Great Barrier Reef Full Day Tour From Cairns

I had my very own Nemo experience and it was just beautiful. The water was so clear and blue! Highly recommend, the crew was great and took great care of everyone!

AMAZING! We absolutely loved the day trip! Food was awesome and the staff were very friendly! Definitely recommend if your in Cairns!

Amazing Great Barrier Reef Experience! First time scuba diver and I felt so safe and cared for! When I arrived I was welcomed by Kathryn who was so lovely! Song was an exceptional scuba guide! He was so professional! I had anxiety going into this, but everyone was so professional and kind. I felt secure and was in complete awe breathing below the water. I saw so many big, small, colorful and unique fish! Even a shark and felt so safe and at peace! The muffins and coffee for breakfast were very fresh! Lunch was delicious and plentiful! There was an afternoon snack of fresh fruit served, but an announcement wasn’t made so I missed out. I was enjoying the glorious views and sunshine on the upper deck of the spacious boat. I highly recommend this very professional and safe excursion! Well worth the price paid to immerse yourself in the beauty below the sea at the Great Barrier Reef!!

The crew on this boat were awesome! 💙 It was our first time visiting the Great Barrier Reef and our first time snorkelling, and it was pretty cool! The crew were so friendly, helpful and made the whole day really easy and enjoyable. We had such a great time and couldn’t have asked for a better day. Even the weather was great!

I did an intro dive and snorkeling on this trip. The intro dive was amazing, the guide was so helpful and excellent at explaining things. Snorkeling was also fun, you go to two different outer reef spots. All of the staff were super inviting and knowledgeable. The boat is very nice. Lunch was ok, everything was hot stuff that was now cold but did the job. I wish they talked more about the pieces of the reef that we saw including the fish and their names/fun facts, etc. on the way back to shore. You go snorkeling for about 3 hours in total, with 3 total hours spent traveling to the reef round trip. I wish you had one photo included in the package because one underwater photo was $25 AUD which feels like a lot after you spend $200+ on the trip

Whilst the beginning of our trip started off well with efficient pick up and detailed explanations of what we will do and timings of the trip the manner in which the staff spoke to us was nothing sort of unprofessional. After being sick my friend asked politely for a glass of water the member of staff said “well your not getting served here are you” he didn’t offer any other option and instead seemed clearly annoyed with her infront of the whole boat. Whilst not all the staff were rude the overall attitude towards us was not great. We were rudely told to move out of the way multiple times. When one of my friends tried scuba diving and didn’t want to keep going rather than offer some reassurance the member of staff told her she needed to try again and when my friend refused she offered no reassurance instead just speaking to the other member of staff. Maybe we are disappointed in the way the staff interacted with us as we have been on other boat trips this holiday where the members of staff treated us with kindness and seemed genuinely happy to help us.

This is not a good company. All of the staff on the boat were rude and unfriendly. The only time I saw someone smile was from the photographer and that is only because he was trying to get us to spend money. Interacting with the staff on the boat was extremely unpleasant. The lunch was extremely disappointing. It was bland and almost everything was served ice cold (including the rice, potatoes and chicken). The worst part was the surprise fee. After paying a lot of money for the tour (our group was 2 snorkelers and one scuba), they spring an extra fee on you. For the person in our group who did scuba, during the introductory information session, they say there is an extra $20 fee if you want the guide to show you things. The way they explained it made it unclear that it was PER DIVE. And, in the group setting, it is hard to say "no". They made it sound like you wouldn't see anything if you didn't go with the guide. My son felt like he had to say "yes", even he thought it was just a one-time $20 fee. Imagine spending all this money, having a subpar lunch and interacting with rude staff only to find out there was another $60 to spend (he did 3 dives). The reef is shallow and you can see everything on your own. My son said the guide wasn't worth it. USE A DIFFERENT COMPANY.

Great trip, good staff, perfect weather , clear water and nice marine life! Saw a wee shark so happy with that. 10/10

Great crew, great experience. Felt well looked after and completely safe the entire day. The sites we were taken to were spectacular. We were worried that as snorkellers we wouldn't get as good an experience but it was truly wonderful. Loved it.

