Kuranda Village, Army Duck Tour With Train And Skyrail (Kdb)

It was a lovely day. The driver was pleasant and informative. The staff on both the skylight and rain forest guide were pleasant and helpful. The guide was very knowledgeable and interesting. Train journey rounded the day off perfectly.

They did a great job of giving individualized itineraries to everyone on the tours, our driver/host did a great job of making everything clear. The skyrail was relaxing and beautiful. The army duck was fun, wish it was a bit longer, and the train ride was scenic and in formative.

Had a day Kuranda day tour with Tropic and got picked up from hotel on time even early! Everything went smoothly and pickups during the day were very punctual so be on time. Skyrail was awesome and the Army duck trail was very good and entertaining tho wud have loved the water part to be longer! Kuranda train was very enjoyable and relaxing. Gorgeous views. Ate in Frog restayrant in Kuranda, highly recommend. Had fish n chips and baramundi burger. All dropped back punctually

Funny and engaging staff and a beautiful setting surrounded by lush gardens and beautiful birdlife and lots of history. The delicious ice cream was a real highlight! Definitely an excursion best enjoyed in good weather.

Great day out. Both the Skyrail and the train were big highlights. The DUKW tour was made by the excellent guide, but the DUKW journey itself is a bit tame compared with what we have done before. Nevertheless, well worth doing. Kuranda village was a little disappointing. Very much a tourist town but on Mondays and Tuesdays most of the shops and market stalls are closed so be prepared for a slow lunch to fill the time on those days.

Loved the cable car and train. Kuranda Village was cute and the Rainteforestation stop had fun Aboriginal demonstrators but we didn’t have time to see them all because of the duck tour. Nothing to really see on the duck tour except for some tiny turtles.

The cable ride was fantastic. The duck boat tour was not as expected, no wildlife just plants. Train was great and enjoyed the ride and sights.

It was good. I had a good time specially on the Skyrail. Overall good experience 👍. I look forward to more beautiful adventures next year.

A great day in the rainforest. Very well organised from pickup to drop off. Loves the variety and the timings were perfect.

Very good tour. Informative and friendly driver/guide. Good value for money. We all thought it was a fabulous day out. The only thing was it could have been a slightly longer stop so we could see the butterfly sanctuary, maybe 20 mins as we had no time to see this even walking at top speed to get there.

Loved the army duck tour and the aboriginal experience. Frogs cafe was good but food offerings in Kuranda are pretty much average. The markets are JUST, underwhelming and overpriced, if they are open at all. Spending 3 or more hours in Kuranda is not ideal when it is a hot day

Did this today and loved it. The organisation was superb from start to finish, with pick ups on time and friendly, informative drivers between activities. We were lucky to be able to ride the Skyrail as there were lots of thunderstorms about and they’ve had to cancel a few times this week. The views are stunning, both from the cable car and the train. The duck tour was really fun too. Definitely recommended!

Two days before the tour they advised us that the train would be closed for unscheduled maintenance. That was well communicated to us. However, if this altered the pick up time, it was not indicated, as we were picked up roughly 40 mins later than what should have been the initial pick up time. The SkyRail was really neat there were 3 different gondolas where you got off in between. The SkyRail staff was really good at communicating how long each ride would be and how long the lookout stops would take. The village is a nice walk, lots of shops and food options. There is a butterfly sanctuary you can also visit for an additional fee. There was some confusion amongst the group about the pick up and drop off times between the village and army duck. This was most likely a result of the train not running. Several of the shops in the village began closing down well before we were scheduled to be picked up at the end of the day, so that felt a bit odd. The army duck driver Mark was very knowledgeable, charismatic and cracked cheesy dad jokes. We just wish the ride was longer, but it is was so fun! It made sense for us to take the tour as logistically getting to all of those places on our own would have been challenging however more clear communication would have been appreciated. Overall we still had an enjoyable day.

Gondola ride was amazing. Hubby is scared of heights and we had to sit him in the middle lol, made it entertaining. The army duck was good too. We got the German driver and he was so funny. The train ride had beautiful scenery and the commentary was informative but we were at the rear of the train so we had to look for what she was talking about lots later than the front of the train. Highly recommended

good overall experience. The skyrail was fabulous although the meeting time for the bus at butterfly sanctuary was too rushed for peak tourism time due to the longer wait for each of the skyrail carriages

