Located over a thousand miles north of Brisbane, the tropical city of Cairns is your gateway to Far North Queensland‘s ancient rainforests and barrier reef.
It looks remote on the map, but Cairns is a bustling tourist center that’s home to night markets, museums, and even a public lagoon on the Esplanade where you can cool off for free. The marina is the launchpad for catamaran tours to the Great Barrier Reef, where you can snorkel and dive among the coral atolls of the world’s largest living structure.
Inland and the high plateau of the Atherton Tableland offer respite from the coastal humidity, while the Scenic Railway or the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway whisks you upwards to the markets and waterfalls of Kuranda. Even further north, the world’s oldest rainforest awaits you, where you can explore the rivers, gorges, and coastline of the Daintree Rainforest on a day trip from Cairns.
With so many things to see and do, you might not know where to begin. So we’ve compiled our list of the absolute best things to do in Cairns for you. Stick to these fun and unique Cairns bucket list recommendations, and there’s no doubt you’ll have an amazing time exploring this gorgeous corner of Queensland!
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The Top 11 Things to do in Cairns
1. Explore the Great Barrier Reef
If you’ve made the long journey to Far North Queensland, there’s one thing you have to have on your Cairns bucket list, and that’s the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is the gateway to Australia’s most famous natural sight, and even with weeks to spare, you could never dream of exploring each and every coral reef and atoll that comprises the world’s largest marine ecosystem.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches from Cape York (north of Cairns) all the way south to Bundaberg, but when you’re staying in Cairns, you’re perfectly placed for snorkeling, diving, and sailing expeditions to some of the best sites on the reef.
Day tours depart from Cairns throughout the dry season (April to October), whisking you across the Coral Sea on fast catamarans to snorkel sites. You can join multi-day liveaboard excursions if you’re a keen diver or spend the night on a stationary pontoon in the middle of the reef!
2. Take a Flightseeing Tour
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living natural structure – so large it can even be seen from space! For a sense of perspective, a flightseeing tour is one of the top things to do in Cairns for adventure seekers.
Small prop planes and helicopters regularly depart from Cairns, taking sightseers to lofty heights above the city before cruising at altitude over the reef.
Join a seaplane tour and you can land next to the reef itself, while helicopter safaris often drop visitors on remote islands where you can embrace the isolation of the ocean before being picked up later.
3. Eat Your Way Around Cairns’ Night Markets
When the sun goes down, Cairns’ Night Markets burst to life as woks are fired up and the draught beers flow.
Inspired by the food courts of Southeast Asia, Cairns’ Night Markets have been feeding hungry tourists and legions of locals every evening from 4:30 pm until late since 1991.
You can gorge on Vietnamese pho, Chinese chow mein, and freshly made sushi, as well as Aussie classics like a meat pie and a pint of lager. Next to the food court, over a hundred market stalls sell everything from gems to didgeridoos.
4. Delve into History at the Cairns Museum
Europeans might only have arrived in Far North Queensland in the 18th century but at the Cairns Museum, you can learn how this tropical region has a long human history stretching back tens of thousands of years.
The museum tells the story of the modern settlement of Cairns by the British after its founding in 1876, but also delves into the history and culture of the Aboriginal groups that lived here long before, including the Yidinji people.
The museum has five different galleries for you to explore, focusing on Aboriginal history and culture, European settlement, and the development of Cairns’ modern tourism industry.
5. Take the Scenic Railway to Kuranda
Located on a plateau above Cairns, Kuranda and its quirky markets make for a cool day trip from the humid coastline below.
Surrounded by rainforests (including Kuranda National Park) and hemmed in by the rocky waterfalls of the Barron River, Kuranda is home to many of the top Cairns attractions, including the Kuranda Koala Gardens, an artist’s cooperative, rainforest walking trails, and the famous Birdworld.
The real fun is the journey itself from Cairns. You can drive up through the mountains, or you can opt for Kuranda’s leisurely Scenic Railway or the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway from stations at the base of the plateau.
