5 Cairns MUST DO Activities in 5 Days
UPDATED 5/29/23
Looking for the Cairns must do activities for the best Australia solo trip? Don’t miss these five amazing, and sometimes free, Cairns activities perfect for 5 days in Cairns solo travel and no car required.
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All You Need for Cairns Australia Travel
Here are all of the sites you need to successfully book the perfect 5 day Cairns Australia stay.
I recommend you bookmark and use these sites early to lock in your five days in Cairns activities and get the best Cairns travel deals.
If you’re a first-time traveler to Australia, also use my amazing Australia Solo Travel Guide full of tips on culture, entry requirements, currency, tipping, using electronics, safety, and a lot more.
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Cairns Solo Travel Packing Essentials
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Best Time to Go to Cairns
Late September is the end of winter in Australia and a perfect time to avoid higher costs and larger tourist groups, while enjoying some amazing weather as I mention in my Australia travel guide.
Cairns weather in September is no exception, making it a great time to visit Cairns. It’s “warm” for sure – (low 80’s F /high 20’s C), but the time of year lends to perfect days to explore the ocean and land in and surrounding Cairns.
That said, I would think Cairns would be a great place to visit any time of the year – summer’s in Cairn can be in the 90’s F / 30’s C and winter temperatures are high 70’s F / mid 20’s C.
Getting Around Cairns
Cairns is serviced by the Cairns Airport, less than 15 minutes from the city center. The Cairns Airport and many hotels offer airport shuttle service, or you can hire an airport transfer or Uber yourself.
Eco Travel Tip
Skyscanner provides a ‘Greener flights’ filter highlighting flights that emit less CO2. Additionally, you can purchase carbon offsets through your airline to lower your carbon footprint.
Cairns must do activities can be fully experienced without renting a car. This is a bonus if you want to do Cairns on a budget.
Cairns itself is very walkable. Additionally, the TRANSLink bus is easy to use, inexpensive and environmentally-friendly – I love to promote public transportation, especially for solo travel.
Where to Stay in Cairns
Staying in the enter of Cairns offers the most action, dining and bars. Anywhere within 15 minutes walking distance to the center is easiest.
However, since Cairns is right on the coast, making it flat, and has an expansive esplanade and easy public transportation, don’t be afraid to stay a little further away from the city center, like a 5 minute bus ride away, for example.
It’s safe to walk around Cairns, and it is less expensive the further you are from the center.
Eco Travel Tips
In addition to Booking.com’s Cairn’s Travel Sustainable properties, Green Globe and Green Key Global also have eco-friendly certified lodging options.
More Eco-Travel Tips & Ideas
- 15 Eco Long-haul Flight Essentials for Solo Travel
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- 15 Eco Friendly Products for All Travel
5 Must Do Things In Cairns
1 – Dive or Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
This is #1 because it’s a must do in Cairns. The Great Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage listed site and what Condé Nast dubbed one of the 51 most beautiful places in the world.
Due to climate change, however, the coral reefs are dying. The largest coral reef system in the world, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is not only critical to marine biodiversity health but is also a big tourist industry for Australia.
Recognizing the importance of the reef system like Belize, Australia is finally pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into protecting it.
As a diver, diving the Great Barrier Reef was one of my favorite things to do in Cairns Australia. For the best Great Barrier Reef diving, look to ribbon reef diving tours first. Departure is normally from Port Douglas, an hour drive north of Cairns. These Australia dive trips are one of the best things to do in Port Douglas.
If not, dive and/or snorkel the Outer Reef if you are under time constraints.
To protect the health of the reef when diving or snorkeling, it is imperative to wear reef-safe sunscreen or clothing to protect yourself from the sun.
Also, do not touch any marine life or coral reef. That is a big no-no.
All dive boats leave the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal, easily walkable from most Cairns hotel locations. There are many Cairns dive boat operators to choose from so do your research on what works best for you.
I chose the TUSA 6 boat through the AquaPro Dive Shop due to being able to do three dives, having a smaller boat capacity, and the guarantee of diving the Outer Reef. AquaPro was helpful via email in planning my one-day dive excursion.
The TUSA 6 crew were extremely professional, prompt, and friendly start to finish; the equipment was great (they include a dive computer with the BCD in case you don’t have one); and the lunch was amazing.
I was also paired with a great dive partner with whom I was able to leisurely dive unguided. I didn’t get to see any sharks or sea turtles, but the fish biodiversity was still enjoyable. In short, no complaints from me.
2 – Day Trip to Palm Cove
A visit to Palm Cove is definitely one of the best things to do in Cairns.
Palm Cove is considered a coastal suburb of Cairns. Much smaller than Cairns, it’s a sleepier tourist beach destination just 17 miles (27 km) North of Cairns.
