• Green Island is a nesting island for turtles so you may very well come across a few whilst snorkelling in the islands lagoon. 
• Take a selfie with the World's Largest Captive Crocodile "Cassius" in the background at Marineland Melanesia on Green Island.
• Take a half day reef tour away from Cairns and snorkel with the vibrant fish on the Great Barrier Reef on Green Island.
• There is so much to see and do on Green Island, scenic helicopter flights, Seawalker helmet diving, scuba diving, boat snorkel tours, parasailing, Marineland Melanesia, restaurants, bars, swimming pool, showers, lockers and shops.
• Family Deal -  Save $58 based on 2 adults 2 children

Spend a morning or an afternoon snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef for two hours or riding in the Glass Bottom boat. Great Deal tour for family budgets makes it a cheap day on the Great Barrier Reef and Green Island.

What to Expect

Jump onboard on an unforgettable half-day tour adventure to Green Island, a jewel sitting on the Great Barrier Reef just off Cairns in Tropical North Queensland Australia. Half day tours to Green Island are perfect for those with limited time like cruise ship passengers or families with young children and older grandparents. Families love our deal saving package where one child travels free. Your Great Barrer Reef tour begins with a swift 45-minute ride on a luxurious catamaran from Cairns Marlin Marina. The half day departure is at 10:30am and departs the island at 2:30pm returning into Cairns at 3.20pm.

Features and Highlights

Green Island Half Day Tour Packages

Green Island Discovery:

• Includes morning tea or coffee upon boarding, snorkelling gear AND a glass-bottom boat tour, access to the island swimming pool, a self-guided eco island walk, and use of day visitor facilities.

Green Island Eco Adventure:

• Offers morning tea or coffee upon boarding, a choice between snorkelling gear OR a glass-bottom boat tour, and similar amenities as the Discovery package.

Optional Upgrades:

• Enhance your half day tour visit to Green Island with exciting additions like scuba diving, a 10-15 minute helicopter scenic flight from the beach (note: infants aged 3 must pay the child price), or the unique Seawalker helmet experience, where you can walk on the ocean floor and meet local marine life such as the famous Parrot Fish Gavin.

Arrival and Activities:

• Upon docking at Green Island, collect your snorkelling gear or join your pre-scheduled activities like scuba diving or the Seawalker helmet dive. The island's waters are perfect for encountering sea turtles, and if you're visiting from July to August, you might spot Humpback or Dwarf Minke Whales during their migratory period.

Exploring Green Island:

• The island is also a sanctuary for birds and hosts the Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat, where you can meet Cassius, the world's largest captive saltwater crocodile. For those less inclined to go snorkelling, the semi-submersible submarine offers a dry and comfortable way to view the vibrant coral and marine life without getting your hair wet, just perfect for the non-swimmers.

Return Ferry Boat Journey to Cairns:

• At the conclusion of your half day tour of exploration, relaxation, and adventure, return to Cairns with memories of a lifetime spent on Green Island, enjoying the comforts of your swift catamaran ride back to the mainland.

See all tours to Green Island and our popular Green Island and Great Barrier Reef combo deal and more cruise ship passenger options.

Half Day Green Island Ferry Tour

Your departure time from Cairns is 10.30am.

Our advice for families that wish to add on the extra optional activities is to choose the 10.30am departure as the timing on this Green Island tour will allow you to add an helicopter scenic flight (Infant age 3 must pay child price), a scuba dive or a Seawalker helmet dive.

Whilst booking online you may choose for a coach pick up from your hotel or you may use the public car park for your rental car that is just next to the Reef Fleet Terminal.

We recommend you park underneath the Pier Shopping Centre as that will keep your car cool for the day and you pay your parking fee on the way out.

Boarding Your Green Island Ferry Tour

Once you have made your online booking and have your ferry boat tickets you will see that you need to check in at the Reef Fleet Terminal at 1 Spence Street Cairns at least 1 hour prior to departure time.

This will enable you to get set and relaxed for the next few hours of your half day Great Barrier Reef tour and plan your arrivals first activities.  

The crew will be serving tea and coffee as a welcome gesture and once the boat is underway they will give everyone a safety briefing and lessons on how to use snorkel gear.

The crew will answer all questions you may have and are prepared to assist at all times should the need arise.

Arriving Green Island

Should you have booked optional extra Green Island activities the boat crew would have given you allocated times and places to meet to complete your activities.

Otherwise all guests depart the boat and head off to the dive shop and collect all snorkel gear and then head to the island lagoons and begin their snorkel adventures

Please note: For scuba diving and Seawalker you will be subject to completing a Medical Questionairre and for the helicopter scenic flights (Infant age 3 must pay child price) there may be weight requirements.

Things You May See On Green Island

Green Island is a turtle nesting island so it is highly likely if you are out snorkelling or scuba diving you very well may run into one of the resident sea turtles.

During the months of July to August it is the prime time for the annual Humpback and Dwarf Minke Whales migration and the channel between Green Island and Cairns is frequently visited by breaching whales showing off to each other to the delight of our guests, so make sure you have your camera at the ready at this time.     

On the island we have many non-flight birds and many migratory birds so if you are an ornithologist or twitcher then you may well just be in heaven on this half day island tour.

We have no snakes but we do have the little cute lizards that simply love the sun and the tropics.

Marineland Melanesia is a high recommendation from us as you will see the world’s largest crocodile in captivity.

His name is Cassius and he is simply awesome so you have to see him for yourself to believe it!