A Great Barrier Reef tour is a must for anyone visiting Cairns. We booked well in advance from Switzerland, and it was just as well, as the large catamaran taking us out to Green Island and the Outer Reef Pontoon was pretty full. The boat first went to Green Island, a roughly 45 minute ride, where we spent 90 minutes. The beaches are pristine and quite empty, and we enjoyed the walk along the beach around the island. The second leg to the outer reef pontoon takes about one hour, Once at the Pontoon, which is large, you are served a buffet lunch - it was fine. From the Pontoor, you can take a semi - submersible that takes you around to inspect the Reef and corals, as well as fish, for about 20-25 minutes. You can see, alas, how climate change and global warming have bleached part of the corals, but other large parts looked inact. On the pontoon , there is an underwater viewing deck, where you can watch fish . Snorkeling is probably the most popular activity. The equipment is included in the excursion price, and once out in the water, you can indeed admire a large variety of tropical fish, many of which are quite colourful. All in all , you spend some 3 hours at the Pontoon. The trip back to Cairns lasts 90 minutes. A Barrier Reef tour I can recommend.

A great experience extremely well organised and the staff are all amazing. Nothing was too much trouble to them and they made sure everyone had the best experience.

Perfect trip to the GBR. Went to the quieter areas so less crowds to contend with. The Divers Den crew were great - good for divers but also did not neglect those of us snorkelling. Knowledgeable guides onboard and in the water with us! Heaps of fun, great lunch too!

This was an incredible experience and I highly recommend it for anyone. They were so organized and on top of it, making everyone feel very safe regardless of experience in the water. We left at around 8:30 from the dock and got back around 4:15. You got two opportunities to snorkel / dive and they gave us plenty of time to explore. The boat is big which helps when the water is rougher.

Our day was fabulous. Seas were choppy, but the water was so clear! The crew was great! Devon got us acclimated to the water and Peter took us on a second dive (we scheduled a second intro dive - SO WORTH IT!) Definitely a memory of a lifetime for each of us. Clown Fish, a six-foot white tipped shark, and several sea turtles made this well worth the commitment. Would definitely recommend this company if you are thinking about it.

Positives: very well organised, well maintained kit, focus on safety, friendly and helpful staff. Negatives: lunch had no alternative for veggies so carbs 3 ways and salad There are hidden costs: fuel $10; guide $20 per person per dive

Great experience with a great crew! We did the snorkeling and loved it! Two great spots, a good lunch, and great photographs from the crew (for purchase but so worth it) It was my favorite day of our trip!

I’m a big time scuba diver, I’ve been to 20+ countries and this is the best excursion I’ve ever done, I spent a total of 9 days with divers den and it was the best vacation of diving I’ve ever done. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff was so much fun to hang out with. Most importantly they took the safety of the divers extremely seriously. I miss being there already

Absolutely the best snorkeling/diving day trip you can do from Cairns. Goes to a couple spots, lunch, gear and guide included with no previous experience necessary. Everyone is so professional and friendly, highly recommend this to anyone coming to cairns.

We spent a wonderful day, thanks to Romain our diving guide !

We had a fantastic day on the Great Barrier Reef thanks to our brilliant instructor Romain. He’s a great teacher, patient and passionate about what he does. I highly recommend him!! Thanks also to Kim, with whom we had some wonderful dives too!

Great experience. Awesome crew, very accommodating, felt safe at all times. Gear was excellent, well maintained. Food was good. Enjoyed thoroughly!

Team was wonderful. Although I think most of the ~20 visitors on the boat got seasick on the ride there, the crew was very prepared. They provided breakfast and lunch and had medicine for sea sickness. There was sunscreen provided everywhere on the boat. Hot showers were very nice after we finished diving around 1:30pm. When it came to diving instruction, the team was very knowledgeable and walked me, a first time diver, through step-by-step until I felt comfortable. Photos taken by an underwater photographer were available for purchase afterwards. The experience itself was unlike anything I’ve ever done before and so amazing. Definitely worth the money!

Worst company in Australia. Pay a little more amd do real diving.

