Outdoors · Cairns · Australia
8 best outdoor things to do in Cairns
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Steve Fitzgerald, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip, Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 25–32 hours across 6 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 25–32 hours
- Areas
- Reef Fleet Terminal, Cairns City and Smithfield
Outdoors in Cairns
Nature · Reef Fleet Terminal
1.Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip
Choose a smaller boat visiting two or three outer-reef sites for better coral and fewer people, and wear a stinger suit — usually provided — in any season.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Nature
- Kids
- Active
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Cairns City
2.Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk
Bring binoculars at low tide; the Esplanade is one of Australia's well-known shorebird-watching spots.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Iconic
Experience · Smithfield
3.Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Go up by Skyrail and return on the Kuranda Scenic Railway (or vice versa) on a combined ticket.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours one way
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Views
- Nature
- Kids
Island · Great Barrier Reef
4.Green Island
Snorkel near the jetty and along the western beach at high tide, and go early before the bigger boats arrive.
- Time needed
- Half to full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
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Island · Great Barrier Reef
5.Fitzroy Island
Walk the Summit Track in the morning, then snorkel off Nudey Beach in the afternoon.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- Couples
Market · Kuranda
6.Kuranda village and markets
Walk the riverside trail behind the railway station for quiet rainforest away from the market crowds.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Shopping
- Nature
Garden · Edge Hill
7.Cairns Botanic Gardens
Combine the gardens with the Red Arrow circuit on Mount Whitfield for a city view, early in the day before the heat.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Aquarium · Cairns City
8.Cairns Aquarium
Visit before your reef trip; it helps children and first-time snorkellers recognise what they will see underwater.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Reef Fleet Terminal | Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip | Full day |
| Cairns City | Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk and Cairns Aquarium | 2 hours + 2 hours |
| Smithfield | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway | 1.5 hours one way |
| Great Barrier Reef | Green Island and Fitzroy Island | Half to full day + Full day |
| Kuranda | Kuranda village and markets | Half a day |
| Edge Hill | Cairns Botanic Gardens | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 1 low cost, 3 mid-priced, 2 expensive. Book ahead for Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. The longest visit is Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip: Book a day or two ahead, and keep a spare day in case trips are cancelled for wind or weather.
- Skyrail Rainforest Cableway: Combined Skyrail and railway packages are worth booking ahead in the dry season.
How to fit them into 7 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Reef Fleet Terminal): Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip, at least 6 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Cairns City): Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk → Cairns Aquarium, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Smithfield): Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Great Barrier Reef): Green Island, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Great Barrier Reef): Fitzroy Island, at least 6 hours.
- Half-day 6 (Kuranda): Kuranda village and markets, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 7 (Edge Hill): Cairns Botanic Gardens, at least 2 hours.
The best months to be outside
- August: highs of 27°C (81°F), about 4 rainy days, very busy crowds. Dry and pleasant with cool nights; dwarf minke whales visit the northern reefs in winter.
- July: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 5 rainy days, very busy crowds. Mild, dry and sunny — the busiest month with southern Australian school holidays.
- September: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 4 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm, dry and calmer seas — one of the best months for snorkelling and diving.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Cairns North — Quieter northern stretch of the Esplanade with resorts and apartments
- Edge Hill — Leafy suburb of the botanic gardens, Mount Whitfield trails and local cafés
- Kuranda — Rainforest village in the ranges above Cairns, known for markets and wildlife parks
More of Cairns
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Cairns?
Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip. The world's largest coral reef system lies offshore, and day boats from Cairns reach outer reef sites such as Moore, Norman, Saxon and Hastings reefs in about 1.5–2 hours.
+Which of these are free in Cairns?
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk and Cairns Botanic Gardens.