Paronella Park & Millaa Millaa Falls Tour: Rainforest Castles

Rainforest castles, a 600-year-old fig tree, waterfalls and a crater lake in one day south of Cairns

This full-day guided tour departs Cairns and travels through the World Heritage Wet Tropics Rainforests to Paronella Park, a Spanish-style castle ruin built in the 1930s by Jose Paronella at Mena Creek Falls, plus stops at Millaa Millaa Falls, Lake Barrine and the Curtain Fig Tree. The tour includes a 45-minute guided walk at Paronella Park itself, morning tea with scones and jam at Lake Barrine, lunch at a local pub, all national park fees, and return hotel pickup from Cairns. An English-speaking local naturalist guide leads groups in a small air-conditioned coach, and a multilingual audio app lets you follow along in your preferred language.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Atherton Tablelandspassing by
2. Lake Barrine1h 15m · entry included
3. Paronella Park2h · entry included

Full-day tour of Tablelands and waterfalls

• Depart Cairns heading south
• Photo stop at Walsh’s Pyramid
• Climb Gillies Highway with views
• Photo stop at Heales Lookout
• Visit Lake Barrine for morning tea
• Visit Curtain Fig Tree boardwalk
• Visit Millaa Millaa Falls
• Lunch at traditional Queensland pub
• Tour Paronella Park castles and gardens
• Drive through Art Deco country town
• Optional stop at Babinda Boulders

The experience

The day starts early from your Cairns accommodation with a drive south past Walsh's Pyramid, one of the largest naturally formed pyramids in the world, before climbing the Gillies Highway 730 metres up into the Atherton Tablelands. Your first real stop is Lake Barrine, a crater lake ringed by World Heritage rainforest, where you'll have morning tea with freshly baked scones, jam and cream while the guide points out the wildlife in the canopy around you. The lake sits quiet and still in the cool of the morning, and this is where the day's rhythm settles.

From there the tour moves through country towns and farming areas to the Curtain Fig Tree, a 600-year-old tree that grows in a way that looks like a curtain drawn across the rainforest. It's the world's most visited tree and sits on elevated boardwalks so you don't have to scramble. The guide watches the canopy for Lumholtz Tree Kangaroos, a species found only in Queensland. Then comes Millaa Millaa Falls, one of Australia's most photographed waterfalls, where water drops about 20 metres over volcanic basalt into a pool surrounded by rainforest. You'll stop for lunch at a traditional Queensland pub before heading to the main event.

Paronella Park occupies the afternoon. The castle and gardens were built by Jose Paronella starting in the 1930s and sit in the rainforest at Mena Creek Falls. The site also holds North Queensland's first hydro-electric power plant. Paronella Park's own guides conduct a 45-minute walk through the National Trust–listed heritage gardens and castle ruins, and they speak English, Chinese and Japanese. If time allows, the tour swings through Babinda to see granite boulders and freshwater pools before heading back to Cairns. The whole day runs 11 hours door to door.

What’s included

• Return hotel pickup from Cairns accommodation.
• small-group travel in an air-conditioned coach.
• English-speaking local naturalist guide.
• morning tea with freshly baked scones, jam and cream at Lake Barrine.
• lunch at a traditional Queensland pub.
• entry to all national parks.
• 45-minute guided walk and commentary at Paronella Park.
• multilingual audio guide app.

Options for this experience

2 options

Collection from the Cairns CBDGuide in English · 07:00Select this if you'd like pick-up from the Cairns CBD; lunch is included, and pickup is included.

Pick-up from the Northern BeachesGuide in English · 06:00Select this if you'd like pick-up from the Northern Beaches (covering Palm Cove, Trinity Beach and Yorkeys Knob); lunch is included, and includes pickup.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 06:00 and 07:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (15 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Child (4 to 14 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideSpanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese and Korean

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Discovery Tours Australia

Is this one for you?Pick this full-day tour if you're staying in Cairns or Northern Beaches and want a naturalist guide to navigate the rainforest stops (waterfalls, crater lake, volcanic sites) rather than driving yourself between scattered locations.

Traveler reviews

4.92★★★★★★★★★★

64 verified traveler reviews

5 ★60

4 ★3

3 ★1

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 14 years); Infant (under 4).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can I choose where to be picked up in Cairns?

Yes. You can arrange pickup from Cairns CBD or from Northern Beaches hotels. Northern Beaches pickup adds $35 per person for the return journey.

What is Paronella Park actually like?

Paronella Park is a Spanish-style castle ruin set in rainforest at Mena Creek Falls, built in the 1930s by Jose Paronella. The site includes heritage gardens, castle ruins and the remains of North Queensland's first hydro-electric power plant. A guide from Paronella Park itself leads a 45-minute walk through the grounds and explains the history and the structures.

Will I get to swim in the waterfalls?

The tour visits Millaa Millaa Falls, a 20-metre waterfall with a pool at its base surrounded by rainforest. The itinerary describes swimming in waterfalls as part of the experience, though specific swimming times and locations depend on conditions and the guide's judgment on the day.

What's included in the price?

All national park fees, entry and guided walk at Paronella Park, morning tea with scones and jam at Lake Barrine, lunch at a local pub, the small-group coach ride in an air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking local guide, and return hotel pickup from Cairns are all included.

How long does the tour take?

The full day runs 11 hours from pickup at your Cairns accommodation to return, including all stops, meals and the guided walk at Paronella Park.

What language is the guide?

Your tour guide speaks English and is a local naturalist. The tour also includes a multilingual audio guide app so you can follow along in your preferred language if you choose.