Gorgeous Green Island Day Trip: A Highlight of Visiting Cairns
Are you planning a holiday in Cairns, Australia and wondering if a day trip to Green Island is a good idea?
On a solo holiday in Far North Queensland, I booked a Green Island day trip and discovered a gorgeous tropical island surrounded by coral reefs and sandy beaches, easily accessible by ferry and spectacular to see from the air.
My Green Island day trip included a scenic reef flight, over the Great Barrier Reef in a small aeroplane, and it was an amazing day out.
Green Island is one of the most popular islands to visit from Cairns, and can get busy. But if you want to explore the magical underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef and relax on a tropical island, then a Green Island day tour from Cairns is definitely worthwhile.
TIP: I booked the Green Island Fly & Cruise package. It includes a Reef Hopper flight and a Green Cat Green Island Tour with lunch and snorkelling included.
It was a highlight of my holiday, and I highly recommend this day tour. It was a great introduction to Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage Great Barrier Reef and the lovely Island.
The Fly & Cruise package made good use of my time, combining an unforgettable scenic flight over the Island and the Reef with a ferry trip, swimming, snorkelling and exploring. The activities were well-coordinated and it was a perfect day out in Cairns.
** I paid for my Green Island Day trip, and I’m under no obligation to write this article. As usual, the thoughts and experiences expressed are my own.
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How to get to Green Island from Cairns
Green Island is around 27 kilometres from Cairns and 13 kilometres (8 miles) off the coast of far north Queensland in the Coral Sea. The island is accessible by ferry or helicopter from Cairns.
Green Island Day Trip: Pros
- Green Island is an idyllic tropical island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
- Perfect for a first visit to the Reef
- Ideal for beginner snorkellers
- Offers swimming, snorkelling, diving and other water activities
- Concrete pathways make exploring easy and accessible for children and people with less mobility
- Good facilities, cafes & restaurants, changerooms, toilets, showers & lockers
- Snorkel hire is available on the island (I hired mine on the ferry)
- A Sandy beach, perfect for sunbathing
- A Lifesaver Patrols the beach
- The Great Barrier Reef is easily accessible with coral, tropical fish and turtles
- The best snorkelling is near the wharf
- Takes only 40 minutes by ferry to get there (on the fast Boat from Cairns)
Green Island Day Trip: Cons
- Green Island is a small island and fairly built up.
- The resort takes up a lot of the small island.
- It can get crowded with tourists in busy periods
- The resort is set up to cater to day trippers from Cairns & it’s quite upmarket & touristy
- Expensive resort accommodation and restaurants
- Food, drinks and activities for day trippers tend to be expensive
- Green Island get very windy. On the day I visited, it was extremely windy. My hat blew off and I almost lost it in the water.
Day Trip to Green Island Day Trip from Cairns
A day trip to Green Island from Cairns was the perfect addition to my Cairns itinerary.
The island is one of the hundreds of sandy cays on the Great Barrier Reef surrounded by large sandy beaches ideal for swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing.
Reef diving, kayaking, and paddleboarding are other activities available on the island.
Lush green rainforests cover the sandy cay, and around 55 different species of birds are found in the area.
Green Island has a luxury resort, and you can stay as long as you like in this tropical paradise, enjoying the island vibe, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, lovely beaches and beautiful coral reefs.
There’s also a wildlife zoo where you can meet Cassius, a huge old crocodile. Cassius is one of the largest crocodiles in Australia and is thought to be more than 110 years old.
Green Island Day Trip Review
If you’re looking for an action-packed day out on the beautiful Great Barrier Reef, you can’t beat the Green Island Fly & Cruise package, which includes a scenic Reef Hopper flight and a Green Cat Green Island Tour.
I chose this combined tour to maximise my time out on the reef, and it was a fantastic experience.
The day began with an early morning hotel transfer to Cairns Airport. Before we boarded the plane, there was a short safety talk. We were given headphones and a life jacket to wear, and from the moment the plane took off, the view was spectacular.
We flew over the Coral Sea and Michaelmas Cay and circled over Green Island so that everyone had a great view.
The boat trip to Green Island followed the spectacular reef flight, and the package included the transfer to the Cairns Marina, return ferry tickets, a buffet Lunch on the Big Cat moored at the Island and the option for snorkel hire or a glass-bottomed boat tour.
