7 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.

Get in touch with nature at Birdworld Kuranda and Off-Road Tours. Get a sense of the local culture at Mareeba Heritage Museum and Visitor Information Centre and Spy & Camera Museum. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Cairns: Yungaburra (Lake Barrine, The Peterson Creek Walking Track, &more), Mareeba (Granite Gorge Nature Park & Jaques Coffee Plantation) and Malanda Falls (in Malanda). There's much more to do: identify plant and animal life at Atherton Tablelands, learn about all things military at The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum, step off the mainland to explore Michaelmas Cay, and take a tour by water with Boat Tours & Water Sports.

For other places to visit, reviews, more things to do, and tourist information, read our Cairns trip itinerary planner.

July in Cairns sees daily highs of 30°C and lows of 20°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 1st (Sat) early enough to travel back home.