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Tamborine National Park is free to enter and mostly open 24 hours a day, though the gated Cedar Creek section locks up at night. Private attractions like the Rainforest Skywalk and glow worm caves charge admission and run on standard daytime schedules.
Most sections of Tamborine National Park remain open 24 hours a day, though walking is only recommended during daylight. The Cedar Creek section is the strict exception. It sits behind a gate that locks nightly at 6:00 pm during winter and 8:00 pm in summer.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Sunday | 24 hours | Cedar Creek section open 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (April–September) or 8:00 pm (October–March). Rainforest Skywalk opens 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. |
The national park stays open on public holidays, though summer school holidays quickly fill the small Cedar Creek car park. Seasonal closures hit frequently between December and April. Heavy wet-season rain forces rangers to temporarily shut down slippery walking tracks and flooded creek crossings.
Tamborine National Park is completely free to enter, with no permits required for hiking or picnicking.
You only open your wallet for the private attractions scattered across the plateau, such as the Rainforest Skywalk, the glow worm caves, or the adventure courses at Thunderbird Park.
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tamborine National Park Entry | Free | No permit required for general recreational visits |
| Rainforest Skywalk - Adult (18+) | $21.50 | |
| Rainforest Skywalk - Child (6-17) | $10.50 | Children 0-5 enter free |
| Rainforest Skywalk - Concession | $18.00 | Valid for Seniors, Students, and YHA cardholders |
| Rainforest Skywalk - Family | $48.50 - $54.00 | 2 adults and 1-2 children; extra children $5.50 each |
| Glow Worm Caves Tour | ~$56.00 | 30-minute guided tour at Cedar Creek Estate |
| Cedar Creek Wine Tasting | $16.00 | Includes 6 wines per person |
The national park, Thunderbird Park's general grounds, and the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens are always free to access, though the gardens accept donations.
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View All ToursWinter from June to August is the best time to visit Mount Tamborine, bringing dry, sunny days around 17°C that make trail walking comfortable. Summer heat coincides with school holidays, packed car parks, and the wet season, which dumps most of the plateau's 1,500mm of annual rain and forces rock-pool closures. Visit on a weekday to skip the intense weekend traffic at Cedar Creek.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning (06:00–09:30) | Low | Arrive when the Cedar Creek gates unlock at 6am to secure a space in the notoriously small car park. |
| Mid-morning (09:30–12:00) | Moderate | The Rainforest Skywalk opens at 9:30am, giving you a quiet window on the canopy bridges before tour buses roll in. |
| Early afternoon (12:00–14:00) | High | Picnic areas and waterfalls hit capacity, so retreat to Thunderbird Park for the accessible bird-feeding session at 2pm. |
| Late afternoon (14:00–17:00) | Moderate | Day-trippers start driving down the mountain, clearing out the short circuits like Curtis Falls before dusk. |
| Evening (17:00 onwards) | Low | Stick to the village, since rangers advise against walking the national park tracks after dark and the Cedar Creek gates lock by 6pm in winter. |
Plan for a half-day of three to four hours to tackle a couple of short rainforest tracks and grab lunch in North Tamborine. A full six to eight hours makes sense if you want to add ticketed stops like the guided glow worm cave tours, the self-guided Skywalk, or a cellar door tasting.
The small Cedar Creek car park fills rapidly on summer weekends and public holidays. Arrive early in the morning to secure a spot. Police actively issue infringement notices for illegal parking along Cedar Creek Falls Road and Tamborine Mountain Road.
Tracks and steps turn slippery after rain, making ankle-supporting closed footwear essential rather than thongs. Pack a raincoat and a warm layer regardless of the season. At 525 meters elevation, the plateau runs cooler than the coast, averaging 17°C in winter and 25°C in summer.
Group your stops geographically around North Tamborine and Eagle Heights to maximize a day trip. Walk a free national park circuit like Curtis Falls or Witches Falls first. Then head to nearby paid stops like the Rainforest Skywalk or the Glow Worm Caves.
The national park provides no drinking water or rubbish bins anywhere on the trails. Pack enough water for your hike, as creek water is unsafe to drink due to bacterial runoff after rain. You'll need to carry out all your own food scraps and packaging.
Skip public transport if you don't have a car. There's no direct bus onto the plateau, leaving you with an awkward bus-to-taxi transfer via Nerang that costs around $70. Hop-on hop-off tour buses run directly from Brisbane and the Gold Coast for about $99 to $119 per adult.
No, the national park is free to enter and requires no permits for general recreational visits. You only pay for commercial attractions in the surrounding villages, like the Rainforest Skywalk or the Glow Worm Caves.
Most sections of the park are open 24 hours a day, though authorities advise walking only in daylight. The Cedar Creek section is the exception. Its gates lock overnight, opening from 6am to 8pm between October and March, and 6am to 6pm the rest of the year.
Adult tickets cost $21.50, and children aged 6 to 17 are $10.50. Kids 5 and under enter free. Ticket sales run from 9:30am to 4pm daily, and the gates close at 5pm.
There is no direct public bus onto the mountain plateau. You can take the TransLink 740 bus to the Nerang Bicentennial Centre and catch a taxi up for about $70. Most visitors without a car book a hop-on hop-off tour instead. These run from Brisbane or the Gold Coast and cost around $99 to $119.
Winter is the best time to go. From June to August, the mountain has mild, dry days averaging 17°C that suit walking. Avoid the December to April wet season if possible. Heavy rain during these months makes the tracks slippery and often forces creek closures.
Swimming is heavily discouraged and often dangerous due to slippery rocks and changing water levels. Entering the water beyond the Curtis Falls viewing platform or inside the Cedar Creek Restricted Access Area is strictly prohibited. Police enforce these closures with fines.
Domestic pets are banned from all sections of Tamborine National Park. The only exception is for horses, which are permitted on specific designated forest trails.
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