As you are in one of the world’s most iconic aquariums your snorkel tour will have you seeing a myriad of fish and corals dependent on how far away from the island you dare to snorkel.

As the island is like a pyramid coming up from the ocean floor the water immediately around the island is warmers so the corals tend to be softer and less vibrant in colour.

As you get into the deeper colder water the corals thrive and this is where the hard corals can be found along with the brilliantly brightly coloured fish and marine life.

If you are not a confident swimmer always ensure you have on a bouyancy jacket or a noodle to keep you floating above the water    

A half day on Green Island is sometimes never enough as there is so much to see and do and if you and your family are quite active we recommend our full day Green Island Tour 

Accommodation Return Transfers

Please note: All return transfers will depart Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal 17.30pm. Ocean Sprit and Silverswift
passengers will need to wait for up to 1 hour for their return bus.
Reservations staff will be contacting all passengers with transfers the day prior to travel to update them
on locations and times if it will be a Taxi etc and also advise the OS and SWS pax of the delay with the return
time.

Please see below timetables:

Pick up time@ 06:40
MANTRA AMPHORA (49-63 Williams Esplanade Palm Cove)
PARADISE ON THE BEACH RESORT (119-121 Williams Esplanade Palm Cove)
PEPPER'S BEACH CLUB & SPA PALM COVE (123 Williams Esplanade)
PULLMAN PALM COVE SEA TEMPLE RESORT & SPA
REEF HOUSE (99 Williams Esplanade Palm Cove)
REEF RETREAT (10-14 Harpa Street Palm Cove)
SANCTUARY PALM COVE (6 Cedar Road)

Pick up time @ 06:45
MANGO LAGOON (81-85 Cedar Road Palm Cove)

Pick up time @ 07:00
CNR Moore & Trinity St Bus Stop

Pick up time @ 07:30
CAIRNS SHERIDAN (295 Sheridan Street)
THE LAKES CAIRNS RESORT & SPA (2 Greenslopes Street)
PALM ROYALE HOTEL (7-11 Chester Court)
CAIRNS COCONUT HOLIDAY RESORT (23-51 Anderson Road)
HOLIDAY INN CAIRNS HARBOURSIDE (209-217 The Esplanade)
CAIRNS COLONIAL CLUB (18-26 Cannon Street)
QUEEN'S COURT (167-171 Sheridan Street)
RYDGES ESPLANADE RESORT (Bus Area - Esplanade Side)

Pick up time @ 07:35
181 ESPLANADE P/Up Lake Street Side (181 Esplanade)
BAY VILLAGE (Cnr Lake & Gatton Streets)
CORAL TREE INN (162-172 Grafton Street)
TROPICAL HERITAGE CAIRNS (8 Minnie Street)
CAIRNS PLAZA HOTEL (145 Esplanade)

Pick up time @ 07:40
RILEY (p/u from DOUBLETREE BY HILTON - Abbott St side)
WYNDHAM RAMADA( (p/u from DOUBLETREE BY HILTON - Abbott St side)
IBIS STYLES CAIRNS (p/u DOUBLETREE BY HILTON)
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON (121-123 Esplanade)

Pick up time @ 07:45
BAILEY CRYSTALBROOK COLLECTION (163 Abbott St)
FLYNN BY CRYSTALBROOK (p/u Abbott Street entrance near Night Markets)
MANTRA TRILOGY (p/u Abbott Street entrance near Night Markets)
NOVOTEL CAIRNS OASIS RESORT (122 Lake Street)
THE BENSON HOTEL (Cnr Grafton & Spence)
GILLIGANS - P/up The Benson (50 Grafton St)

Pick up time @ 07:50
PARK REGIS CITY QUAYS APARTMENTS (2-4 Lake Street)

Pick up time @ 08:00
SOUTHERN CROSS ATRIUM APARTMENTS (3-11 Water Street)
YHA CAIRNS CENTRAL (20-26 McLeod Street)

Tour Languages Offered

• English

Departs From

Cairns

Departure Time

Check in 10.00am – Departs 10.30am – Arrives Green Island 11.15am - Departs Green Island 2.30pm – Arrives back at Cairns Marina 3.20pm

Departure Instructions

Departure from Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns. Check in 45 minutes prior to departure. Coach transfers are not available

Destinations

• Great Barrier Reef
• Green Island

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Daily

Duration

Half Day Tour

Available for Purchase / Hire

• Introductory scuba diving Available on 10.30am departure only
• Seawalker helmet diving – Available on 1.30pm departure only
• Scenic helicopter flights – Available on 10.30am departure only
• Infants age 3 will be charged the child price for any helicopter component booked, this charge will be added to your booking total
• Boat snorkel trip – Available on 10.30am departure only
• Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat entry
• Green Island Resort Club Spa Massage and Beauty
• Dine at the Resorts award winning Emeralds Restaurant
• Lycra sun suits and wetsuits
• Optical masks from the Green Island Dive Shop

Fitness Level Required

Low, Medium

Restrictions

Scuba Diving – minimum age 12

IN-WATER RESTRICTIONS

Scuba Doo and Helmet Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from helmet diving and scuba doo.
• Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator
• Minimum age for helmet diving/scuba doo is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

• Camera (charged)
• Cash or credit card
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Swimming costume
• Towel

• Family Fare: 2 Adults and 2 Children (not applicable with other discounts)
• Child Fare 4-14 years inclusive
• Infants age 3 will be charged the child price for any helicopter component booked, this charge will be added to your booking total