• Be rewarded with spectacular views of the Great Barrier Reef on a 20 minute scenic helicopter flight from Cairns to Green Island where you can snorkel the fringing reefs
• Discover the colourful corals, unique reef formations and abundance of marine life on a guided coral viewing Glass Bottom Boat Tour
• Snorkel the many fringing soft coral reef sites surrounding Green Island and hire an underwater camera and snap a selfie with a friendly Maori Wrasse whilst snorkeling 
• Explore Green Island for 7 hours - 20 minute scenic helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef

Spectacular 20 minute helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef and then snorkelling around Green Island.

What to Expect

Experience the ultimate combination of aerial and aquatic adventure with a 20-minute scenic helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef, followed by a day of activities on Green Island. Take off from Cairns and soar over the reef’s stunning coral formations, sand cays, and turquoise waters before landing on Green Island. With up to seven hours to explore, you can snorkel, tour the reef in a glass-bottom boat, or simply relax using the resort facilities. We call these our fly and cruise helicopter and Great Barrier Reef combos.

Perfect for visitors looking to see the reef from every angle, this helicopter tour combines the thrill of a scenic flight with the beauty of Green Island’s underwater world.

Features and Highlights

Scenic Helicopter Flight Over the Great Barrier Reef

• 20-Minute Flight with Panoramic Views: Fly low over Arlington Reef, Upolu Cay, and Vlasoff Sand Cay, capturing the vibrant colours of the coral reefs from above.
• Limited Seats for a Personal Experience: With only 6-7 seats available, this Cairns scenic helicopter tour provides an intimate viewing of the Great Barrer Reef and its surroundings.
• Spectacular Aerial Photography: Perfect opportunity to capture unforgettable images of the Great Barrier Reef.

Green Island Exploration

• Full Day on Green Island: Enjoy up to seven hours on Green Island with various activities included and optional upgrades.
• Glass-Bottom Boat Tour: For those who prefer not to snorkel, view the reef’s marine life from a glass-bottom boat, guided by a knowledgeable marine naturalist.
• Snorkelling and Water Activities: Snorkel in the shallows or choose to upgrade to a guided snorkel trip for more diverse coral and marine life in deeper waters.

Optional Add-Ons for a Custom Experience

• Seawalker Helmet Dive: Walk along the ocean floor with a Seawalker helmet that provides a steady air supply, allowing you to interact with parrotfish and other curious reef fish.
• Introductory Scuba Diving: Try scuba diving from the beach with a qualified instructor, exploring up to 7 meters underwater.
• Marineland Melanesia Visit: See “Cassius,” the world’s largest captive crocodile at Marineland on Green Island, and learn about turtle rehabilitation efforts in this fascinating wildlife exhibit.

Convenient Return to Cairns

• High-Speed Catamaran Departure: Return to Cairns by catamaran, with departures at 2:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m., giving you flexibility to enjoy Green Island at your own pace.
• Relax and Reflect: On the boat ride back, unwind with a cool drink as you take in the memories of your helicopter flight and Green Island experiences.

Cairns Helicopter Flight Itinerary

• 9:00–9:30 a.m.: Optional hotel pick-up from Cairns or Northern Beaches accommodations.
• 10:00 a.m.: Helicopter departs Cairns for Green Island, with a scenic flight over key reef landmarks.
• 10:20 a.m.: Arrival at Green Island, with a welcome orientation and full-day access to activities.
• 2:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.: Return to Cairns by high-speed catamaran.

Important Information

• Limited Seats: Only a few seats are available per tour; early booking is recommended, especially for groups.
• Cruise Ship-Friendly: With flexible timing, this tour is ideal for cruise passengers docking at Yorkeys Knob or the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal.

This helicopter and Green Island combo tour is an excellent way to experience the best of the Great Barrier Reef and enjoy the island’s natural beauty in a day. Book early to secure your spot!

See all Cairns and Port Douglas helicopter rides.

See all helicopter and reef combo package tour deals.

Read The Tour Specialists Blog for all the things you need to know before you go. 

Cairns Helicopter Flight and Green Island Fly/Cruise Itinerary

• 9.00 - 9.30am Coach transfers from Cairns and Northern beaches accommodation to Helicopter pad if required (optional extra)
• 10.00am Helicopter departs for Green Island
• 10.20am Land at Green Island

Choose 2.30pm or 4.30pm departure from Green Island by boat to Cairns 

Note: times are approximate 

Cairns Helicopter Flight & Green Island Tour

Travel in true style on our Great Barrier Reef Helicopters luxury fleet to Green Island one of Tropical North Queensland’s favourite islands for a day of fun and adventure. 

The Cairns based Great Barrier Reef Helicopter friendly crew will collect you from your Cairns or Northern Beaches accommodation if required (optional extra) between 9 and 9.30am for a departure time of 10am from the Cairns Heliport or the Cairns Marina heli pad. Should you have a rental car and wish to drive to the departure location please advise on booking.