Divers den has to be worst. 2 boats with total of 100 divers all going down one rope to one piece of corral. Was obvious almost all staff were in training and knew very little about diving. Pay the extra money and go with professional company

I have been on several snorkeling tours in the area with different operators, and this was unfortunately the worst experience. While we did see a sea turtle, the operation itself was disappointing and, in some cases, concerning. The boat wasn't too crowded which was nice. The GetYourGuide listing advertised 5 hours of in-water time, but we were only given 3. This felt like a "bait and switch" regarding the value of the tour. We were taken to a reef (Norman) with a heavy Blue Bottle jellyfish population (which I completely understand is just nature and out of their control) yet the stinger suits provided had holes in them. When I raised dismay of multiple stings to my face, staff were dismissive and invalidating. Providing damaged protective gear in known stinger conditions is a borderline lapse in Queensland duty of care laws. It is disheartening to see a reef operator provide non-reef-safe sunscreen. Furthermore, the guides shared incorrect identification features for wildlife and reinforced harmful shark stigmas rather than educating guests on marine conservation. The snorkeling area was tiny and heavily micromanaged, and the "bbq lunch" was served cold. For those looking for a professional, locally-owned experience that actually respects the reef, I highly recommend Passions of Paradise or Pure Snorkeling. Both have much friendlier, more knowledgeable staff and gear that is actually in good repair.

Professional from top to bottom and start to finish. Every detail taken care of. Staff was both cordial and focused on safety the whole time. The underwater photographer was amazing! He deserves five stars on his own. Highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting an authentic snorkel trip to the reef.

No pre-preperations , Sea conditions was a bad factor they damaged the experience We need to be told of a possible rough ride and a opportunity to reschedule Staff were very friendly Worse the money? Leave that up to each person to judge

Amazing day at the reef with Divers Den Team. We saw tons of different fishes turtles and corals. Great job by the entire team. You won’t be disappointed!

Nice dive with a competent crew. The boat was comfortable with lots of room

Fabulous day on the reef. We snorkeled at two locations. All kit provided, as well as lunch. Great guides pointed out clown fish and turtles. We felt very safe and lots of time was given for exploring.

Boat too small for the amount of people, vrry choppy riidd. Snack was coffee tea muffin had to pay extra for lemonade soda and chips. Cups were cracked and chipped. Lunch was so so. Diving and snorkeling instructor was great also the older gentleman in the kitchen. Did not think it was a good value.

If you are Snorkling, check the wind conditions and consider your 24 hour cancelation policy. We went out on a very windy day and if you aren't a strong swimmer you are going to end up sitting on the boat. Snorkeling in rough water is not fun. The rough seas wouldn't have affected the divers in the same way as they are under the surface. If you are planning on snorkeling I would suggest you attempt to book the day before if possible or maybe look into pure Snorkling boats. I realize you can't control the weather but inquiring under what conditions would the tour operator cancel the outing for snorkling maybe helpful. I gave an average rating as the crew really were fantastic.

Would recommend snorkelers should get a boat that is just for snorkeling. Food was good staff were friendly. Probably should have canceled due to weather. Very ruff ride on the way out and back. Hard to swim to the reef. But good for the conditions.

The dive operation has as many as 80 people on a boat, which is alot. Somehow they manage to keep the chaos to a minimum with that many people. I would think this would be a bit overwhelming for someone new to diving or anxious as the process of getting so many people in the water is alot. They do a great job of predive explanation, checking equipment, looking after folks and conducting the dives. I did a guided trip and the American guy giving the guided tour did a very good job of staying attentive to the divers and peoples air consumption. Its a very well run operation but there are 100 to 100's of people on a reef in a given day. It seems like a lot of the critters were hiding or moved to a quieter place. Most of what I saw was sessile ie sponges, anenomes, etc. Cairns had received a lot of rain so visibility had taken a big hit. The only sharks I saw were little 3' black tip and white tip reef sharks.

Fantastic dive with Divers Den! The reef absolutely delivered. We saw whitetip sharks cruising by, clownfish in the anemones, and some stunning coral formations. Shout out to Kim who was excellent underwater. Right at the beginning of the 2nd dive I had a mask issue and was honestly ready to abort, but he calmly stepped in, helped me sort it out, and got me comfortable again so I could continue the dive. I really appreciated his calm and professional approach. Great crew, very well organized operation, and an unforgettable experience on the reef. I would happily dive with Divers Den again.

Provided everything you needed. Friendly and helpful staff. Plenty of food and beverages. Provided pictures for purchase or cameras for rent.

Amazing experience to see the Great Barrier Reef with the family. The entire staff at Divers Den made us all feel safe and took the time to show us the various fish and corals we saw while snorkeling.

