5 Things to Know BEFORE Booking a Scenic Flight from Cairns

A Great Barrier Reef scenic flight from Cairns is by far, one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the world’s largest coral reef system.

After spending over 12 months exploring Cairns and Tropical Far North Queensland, people often ask me what the best way to see the reef is. A simple answer is that the best way to witness its scale and beauty is from the sky— on a scenic Great Barrier Reef flight!

There are several plane options available, including short return experiences from Cairns Airport, which almost always works out cheaper than taking a Great Barrier Reef Helicopter tour.

Below I’ll reveal 5 things everyone should know before booking their tour, and detail my experience to give you even more useful tips on how to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

5 Things to Know Before Booking Cairns Scenic Flight

1. The Reef Planes are Very Small

The small six-seater plane we took was easily the smallest plane I've ever flown in. Luckily, I got the front-row seat next to the pilot. It was truly an epic experience to fly 500 feet above the Great Barrier Reef in a little propeller plane.

However, if you're planning on booking a reef flight with a group, keep in mind that due to the small size, spots are allocated based on weight. It's pretty clear that this is to balance out the plane, but it basically means you can't swap seats as you choose.

Then again, if you get the six-seater as I did, everyone is within arm's reach anyway!

2. Afternoon Or Early Morning Flights Offer The Best Conditions

There are a few time slots available to book but I'd highly recommend booking an afternoon trip. Our scenic flight departed Cairns at 2:00 pm, which produced excellent conditions for a Great Barrier Reef flight.

Since the highlight of the trip is the reef, you'll want some sun to bring out the colours. However, too much harsh light will produce too much glare. That's why I'd recommend an afternoon flight where the sun isn't directly above the reef.

Our pilot was well-experienced and made sure to fly around the reef and islands so that both sides of the plane got some epic photo opportunities with the sun behind them.

3. The Weather on the Outer Reef Can Change

This is the tropics! Remember that the weather in Cairns might be different from the weather out on the reef. In fact, it usually is. The tall rainforest peaks behind Cairns soak up clouds, which means while it might look cloudy in town, the reef might not have a cloud in sight!

Of course, tropical storms can also brew out at sea. The good part is that Great Barrier Reef flights from Cairns don't operate if conditions don't allow for a safe flight, or if conditions aren't good for viewing the reef.

The guys at GSL told me that if it was too rainy or windy, they'd reschedule my trip for free.

4. Scenic Flights Are Much Cheaper than Helicopter Flights

If you compare the prices of Cairns helicopter tours with the scenic flight options, you'll find that the planes are roughly half the price!

There are many reasons for this:

1. Helicopters cost more to operate and maintain
2. More people can squeeze into a small scenic plane
3. Airplanes fly with better fuel efficiency

I've now done both of these and can say that the scenic flights definitely offer better value for money. However, the helicopters do get lower, which means you can see more marine life like manta rays, dolphins, sharks, and even whales!

5. Everyone Gets a Window Seat on the Plane

Remember, these are group bookings, so there'll be other people on the plane too. If you've booked the same trip I took, then it really won't matter since you'll get a window seat regardless!

Yes, these scenic flight planes are that small!

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Related: About the Hot Air Balloon Trips from Cairns

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Essential Items to Bring on a Cairns Scenic Flight

If you're used to bringing huge carry-on luggage on jetliners, just know that these scenic reef flights are very limited in space. This means you can't bring a bag with loads of belongings.

However, a handful of essential items are highly recommended:

• Camera - easily the most important if you want to snap some epic pics of the Great Barrier Reef
• Polarizing filter for your camera (more on this below)
• Sunglasses
• Phone (for photos and your digital booking ticket if you booked with GetYourGuide)

What to Expect on the Great Barrier Reef Flight From Cairns

I flew over the Great Barrier Reef for the first time during the month of December. While it was undeniably hot, it scratched the tropical itch I'd been missing from spending a few months down south.

From take-off, the first highlight on the GBR scenic flight was Green Island.

This is one of Cairns' most idyllic islands and one that I've had the pleasure of exploring a few times on my sailing trips. However, seeing this jewel of an island from above was a whole new experience.

Surrounded by tropical coral reef, green Island is the only Great Barrier Reef island with its own rainforest ecosystem.

It's true that the reef is more pristine the further you travel from the coast. If you've never been out to the reef before, this truth is equally as evident when witnessed from the sky. After rounding Green Island to allow both sides of the plane a clear view, we headed out for the outer reef.