You can rent a car, but why bother when the bus can get you there quickly and cheaply? The Cairns TRANSLink bus takes only 40 minutes each way and, with a day-pass, you can use it for remaining Cairns attractions of the day.
What to Do in Palm Cove?
The bus drops you off in the center of the beach strip right across from the beach. If you want to take a swim at the public beach, there is a designated swimming area of the beach that is flagged and patrolled, and has water nets for safe swimming during the jelly fish season.
There are free sting kits along the beach should you get stung. Palm Cove also offers water sporting activities like paddle boarding and kayaking.
If you wish to explore, take a stroll along the beach north to the pier at which the end offers more coastal views. Loop back on the Williams Esplanade across the beach to shop the clothing and art shops, all accessible within a leisurely 30-minute stroll.
Sit on an outside patio for a cocktail lunch listening to the ocean and tourist watching.
Want to take it slower? Grab a reasonably-priced 30 or 60-minute massage at Refresh Massage in the Palm Cove Shopping Village. Walk-in’s welcome.
Then pour yourself into the bus back to Cairns in time to get ready for outdoor nightlife.
3 – Karunda Rainforest Skyrail & Village
Need a break from the water? Go a little inland with a half or full-day Kuranda Scenic Railway & Skyrail to Karunda Village, one of the most relaxing things to do from Cairns.
This is a great way to not only see the local rainforest and habitat, but let’s face it, it’s a really just a scenic method of transportation towards shopping.
Yes, Karunda Village itself can be a bit of a tourist trap, but the travel to and from the village makes this Cairns day excursion a “must” and great if you have those Australia gifts to buy for family and friends.
You have options to take only the Karunda scenic railway or the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to and from Cairns, or you can take both. However, you do have to know which to ride each way when you buy your ticket. The cost includes Skyrail shuttle pick up and drop off to your hotel.
You do have the option to drive to Karunda Village, if need be.
I recommend planning this day-trip in advance and leaving at the first available morning departure to Kuranda Village so you can have more of the Karunda Village to yourself before other tourists crowd in.
When you need a shopping break, grab lunch on the Barron Falls Hotel outdoor patio.
We chose to ride the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to and from Karunda Village and took advantage of the two stops on the way up. The views are lovely. You can hear the birds of the rainforest and catch cool breezes in the gondola for an overall peaceful and relaxing ride.
4 – Cairns Botanic Gardens
Just a 5-10 minute bus ride from Cairns, depending on how far south in town you are staying, you should take at least a half day to visit the Cairns Botanic Gardens. Not just entertaining, but it’s also of the things to do in Cairns for free.
Stroll on your own or take a guided tour of the Flecker Gardens and Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory. Shaded paths provide opportunities to see local birds.
Visit the Tanks Art Centre featuring local art in revamped WWII oil tanks – a very unique setting. Inside Flecker Gardens is the Botanic Gardens Restaurant Café if you need to recharge.
We were fortunate enough to be in Cairns on the last Sunday of September to enjoy the Market Day Series hosting tents of local artists, food trucks and music. This market is another Cairns must do if you can time it on your Cairns holiday.
5 – Cairns Esplanade and Lagoon
Looking for more free things to do in Cairns? Walk along the waterfront Cairns esplanade. It offers beautiful views of the ocean.
If you’re into fitness, you can power-walk or jog and use the work-out equipment provided along the waterfront path, or take part in the free work-out classes offered.
When downtown, hang out with the locals taking a dip in the public Cairns Lagoon, also free.
Let the sun dry you off before you wander the downtown, historic district to view Cairns landmark buildings’ architecture and take in the local shops or dine outside. For fresh produce check out Rusty’s Farmers Market. Shop for souvenirs or grab a bite at the Night Market.
More Activities in Cairns, Australia
Want more Cairns attractions ideas?
Gambling is legal in Australia, so if you have more time and into gaming visit the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino.
Also walking distance within town and free is the Cairns Art Gallery. Open daily, the gallery resides in a restored 1936 government offering Australian art, café and gift shop.
If you wish to explore more things to do around Cairns check out the following. They are on my list to do next time in Cairns.
- Daintree National Park – encompassing a 60-mile region, the Daintree National Park is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland and is an hour’s drive north of Cairns. Founded 1981, it became a World Heritage Site in 1988.
- Crystal Cascades – less than 10 miles (14 km) from Cairns, these beautiful cascade waterfalls are part of Freshwater Creek offering hiking, swimming holes and picnicking areas. Again, FREE.
- Wine or Distillery Tasting – Rent a car for a day trip visiting these local wineries or distillery, all within an hour from Cairns:
Let Me Hear From You
I would love to hear if these 5 must do activities in Cairns, Australia interested you. Post me your thoughts or questions in the Comments section below. Thank you!
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