8 days in Cairns Region 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.

We've included these beaches for you: Four Mile Beach and Palm Cove Beach. Bring the kids along to Scuba & Snorkeling and Esplanade Boardwalk. Change things up with these side-trips from Cairns: Port Douglas (Safaris & Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas), Hartley's Crocodile Adventures (in Wangetti) and Kuranda (Australian Butterfly Sanctuary & Terra Nova Gallery). Next up on the itinerary: identify plant and animal life at Mossman Gorge Centre, stroll through Trinity Beach, learn about winemaking at Shannonvale Tropical Fruit Winery, and take in the architecture and atmosphere at St Monica's Cathedral.

To find other places to visit, traveler tips, more things to do, and tourist information, use the Cairns trip itinerary planner.

Hobart to Cairns is an approximately 7.5-hour flight. You can also do a combination of car and ferry; or do a combination of bus, ferry, and train. Traveling from Hobart in August, things will get warmer in Cairns: highs are around 31°C and lows about 20°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 20th (Thu) early enough to travel back home.