Kuranda’s Scenic Railway dates back to 1891, ascending to a height of 381 meters (1,250 feet) as it traverses dramatic mountain scenery and the crashing drops of Barron Falls. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway whisks you above the rainforest canopy, offering supreme views on your way to Kuranda.
Why not book a combined ticket if you can’t choose which to take? Take the Scenic Railway up and the cable car back down!
6. Visit Barron Falls
Reaching a staggering height of 125 meters (410 feet) and a massive width of 259 meters (850 feet), Barron Falls is one of the most awe-inspiring Cairns attractions.
Part of the wider Barron Falls National Park, you’ll find this thundering waterfall on the Barron River, where it drops dramatically from the Atherton Tableland to the coastal plains below.
The waterfall is best seen at the end of the wet season when the sheer volume of water hurtling over the precipice is almost terrifying to behold. You can see the falls on the Kuranda Skyrail or when taking the Kuranda Scenic Railway from Cairns.
7. Swim in Cairns Esplanade Lagoon
Far North Queensland might seem like a tropical paradise, but the beaches, mangroves, and long coastline all hide fearsome and often deadly Australian species.
If you don’t want to worry about the saltwater crocodiles or being stung by a potentially poisonous jellyfish, then visiting the Esplanade Lagoon is one of the best things to do in Cairns.
Located on the Esplanade, this large saltwater swimming pool is completely free to use. It’s open-air and open to the public, making it the perfect place to cool off while avoiding the crocs!
8. Try Bush Tucker at Ochre
If you’re a serious foodie, then tucking into bush tucker is one of the coolest things to do in Cairns. If you’d love to try the “real” Australian food (and by that, we mean Aboriginal-inspired cooking), there’s no better place to dine than Ochre.
This award-winning restaurant embraces local “bush tucker” spices like wattleseed and dukkah, as well as locally sourced barramundi, kangaroo steaks, and Atherton Tableland beef.
9. Meet the Turtles at Green Island
If you’re looking for adventurous Cairns activities, take the 45-minute catamaran ride from Cairns to Green Island, where you can enjoy the tranquility of a tropical island while exploring the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef.
Green Island is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a Great Barrier Reef day trip that doesn’t involve too much time spent on a boat (you can even take a helicopter here). The small island is home to a resort where you can rent snorkeling gear, and the sandy beaches lead right onto colorful coral reefs.
Green Island is also an important marine sanctuary, and there’s a particular focus on preserving the local turtle populations, which you can meet on a snorkeling tour of the island.
10. Explore the Atherton Tableland
If you’re looking for a great way to escape the heat, then a day trip to the Atherton Tableland is one of the must-do things in Cairns.
Perched above the coastline at an altitude varying from 600 meters (1,969 feet) up to 1,000 meters (3,281 feet), you’ll love the cooler climes on this beautiful plateau overlooking the coast.
The cooler climate ensures the Atherton Tableland is perfect for agriculture, and you can find some of Queensland’s best cheese at the Mungalli Creek Dairy, while the Yungaburra Farmers Market attracts the crowds once a month.
See the iconic Curtain Fig Tree (one of the biggest trees in Queensland), visit the volcanic crater lake at Lake Eacham, and visit the fruit bat sanctuary at the Tolga Bat Hospital for a great Cairns excursion!
11. Day Trip to Daintree Rainforest
A visit to the oldest rainforest in the world is one of the best things to do in Cairns. Estimated to be over 135 million years old, the Daintree Rainforest begins approximately an hour’s drive north of Cairns.
There’s much to do here, and when you arrive at the Daintree River, you can take a Solar Whisper tour (on a silent, solar-powered boat) in search of the big saltwater crocodiles that live here.
Further north, and at Cape Tribulation (named by Captain Cook in 1770, after his ship ran aground on the reef), you’ll have beautiful scenes as the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef (both are UNESCO World Heritage-listed). Visit the Daintree Discovery Centre to learn more about the natural history and take a guided walk through the ancient rainforest in search of rare species like the cassowary!
There you have it! The best things to do in Cairns. What’s your favorite thing to do in Cairns?
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