Tully River: Full-Day White Water Rafting & Rapids Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.90 (697 reviews) 95% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationLikely to sell out

1/7

Duration12h

GroupUp to 54

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Rainforest rapids, wild laughter & the pulse of Tully Gorge

You’ll crash through roaring rapids beneath ancient rainforest trees on this full-day Tully River adventure. Paddle alongside locals and travelers with expert guides leading every twist. Feel adrenaline on Grade 4/5 rapids, pause for lunch by the riverbank, and end your day soaked but smiling—maybe still hearing the rush of water in your ears.

12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Full-day Tully River rafting adventure

Travel to Tully River Gorge
Experience white water rafting on Grade 4/5 rapids
Navigate over 40 rapids through rainforest surrounds
Enjoy views of granite boulders and thick rainforest

The Experience

"Hold on tight—this one’s a big drop!" That’s what our guide, Sam, yelled just before the raft pitched forward and my stomach did that rollercoaster thing. We’d only been on the Tully River maybe twenty minutes and already I’d lost count of how many times I’d swallowed river spray. The air in Tully Gorge felt thick and green, like you could almost taste the rainforest itself—wet leaves, muddy earth, something sweet I couldn’t place. There were these massive boulders everywhere, slick with moss, and sometimes you’d catch sunlight flickering through the canopy in a way that made everything look kind of unreal.

We were six in our raft—me, two friends from Sydney (who kept shouting “wooo!” every time we hit a rapid), an Irish couple who had never done white water rafting before (they looked terrified at first but by lunch they were grinning), and Sam steering us through all forty-something rapids with this calm confidence. He knew every twist in the river—pointed out where world championship teams had flipped or pulled off some wild maneuver. At one point he handed me a chunk of granite from the riverbed; it was cold and rough in my palm. “That rock’s older than this forest,” he said. I still think about that.

The food break was honestly better than I expected—nothing fancy but after paddling for hours, even a sandwich tastes like magic. My arms were jelly by then anyway. The whole trip took most of the day but it didn’t feel long; time gets weird when you’re just focused on not falling out or trying to spot birds overhead (I’m pretty sure I saw a cockatoo but nobody else did). And yeah, my shoes are probably ruined forever from all that water—but worth it.

What’s included

Your full-day includes hotel pickup and drop off (except from central Tully), all white water rafting equipment except shoes, an experienced local guide steering each raft down over forty rapids through rainforest gorge scenery, plus a hearty meal along the river—just let them know any dietary needs when booking.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Raging Thunder - Tully River Rafting