Queensland, Australia
Cairns
Tropical gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest. Stay 3 days. Below: 3 activities, 3 outdoor spots and 1 place to eat, plus how Cairns fits into a longer trip.
- Places
- 9
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- May – Oct
- Warmest month
- December
- Coolest month
- July
- Wettest month
- February
3 Do · 3 Outdoors · 1 Eat · 1 Drink · 1 Shop
Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef
from our route notes
32°C / 90°F avg high
25°C / 76°F avg high
about 392 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Cairns
9 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
Do
Hands-on ways to spend time in Cairns across Reef Fleet Terminal, Cairns City and Smithfield.
Photo: Reef Magic Cruises · GoogleDoReef Magic Cruises
Fast catamaran to a pontoon on Moore Reef for snorkeling, diving and a semi-submarine.
Photo: Ladymaggic · GoogleDoKuranda Scenic Railway
Heritage train climbing the Barron Gorge to the rainforest village of Kuranda.
Tip Ride the train up and the Skyrail cableway down.
Photo: Skyrail Rainforest Cableway · GoogleDoSkyrail Rainforest Cableway
7.5 km gondola over the Wet Tropics rainforest with boardwalk stops along the way.
Outdoors
Trails, views and open space in and around Cairns. 2 of them are free.
Photo: www.cape-york-australia.com · CC BY-SA 4.0OutdoorsGreen Island
Coral cay 45 minutes from Cairns with rainforest, snorkeling and glass-bottom boats.
Tip Take the first ferry for calmer water and fewer people.
Photo: Brigitte Musch · GoogleOutdoorsCairns Esplanade Lagoon
Free saltwater swimming lagoon on the waterfront, with lifeguards and lawns.
Photo: Steve Fitzgerald · CC BY-SA 4.0OutdoorsCrystal Cascades
Rainforest creek with clear swimming holes 20 minutes from the city.
Tip Swim only in the marked pools; flash floods can occur after rain.
Eat
1 place to eat in Marlin Marina, picked for groups who care about the food.
Photo: Ochre Restaurant and Catering · GoogleEatOchre Restaurant
Marina restaurant whose menu uses more than 30 Australian native ingredients.
Tip Closed Sundays; try the native-spiced tasting plates.
Drink
1 bar or café in Marlin Marina for coffee, a round or a nightcap.
Photo: Salt House · Google
Shop
1 shop in Cairns City for browsing and souvenirs.
Photo: Sara Migliori · GoogleShopRusty's Markets
Weekend produce market with tropical fruit, local coffee and food stalls.
Tip Open Friday to Sunday; try fresh mango or dragon fruit.
How to fit Cairns into a trip
Cairns is stop 3 of 4 on our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route. Follow it as-is or lift Cairns into your own plan.
Stop 3 of 4
Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef
Harbour city, sandstone cliffs and coral
- Trip length
- 11 days
- Best season
- May – Oct
- Pace
- easy
- Before: Blue Mountains
- Next: Port Douglas & Daintree
Getting here and onward
- Cairns to Port Douglas & DaintreePort Douglas & Daintree is about 59 km / 36 mi away in a straight line
- Blue Mountains to CairnsBlue Mountains is about 1,922 km / 1,194 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Cairns month by month
Average daily highs run from 25°C / 76°F in July to 32°C / 90°F in December. February is the wettest month, with about 392 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan31° / 87°F average high
- Feb30° / 86°F average high
- Mar29° / 84°F average high
- Apr28° / 82°F average high
- May26° / 79°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jun25° / 77°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul25° / 76°F average high, in our recommended season
- Aug26° / 79°F average high, in our recommended season
- Sep28° / 83°F average high, in our recommended season
- Oct30° / 87°F average high, in our recommended season
- Nov31° / 89°F average high
- Dec32° / 90°F average high
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Cairns weather and the best time to visit →
Near Cairns
1 other destination from our guides within about 100 km (62 mi), measured in a straight line.
Cairns questions, answered
How many days do you need in Cairns?
Our route notes suggest 3 days in Cairns. On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route it is stop 3 of 4 in a 11-day trip. The listed visit times for our 9 places add up to roughly 27 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Cairns best known for?
Tropical gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest. Stay 3 days. Standouts on our list: Green Island (Coral cay 45 minutes from Cairns with rainforest, snorkeling and glass-bottom boats); Cairns Esplanade Lagoon (Free saltwater swimming lagoon on the waterfront, with lifeguards and lawns); Crystal Cascades (Rainforest creek with clear swimming holes 20 minutes from the city).
When is the best time to visit Cairns?
Our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route is best May – Oct. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in December (32°C / 90°F), the coolest in July (25°C / 76°F) and the most rain in February (about 392 mm).
What are the best things to do in Cairns?
Start with Green Island, Reef Magic Cruises, Kuranda Scenic Railway, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Cairns Esplanade Lagoon. Our guide lists 9 places in all, from 3 activities, 3 outdoor spots, 1 place to eat, 1 bar or café and 1 shop.
Plan Cairns with your crew
Open the Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 9 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.
Plan around Cairns
More in Australia
- Blue Mountains 10 places
- Sydney 10 places
- Melbourne 10 places
- Torquay 10 places
- Port Campbell 10 places