18 days in Cairns Itinerary

A neat, cosmopolitan city of shaded plazas and laid-back neighborhoods, Cairns serves as a popular base for exploration of the surrounding region and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as a center for watersport activities like surfing or waterskiing.

Do some cultural sightseeing at Daintree Discovery Centre and Historic Village Herberton. We've included these beaches for you: Four Mile Beach and Trinity Beach. Explore Cairns' surroundings by going to Palm Cove Beach (in Palm Cove), Port Douglas (Safaris, Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, &more) and Mossman (Venture Deeper & Shannonvale Tropical Fruit Winery). Spend the 13th (Wed) among aquatic life with a scuba or snorkeling tour. Spend the 23rd (Sat) exploring nature at Barron Gorge National Park. And it doesn't end there: hike along Esplanade Boardwalk, let the river carry you with a rafting and tubing tour, pause for some serene contemplation at St Monica's Cathedral, and see the world from above with a helicopter tour.

To see traveler tips, photos, reviews, and more tourist information, go to the Cairns road trip planner.

If you are flying in from United Kingdom, the closest major aiport is Cairns International Airport. Expect a daytime high around 33°C in September, and nighttime lows around 22°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 26th (Tue) to allow time to travel back home.