I chose to snorkel from the beach and spent the afternoon swimming and exploring the island. I had a great day and I’m happy to recommend this well-organised day trip to Green Island.
The Green Island Fly & Cruise package includes:
- 40-minute Reef Hopper flight
- Guaranteed window seats
- Courtesy bus transfers
- In-flight pilot commentary
- A high-wing aircraft for excellent visibility
- Full-day Big Cat Island Reef Cruise
- Buffet Lunch
- Glass-bottom boat coral viewing tour or snorkel equipment hire
- Self-guided walks and fish-feeding
- Use of the Big Cat vessel as an air-conditioned base on Green Island
**Big Cat Green Island Reef cruises are eco-certified and committed to sustainable tourism
**I paid for my combined flight and cruise package and had a fabulous day out as a solo traveller. I’m under no obligation to write this Green Island review and, as usual, the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Other Green Island Day Tour Options
While I enjoyed the Fly & Cruise Package, it’s possible to book your Green Island day trip separately from the scenic reef flight.
Spend a full day on the island or choose a half-day tour with an earlier return or a later departure on the ferry.
Green Island Day Trip: Reflections & Suggestions
I enjoyed my day trip to Green Island, but the most exciting part of the day was the reef hopper flight. The combined Fly & cruise package made good use of my time, and was an amazing way to see gorgeous Green Island
For me, the extra expense was worth it to experience the spectacular views of the Great Barrier Reef from the air.
Green Island is easily accessible, although it is a bit touristy. But it’s still a beautiful island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, with a fun ferry ride to get there. The facilities on the island are good, although they tend to be expensive. The buffet lunch on the Big Cat was worthwhile, but it was a big meal if you’re swimming and snorkelling and there’s a kiosk on the island where you can buy a sandwich or a light lunch.
I enjoyed walking around the island through the rainforest, but it only took an hour or so to explore the whole island on foot. The beach was perfect for swimming and sunbathing, and there was a lifeguard on duty, but a half-day was enough time to spend there.
I wouldn’t recommend snorkelling from the beach on Green Island. I didn’t see much except sea grass and a few fish, but I’ve heard that the best snorkelling is near the wharf and there are many reports of sea turtles in the water.
If you’re a beginner snorkeller who’s keen to see the Great Barrier Reef, I would recommend the Low Isles instead. I saw much more of the reef, including endangered sea turtles, a reef shark, some pretty fish and lovely coral. For more experienced snorkellers, visiting the outer reef on a day trip from Cairns is a good option.
And if you’re wondering if Fitzroy Island or Green Island is better, Fitzroy Island offers some stunning walking trails for hikers as well as idyllic beaches and good snorkelling, and it’s possible to visit both islands in one day.
About Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef
Green Island is part of the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. This gives international recognition and protection to the Island and its reef.
The surrounding 1200 hectares of coral are also part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park offering protection by the Australian government for the reef and its unique underwater habitats.
Green Island is a coral cay and one of the hundreds of small islands and cays on the Great Barrier Reef. It was formed by sand washing up on the reef and collecting in a sand bar that eventually became an island.
The Great Barrier Reef extends for 2,300 kilometres along Australia’s northeast coast and, as the name suggests, the Reef forms a barrier that protects Australia’s coastline. So the waters of the Coral Sea that surround Green Island are typically calm and warm, around 25°C in winter.
Green Island Boat ride
On a fast Green Island ferry, you can be there in under an hour. The fast boat leaves from the Marlin Marina in Cairns and takes around 45 minutes to make the crossing.
TIP: Make sure you book the fast ferry. The slow boat takes twice as long.
One of the most accessible islands in far north Queensland, Green Island is a favourite day trip from Cairns
TIP: It can get a bit rough out on the water, so take precautions if you’re prone to seasickness and take a tablet 20 minutes before departure.
Final Thoughts
A Green Island day tour is an opportunity to visit a tropical island and a great introduction to Australia’s stunning Great Barrier Reef. Although there are other islands on the Great Barrier Reef that can be visited from Cairns, a day trip to Green Island is a good choice.
The Green island Fly & Cruise package was a highlight of my solo holiday in Cairns. The scenic reef flight was an exciting way to start the day, and visiting the Island by ferry was enjoyable and relaxing.
Green Island is easily accessible from Cairns and perfect for first-time snorkellers, small children or people with less mobility.
I had an unforgettable day trip to Green Island and I think you will too!
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