Things to do · Cairns · Australia
16 best things to do in Cairns
16 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Cairns are Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip, Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Of the 16 picks below, 8 are free, 3 work on a rainy day and 9 suit children. Allow about 6 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Cairns Aquarium
- Time to see the highlights
- 6 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip | Reef Fleet Terminal | Full day | Expensive |
| Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk | Cairns City | 2 hours | Free |
| Skyrail Rainforest Cableway | Smithfield | 1.5 hours one way | Expensive |
| Kuranda Scenic Railway | Kuranda | About 2 hours one way | Expensive |
| Green Island | Great Barrier Reef | Half to full day | Mid-priced |
| Fitzroy Island | Great Barrier Reef | Full day | Mid-priced |
| Kuranda village and markets | Kuranda | Half a day | Low cost |
| Cairns Botanic Gardens | Edge Hill | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Cairns Aquarium | Cairns City | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Rusty's Markets | Cairns City | 1 hour | Free |
| Cairns Night Markets | Cairns City | 1 hour | Free |
| Hartley's Crocodile Adventures | Wangetti | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Crystal Cascades | Redlynch | 2 hours | Free |
| Palm Cove beach | Palm Cove | Half a day | Free |
| Tanks Arts Centre | Edge Hill | 1 hour | Free |
| Cairns Art Gallery | Cairns City | 1 hour | Free |
The 16 best things to do
Nature · Reef Fleet Terminal
1.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. Trips include snorkelling gear and often introductory dives, glass-bottom boats or semi-submersibles, and some moor at permanent pontoons with underwater observatories for non-swimmers.
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
- Book ahead
- Book a day or two ahead, and keep a spare day in case trips are cancelled for wind or weather.
- Iconic
- Nature
- Kids
- Active
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Cairns City
2.Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk
A free, lifeguarded saltwater swimming lagoon on the waterfront gives Cairns the safe swimming its muddy shoreline cannot. The Esplanade boardwalk runs beside it along the mudflats, where pelicans, herons and migratory shorebirds feed at low tide, with free barbecues, playgrounds and fitness classes along the way.
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
A 7.5-km gondola glides just above the rainforest canopy of Barron Gorge National Park from Smithfield to Kuranda, with stops at Red Peak for a boardwalk among giant kauri pines and at Barron Falls for lookouts over the gorge.
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
- Book ahead
- Combined Skyrail and railway packages are worth booking ahead in the dry season.
- Iconic
- Views
- Nature
- Kids
Experience · Kuranda
4.Kuranda Scenic Railway
Built between 1882 and 1891, the railway climbs from Cairns to Kuranda through 15 tunnels and over bridges in the Barron Gorge, passing Stoney Creek Falls and stopping at a lookout for Barron Falls. Heritage carriages make the 2-hour journey.
The train pauses at the Barron Falls station for the lookout platform; be ready to step off quickly, as the stop is short.
- Time needed
- About 2 hours one way
- Cost
- Expensive
- History
- Views
- Kids
- Iconic
Island · Great Barrier Reef
5.Green Island
A coral cay about 45 minutes by fast boat from Cairns, covered in rainforest and fringed by sand and reef. A boardwalk crosses the island, and you can snorkel from the beach over seagrass and coral, where green turtles are often seen, or take a glass-bottom boat.
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
6.Fitzroy Island
A mountainous continental island about 45 minutes by ferry from Cairns, with rainforest walks to a summit and lighthouse lookout, fringing coral off Welcome Bay and Nudey Beach, and a turtle rehabilitation centre that runs tours.
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
7.Kuranda village and markets
The rainforest village at the top of the railway has two market areas of craft stalls, food and Aboriginal art, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary with Ulysses butterflies, and small wildlife parks with koalas and birds. The Jumrum Creek and river walks are a short stroll from the shops.
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
8.Cairns Botanic Gardens
The gardens in Edge Hill hold one of Australia's best collections of tropical plants, including palms, gingers and rainforest species, with boardwalks through swamp forest to Centenary Lakes and trailheads for Mount Whitfield. The visitor centre is clad in mirrored glass that reflects the forest.
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
1.Cairns Aquarium
A modern aquarium in the city centre that showcases the ecosystems of Far North Queensland, from rainforest rivers and mangroves to the Great Barrier Reef, with a large oceanarium of sharks and rays. It also runs turtle rehabilitation and conservation programmes.
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
Market · Cairns City
2.Rusty's Markets
A covered produce market between Grafton and Sheridan streets, open from Friday to Sunday, selling tropical fruit — mangosteen, rambutan, dragon fruit, black sapote, soursop — along with local coffee, honey, hot food and crafts.
Ask stallholders for a taste of unfamiliar fruit, and go early on Saturday for the best choice.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Kids
Market · Cairns City
3.Cairns Night Markets
An arcade of souvenir stalls, massage booths and a food court running between the Esplanade and Abbott Street every evening. It is touristy but convenient for a casual dinner and inexpensive souvenirs.
Eat at the food court, then walk the lit-up Esplanade boardwalk afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- Shopping
Zoo · Wangetti
4.Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
A wildlife park and crocodile farm on the coast road between Palm Cove and Port Douglas, where a boat cruise on a lagoon shows saltwater crocodiles lunging for food. It also has koalas, cassowaries and wetland boardwalks.
Plan your visit around the lagoon cruise and crocodile feeding-show times posted at the entrance.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
Nature · Redlynch
5.Crystal Cascades
A series of rainforest pools and small falls on Freshwater Creek about 20 minutes from the city, popular with locals for a cool swim. A sealed walking path follows the creek upstream.
Swim only in the designated pools and stay away after heavy rain, when flash flooding is a real risk.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Beach · Palm Cove
6.Palm Cove beach
A sandy beach lined by old melaleuca trees and a waterfront promenade of cafés and restaurants, with a stinger net in summer and lifeguards in the patrolled zone. Double Island and Haycock Island sit just offshore.
Swim inside the stinger net during the stinger season and walk to the jetty at sunrise.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Gallery · Edge Hill
7.Tanks Arts Centre
Three Second World War naval fuel-storage tanks next to the botanic gardens have been converted into an arts venue for exhibitions, concerts and community markets.
Check the programme for evening concerts or the monthly markets in the dry season.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Free
Gallery · Cairns City
8.Cairns Art Gallery
The regional gallery near the Esplanade focuses on the art of Far North Queensland, including strong collections from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, in a heritage-listed former public office building.
A good one-hour stop in the heat of the afternoon between the lagoon and dinner.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Free
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Tanks Arts Centre and Cairns Art Gallery |
| History | Kuranda Scenic Railway and Tanks Arts Centre |
| Views | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Kuranda Scenic Railway |
| Outdoors and nature | Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip, Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Green Island |
| Food and markets | Kuranda village and markets, Rusty's Markets and Cairns Night Markets |
| After dark | Cairns Night Markets |
| With children | Outer Great Barrier Reef day trip, Green Island, Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway |
| On a rainy day | Cairns Aquarium, Tanks Arts Centre and Cairns Art Gallery |
What to book ahead
- 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.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do 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.
+What can you do for free in Cairns?
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Boardwalk, Cairns Botanic Gardens, Rusty's Markets, Cairns Night Markets and Crystal Cascades. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Cairns when it rains?
Head indoors to Cairns Aquarium, Tanks Arts Centre and Cairns Art Gallery.
+What is there to do in Cairns at night?
Cairns Night Markets are best after dark.