Cairns City Guide

The tropical city of Cairns is the second most popular holiday destination in Australia after Sydney. This isn't just because of Cairns' beautiful beaches, but also the city's ideal location. Cairns is the starting point for very many excursions, including diving or snorkelling trips to the Great Barrier Reef and tours to one of the last, protected, primary rainforests... Cape Tribulation.

Cairns ins and outs

Cairns isn't very large, but the city has plenty of entertainment options for visitors and locals. There are shops, bars, international eateries and above all the city has a very laid-back, mellow atmosphere, especially in the evening in the Esplanade. There aren't any real tourist attractions in the city itself, Cairns is more suitable for going out, relaxing by a swimming pool and going on trips in the surrounding area.

Beaches

Want to spend some time catching a few rays on the beach? If so, there are a few options for you to choose from: 1.) Stay in Cairns and go on various excursions from there; for instance you could go to the beach at Fitzroy Island or at Palm Cove, a more upscale beach town approximately 28km from Cairns. Palm Cove has a wide beach, plenty of bars and restaurants and you could go on a boat trip from here to the Great Barrier Reef. 2.) Stay in Palm Cove and go on day trips from here. This is the best option for those who want to actually be as close as possible to the beach. Most travellers choose to stay in Cairns since it's easy to reach Palm Cove from there and it's easier to arrange transport from here and to go on excursions from here. There's another beach town (with a 4-mile beach) about 1 hour north of Cairns, Port Douglas and one is located 2 hours south of Cairns, Mission Beach.

Excursions, excursions, excursions

If you would stop to count all of the different brochures at your hotel's reception area, you'll probably find about 150 tours being promoted. For instance, there's white river rafting at the Tully River, skydiving, ballooning, bungee jumping and dozens of different fishing, diving, surfing, boating and rainforest trips to go on in the area. Being bored here just isn't an option (unless of course that's what you want).

The most popular trip starting out in Cairns is a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, which lies right off the coast from here. Have a look at our East Coast Australia tours for inspiration. Snorkelling, diving or taking a diving course are incredibly popular in this area. Not only are trips to the Great Barrier Reef popular, but also rainforest trips to and in Kuranda. Kuranda can be reached from Cairns by a 34km train ride or by taking a gondola. Both options are quite popular among tourists, but worth it. The Mossman Gorge and the Daintree Forest are more easily reached from Port Douglas and are commonly combined with Cape Tribulation for a trip for a several days.

Transfers and transport

Once you arrive at the airport, you'll find quite a few mini buses lined up waiting to take you to your hotel. Many hotels arrange transfers to and from the airport since it's only located a few kilometres from the centre of the city.

The city centre isn't very large; the Esplanade and surrounding area can easily be explored on foot. Some hotels are relatively close to the city centre, but others are a bit further away. A taxi cab or a hotel shuttle bus is your best option. Since the city is quite spacious and plenty of parking spaces, you shouldn't have any problem finding a spot to park your hire car. There are also places in the city where you can hire a bicycle.

Cairns city guide - Fitzroy Island beach