the right thing! We had an amazing day full action and fun. Our guide (Terry) was fun, laid back and full of information. This tour is definitely for people looking for an action packed day with a good sense of humor. Terry if a bit of a show off but really cool stunts jumping on the the crater and the slide waterfall.
Written January 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Chris,
Had a bit of a giggle with Terry being a show off... he is a little, but boy he is so passionate about our beautiful region and absolutely 300% enthusiastic about the Rainforest & Waterfalls.
Each of our guides bring a little magic to our tours, all in their individual ways and no two days are ever the same, like no group is ever the same - makes our days fun, exciting and keen for us to show the Tablelands off to the world, one bus at a time ;-)
Thank you for picking us as a local operator and if you ever come back to Cairns be sure to let us know.
Chels @ Barefoot Tours
Written March 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Josefina N
Santiago, Chile496 contributions
Dec 2020 • Couples
We had an amazing experience with Barefoot Tours & the Atherton tablelands waterfalls tour. All waterfalls and visiting spots were incredible, we visited Babinda boulders, Josephine falls, milla milla falls, curtain fig tree and Lake Eacham. Loads of swimming and fun at the waterfalls. Thanks Rohan for an amazing experience! Wouldn’t have been the same without all your enthusiasm.
Written December 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melissa L
Shanghai, China148 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
My guide Daryl was great. The tour was a lot of fun. The waterfalls were awsome and it wasn't rushed at all! We had plenty of time to relax at each place. Darlyl also stopped at some lookout points along the way for pictures and explained some of the history behind the rainforest and the lookouts we went to.
Highly recommend this trip! Great day
Highly recommend this trip! Great day
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheers Missy,
We think Daz is a lot of fun too! He is a big kid at heart and we love that!! The Atherton Tablelands is filled with beautiful rainforest, waterfalls, lakes, lookouts, farmlands and more.
Thank you for booking direct with us, we are a small local business and really appreciate it :-)
Chels @ Barefoot Tours
Written April 2, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Grace L
Perth, Australia69 contributions
Jan 2021 • Couples
We headed out into the rainforest on a very wet day with Russell as our tour guide and had a fantastic day! As a group we spent less time then we were offered at the main places which meant we could squeeze in a few extras along the way, i love how that tour is run giving us much more flexibility about what we want to do, how long we want to spend in each place etc. Russell gave us so much good information about Cairns, the rainforest and each place we visited. We were very well fed during the day as well, great value for money and would definitely recommend!
Written January 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matt
Brisbane, Australia1 contribution
Oct 2020 • Family
I wish I could give this tour 6 stars. By far the highlight of our holiday so far. It was everything we hoped for and more. We had initial reservations given the ages of our kids (9 and 8) but they had a fantastic day and there was more than enough to keep them engaged. The day was laid back but interesting and full of adventure. Our guide Russell was an all round great guy and took us to so many places we would have never ventured on our own. We will never forget Josephine Falls and Millaa Millaa Waterfalls.
Written October 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AJ
New South Wales, Australia18 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
An excellent day with our informative Marcio our driver. He certainly made sure our day was at a relaxing pace, safe and enjoyable, providing tasty food along the way. I’m sure there wasn’t a point of interest we didn’t cover. The views and scenery got better as the day progressed. Yes it rained but hey we are in the tropics. Thanks Marcio for a fabulous day!
Written April 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad you enjoyed your day in the Tropical North Queensland Rainforests, Marcio is certainly passionate about providing you with a unique and adventurous experience tailored to suit everyone!
- The Barefoot Tours Team
Written June 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sharly W
1 contribution
Oct 2020 • Family
What an amazing day this tour was. Our guide Rohan was fun, knowledgeable and so entertaining! He tailored the tour to us and we had an awesome time. Our 8 year old son and 70-something year old mother were equally catered for. It was a trip we will not forget in a hurry and will talk about for ages. Beautiful pools, thrilling rock slides and spectacular scenery! Thank you Barefoot Tours!
Written October 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
julesandchris22
Sydney, Australia17 contributions
Dec 2020 • Friends
Had a fantastic tour with Rohan visiting waterfalls and swimming holes throughout the Atherton region. Very knowledgeable and patient guide who was prepared to go out of his way to look after his clients. Funny as well!
Written December 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorza81
Brisbane, Australia77 contributions
Sep 2020
We as a family did the Tablelands tour. Our guide Rohan was a wealth of knowledge! The day was full on jam packed. We had a great time. Great to look & experience a different part of north QLD. We highly recommend this tour.
Written September 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chelsea C
1 contribution
Feb 2014
I'll start by saying that we did this tour on a gloomy, somewhat rainy day. That said, even if the weather had been nice I would have been dying to get back to my hostel and away from the tour guide, Gilly.
