A JAM-PACKED 7 DAY CAIRNS ITINERARY: REEFS, RAINFORESTS & PARADISE ISLANDS!
LOOKING TO PLAN THE ULTIMATE CAIRNS ITINERARY?
DAY 1: EXPLORE CAIRNS CITY, FLYING FOXES & CAIRNS NIGHT MARKETS
SPOTTED WILDLIFE!
Spectacled Flying Foxes
Australia is home to 5 ‘megabat’ flying fox species! They spend most of their day grooming, sunbathing and chattering to their neighbours, by night they fly long distances (up to 70km!) in search of food – including nectar and fruit. Only vaccinated and experienced bat handlers should touch flying foxes, as a small percentage carry a rabies-like disease (ABLV) which can infect humans.
DAY 2: FITZROY ISLAND FULL DAY TOUR
Top Tip: The main beaches are not sand, but piles of washed up coral pieces! Be sure to bring protective sea shoes – otherwise it’ll be very painful to walk across!
Top Tip: Between July-November, look out for humpback whales on the way over to Fitzroy Island! We saw 3 on the boat ride back!
Fun Fact: Fitzroy Island was connected to the mainland over 10,000 years ago!
Fun Fact: There is just one luxury hotel on Fitzroy Island you can stay at, called Fitzroy Island Resort!
DAY 3: GREAT BARRIER REEF FULL DAY TOUR
Fun Fact: The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2300km, equates to 350,000 square metres and is comprised of 3000 coral reefs! No wonder it can be seen from space!
Top Tip: Check out our list of top Whitsunday day trips from Airlie Beach for more Great Barrier Reef tours!
Top Tip: There are also helicopter tours where you can marvel the Great Barrier Reef from above. However – If you are catching a normal flight down the East Coast from Cairns, you should actually see the Great Barrier Reef clearly out of the window – for free! Just try and book a left-hand side window seat.
Click to book your Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tours from Cairns!
Other great tour options to see Great Barrier Reef:
DAY 4: KURANDA SCENIC RAILWAY FULL DAY TOUR
Top Tip: The Kuranda Scenic Railway comprises of 15 hand-made tunnels and 37 bridges! Many lives of construction workers were lost building this immense infrastructure.
Top Tip: The train journey to Kuranda takes approximately one and a half hours to complete, and includes an English commentary on the history of the region and the railway.
DAY 5: GREEN ISLAND FULL DAY TOUR
Fun Fact: Green Island is the only island with both a rainforest and reef! It is also a protected area, so collecting shells or sand is forbidden.
Top Tip: Make sure you book the full day tour in the earlier 9am slot for maximum time on the island! There is no point in doing a half-day tour.
Top Tip: On Main beach, there is free ‘Life-Fi’ WiFi that you can use!
Fun Fact: There is just one luxury hotel on Green Island you can stay at, called Green Island Resort!
SPOTTED WILDLIFE!
Sea Turtles
See many sea turtles in the shallow waters of Green Island, munching on the sea grass! The islands off Cairns (including Green Island) are one of the best places in the world (and almost guaranteed) to see marine turtles in their natural habitat!
SPOTTED WILDLIFE!
Buff-Banded Rail bird
Find many of these brave ground-dwelling birds on the Main Beach of Green Island. A medium-sized bird with short legs, expect them to come right up close in search of stealing some food!
DAY 6: WHITE WATER RAFTING FULL DAY TOUR
Top Tip: Rapids are graded on a 0-6 scale, 0 being still calm water and 6 being Niagara falls. The Tully river mainly has a mixture of 2-4 rapid areas, with a few grade 5’s which we were not permitted to go down.
SPOTTED WILDLIFE!
Ulysses Butterfly
Also known as the “Mountain Blue Butterfly” spot many of these beautiful iridescent butterflies along the river edge, peaking out from the heritage rainforest, or even circling above your boat! It is found in most tropical rainforest areas in Northern Queensland below the rainforest canopies.
DAY 7: DAINTREE, CAPE TRIBULATION & CROCODILE RIVER CRUISE FULL DAY TOUR
Fun Fact: The sea at Cape Tribulation beach looks inviting – but stay well clear! There are warning signs all around of saltwater crocodiles dwelling in the ocean! This is common in North Queensland.