Luckily for us, it was high tide during our flight. This meant that most of the reef was submerged, revealing a vibrant, turquoise glow. While I've seen the reef plenty of times from my drone, you really can't compare it to a real-world view.

On our flight itinerary for the day were some epic GBR sandy cay icons including Michaelmas Cay, Vlasoff Cay, and Upolo Cay.

These small sand bars, surrounded by crystalline, glowing coral reefs are arguably some of the most beautiful spots on the Great Barrier Reef. Flying past them at low altitudes also proved to offer some of the best photo opportunities of the scenic flight.

Other highlights included Hastings Reef, which is one of the best diving locations on the GBR, as well as some other beautiful bommie patches that took my breath away.

Tips for Taking Better Photos on Your Cairns Reef Flight

While phones are capable of capturing some pretty decent snaps, if you've got a bigger DSLR or mirrorless camera, make sure to bring it.

Flying over the Great Barrier Reef is one of the best photo opportunities I've had to date, and I had an absolute blast trying to snag some keepers.

Recommended Lenses and Focal Lengths

To capture the scale of the reef, I recommend bringing a wide-angle lens on a Great Barrier Reef scenic flight. On this trip, I was shooting with a Canon 5D Mark IV, so I chose to bring my 17-40mm f4L lens, which gives me room to capture some tighter angles as well as some large, open shots.

While a closer range like a 24-70mm walk-around lens would also be great, I wouldn't recommend bringing a telephoto. The planes fly at 500 feet, which is the lowest they're allowed to fly in Australia. You just won't need a telephoto. You'll also want to keep a fast shutter speed, which is harder to do the more you zoom.

Read my guide: Camera Gear for Travel Photography

Try a Polarising Filter

Shooting the water over the Great Barrier Reef from a scenic flight is the kind of thing polariser filters were built for!

Since we're shooting at the water, limiting glare and reflections provides some beautifully clean shots. It also allows you to capture more of the reef as the polariser cuts through the reflections on the surface of the water.

However, I found that it was harder to reduce the reflections from the plane window with the polariser on. Therefore, I didn't use it the whole time. 40 minutes might seem like a long time, but it goes quickly! Make sure to try with and without the filter.

Try to Find Your Angle Through the Plane Window

This last tip is arguably one of the most useful. You might not notice when you're on high above the reef but shooting through the glass window of the scenic plane sometimes leaves some reflections, depending on the angle (check the top right corner on the image above).

Try to work out your angles early on, even before you depart if you can. It might seem confusing, but you'll quickly realise where the unsightly reflections are strongest.

I suggest bringing a spare t-shirt or a small towel to wrap around the front of your lens. Then, if you press your lens against the glass with the rag wrapped around it, you'll limit any light or reflection from inside the plane from appearing in your shots.

A friend told me this tip and it seemed to work a treat!

More Epic Cairns Experiences

Far North Queensland is one of Australia's wildest adventure destinations. If you enjoyed this guide and mini-review of the Great Barrier Reef flight from Cairns, make sure to check out some of my other guides below!

• 60+ Things to do in Cairns - my ultimate Cairns and FNQ travel resource covering the best activities, hidden gems, and unmissable experiences.
• Cairns Hiking Guide - a huge list of epic rainforest, waterfall, and lookout hikes in Cairns.
• Cairns Waterfalls - a huge list of epic waterfalls that I've visited in Cairns and the surrounding tropics.
• Cairns Islands - discover my favorite Great Barrier Reef islands near Cairns and Port Douglas.
• Cairns Tours - my roundup of the best tours you can book in Cairns and FNQ, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Daintree Rainforest.
• Cairns Packing List - tips on what to pack for a trip to Far North Queensland.
• Top Things to Do in Port Douglas - a comprehensive guide to the sleepy Far North Queensland town of Port Douglas.
• Epic 5-Day Cairns Itinerary - my suggested adventure itinerary if you only have 5 days to spend in Cairns.
• Cape Tribulation Travel Guide - discover where the rainforest meets the reef at one of my favourite places in Australia.
• Best Things to do in the Atherton Tablelands - my guide to one of Far North Queensland's most underrated adventure destinations.
• Accommodation Resources: Discover where to stay in Cairns, the best hotels in Port Douglas and my Cape Tribulation accommodation guide.