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Yes, you can self-drive into the Daintree Rainforest and visit the Daintree Discovery Centre “by yourself” without a tour or guide. There is no admission charge for entering the Daintree Rainforest National Park north of the river, but you will have to pay to use the Daintree Ferry. It’s expensive but quite an experience. We’ll go into all this, how to get there, costs, and if it’s worth visiting, on this page. You can also visit as part of a tour of the Daintree Rainforest with a guide and transportation with pick-ups in Cairns, Palm Cove or Port Douglas.
Let’s weigh up your options. Use the jump links, below, if you need a particular section of this post. You can book your ticket to The Daintree Discovery Centre here (admission cost $39 Au, $25 US, at the time of publishing, $19 for kids 5-7 yrs old.) The Daintree Rainforest Discovery Centre is open every day except Christmas Day normally, from 9 am to 4 pm. The best time to visit is probably the winter months. Flooding can close the Daintree to visitors in the wet season (summer).
- From Port Douglas
- From Cairns
- From Palm Cove
- Things To Do and See Near The Daintree Discovery Centre
- Staying in The Daintree
Daintree Discovery Centre
What is the Daintree Discovery Centre? The centre is a paid tourist attraction within the Daintree Rainforest and National Park, north of The Daintree River, in Far North Queensland Australia.
There is a small restaurant and gift shop on site, you can enter these without paying for admission.
If you choose to buy a ticket you can continue through the rainforest on boardwalks to the observation tower. There are steps up to the top platform high in the canopy of the rainforest. If you’re not good with heights (like me) it’s a bit scary!
There is a small museum with exhibits about the rainforest’s history, structure, flora and fauna. There are also giant dinosaurs on site, some are animatronic.
It’s a good place to learn about the rainforest biome, it’s educational and fun for kids. It’s a fun day out for most, particularly families. You should allow a couple of hours to half a day at The Daintree Discovery Centre.
While you’re visiting the Daintree Discovery Centre there are places to see nearby, we’ll tell you about some of these further down the page.
Distance and Drive Time to The Daintree Discovery Centre
You do not need a 4 wheel drive vehicle to drive to The Daintree Discovery Centre, or into The Daintree Rainforest. The road is sealed. If you plan to go further north, you might. Please check the details of each tour for yourself before booking. Tours do change their itineraries sometimes.
From Port Douglas
The Daintree Discovery Centre is about a 1 hour drive from Port Doulas. After the Daintree Ferry just follow Cape Tribulation Rd. The Mount Alexandra lookout will be on your right before the Discovery Centre. This was closed due to damage from Cyclone Jasper the last time we visited (January ’24). Turn right off Cape Tribulation Rd. at Tulip Oak Rd for the Discovery Centre. The Jindalba Boardwalk is at the end of this road.
If you do not have your own vehicle, there are day tours to The Daintree Rainforest. I don’t know of any that include the Daintree Discovery Centre currently. This Daintree Tour includes Mossman Gorge, and swimming in rainforest streams (Noah Valley). Alternatively, see the Daintree from the canopy by booking this Ziplining tour from Port.
From Cairns
You can self-drive from Cairns to the Daintree Rainforest and Daintree Discovery Centre, but it will be a long day. This is why we’d suggest you stay in Port Douglas not Cairns if you’re interested in visiting the oldest rainforest on Earth. Maybe spend a few days in each, or book a night at one of the hotels in or near The Daintree. The drive will be 2 hours or longer from Cairns and you may experience delays on the highway and have to wait to use the Daintree Ferry.
Our post on Port Douglas vs Cairns vs Palm Cove may be helpful.
If you’d like to book a Daintree tour from Cairns, look at this 4WD safari tour, it’s very popular. It includes a river safari , Cape Tribulation, ice cream and a swimming hole.
From Palm Cove
Palm Cove is about halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas making it easier to drive to the Daintree from Palm Cove than Cairns. Just head north along the coast, passing Port Douglas and driving through Mossman town. You may like to stop at The Mossman Gorge on the way. Allow about 1.5 hrs to drive to the Daintree Ferry. There are road works on The Captain Cook Highway, you may experience delays.
The 4WD Daintree Safari is also available from Palm Cove. Check it out here.
Road Closures Between Cairns and The Daintree Discovery Centre
The scenic coastal road between Cairns and Port Douglas, The Captain Cook Highway, or Great Barrier Reef Drive, has been open since early 2024, likewise the road to the Daintree Discovery Centre. However, this road is still under repair and you may experience delays. From time to time the council close the road at night for repair work. It will also be closed or partially closed for the Ironman event in July.
Things To See and Do Near The Daintree Discovery Centre
If you drove to the Daintree Discovery Centre you have already passed the Mt Alexandra Lookout. This was closed when we last visited (February 2024), the road was badly damaged, but they’re working on repairs and you may be lucky. It’s just off the road and there is parking.
There are several boardwalks within The Daintree, one, The Jindalba Boardwalk, is a little further along the road from the Daintree Discovery Centre.
There is an insect museum (Daintree Entomological Museum) near the Discovery Centre, my small boys loved this place! There are also ice cream, tropical fruit, and tea attractions. Choose between Daintree Ice Cream Company and Floravilla Ice Creamery or sample the ice cream at The Fan Palm Farm.
The Daintree Fan Palm Farm is also a cool place to visit. You can enjoy their organic coffee and snacks and their resident animals. Their Grand Fan Palm Gallery Boardwalk has an admission fee. For more info, see their website.
There are several boardwalks within the Daintree and beautiful beaches to explore. Just stay “Croc Smart”. There are plenty of saltwater crocodiles up here and they are dangerous. Cow Bay is a lovely beach for a walk and it was accessible the last time we visited. You can’t swim.
The Daintree is famous for cassowaries and you stand a good chance of spotting them. Sometimes you will see them on the main Cape Tribulation Rd but our best tip is to drive around the smaller roads. Cassowaries visit some of the accommodations in The Daintree, for instance, Crocodylus Village (Cow Bay). We have a post on wildlife attractions in our region for more ideas on seeing native animals.
No, you can’t swim from the beaches in the Daintree, there are crocodiles and no stinger nets. Stay away from the water’s edge, both the sea and any creeks. You would be wise to think about mosquitos and bring your repellent. We recommend these mosquito wipes to travel with. Always carry water with you in the tropics, an insulated steel water bottle like this is our choice.
Where to Eat?
There is a very nice cafe or small restaurant at Thornton’s Beach (Thornton’s). We had excellent fish and chips there in early 2024.
There is also a restaurant at Daintree Crocodyllus (a jungle resort on the road to Cow Bay), and another, “On The Turps” at Turpentine Rd. We tried to eat at the latter but it was full of tour groups when we visited, they couldn’t fit us in.
There is also a cafe at The Daintree Fanpalm Farm.
Where To stay Near the Daintree Discovery Centre?
You can stay in the Daintree Rainforest and doing this probably gives you a much better chance of spotting cassowaries and more time to experience the rainforest environment.
Don’t forget, there will be bugs and spiders, its a rainforest! Including dinner-plate sized golden orb spiders (my nemesis).
Daintree Crocodylus Village is a popular “budget” choice, with jungle huts and cabins. For a more luxury stay, The Daintree Wilderness Lodge could be for you!