Did You Know? The Daintree Rainforest is the oldest living rainforest on Earth, and has been continuously growing for over 100 million years!
Did You Know? Approximately 439 bird species live in the Daintree Rainforest, including 13 not found anywhere else in the world!
Did You Know? There are over 33 million wild pigs in Queensland, considered a huge problem as they destroy so much of the rainforest floor.
Did You Know? Saltwater Crocodiles can drop their heart rate from 40 to 2 beats per minute to allow them to stay underwater longer!
Did You Know? Saltwater Crocodiles have lasted 240 million years on Earth, even through the Ice Ages! In fact, they are not known to be susceptible to any known diseases.
Did You Know? Saltwater Crocodiles can survive up to 12 months without food!
SPOTTED WILDLIFE!
The Southern Cassowary
This incredible creature is the Cassowary: A ‘ratites’ species from the Ostrich / Emu family! They have lived in the Daintree rainforest over 100 million years, however sadly have become a critically endangered species due to habitat loss, vehicle strikes and dog attacks. Now, there is fewer than 1,000 left in the wild. If you’re lucky, wild Cassowarys can be spotted on the Daintree tours.
SPOTTED WILDLIFE!
Tawny Frogmouth
Found all across Australia, though extremely well camouflaged against tree trunks, these nocturnal large birds grow to the size of an owl! Recognisable by their insanely large, piercing yellow eyes and, you guessed it, ‘frog-like mouth’ shaped beak! They use this beak to swoop down from the trees and catch their prey, including worms, snails, slugs and spiders. They sometimes eat larger prey, such as small mammals!
WHERE TO STAY IN CAIRNS
HIGH-END ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
(£100+ PER NIGHT):
Cairns Plaza
Waters Edge Apartment
MID-RANGE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS:
(£60-£99 PER NIGHT):
Hotel Tropiq
Bay Village Tropical Retreat
BUDGET ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS:
(BELOW £60 PER NIGHT):
CAIRNS PACKING LIST
- Loose comfortable clothing, such as tank tops and cotton shorts.
- Your swimsuit.
- Protective beach shoes! This is crucial for Fitzroy Island & Green Island.
- A microfibre beach towel (fast drying & lightweight).
- A spare waterproof bag to store your wet towel / swimsuit after your tour.
- A GoPro / waterproof camera to capture amazing footage!
- Or! A waterproof dry bag (with a lanyard!) to take photos and videos on your smartphone instead.
- High factor sun cream
- After sun moisturising cream.
- Sun protective clothing, including a hat and sunglasses.
- Comfortable lightweight walking shoes with good grip (ideal for Daintree Rainforest tour).
- A medical pouch / first aid kit.
- Refillable water bottle to bring on your tours.
- Powered battery pack (and cable) for your smart phone.
GETTING TO CAIRNS
GETTING TO CAIRNS BY AIR: 🛫
If you are looking to get to Cairns directly from another major city, the most convenient method for you is to fly. Most major cities in Australia fly directly to Cairns in just a few hours, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.
There is a great choice of operating airlines (Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Alliance for example) to choose from. Check Skyscanner for the best deals for your dates.
GETTING TO CAIRNS BY TRAIN: 🚉
If you are travelling to Cairns from Brisbane, another great option guaranteeing the upmost comfort is to jump on the “Spirit of Queensland”. If this sounds like a great option for you, check out their prices and timetable here.
GETTING TO CAIRNS BY BUS: 🚌
Getting to Cairns by bus is the best way to get to Cairns for anyone travelling up the East Coast. The Greyhound Australia bus offers a flexible and affordable hop-on, hop off ticket covering from Sydney to Cairns.
GETTING TO CAIRNS BY CAR: 🚙
For those who want to stop and see the scenery up the East Coast to Cairns in their own time, a popular option is rent a car for multiple days. Click here to check for the best rental car deals available for your dates!
HOW TO GET AROUND CAIRNS
HOW TO GET AROUND CAIRNS CITY ON FOOT 🚶🏻♀️
Cairns city in its entirety is a deceivingly large, however the majority of its key attractions (Cairns Esplanade, Cairns Esplanade lagoon, Night markets, etc) are all located in a condensed area along the shoreline.