He had almost no knowledge of the areas to which we drive during the tour. He kept insisting that we ask him questions, but could never produce answers to questions that weren't about him. I have up trying to learn anything after a couple hours.
Gilly was also incredibly chauvinistic, calling all the women "sweetie" and asking the "guys" to hold the "ladies'" hands and make sure we didn't slip on the rocks. He needs someone to remind him that it's 2014, not 1954.
My boyfriend and I are both vegan. When Gilly found that out he took it upon himself to talk about killing and butchering animals for at least 10 minutes and kept returning to the topic all day.
Despite the fact that it was raining pretty heavily toward the end of the day, and we were in an area very prone to flash floods, Gilly allowed purple to swim in Josephine Falls. I thought that was foolish and dangerous.
When the cafe we went to for lunch screwed up my order (they gave me a cup of chips instead of a bowl), Gilly kept insisting I was wrong. I had to go speak to the staff myself to clarify and make sure I wasn't paying for a bowl when I ordered a cup.
Finally, he lost or forgot his credit card machine. My boyfriend had to wander around for 10 minutes looking for an ATM so we could pay $170 for a day of sitting in a smelly camper.
He had almost no knowledge of the areas to which we drive during the tour. He kept insisting that we ask him questions, but could never produce answers to questions that weren't about him. I have up trying to learn anything after a couple hours.
Gilly was also incredibly chauvinistic, calling all the women "sweetie" and asking the "guys" to hold the "ladies'" hands and make sure we didn't slip on the rocks. He needs someone to remind him that it's 2014, not 1954.
My boyfriend and I are both vegan. When Gilly found that out he took it upon himself to talk about killing and butchering animals for at least 10 minutes and kept returning to the topic all day.
Despite the fact that it was raining pretty heavily toward the end of the day, and we were in an area very prone to flash floods, Gilly allowed purple to swim in Josephine Falls. I thought that was foolish and dangerous.
When the cafe we went to for lunch screwed up my order (they gave me a cup of chips instead of a bowl), Gilly kept insisting I was wrong. I had to go speak to the staff myself to clarify and make sure I wasn't paying for a bowl when I ordered a cup.
Finally, he lost or forgot his credit card machine. My boyfriend had to wander around for 10 minutes looking for an ATM so we could pay $170 for a day of sitting in a smelly camper.
Written February 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First of all, I would like to apologise for the late response to your review, I decided it was best to speak to the guide involved before I posted a response.
As for your review, it seems to me that you may have taken a personal disliking to Gilly my guide, which I think is fair enough. I believe there will always be people out there that will clash with other people and no-one can be expected to like everybody they meet. However, given the number of glowing reviews Gilly has on trip advisor, I am not too concerned about 2 people taking a disliking to him out of all of his customers.
About his comments about killing animals and you being vegans, he has told me he was asked by other customers on the tour about eating kangaroo, emu, croc and other native animals. As you may or may not be aware, Australia is one of the few countries that actively kills and eats both the animals on the national shield of arms and hunting (like in your own country) is a very popular sport over here. Yes I suspect he was most likely a bit tactless about the subject and possibly could have worded it differently which I will apologise for, however you must understand that the tablelands where you were visiting does have a very large farming industry, both beef and dairy and the killing and butchering of animals is common up there, and therefore is an obvious subject to discuss on a tour of the area.
I myself have a farming background, but I also understand there are a lot of people out there who may not like to hear about that side of farming and I will in the future ask my guides to possibly avoid the subject when there are animal lovers/vegans etc on board so as not to cause unnecessary offence.
As for the misunderstanding at the cafe, we had only that week started using the cafe as a lunch venue, and appreciate there may have been some teething issues while we all got to grips with the new process, however I can assure you there was no way you were going to be overcharged- you ordered a cup of chips and you were given a cup of chips, costing $2.50.
The issue with the portable EFTPOS machine falls back on the local internet provider. The machine we use uses internet connection, however the internet provider is in the process of changing their towers to accommodate more for smart/mobile phones rather than for EFTPOS machines, so short of going back to the old fashioned zip zap machines where a copy of your card is taken which would then be sitting on the bus all day, there isn't really much I can do about that until the bank we use issues new updated EFTPOS machines. For the time being unfortunately it means that there are occasions when we are unable to get signal to use our machine properly. When this happens, our guides are advised to stop at an ATM instead for customers to get cash out. Gilly did stop the bus within a few metres of 2 ATMs for your boyfriend to withdraw money, and it seems there was a problem with his card not working in these ATMs, which we cannot be held responsible for. He was then driven to another ATM and the problem was sorted out with the minimum of fuss. Gilly did not make your boyfriend wander the streets as you seem to suggest in your review, he drove him to and from each ATM.
