For more on Cairns weather by month, check our Cairns weather by month. Cairns is the gateway to two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. The city itself has a relaxed tropical feel centred on the Esplanade and lagoon, but the real draw is what lies beyond: the world’s largest coral reef system, the oldest continuously surviving rainforest on Earth, and a string of islands, gorges, and waterfalls within a two-hour radius. This guide covers the essential attractions with practical details on getting there, costs, and timing.
Things to Do in Cairns: Great Barrier Reef and Islands
Outer Great Barrier Reef Day Trip
For more on best time to visit Cairns, check our best time to visit Cairns. The outer reef lies 40-90 minutes by high-speed catamaran from Cairns Marlin Marina. A full-day trip typically includes two reef sites, snorkel gear, buffet lunch, and transfers for AU$250-350 per adult. Operators like Reef Magic, Sunlover, and Great Adventures run daily departures, with check-in at 7:30am and return around 5:30pm. The reef sites visited vary by weather, with Saxon Reef, Norman Reef, and Moore Reef being the most common stops. Book 2-3 days ahead in the dry season; in peak July-August, book a week in advance. Scuba diving add-ons cost AU$80-180 depending on whether you need an introductory dive or are certified. Helicopter scenic flights over the reef run AU$300-600 for a 25-minute flight and can be bundled with a cruise return.
Green Island
For more on events and festivals in Cairns, check our events and festivals in Cairns. Green Island is a 15-hectare coral cay 45 minutes by ferry from Cairns, making it the closest reef island accessible as a day trip. Ferries depart at 8:30am and 10:30am, returning at 2:30pm and 4:30pm; the round-trip fare is AU$98 per adult and AU$49 per child through Big Cat Green Island Cruises. The island has a resort (Green Island Resort) if you want to stay overnight, a small swimming pool, a restaurant, and a snorkel trail straight off the beach. Snorkel gear hire is AU$18, or you can walk the 1.5km boardwalk loop through the island’s interior rainforest. Glass-bottom boat tours and semi-submersible rides are included in some ferry packages for non-swimmers.
Fitzroy Island
For more on best neighborhoods in Cairns, check our best neighborhoods in Cairns. Fitzroy Island is a 45-minute ferry ride south-east of Cairns (AU$84 return adult, AU$42 child via Fitzroy Island Adventures). The island is 97% national park with walking trails, two main beaches (Welcome Bay and Nudey Beach, though the latter involves clothes), and a small resort. Nudey Beach was voted Australia’s best beach in 2018 and is a 20-minute walk from the jetty. The island has a turtle rehabilitation centre (AU$12 entry) and excellent snorkelling straight from the beach. Kayak and stand-up paddleboard hire is available. Ferries run 3-4 times daily, with the earliest departing Cairns at 8:00am.
Things to Do in Cairns: Rainforest and Nature
Kuranda via Skyrail and Scenic Railway
For more on where to stay in Cairns, check our where to stay in Cairns. The Kuranda day trip is the most popular rainforest experience from Cairns. Take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway up (7.5km cable car journey over the Barron Gorge National Park canopy, with two stops at Red Peak and Barron Falls for boardwalk walks) and the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway down (34km, 1.5 hours, winding through tunnels and past waterfalls). The combo ticket costs AU$125 per adult and AU$62.50 per child. The Skyrail departs from Smithfield, a 15-minute drive north of Cairns, with coach transfers from Cairns hotels adding AU$25. In Kuranda village, you’ll find markets (open daily), the Koala Gardens (AU$19), Birdworld (AU$19), and the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary (AU$21). The markets are best on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Allow a full day: depart Cairns 8:30am, return by 5:30pm.
Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation
For more on Cairns travel tips, check our Cairns travel tips. The Daintree is the world’s oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforest, estimated at 180 million years old. It is a 2-hour drive north of Cairns (or 2.5 hours to Cape Tribulation). Day tours from Cairns cost AU$230-300 per adult and include transport, a Daintree River crocodile cruise, guided walks, and lunch. Self-driving is doable: take the Captain Cook Highway to Mossman, then cross the Daintree River on the vehicle ferry (AU$28 return, operates 6:00am to midnight). Key stops include Mossman Gorge (AU$13.85 adult for shuttle bus access), the Daintree Discovery Centre (AU$37 adult for canopy tower and boardwalks), and Cape Tribulation beach where the rainforest meets the reef. The road beyond Cape Tribulation is 4WD-only. River cruises (AU$35-45 per adult) run 6-8 times daily and typically spot saltwater crocodiles, especially on the Solar Whisper electric cruise.
Atherton Tablelands and Waterfall Circuit
For more on Cairns travel guide, check our Cairns travel guide. The Atherton Tablelands sit 500-1,000 metres above Cairns, offering cooler temperatures and a completely different landscape of rolling dairy country, crater lakes, and waterfalls. The 120km waterfall circuit can be driven in a day: start from Cairns up the Gillies Highway (20km of hairpin bends, not for nervous drivers), stopping at Lake Barrine (volcanic crater lake, 5km walk, teahouse), the Curtain Fig Tree (a 500-year-old strangler fig), Millaa Millaa Falls (the most photographed waterfall in Queensland, safe for swimming), Zillie Falls, and Ellinjaa Falls. Tour vans charge AU$120-180 per person. For self-drivers, fuel up in Cairns and carry cash for farm-gate stalls selling avocados, macadamias, and mangoes in summer.
Things to Do in Cairns: Free and In-Town Activities
Cairns Esplanade and Lagoon
The Cairns Esplanade stretches 2.5km along the waterfront from the Cruise Terminal to the Cairns Hospital, with a wide pedestrian boardwalk, free barbecues, exercise stations, and the star attraction: the 4,800-square-metre saltwater lagoon pool. The lagoon is free, open 6:00am to 9:00pm daily, patrolled by lifeguards, and safe for swimming year-round without stingers. It holds 13 million litres of saltwater and is filtered every six hours. The Esplanade also hosts free fitness classes (yoga, Zumba, aqua aerobics) most mornings; check the Active Living program on the Cairns Regional Council website for the current timetable. Saturday mornings bring the Esplanade Market with local crafts and food stalls.
Rusty’s Markets
Rusty’s Markets on Grafton Street is open Friday 5:00am to 6:00pm, Saturday 6:00am to 3:00pm, and Sunday 6:00am to 2:00pm. It has been running since 1975 and is the place to buy tropical fruit (mangosteens, rambutans, dragon fruit, soursop) at a fraction of supermarket prices. There are also hot food stalls serving Vietnamese pho, Malaysian laksa, and Japanese takoyaki. A typical breakfast of fresh tropical fruit and coffee runs AU$12-15. Parking is free for the first hour at the adjacent car park with a ticket validated by a stall.
Cairns Botanic Gardens
The Cairns Botanic Gardens on Collins Avenue are free and open daily from 7:30am to 5:30pm. The standout is the Flecker Garden, a curated collection of tropical plants from around the world, plus the Gondwana Heritage Walk, a boardwalk through a remnant pocket of lowland rainforest with interpretive signs. The adjacent Tanks Arts Centre, housed in three converted World War II oil storage tanks, hosts exhibitions and occasional concerts. Free guided walks depart from the visitor centre at 10:00am Tuesday to Friday.