Therefore, as long as you stay in Cairns near the centre, everything you’ll want to see in the immediate centre of Cairns is accessible on foot.
HOW TO GET TO A CAIRNS TOUR MEETING POINT 🎟️
It is important to note that the majority of ocean based tours from Cairns heading out to either Fitzroy Island, Green Island or the Great Barrier Reef will require you to get yourself to the meeting point of Reef Fleet Terminal.
Any other land-based tours from Cairns (i.e. Kuranda Scenic Railway and Daintree Rainforests) will usually pick up & drop off directly from your Cairns accommodation.
HOW TO GET AROUND IN NORTH QUEENSLAND, OUT OF THE CAIRNS REGION 🚌🚗
For those who do not want to rely on a tour pick-up and would rather explore further afield in North Queensland by themselves, there are two main options.
First is to take advantage of the convenient ‘SunBus‘ bus service.
Another is to rent a car for multiple days to explore the rest of Far North Queensland freely with no restraints on your itinerary. This is a great option if you have extended time in North Queensland, and want to head past Cairns to Port Douglas.
VISITING CAIRNS:
“KNOW BEFORE YOU GO” FAQ’S
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT CAIRNS?
IS CAIRNS WORTH VISITING?
Cairns, a large city found in Far North Queensland of Australia, is definitely worth visiting. As a city, it is renowned for its vibrant nightlife and bar scene, plentiful shops and “Cairns Esplanade Lagoon”, a free outside public swimming pool set against the ocean.
What we found so special about Cairns the hundreds of spectacled flying foxes living in the huge tree next to the Cairns library. Spot them squeaking in plain sight upside down during the day and executing a mass exodus as the night darkens. This mesmerising sight can be observed every day.
WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON TOURISTS COMES TO CAIRNS?
The main reason tourists come to Cairns is because of its perfect location in North Queensland. Cairns is the closest town to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Acting as a gateway to all the best Cairns tours, Cairns is often used as a base for tourists.
WHAT IS THE BEST MONTH TO VISIT CAIRNS?
The best months to visit Cairns are during Australia’s Winter months of June – August. This is because during this time, Cairns weather is mostly warm and pleasant in the mid-20 degree celsius. This brings clear skies and calm conditions, making all Cairns activities much more enjoyable!
The Winter months in Australia are also a better time to visit Cairns due to the lack of dangerous box jellyfish in the ocean, thus making it safer to visit the Great Barrier Reef.
Cairns and all of Northern Queensland experience a ‘monsoon season’ during December to March. This makes the weather is Cairns very rainy, unpredictable and unbearably humid. Therefore, these are the worst months to visit Cairns.
HOW MANY DAYS IN CAIRNS IS ENOUGH?
HOW LONG SHOULD I GO TO CAIRNS FOR?
The amount of days you spend in Cairns relies on many different factors, including your available time and overall budget. As it is mainly a hub, exploring Cairns city itself only requires 1 day.
From then, everything else to see in this area is outside of Cairns and is easily seen via a booked tour or self-driving.
We believe to experience almost everything key that Cairns (and surrounding) has to offer that 5 to 7 days is the minimum amount of time to spend in Cairns.
CONCLUSION: CAIRNS ITINERARY
To conclude, this Cairns itinerary can so easily adapted to include all of the tours that you personally would want to do!
While white water rafting may not be for everyone, we highly recommend that you do not miss these specific tours during your stay in Cairns:
We hope you have the best time following our Cairns travel guide, and make memories that will last a lifetime!
This blog post was written by Jordie Flain!
Founder of TheFlainsTravel.com
A travel-obsessed Sagittarius creating honest, easy-to-follow guides. Powered by tea, chocolate and a slightly concerning amount of tomato ketchup.
Got a trip coming up? Look no further than:
Skyscanner for the best flight deals
Easy to compare, clean, uncluttered website.
Booking.com to stay somewhere amazing
Most free cancellation on anything from glamping to luxury stays.
Viator for unforgettable experiences
All the best tours & activities in one easy place! Free cancellation on most.
Staysure Travel Insurance to feel safe & confident
Easy, stress-free, reliable insurance with excellent customer service. (UK only)
OR…