Your helicopters scenic flight path begins over the Cairns City region taking in the magnificent rainforest clad mountain ranges before heading east across the Great Barrier Reef towards Green Island.

This low level flight takes in the vast expanse of the local reefs including regular sightings of resident marine life in the shallow lagoon waters, sandy cays and tropical Green Island. Your camera finger will be so sore when you get home as you will not have been able to stop yourself from snapping those perfect brochure images that you can share with friends and treasure forever.

On arrival to Green Island’s helicopter pad you’ll be welcomed by staff that will provide you with an island orientation including your glass bottom boat reef viewing activities and buffet luncheon location.

Glass Bottom Boat Tour Included in Your Green Island tour

Not keen on swimming or getting that hair wet? Then the tour in a glass bottom boat is just perfect for you to explore the waters of the Great Barrier Reef and learn all about its bio diversity from the Marine Naturalist driving the boat. This boat tour is fully inclusive in your Great Barrier Reef Helicopter and Green Island day tour.

Green Island Activities-Optional Extras

You have a full day of adventure ahead of you so you may as well participate in everything possible whilst on Green Island. You can choose to just snorkel around the islands shallows or add in an optional extra guided snorkel adventure where you will be taken by boat to the deeper waters away from the island so you can see the better more colourful corals and more plentiful marine life.

Green Island Optional Activities - Seawalker

You can also partake in Seawalker where you pop a Helmet on your head which has hoses going to the surface for air and you walk on the bottom of the ocean and feed giant parrot fish that swim all around you looking deep into your eyes. These fish have really dirty teeth so don’t go putting your fingers in their mouths or you will have a nasty wound. Please note participants of Seawalker activities will need to fill in a Medical Questionnaire.

Green Island Optional Activities - Scuba Diving

If you have not tried Scuba Diving again here is a great opportune time for you to do so from the safety of the beach. You will first need to fill out a Medical Questionnaire to ensure you are healthy enough to participate and then off you go. You will go to depths of 7 metres for around 20 minute so dependent on how you are enjoying it. 

Green Island Optional Activities - Marineland Melanesia

Come inside Marineland Melanesia and see the World’s Largest Crocodile in Captivity “Cassius” who is now over 115 years old and still just as ferocious as he was when he was a growing teenager. 

You will not believe the girth on this big fella when you see him come out of the water to be hand fed!

If you are lucky you may also get to see some turtles that have been rescued and undergoing temporary confinement to assist them to get better and then be set free in the islands waters to one day return to lay eggs as they have done for hundreds of years.

There are lots of other in water activities on Green Island such as kayaking, beach volley ball, parasailing and you can even hire sun lounges if you do not lying directly on sand.

Return Catamaran Cruise to Cairns

Your high speed cruise boat departs back to Cairns at 2.30 pm or 4.30 pm the time will be allocated based on your booking request. You must be on the jetty at these times and not miss your boat as there is no other way back to Cairns until the next day’s boats arrive for another day of adventure.

Your return boat cruise will take only 45 minutes so sit back relax have a nice cold drink or ice cream and reflect on the wonderful  scenic helicopter flight you had along with all of the other island adventures you experienced. 

See more Great Barrier Reef tours and helicopter scenic flights from Cairns and Port Douglas.

Tour Languages Offered

• English

Departs From

Cairns

Departure Time

• Fly to Green Island & Cruise Return
• 20 minutes flying & 6.5 hours on Green Island
• Depart Cairns: 09:50
• Arrive Cairns: 17:30

Pickup Locations

• Cairns
• Cairns Northern Beaches

• Transfers are additional cost

Destinations

• Great Barrier Reef
• Green Island

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Daily

Duration

20 minute Scenic Helicopter flight to Green Island & 45 minute Cruise back to Cairns
Times are approximate

Available for Purchase / Hire

• Upgrade to Seawalker Green Island
• Upgrade to Parasailing
• Upgrade to include Boat Snorkel tour
• Introductory diving
• Certified diving
• Return accommodation transfers
• Lunch can be purchased on the island

Fitness Level Required

Low, Medium

Restrictions

• Certified Divers must produce their certification card
• Scuba Diving – minimum age 12
• Seawalker Tour - minimum age is 12 years
• Certain medical conditions (i.e. asthma, epilepsy, high blood pressure or certain medications) may exclude individuals from diving

Weight: Up to 130 Kg / 287 Lb

IN-WATER RESTRICTIONS

Scuba Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving.
• Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator
• Minimum age for scuba diving is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Scuba Diving, Scuba Doo and Helmet Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving and helmet diving/scuba doo.
• Participation is subject to medical questionnaires completed on board with the tour operator.
• Minimum age for scuba diving and helmet diving/scuba doo is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Additional Information

All product requires a minimum number of passengers to proceed

• Camera (charged)
• Towel
• Swimming costume
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Cash for drinks and snacks
• Cash or credit card
• Comfortable walking shoes

• Children 3 years and older are legally required to occupy their own seat and therefore must pay the per seat price
• Children 0-2 years travel FOC on the lap of a parent / guardian (max 1 per flight).