10 Bucket List Items To Add To Your Cairns Itinerary

I was extremely lucky to spend a whole six months working in Cairns. Honestly, out of all the places I visited in Australia, it was the one I could actually see myself living in. The place is just stunning. You have the rainforest and the mountains, which provide a beautiful backdrop for the town. You also have the Great Barrier Reef right on your doorstep, so you can spend the weekends snorkelling amongst amazing reef sites. There’s so much unique wildlife there as well, like crocodiles and cassowaries! 

The heart of town can be a little sketchy sometimes, so if you’re going to stay in Cairns long-term, I’d recommend heading to the outer beaches like Palm Cove or Clifton Beach. They’re a lot more relaxed. 

One thing to note is that Cairns is at the top of Australia, so it has tropical weather. This means it has a dry season and a wet season. I went during the dry season and the weather was absolutely beautiful, with just a limited bit of rain. However, if you visit between November and April, you might experience quite a bit of rainfall, and there’s also an increased risk of cyclones. It’s such a beautiful part of Australia, and the scenery is a lot different to the rest of the country. I definitely recommend making sure you visit Cairns when you’re in Australia. 

Things To See In Cairns 

Great Barrier Reef 

This is a complete bucket list experience and something you cannot miss when travelling to Australia. You can see it between Cairns and Airlie Beach, but Cairns is the best place to view the Great Barrier Reef, as the visibility is incredibly clear. I was lucky to visit the reef multiple times while in Cairns and even managed to take my dad, which was such a heart-warming moment. Every time you go, you’ll see something different! It’s guaranteed to blow your mind. The coral formations are out of this world and look like an entirely different planet. There’s also so much marine life, beautiful fish, turtles, stingrays and reef sharks. There are loads of boats to choose from, but I recommend either Silverswift or Ocean Spirit – they were my two favourites. You can opt for either snorkelling or scuba diving, but just be warned: the scuba diving spots fill up really quickly! 

Daintree Rainforest 

This is such a cool experience, seeing the oldest rainforest in the world and supposedly one of David Attenborough’s favourite places. There are quite a few tour companies that can take you for the day, but it does take a while to get there. It’s about a three-hour drive from Cairns. My recommendation is to go yourself in a campervan so you can spend a few days hiking in the rainforest and visiting all the famous spots. You can see crocodiles on a boat trip along the Daintree River. I even spotted Scarface, a 5-metre-long crocodile. There are also a few cassowaries, which look like dinosaurs and are incredibly rare to see. Make sure you visit Cape Tribulation. It’s a stunning, isolated beach that makes you feel like you’re on Castaway.  

Skydive 

Skydiving is super popular in Australia, and with such breathtaking scenery, it’s easy to see why. I know there are many places across Australia and even the world where you can skydive, but I genuinely think Cairns is the most beautiful spot. I did my first skydive in Cairns and it was just amazing. You get views of the sea, islands and rainforest, it’s completely surreal. I also did it at sunrise, which made it even more special, as the sky was a deep colour orange. I can’t tell you how scared I was beforehand. I felt sick to my stomach and my brain just couldn’t comprehend what I was about to do. But it was SO worth it. The adrenaline buzz afterwards sticks with you for days. You can’t come to Australia and not try it!

Kuranda 

Kuranda is a quirky little hipster village on the outskirts of Cairns, right in the middle of the rainforest. It’s full of vibrant colours, the smell of incense, and strong bohemian vibes. You should definitely go on the weekend, that’s when the markets are on! They’ve got homemade gifts, costume jewellery, and hippy clothing, plus loads of food stalls. I highly recommend the café just outside the markets where you can get Portuguese tarts, they’re super tasty. You can drive up if you have a car, but the best option is to take the train one way and the cable car the other. You’ll get stunning views of the rainforest and waterfalls. It really makes the trip. 

Atherton Tablelands 

The Atherton Tablelands are just outside of Cairns, in the Wet Tropics Rainforest, and full of waterfalls and lakes. It’s a fantastic little road trip circuit that takes a few hours to drive, and you can hit all the key spots along the way. There are two volcanic crater lakes – Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine – which are great for paddleboarding. There’s also Josephine Falls, which has a natural waterslide that’s really fun. You’ll also want to visit Millaa Millaa Falls and yes, you have to do the famous hair flick from the Herbal Essences advert! Grab a few mates, hire a car and make a day of it, you won’t regret it. 

Fitzroy Island 

Fitzroy is a little slice of paradise, just a 45-minute ferry ride from Cairns. The island’s quite big, with loads of activities to do. If you’re up for a challenge, hike to the top of the island for a stunning bird’s-eye view! I also recommend going to Nudey Beach, which won an award for being one of the best beaches in Australia. The sand is super white and absolutely beautiful. It’s a great place to chill and soak up the sun, or you can go snorkelling and try to spot a few turtles.  

Windin Falls 

If you’re into hiking, make sure Windin Falls is on your itinerary. It’s an awesome rainforest hike, but make sure you’re comfortable with heights. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Cairns and a 2-hour walk one way, but the view at the top is well worth it. The hike takes you to the top of the waterfall, where there’s a natural infinity pool with a mind-blowing view of the rainforest and surrounding mountains. You might even spot a cassowary if you’re lucky. Just be careful near the edge, it’s a long drop! 

Bungy Jump 

If you’re feeling brave or are a bit of an adrenaline junkie, you’ve got to try the bungy jump in Cairns. It’s the only one in Australia, so it’s your one chance! The platform is 50 metres high and you can actually see the sea from the top. You can even opt to get your head dunked in water! The crew there are a wild bunch, they’ve done jumps off the platform with mountain bikes and office chairs, which is pretty epic. If you’re not quite feeling that brave, there’s also a giant swing that’s still loads of fun. 

Green Island 

Another island escape, Green Island is about a half-hour ferry ride from Cairns. It’s much smaller and flatter than Fitzroy Island, and it only takes about 30 minutes to walk around the whole island. I’d say Fitzroy is better for hiking, while Green Island is more about the snorkelling. The coral around the island is a bit damaged, so the snorkelling isn’t quite as good as the Great Barrier Reef trips, but you can still see some amazing marine life. We saw quite a few turtles, and even a humpback whale breaching in the distance during whale season. So amazing! Grab some mates, pack a picnic and a few beers, and enjoy the beauty of the island.  

White Water Rafting 

Cairns is packed with adrenaline activities, and white water rafting is another brilliant option. There are two rafting spots, but I recommend the Tully River, which is a little outside of Cairns. The rapids are Grade 4, the highest legal grade you can go on! You’ll spend five hours rafting, which is a great amount of time to really experience it. We had Chris as our guide. He was a bit mental, constantly tipping our boat over and taking us through the most extreme rapids. It was an absolute blast! And the scenery throughout is stunning. 

Conclusion 

That brings us to the end of the blog on things you should see while you’re in Cairns. I really fell in love with the place, and I often find myself daydreaming about it. It’s not really a place in Australia people talk about much, or somewhere people spend an extended amount of time, but if you love being in nature, I definitely recommend staying a while to truly appreciate its beauty. 

There’s so much to do in Cairns, this list could honestly go on forever, but these are the things you absolutely need to add to your itinerary. I hope this blog has helped you get excited about your upcoming trip to Cairns, and if you plan on travelling along the East Coast of Australia, check out my blog What To Expect When Travelling The East Coast Of Australia.