This was a really fun day overall! It was organized well and I was given a printed itinerary specific to me as I boarded the bus. I always checked with my bus driver when I exited as people on the tour had different wristbands and itineraries so our pick up and drop off times and spots were not always the same. It was a rainy day but we still had great views as the weather was off and on. I started on the gondola which had two compulsory stops both of which were for viewing. You could go with a guide along the short path or walk solo and read the educational signs along the way. If the gondola line is long and you are a small group (or as in my case, traveling solo) be prepared to join others in the gondola. The gondola had the best 360* views of all the modes of transport. We picked up the bus again and were dropped off at the Kuranda Village with Shops and restaurants and a Butterfly Pavilion. I had to follow the signs in the Village to find my way to my duck boat tour scheduled for noon. The signs were helpful as they had both distance and approximate walking time listed. I felt my time during this stop at the Village was rushed as I walked quickly without time to shop or eat. The guide for the duck boat was hilarious and was the only "live" guide for the day. It was pouring rain by this time which meant the covers to the boats were drawn and our views were a bit obstructed. However, when there was a slight moment of reprieve from the rain, our guide opened the cover briefly for us. I was disappointed in that I expected to see more wildlife and potentially crocodiles but this may have been my misunderstanding. We only saw wallabies, cockatoos, and butterflies on the gondola. The duck boat was more focused on the flora and forestation. It did feel a bit like Jurassic Park! It was also a bit shorter in the water than I expected as well. Back the area where I learned a bit too late that there was a wildlife demo with crocodiles and a koala so I didn't have time to see it before catching my bus back to the village. The next stop was the Kuranda Village again and this time I had more than enough time to shop and eat (2+ hours while waiting to get on the train). Perhaps too much time as I was ready to start the journey back. The scenic railway ride back into Cairns was truly beautiful! I was lucky to have friendly passengers who let me scoot in to take pictures out the windows too as my seat was against the mountain side and my views were hampered by others' heads and outstretched cell phones, etc. Overall, a fairly long day but you know that when you sign up for the tour. I do not think it is wheelchair accessible as it claims. I think it would be a very long day for small children with a bit of boredom on the long rides (although, several teens fell asleep on the train ride back).

It was very informative exciting enjoyable and had an absolutely fantastic day. Thank you so much Noelene

Such a well organised tour. Our bus driver was so friendly and helpful. Everything went to plan. We did the train, army duck and sky rail and it was a fun packed day.

Great day out - long day with multiple activities. Really interesting dsy. Started with the cable car and finished with the train trip home. The rainforest duck tour was really interesting !

Great day and experience. The Skyrail, the train ride back and the army duck tour were all great. I only wish we could have started the day earlier. There is so much to do in Kuranda - between the butterfly garden, the bird zoo, the markets, etc. that I ran out of time and was very disappointed that I couldn't see everything. Since no lunch is provided, you also have to spend time finding lunch and ordering during time in Kuranda as well. My hotel pickup was at 8am - feels like we could easily have started at 7am (assuming the skyrail opens up earlier) so we could have had more time to explore and do the activities. The koala and kangaroo park by the army duck tour was incredible and so glad I got to see it! Overall, great day but wish there was more time!

It was my birthday and I decided to book myself onto this tour. The pickup was prompt and took me and others to the cable car station which took us up to Kuranda village which is 1 of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Whilst there I saw a lot and enjoyed the atmosphere. This included the army duck which was a very unique once in a lifetime experience done by a really fun tour guide. And the final activity was the train back down. That also was out of this world as along with a couple of stops to take photos, there were so many majestic views which I embraced whilst in the area. Should I ever return to Cairns, I will definitely do this again.

The day was well organised and efficient. Loved everything about the trip, a once in lifetime experience. Went up in the cable car , returning on the train later in the day. Duck tour well worth including.

Incredible experience, especially the train. Stunning scenery and especially the waterfalls. Must do experience

Great time at Kuranda village, a lovely Aboriginal educational tour, spear throwing by a Guinness book of records holder; Michael Enoch, a boomerang lesson, small animal tour and WW11 duck ride. The second part of the day was to the art markets, which closed before pick up. We were there 2 hours and it was far too long. We missed the dream walk at Kuranda and rushed the lunch food and in hindsight more time in the cultural centre would have been much better than wandering markets in the rain and waiting for the coach because the markets closed. All in all, a good day out tho and worth the Aboriginal stories about the lost generation.

Our guide was very informative and knowledgeable about the rain forest. He took the time to point out all the important facts. We enjoyed it greatly.