You are correct, is it 2014, not 1954- although this is also Far North Queensland 2014. No my guides are not required to wear "safari man" uniforms and pull their socks up, but yes they are required to help customers over rocks, especially on wet days when there is a very real possibility of someone slipping over and hurting themselves. To my knowledge, you did not make it aware that you found it offensive at the time. And honestly, around here, a bloke calling a lady "chicky", "love" or "babe" is not meant to be offensive. It's the same thing as Americans calling people "dude", British people calling a publican "Governor" or Kiwis calling someone "bro" or "cuz".
I have reviewed the photos of Josephine Falls from that day and Gilly was well within the company limits to let people swim there. Yes that spot can be dangerous, which is why we have tight regulations about swimming there. All my guides have been shown how to perform basic rescues and recognise the signs of flash floods and conditions that may cause flash flooding. I myself used to be a white water instructor right up to grade 4-5 rapids. I have been there countless times in countless different weather conditions. I have also observed that particular spot at countless different water levels and have set regulations on swimming there. The day you were there was well within regulations, therefore I don't agree it was foolish of Gilly or in any way dangerous that day.
Captain Matty
Owner/Manager
Written March 3, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi!
We are a family of five with a 9, 11, and 13-year-old. I know it says 10 years old is the minimum age what if my youngest is adventurous would you make an exception?
Steve
Written March 15, 2020
Hi Steve,
Absolutely we would. We have the age range up there, as we like to make sure it is suitable for kids under 10 first by talking with the parents... Whilst some kids aren't really into nature or long days with waterfalls, lakes, swimming and so fourth other kids absolutely thrive of it and especially since he/she will have siblings onboard, it generally makes it easier for them too. We have had some fantastic kids on our tours and love how eager and curious they can be :-) Just let us know in your comments when booking so we know to pack an extra packet of tim tams or something!
At the moment with covid19 we aren't operating until at least may but we would love to welcome your family onboard.
Chelsea @ Barefoot Tours
Written March 29, 2020
Hola!Necesitaría saber los costos para 3 personas, si tienen guía en español y días de salida. Muchas Gracias
Written December 3, 2017
!Hola Gisele!
Me hablar un poquito espanol.
El costo es de $109 por persona.
Lo siento, no tenemos una guia de espanol.
Salimos los 7 dias de la semana.
Gracias.
Written December 4, 2017
I really want to do this trip next September, would love to do all the swimming parts of the trip as sounds really fun....I only have one concern which I wanted to ask other people who have done this trip. Insects love me and see me as their food source, I wear insect repellent whenever insects are around, and have heard they are very prevalent in Australia especially around nature. Does anyone know of an insect repellent that is waterproof? (the one i use at the moment is only splash proof)....I can of course reapply repellent when I get out of the water but concerned about while I'm in the water and before I get out to dry off and reapply.....or do the insects only come out in the evening? (in which case I won't be at risk while swimming). Sorry for the essay.
Written October 20, 2017
Hi Born2be pink,
The places we go don't often have too many mosquito's (they love me too)... As Steve said above there are march flys that start appearing in September but they are not too bad till later on in the year when summer hits (as Elaine has mentioned).
March fly's are like normal flies on steroids but they are slow and easy to shooo away.
We have insect repellent in the bus which is specially for the tropics but really I think if anything then it will be the march flies that annoy you the most... (Flip Flops become very useful)
Written November 1, 2017
Do you have pickup and drop off from Palm cove and Port Douglas?
thank you
Written August 16, 2017
Hi Nandakuma,
Unfortunately we don't organize transfers from the Northern Beaches, as it is just to long a day for our guides.
I recommend getting in contact with FNQ Airport shuttle as they pick up people each morning from the Northern beaches to take them to Cairns. I think they charge around $16pp, they can guarantee you will arrive in Cairns before a certain time (I think it is 7:30am) otherwise a cheaper option is to take a public bus or depending how many people you are, maybe try uber.
We can pick you up from public bus stop or any Cairns CBD hotel/hostel.
I hope this helps!
Written August 17, 2017
FRANCO A
Melbourne, Australia
Hi, my name is Ana and I will be in Benoa, Bali for a day. Im going on a cruise and I will arrive Benoa at 8:00 and depart at 7:00 the 22nd of november.
Im intersted in take a tour of a day to going around Benoa and visit the most relevant parts of the city.\
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Written October 15, 2015
I'm afraid we are based in Australia!
Written October 19, 2015
When we booked the tour it was $100! Definitely worth every penny!!
Written April 20, 2015
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