Bucket list adventure to dive the GBR! Great staff and crew with Diver’s Den. Nanako led two of my 3 dives. Great guide and sweet, humble person. I didn’t get to see as much sea wildlife as I’d hoped, but did see a turtle and a white tip shark along with dozens of fish of all size, shapes and colors. The coral was fantastic! Colorful, amazing diversity. I highly recommend Divers Den for your scuba trip in the Great Barrier Reef

This was such a well organised tour. The staff were fantastic. Extremely knowledgeable and friendly and took the time to have a chat with the guests. Clean boat with access to have a hot shower. Staff provided sunscreen and alway refilling cold water. Food was tasty and so much of it. The boat was very roomy with access to 3 levels which gave the option for aircon, shaded areas and sun. Would highly recommend this tour.

A wonderful experience with very good team members getting everyone on the boat ready for our dive/snorkle adventure. Safety a priority, relatable to everyone involved, friendly and knowledgeable. Able to deal with all ages and abilities, would recommend this to everyone.

We joined the Aqua Quest one‑day dive trip on 12 January 2026. The crew were friendly and worked hard throughout the day, but the overall experience felt rushed and not up to the safety standards we expected for certified divers. The boat was very full, with snorkelers, intro divers, and certified divers all sharing the same space, which made the dive deck crowded. The trip out to the reef was rough, and many passengers became seasick early on. Seasickness medication was only mentioned during the briefing, by which time most people stayed seated to listen rather than leave to get tablets. Once we reached the first site, divers were moved into the water quickly. There was no proper buddy check, and no site‑specific briefing about currents, direction, or the plan for the dive. Visibility was extremely poor, and at one point extra weight was added to my BCD without my knowledge, which affected trim and comfort. Surface intervals between dives were very short, leaving little time to recover or adjust equipment. The second and third dives followed a similar pattern, with limited preparation time and a generally rushed pace. On the final dive, my buddy pair was unexpectedly split at the end of the dive without explanation, which added to the confusion. The crew were doing their best under challenging conditions, and we appreciate their effort. However, the combination of rough seas, overcrowding, short intervals, and limited briefings made the day feel disorganized and below the level of structure and safety we’ve experienced on other dive trips. I hope the operator reviews some of these procedures to improve comfort and safety for future divers.

Wow, I'm a novice diver and a stroke survivor, that means my left arm and leg dont communicate with my brain very well and this creates challenges. My dive guide Sarah from Canada was the perfect host. Despite some difficulties she gave me the confidence to dive and we were rewarded by a spectacular interaction with a turtle. All I had to do was breathe and fin. She effortlessly dragged me round with her and I experienced an amazing dive. The dive crew suited me up helped me in and out of the water and made my day complete. As a registered disabled person, my trip could not have gone better. Great team great crew , highly recommended.

There were too many divers. 45 divers dropping in one dive site at a time. Very difficult getting in the water. You have to climb up and down a set of steps with your gear on to enter and exit the water from the swim platform. We are 75 years old and experienced divers. To have a guide was an additional $20.00 per person per dive. Probably the worst experience of our diving careers.

Trip was fine. The crew was attentive and the equipment was good - clean and in good condition. We went on a completely full trip (80 people) which was just a few too many. Tough to get a seat and too many people circling a small snorkeling area. The first place we stopped was underwhelming at best with very little coral or fish to see. The second stop was better but, unfortunately, the bleaching and other eco effects are very evident. Lunch was pretty good - even the fussy eaters were able to find something but pack your own drinks as they are not provided and are quite expensive.

It was a beautiful day out on the ocean! Saw a ton of beautiful fish, a reef shark, and gorgeous coral. Met a great French couple who I've stayed in touch with! The staff was great! Really informative, helpful, and fun! Lunch was great too! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND! Thanks to the staff for everything on 12/27/25!

Excellent experience all around. Wonderful and knowledgeable crew with good emphasis on safety. The two locations they took us to were very nice. Highly recommend.

A fantastic experience. Staff was very professional and prioritized safety. Well organized, staff made sure everyone had a good experience on the reef area. Lunch was good. Fantastic photos.

The snorkeling experience was amazing. The crew was very professional and gave us enough time in the reefs to explore at marine life. Special shoutout to Miwa who was our guide. We were non swimmers and neverous about getting into the ocean. But Miwa was with us the whole time guiding us through the reefs and made sure we feel safe and comfortable. Thanks Diver's Den team and Miwa

Excellent tour, all the crew were helpful and lovely whilst keeping everyone safe. Food was good too with morning and afternoon snacks. The two different spots at the reef were fantastic and crew were quick to point out cool things to see like reef sharks!