Our tour to Kuranda village by Tropic wings was just awesome starting from the beginning..The guides were extremely friendly and guided us in all the activities as there are a whole lots of things u need to do within 6/7 hrs...The scenic railway and Skyrail journey was splendid and marvellous and we had a very pleasant journey with Tropic wings.. Namaste from India Debraj/ Sudeshna/ Shreesh

High light is the Army Duck Tour, the guide Shauno is so funny, very informative, and saw some animals in a mini zoo, great scenery on cable car, and enjoy delicious lunch in a Thai food restaurant, just a bit long ride on train. Recommended!

The sights from the skyrail were amazing. Most of the staff were friendly and helpful. We loved having so much spare time discovering Kuranda Village between planned activities. The Army Duck was very informative and our tour guide was hilarious. He obviously loved his job. The train ride home was so cool, showing many breathtaking views. The whole tour was organise extremely well

Felt like they focused on making more money rather than creating a good experience for people. In the morning, we were told to meet at an early hour of 8am only to spend a whole hour picking up the other 40 people on the tour. When we got to Kuranda, we effectively only had 30-40 minutes before needing to meet up again, which is not much time to do anything substantial. And when we got to the Rainforestation, we were dropped off 30 minutes early, which is an awkward amount of time as that wasn’t enough time to buy tickets and enter their wildlife area, or take photos with the koalas. We all sat around doing nothing and waited for the army duck booking. The army duck experience was then delayed, and unbeknownst to the tour group, the tour guide and bus operates as a shuttle bus for the general public as well to and from the village, our whole tour group missed the bus - even though someone ran after him, which the tour guide acknowledged he saw. Once again, we all had to wait another 30-40 minutes idly waiting for the tour guide to come back. Overall, felt like we did not spend any time leisurely and was always worried about missing the drop offs.

The sky ride was amazing, the stop at red peak was very interesting as we had a guided walk through the forest and saw a snake and some big spiders. The waterfall was spectacular. The rainforest station was very enjoyable. The guide on the duck tour was knowledgeable and had a good sense of humour. The cultural show was very good and we got to try out the boomerang and didgeridoo. Kuranda village itself was a bit disappointing although we had a nice lunch at the waffle cafe. I would advise spending time at the attractions rather than the village itself. Unfortunately the train was not running but we still had a great day and felt that we learnt about the rainforest.

The Skyrail, Kuranda, Rainforestation was okay. I wish I could have spent more time at Barron falls along the Skyrail, but felt rushed to get to Kuranda, especially since I had also purchased a visit to the Australian Butterfly sanctuary in Kuranda. Our visit to Rainforestation nature park was great for the food. The buffet BBQ lunch was delicious! The nature park is somewhat small - a couple of kangaroos roam freely, there's also a mature crocodile and a few other young ones in enclosures. I would have liked to learn more about the Aboriginal culture on show, acknowledgement of country, etc.

Great experience, commentary and views. Train ride up was magnificent, followed by the army duck and return via sky car. A definite must do. Scott, the army duck driver was funny and informative and made the trip enjoyable.

I would have appreciated the opportunity to take photos of the other vehicle - they moved too quickly to get a decent shot - all up a fabulous day had by all thought and it ran like clockwork. All staff involved were terrific

What a fun day. The tour guide for coach was friendly and welcoming. Transporting us to the sky rail terminal where we again, were met with a warm welcome at each stop. What a beautiful way to experience the amazing beauty of this part of Australia. Hop off at a few spots along the way to embrace nature before making in down into Kuranda village. Cute place. Lots of shops and places to eat and drink. We chose to do an army duck tour of the reforestation site which was also fun. We were then transported back to Kuranda for the train home. Again a beautiful trip but a window seat is a must. You are allocated a seat number so if you don't get one it's kind of too bad. Diesel fumes are strong on the train if you are sensitive to smell. Views are amazing though and plenty of time to see everything on the 90min trip down the mountain. Really enjoyable day.

The Duck Tour was a total waste of money. Just entered the water and went around a dam or man made lake once then out and back to base. Did stop to point out a bird that looked as if it had been strategically placed as the army duck behind us pointed out the same bird. It was a real sham.

The actual activities were fine - it was the amount time that we were left standing around or just waiting for transport/to entertain ourselves(around 5 hours of the 10 hour day!). Pickup from hotel was 15 mins late but even then we were dropped off at the station for Kuranda train almost 1hr before departure time(why was pickup so early??). Twice dropped into Kuranda village during the day where we found half the town closed including the ‘historic markets’ which were actually closed(not due to covid) for 1/2 the week as per their usual schedule! Thats over 2-3 hours of the day wandering, sitting around. Painful. After the sky rail another extended wait before the bus departure. These are not cheap tours and tourists pay a great deal just to get to the region. You should be honest - you run multiple tours in parallel and unless we’ve signed onto the most expensive tours which include all options many are left wasting their valuable time.

