Booking choice: The Port Douglas day tour, 9 hours from Port Douglas. Book this Tour details
Most visitors come between May and September, when it is cooler and drier. The wet season has its own rewards: waterfalls in full flow, fewer people and a forest that looks the way it is meant to look.
It also brings closed roads, a ferry that can stop in a flood and crocodiles that are harder to spot. This is what to expect from December 2026 to April 2027.
The quick answer
The wet season runs from about December to April, with heavy, frequent rain and high humidity. Floods and high tides can close Cape Tribulation Road and halt the ferry, as Cyclone Jasper showed in December 2023. The CREB track and Noah Beach campground close in the wet, and crocodiles are harder to see in the warm months. Most day tours still run in the rain.
When is the wet season in the Daintree?
From about December to April. Queensland Parks and Wildlife describes heavy, frequent downpours, with some areas getting more than 6 m of rain a year.
The park safety page gives daytime highs of 27 to 33°C and humidity often above 80 percent in these months. It names May to September as the best time to visit. Pack a rain jacket in any month, and in these months expect to use it.
Our guide to the best time to visit goes month by month. Below is the short version for this season.
| Months | Weather | What it means on a visit |
|---|---|---|
| November | Before the wet season | Higher stinger risk starts; most things open |
| December to January | Wet season under way | Plan a spare day; closures can start |
| February to March | Peak of the wet; March is often the wettest | Some cruises and tracks closed; waterfalls in full flow |
| April | Last month of the wet season | Noah Beach campground reopens on Good Friday |
| May to September | Cooler and drier | The best time to visit |
Can the wet season close the road or the Daintree ferry?
Yes. Floods can stop the ferry, and Cape Tribulation Road closes during floods or very high tides. A cyclone can close them for weeks.
Cyclone Jasper is the recent example. It crossed the coast near Wujal Wujal on 13 December 2023 as a Category 2 system and caused more than 100 landslips. The Noah Range section of Cape Tribulation Road only reopened on 28 March 2024, and for a time after the cyclone the ferry ran shorter hours.
A normal wet season is less dramatic. Council says Cape Tribulation Road closes when tides exceed 2.5 m or during floods, and the 4WD tracks can become impassable after heavy rain. Douglas Shire road conditions lists the current status. Check it the morning you drive, and carry spare food and water north of the river.
What closes in the Daintree during the wet season?
The CREB 4WD track, Noah Beach campground and, in February, Bruce Belcher's river cruises. Walking tracks can close after heavy rain.
The CREB track, a 4WD route north of Daintree Village, closed on 19 January 2026 last season and reopened later in the year. Driving a closed track can mean an on-the-spot fine. Noah Beach campground closes from the first Sunday after New Year's Day until Good Friday. For this season that points to about 3 January to 26 March 2027, though rangers can shift the dates.
Walking tracks can close at short notice too. Queensland Parks and Wildlife says the Rainforest circuit at Mossman Gorge may close in the wet season for flooding or maintenance.
| Place | Wet season status | Check |
|---|---|---|
| CREB track (4WD) | Closed for the wet; closed 19 January last season | Douglas Shire road conditions |
| Bloomfield Track (4WD) | Open, but can become impassable after heavy rain | Douglas Shire road conditions |
| Noah Beach campground | Closed from the first Sunday after New Year to Good Friday | Queensland Parks and Wildlife |
| Bruce Belcher's river cruises | Closed in February | The operator |
| Cape Tribulation Road | Closes in floods or tides above 2.5 m | Douglas Shire road conditions |
Less time on the road on a wet day: the Daintree highlights from Port Douglas in a group of 14 at most.
Book thisAre crocodiles harder to see in the wet season?
Usually, yes. In the warm months crocodiles spend more time in the water, so fewer bask on the banks.
Cruise operators say the same thing in different words. Solar Whisper says crocodiles are much harder to see in the warmer months, and Bruce Belcher's points to June to September for the best sightings. September to April is also breeding season. Nobody can promise a crocodile in any month.
Time helps. The Crocodile Express pass is valid for 14 days and covers two routes, so you can go out again on a sunnier day. More in our crocodile cruise guide.
Can you swim in the Daintree in the wet season?
Not in the sea, the river or Mossman Gorge. Marine stingers are a higher risk from November to May, and crocodiles live along the coast all year.
The Queensland Government says stingers are present all year, with the higher-risk period from November to May. Swim only inside stinger nets and consider a lycra suit. Tourism Port Douglas warns against swimming at the unpatrolled beaches north of the Daintree River, where crocodiles use the beaches and creeks too.
At Mossman Gorge the water can rise fast with no warning, and the wet season is when that happens most. Some Port Douglas tours include a creek swim the operator chooses, such as the Best of Daintree tour. Your guide decides on the day.
Do Daintree tours run in the rain?
Most do. A wet day in a rainforest is normal. Floods, closed roads or a stopped ferry can cancel a tour, and then the operator offers another date or a refund.
The night walk at Cape Tribulation runs rain or shine, and the zipline day from Port Douglas runs in the rain too. One guest on the Port Douglas small-group day wrote: "But our guide John gave us a really top day in spite of the rain."
The tours on this site have free cancellation up to 24 hours before. In the wet season, that is your best tool: book, watch the forecast, and move the date if a cyclone is coming. Starting from Port Douglas also helps. About three hours on the road instead of five leaves more room for a slow day.
Rain or shine, the forest after dark with a naturalist and a torch of your own.
Book this Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Is it worth visiting the Daintree in the wet season?
Yes, if you can be flexible. The forest and waterfalls are at their best, and there are fewer people. Keep a spare day in case a road or the ferry closes.
What month is the wettest in the Daintree?
March is usually the wettest month, with average rainfall at Cairns and Mossman well over 400 mm. The wet season as a whole runs from about December to April.
Does the Daintree ferry close in the wet season?
Not routinely. It runs from 5am to midnight daily, but Queensland Parks and Wildlife notes occasional breaks during flooding.
Are Daintree tours cancelled when it rains?
Rain alone rarely stops a tour. Floods, closed roads or a cyclone can, and then the operator offers another date or a refund. The tours on this site cancel free up to 24 hours before.
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Check the live listing for your date.
Daintree & Cape Tribulation from Port Douglas
- Port Douglas hotel pickup
- Mossman Gorge, ferry and guided walks
- One hour of croc and wildlife spotting
Cape Tribulation Rainforest Night Walk
Torches, a naturalist and the forest after dark
Daintree & Mossman Gorge Day Tour
- Hotel pickup from 35 Cairns stops
- Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony
- One-hour river cruise and the ferry
