Hartley's Crocodile Adventures Cairns: Boat Cruise & Wildlife

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.42 (95 reviews) 68% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration6h

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Crocodiles, kangaroos, cassowaries and a lagoon cruise in one morning or afternoon

This day trip from Cairns includes entry to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, return coach transfers with driver commentary, and a 25-minute boat cruise on Hartley's Lagoon where park staff feed crocodiles. You spend the day moving between wildlife enclosures—getting close to kangaroos, wallabies, snakes, cassowaries and quolls—and watching educational presentations throughout. Departures run at 8am or noon; infants can sit on a lap or travel in a pram.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Hartley's Crocodile Adventures

Travel by coach to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
Enjoy scenic coastal drive with commentary
Take 25-minute boat cruise on Hartley’s Lagoon
Watch crocodile feeding by park staff
Explore wildlife park and see Australian animals

The Experience

The coach picks you up from your Cairns accommodation and drives the scenic coastal route to the park, with the driver offering commentary along the way. The 25-minute boat cruise on Hartley's Lagoon is the centerpiece: you're on the water watching crocodiles being fed by experience park staff, which is the closest most visitors get to seeing them hunt. The rest of the day is yours to move through the park at your own pace.

Hartley's is built around close encounters with Australian wildlife that most travelers only see in photos. You can stand near kangaroos and wallabies, watch cassowaries and quolls, and handle snakes under supervision. The park runs entertaining and educational presentations throughout the day, so there's structure if you want it, but no fixed schedule forcing you from one enclosure to the next. The six-hour window gives you time to explore without rushing, then the coach brings you back to Cairns.

Choose the 8am departure if you want the park before the midday crowds; the noon start suits a slower morning or a late arrival in Cairns. Either way, the return transfer is included, so you don't need to arrange your own ride back.

What’s included

Entry to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures.
pickup and drop-off from your Cairns hotel.
return coach transfers with driver commentary.
25-minute boat cruise on Hartley's Lagoon with crocodile feeding demonstration.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Beaches Meet & Greet

Is this one for you?Book the 8am departure if you want to explore the park before the afternoon crowds arrive; the noon start works better if you're sleeping in or just landed in Cairns. Either way, the coach handles the drive both directions, so you only need to show up at your hotel at the pickup time.