Riding The Kuranda Scenic Railway: Trip Guide, Timetable & Prices

Looking for Queensland’s most spectacular train ride? You got it. This Kuranda Scenic Railway trip guide shares everything you gotta know about this iconic heritage train journey…

If you know me, you might know that I absolutely LOVE a scenic train ride. Bonus points for steam trains and retro-style carriages. And that’s why Kuranda Scenic Railway was (just about) top of the list of things I wanted to do at the very end of our Sydney to Cairns road trip.

For a little context, a brief history (which you’ll hear more of from the on-board commentary):

In 1882, locals identified a need for a railway route to connect inland mining areas with the coast. Construction of the Cairns to Kuranda railway line began in 1886, and the full line opened to passengers five years later, in the June of 1891. Today, the well-preserved 37 km stretch of track is one of North Queensland’s must-visit tourist attractions.

As you ascend from sea level to a height of 327 metres, the track weaves through tunnels and above ravines, past waterfalls and bountiful forest. Views stretch out to the ocean, and with each section of track, they seem to get more impressive. At the end of your ascent, you’ll explore the charming village of Kuranda, with abundant markets and calming walking trails.

Find out how we experienced the Kuranda Scenic Railway, plus everything you need to know to plan your visit!

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Choosing to depart from Cairns rather than Freshwater to get extra train time, we grabbed an Uber from our campsite to the station. Some tour operators also offer packages that include hotel pickup.

We’d booked our tickets in advance, and it’s something I’d definitely recommend. Sailing past the queue for on-the-day purchases, we picked up our tickets and had enough time to grab a breakfast sandwich from the shopping centre next door. Side note: If you plan on doing this, you can access the shopping centre via the stairs in the station, rather than walk all the way round like we did!

We didn’t get to choose our seats, but we had a six-seat booth to ourselves so were able to move around as we pleased. Generally, the right hand side has the better coastal views, while the left hand side gets you closer to the waterfalls – but honestly, our seats being on the right didn’t make a difference to our experience. In our Heritage Class carriage, the booth was only on one side of the carriage, so it was easy to get up and look out of the other side too!

If you’re getting the Gold Class train, I’d recommend requesting a seat on the right hand side, for the best mountain views – and asking your neighbour nicely if you can peek across their seats for the waterfall sections!

Kuranda Scenic Railway Timetable

The Kuranda Scenic Railway departs twice a day from either Cairns or Freshwater, on the outskirts of the city. Cairns is ideal if you’re staying locally, but Freshwater is probably the better option if you’re driving from outside of Cairns, to avoid city traffic/parking issues.

_{*Heritage Class only
**Heritage Class & Gold Class available}

We chose the 9.30 departure, to give us a bit of a lie-in after a busy day scuba diving and snorkelling beforehand.

The return journey from Kuranda also runs twice daily in the afternoon. As we hadn’t planned to do the river boat ride and the heritage markets were closed, we booked the 2pm train to get back to Cairns and spend some time in town before dinner.

Heritage Class or Gold Class?

The Kuranda Scenic Railway offers two classes of travel: Heritage Class and Gold Class.

Heritage Class is their standard ticket, which includes an assigned seat in Heritage Class carriage, audio commentary, souvenir trip guide, and a water cooler in each carriage.

Gold Class offers a more elevated experience, with lounge-style seats and an upgraded souvenir pack. You can also enjoy a welcome drink reception (Freshwater and Kuranda only), snacks and a grazing board of local produce, plus drinks including wine and beer.

Obviously, with our eternal budget traveller mindsets, we chose Heritage Class. The price difference between the two is over A$100 for a return trip, and we just didn’t feel like the extras were worth that much to us.

How much do tickets cost?

Riding the Scenic Railway

From Cairns to Freshwater, you pretty much stay on a level, heading out of the city. After welcoming on some more passengers, we set off in earnest, and soon the train began to ascend. The on-board commentary was fascinating, if a little quiet against the noise of the train, and really encapsulated the history of the line with storytelling and interesting facts.

There are some particularly notable spots along the route you’ll not be able to miss. At the Jungara Loop (aka Horseshoe Bend), the track turns a full 180 degrees. As we were quite far back on the train, we got the best view of the train turning around!

The Stoney Creek Falls bridge is one of the most picturesque points of the journey, as the train passes over a bridge besides the majestic waterfall. Views from both sides of the carriage are equally spectacular – I was jumping between both sides constantly during the bridge crossing!

At Barron Gorge, there’s a scheduled photo stop for 10 minutes. You’ll definitely want to jump out, because the view here is SPECTACULAR. Our top tip is to jump off, and immediately head right, to the viewpoint. Most people on our train didn’t notice it at first, so getting there quickly is perfect if you want a people-free photo!

Things to do in Kuranda

Disembarking the train, we made our way into Kuranda to do some exploring. I was impressed at how charming and whimsical the village is – in a way, it reminded me of some of the mountain villages of Southeast Asia. Kuranda itself is a great day trip from Cairns, with plenty to see and do.

Having only had a small breakfast, food was firmly on our minds – so we grabbed some lunch at Annabel’s Takeaway Pie Shop. We both made some pretty ridiculous noises of delight when we were scoffing them, so if that’s not a recommendation, I’m not sure what is.

The Kuranda Heritage Market is well-known as a Kuranda highlight – however, it’s only open Wednesday – Sunday and we visited on a Monday. Even when it’s closed, there are still plenty more shops and stalls around town to explore. The Original Rainforest Market offers classic souvenirs and wares from local makers.

My favourite shop was the Not Just Chocolate Shop. Which doesn’t just sell chocolate – but the chocolate they do sell is delicious! I picked up a couple of chocolate truffles as a little treat, and it took all my strength not to go back in and grab a whole box…

Instead of taking a wildlife boat cruise, we opted for a walk along the river instead. There are some great walking trails around the area, from short strolls to longer trails in Barron Gorge National Park.

Quite honestly, we enjoyed simply wandering around Kuranda, but if you’re looking for some activities while you’re there, these are some of the most popular ones:

• Take a wildlife cruise along the River Barron in search of freshwater crocodiles, turtles, snakes and water dragons.
• See over 60 species of colourful birds at Birdworld Kuranda, or see the tropical flutter of wings at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary.
• Kuranda Koala Sanctuary is popular with visitors – but bear in mind, they do offer photographs holding the koalas.
• Ride a WW2 Army Duck boat at the Rainforestation Nature Park.
• Check out the fossils and gemstones at Emu Ridge Gallery.

Kuranda SkyRail

We actually chose to ride the train both ways, but you can also travel one-way via the Kuranda SkyRail. Where the railway route cuts through the trees and mountains, the SkyRail soars above them!

The 7.5 cable car track offers views over the World Heritage listed rainforest, with stops along the way to explore the Red Peak boardwalk and Barron Falls.

The SkyRail starts and ends at Smithfield – so you’ll need to arrange transport to either Cairns or Freshwater if you’re heading back to the Scenic Railway departure points.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a wonderful way to spend a day in Cairns, exploring more of the lush tropical rainforest surroundings. The railway itself has a fascinating history and heritage, and it’s a journey absolutely worth adding to your Cairns travel planning.

Tickets can sell out during peak visitor times, so make sure you book your Kuranda Scenic Railway tickets or Railway and SkyRail combo tickets in advance!