About Cairns & Tropical North Queensland Tourist Attractions
Cairns and Tropical North Queensland is one of Australia’s most beautiful destinations, boasting two spectacular World Heritage areas, Australia’s Tropical Rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef.
Cairns Airport
Cairns Airport is one of Australia’s leading regional airports, providing air links to a range of domestic and international locations. read more
Nestled between mountains, mangroves and the Coral Sea, Cairns Airport is the gateway to World Heritage Great Barrier Reef and Tropical Rainforests of North Queensland and is just 7 kilometres from Cairns CBD. Over 3 million passengers pass through Cairns Airport's Domestic Terminal each year. There are direct domestic flights to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin and Townsville as well as to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (Uluru) and regional centres.
Cairns Airport is Australia's seventh busiest for international passengers with direct flights from Auckland, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Guam, Port Moresby and to Singapore, via Darwin.
Find out more on the Cairns airport website »
Port of Cairns
The Port of Cairns is Australia’s busiest cruise port with over 200 international and domestic cruise ship visits a year. read more
It is a picturesque port located virtually in the heart of the city with a Reef Fleet Terminal providing a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and a 217 berth Marina accommodating a variety of cruising vessels, superyachts and reef vessels.
Cairns is Tropical North Queensland’s premier cruising destination, with access to the world famous Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage listed Tropical Rainforests. A stop over in Cairns is a must for any Australian cruise.
Cairns is a vibrant tropical city featuring restaurants, cafes, galleries, shopping, markets and an abundance of sightseeing.
Skyrail is a must see experience for any shore excursion itinerary. Available in half or full day options, Skyrail can be combined with Kuranda Scenic Railway and numerous other attractions to create the perfect activity away from your vessel.
Make sure you select a cruise itinerary that includes a Skyrail excursion on your Cairns, Yorkeys Knob or Port Douglas in port day. Otherwise speak to your onboard activities officer for bookings or contact us directly.
Find out more on the Cairns port website »
Cairns Tourist Attractions
Cairns is home to many of Australia's best known tourist attractions and the premier regional city in Australia and the gateway to Australia’s Tropical Rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef. read more
The natural surroundings of the glistening waters of the Coral Sea and the rainforest-clad mountain ranges combine to make Cairns a truly stunning location. With a diverse range of leisure and adventure activities to suit all ages and tastes, Cairns is a one of Australia’s top holiday destinations. Cairns city offers a thriving, relaxed tropical atmosphere with huge variety of shops, restaurants and facilities, including the Esplanade lagoon and children’s waterpark playground attractions located in the heart of the city.
Skyrail's Caravonica Terminal is located 15 minute drive from Cairns city. Skyrail operates a coach transfer service from most Cairns hotel, motel and camping sites.
Local Beaches
Palm-fringed tropical beaches are scattered along Cairns’ northern coastline, providing the perfect retreat for an idyllic tropical holiday. read more
The Beaches, including Yorkeys Knob, Trinity, Kewarra, Clifton and Palm Cove span over 26 kilometres of Cairns’ pristine coastline offering warm seas and uncrowded sandy beaches all set against a backdrop of rainforest clad mountains.
Skyrail is situated close to all of Cairns local beach locations and operates a coach transfer service from most beach locations.
Find out more about Cairns Beaches or Palm Cove
World Heritage National Parks: Barron Gorge, Cape Tribulation, The Daintree and beyond
Cairns City is the gateway to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and situated in the centre of one of the planet's greatest and most diverse natural wonderlands - much of this area has been protected as National Park. read more
From woodland, rainforest, reef and even volcanos, there’s so much to see in the spectacular national parks that surround the region.
The Wet Tropics World Heritage area covers about 900,000 hectares, included within are several world famous National Parks which are readily accessible from Cairns city. At only a 15 minutes drive from Cairns, the most readily accessible, is the Barron Gorge National Park – home to Skyrail. Other parks further afield include Wooroonooran [75 km to the South] and Cape Tribulation/Daintree [110km to the North]. All the Rainforest National Parks within the World Heritage area contain an amazing array and diversity of flora and fauna and share an ancient history of plants and animals that are found no-where else in the world. For further information click here.
The Undara Volcanic National Park is 300km to the West and the offshore National Parks of Green Island and Fitzroy Island are just a short boat ride away.
Learn more about the National Parks in North Queensland »
Additional information about the World Heritage Wet Tropics area »
The largest tropical coral reef system in the world, comprising of over 2,900 separate coral reef systems, the Great Barrier Reef is about 2300 kilometres long, stretching along Queensland’s coast.
Atherton Tablelands
The highland mountain region of the Atherton Tablelands west from Cairns features spectacular vistas, lakes, waterfalls and quaint country villages. Come and sample some of the delicious local produce on offer.
Kuranda
This world famous tourist destination known as 'The Village in the Rainforest' has numerous spectacular attractions including a butterfly sanctuary, colourful bird aviary, koala park and a thriving market community.
Port Douglas
Port Douglas located 60kms north of Cairns, has developed a worldwide reputation as a tropical oasis retaining its traditional beauty and charm of the old fishing village.