I did the Skytrain, Duck tour and Train down on 23 March and as it was pre season, the pick up arrangements were slightly different from the standard, but managed brilliantly, and communication with me was excellent. Apart from the magnificent scenery, all the Tropical Wings staff were knowledgeable about the area and its eco systems, and helpful. I felt that I was in the hands of a professional company with committed loyal staff. Staff on the Skytrain also have these attributes. I was slightly disappointed with the Duck Tour as I expected a more exciting trip across water rather than a journey down a rainforest track and then gentle waddle across a small lagoon. But that is my only mild disappointment in an otherwise amazing and memorable day. (The Kuranda day is such a memorable experience that I last did this pre Skytrain in 1988 and wanted to ensure I did it again - the Skytrain adds a whole new dimension to it!)

The trip was excellent well planned and the organisers did a great job weather permitted us going on the Skyrail which was sad

We did the KDLAB tour with the train ride to karanda, tour of the butterfly sanctuary, the Army duck tour with a buffet lunch, and finished with the skyrail back down the mountain. It was a brilliant day and the drivers (Adrian and mark) were very informative and had excellent local knowledge. Don’t miss out on a fantastic opportunity to tour your own back yard. Highly recommended and great value for money.

The views were spectacular, the ride was comfortable & informative. Kuranda is a little bit of paradise with quaint little shops & lovely people. Highly recommend!

Really enjoyed and would highly recommend the train ride and the Skyrail. Disappointed with Butterfly enclosure. Last time we were there we saw very big colourful butterflies- not this time. Army duck-saw no creatures. Did learn a little about the rainforest vegetation. We visited on a Monday, very few shops open and by 2.00 pm most food outlets closed.

The whole tour was informative and well organised. The tour guides gave great information and the views from both the train and shy rail were breath taking.

The scenic rail trip was enjoyable. Too much time between rail trip and army duck. Army duck was average - did a circle of a lagoon. Unfortunately issue with sky rail and trip back was delayed preventing us due to time restraint from hopping off on way down and having a look at falls. All Information provided on the day about the area and history was great.

This was an amazing day tour which included so many activities and was well worth the money spent. Our guides and advisors were so happy to be able to give us information and knowledge. Well done.

This was such a great day and tour in Kuranda. We saw the best of everything all in a day. The railway was great, the skyway view was incredible, the aboriginal demonstrations were fantastic and the zoo interactions was unreal. We were able to touch a koala and feed kangaroo!!

The train was wonderful but due to weather, the skyrail was cancelled. Army duck was a little hokey.

We were picked up at our B&B and taken to the train station where we rode the Scenic Railway with a stop at Barron Falls. Scenery all along the way was beautiful and once we arrived at Kuranda we spent some fascinating time at the Butterfly Sanctuary. We then went on the duck boat ride through the rainforest area. Following that we went to an aboriginal dance performance and then we were introduced to the traditional boomerang and each of us were given a chance to try throwing it after a lesson. We had the buffet lunch which was optional and very good. Following the performance we went to the Wildlife Area where we saw a nice collection of Australian creatures. The day ended with The Skyrail gondolas going back down the mountain to across from the railway station.

We don't normally do day trips, but felt this would be an exception We booked the train, DUKW tour and Sky Rail. Picked up from the hotel by a friendly and helpful driver and transported to the Kuranda Railway station. Nice little cafe for breakfast. Allocated seats but after the first mile one of the onboard staff came and led us to an empty carriage with window seats. Spectacular views and informative commentary. Onboard staff were excellent. There were options on arrival to visit the Butterfly Sanctuary and a BBQ with aboriginal dancing. We went to the pub and ate pies. DUKW tour was educational. Once again great staff and commentary. Sky Rail down once again provided spectacular views. Ok, so we enjoyed it. There was a fair bit of hanging about. We went on an organised trip so kind of expected it. This was clearly designed to gain revenue. We knew that and frankly didn't care. There was no pressure to buy anything in the village. Loads of tourist type stuff. You could probably book everything yourself if you had transport, we just took the easier option.

I enjoyed the activities but not all the wasted time between. We were picked up more than an hour early from our hotel. Waited 45 minutes for the train. Downtime before the Duck Tour was almost 2 hours in a small village with only local craft shops. Another break after the Duck Tour, and then time wasted waiting for a bus after the Sky Rail. I wish I had arranged the attractions myself and saved the several hours time lost for another adventure.