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The Cairns Esplanade Lagoon beside the waterfront

Cairns

Queensland in AustraliaThe Cairns Esplanade Lagoon beside the waterfront
In this guide

Cairns is located in the north-east of Australia and is Queensland’s most important city in the Wet Tropics. From Cairns you can visit not only the fascinating Daintree Rainforest with its famous Cape Tribulation. Cairns is one of the gates to the Great Barrier Reef, which you can see and experience on uniquely beautiful tours. But Cairns itself also has a lot to offer – hip cafés, restaurants with the best seafood and worth seeing spots like the Cairns Aquarium invite you to spend a few days in the tropical metropolis.

The entrance to Cairns Aquarium
The entrance to Cairns Aquarium.

Things to do in Cairns

Locals and tourists alike enjoy life in the cafés and restaurants by the esplanade and lagoon. From the urban comfort of the city it is also not far to the Great Barrier Reef and the dream beaches a little further north of the coast. A nice day trip from Cairns is a ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway. From Cairns the nostalgic train takes just under two hours to Kuranda. On the way there are stops at Barron Falls and Stoney Creek Falls.

Barron Falls near Kuranda, shown in high flow
Barron Falls near Kuranda, shown in high flow.
Stoney Creek Falls behind the curved Kuranda railway bridge
Stoney Creek Falls behind the curved Kuranda railway bridge.
  • Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef: The visit to Cairns would not be complete without a tour of the Great Barrier Reef. There are many different tours available, we recommend you experience the underwater world while snorkelling.
  • Trip to Cape Tribulation: One of the most beautiful tours from Cairns is the one to Cape Tribulation in Daintree National Park. Plan at least one night here and be sure to take a tour on the Daintree River to see crocodiles.
  • Relax at Cairns Swimming Lagoon: Spend a day (or a few hours) at Cairns Swimming Lagoon and enjoy the view over the ocean. It could hardly be more relaxed in Cairns.
  • Drive to Kuranda: Admittedly, Kuranda itself looks like a tourist town. But what we really like about this tour are the trips with the Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Rainforest Cableway
Coral reef and turquoise shallows in the Great Barrier Reef
Coral reef and turquoise shallows in the Great Barrier Reef
Rainforest and creek at Mossman Gorge in the Daintree
Rainforest and creek at Mossman Gorge in the Daintree.
Rainforest and shoreline at Cape Tribulation in Daintree National Park
Rainforest and shoreline at Cape Tribulation in Daintree National Park.