Time scarce? 

• Visit the Cairns Art Gallery in Abbot Street in the city centre. You will be surprised who is in town.  The shop attached to the gallery has wonderful locally made gifts. Yes, made in Australia. 
• Walk the Cairns Esplanade anytime. However, sunrise is special. Take a dip in the Lagoon and linger.  Or workout on one of the green gyms. Check out the local bird populations and glean the migratory birds visiting the esplanade on low tide. 
• Stop at Muddy’s Café on the Esplanade for a coffee, lunch or dinner.  Adjacent is Cairns’ largest playground and waterpark for children.   
• Choose a helicopter trip – anything from 20 minutes on.  Your choice. Consider the Barron Gorge, the Reef. 
• Mexicairns – they offer bowling, augmented darts, shuffleboard, ping pong, pool, beer pong.  After 6pm strictly adults.  Mexican inspired cuisine. Found on Lake Street near the city centre. 
• Prawn Star, a floating restaurant serves local seafood off the trawler at Marlin Marina. 
• Ride the Ferris Wheel and enjoy the scintillating night lighting on the Esplanade 
• Book a sunset cruise on the Trinity Inlet 
• Take a break at Hemingway’s Brewery on the Wharf (Wharf Street). Check what cruise liner is in town. 
• Fig Tree Playground is the ultimate climbing playground for children right next door to Hemingway’s and other eateries (located on Wharf Street)   
• Visit the Botanic Gardens on Collins Avenue and stay on for breakfast, lunch etc. Located 5 minutes from city centre. 
• Walk the Red Arrow, Blue Arrow, Green Arrow trails of Whitfield Mountain. Access via Collins Avenue. 
• Take in a show at Cairns Performing Art Centre (Lake Street) or the Tanks Art Centre (Collins Avenue). 
• Visit the night markets at Cairns Esplanade or Rusty’s Fruit Markets (Sheridan Street). 
• A gentle cycle from the city to Freshwater or Goomboora Park beside the trickling waters of Freshwater creek and beside a canopy of lush tropical trees. 
• Mountain Bike from the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park 
• Bungy Jump at Skypark Cairns by AJ Hackett 
  

A day or days to spare? 

There are multiple tour companies that operate around the Cairns region, check them out online, visit your travel agent or check out the tourist information centres in Cairns. 

From Cairns 

• Kuranda Scenic Railway Day trip. Consider taking the train up to Kuranda and return via the Skyrail (or visa versa). Catch the train from the city or the elegant Freshwater Station, explore Kuranda and its hippy vibe – with a wide variety of shops, boutiques, galleries and eateries and wonderful tourist attractions such as the Butterfly Sanctuary, Kuranda Koala Gardens, Bird World and the riverboat tour.  
• Snorkel the magnificent Barrier Reef via the many reef tour boats that leave Cairns Marlin Marina.  Full day. 
• Green Island Day trip offers a glass bottom boat and snorkelling. Ferry leaves Marlin Marina 
• The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum. Privately owned and the largest museum of its kind in the southern hemisphere. The museum includes over 220 armoured vehicles and artillery form both world wars. You can even partake in an armoured vehicle joy ride! Located in Smithfield, 10 minutes from the city centre. 
• Food and wine tours depart from Cairns or Port Douglas. 
• Barron River Rafting. There are a range of half or full day trips, including transport from Cairns city. 
• Half day Rainforest Tubing on one of three rivers (Mulgrave River, Little Mulgrave River or Behana Gorge) 

Head North 

• Mossman Gorge is only 75 minutes from Cairns and 20 minutes from Port Douglas. 
• Combine walking gentle trails with the sounds of rippling water nearby, magnificent forestry and cool relief from the humidity. 
• Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk (easy walk however uneven terrain), approximately 1.5 hours 
• Self guided walk 
• Self drive or take any of the varied tour choices.   
• Walking shoes essential. If time permits you could join a day tour with a River Drift Experience. 
• Visit the Daintree Rainforest, the world’s oldest tropical rainforest. The Daintree Rainforest has a history of 135 million years and is home to 30,000 species of plants and animals.  Duration: up to 12 hours from Cairns or 9 hours from Port Douglas. 
• Port Douglas, an hour’s drive along Queensland’s most scenic coastal road, maybe breakfast with the Birds Wildlife Habitat. Enjoy great shopping, fine dining. 
• Hartley’s Crocodile Farm. Get up close to crocodiles, cassowaries, koalas and snakes. Hartley’s is a must do in FNQ. Located 40 mins north of Cairns (on the way to Port Douglas) 
  

Head South 

Go West