Cairns & Far North Queensland

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

New Zealand

$28.99

Shop Book

Green turtle swimming over Acropora coral reef, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Getty Images/Universal Images Group

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Cairns & Far North Queensland

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Far North Queensland is a remote tropical adventure where the Great Barrier Reef is tantalisingly close. It's a cliché, but the rainforest really does meet the reef up here. Steamy Cairns is the main traveller base and an obligatory stop on any east-coast itinerary. Divers and snorkellers swarm here – and to more upmarket Port Douglas – for easy access to the Great Barrier Reef. The cooler Atherton Tablelands – with volcanic craters, jungly waterfalls and gourmet food producers – is a short, scenic drive inland.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Cairns Botanic Gardens

Cairns

These gorgeous gardens are an explosion of greenery and rainforest plants. Highlights include a section devoted to Aboriginal plant use, the Gondwana…

Cairns Esplanade, Boardwalk & Lagoon

Cairns

Sunseekers and fun-lovers flock to Cairns Esplanade's spectacular swimming lagoon on the city’s reclaimed foreshore. The artificial, sandy-edged, 4800-sq…

Cairns Aquarium

Cairns

Cairns' multi-million-dollar aquarium is well worth a visit for its vast and gorgeously presented range of marine life, the Great Barrier Reef in…

Reef Teach

Cairns

Take your knowledge to new depths at this fun, informative centre, where marine experts explain how to identify specific species of fish and coral, and…

Chillagoe−Mungana Caves National Park

Cairns & Far North Queensland

This park boasts a magnificent miscellany of features including 400-million-year-old limestone caves, Indigenous rock art, eerie outcrops and the ruins of…

Mossman Gorge

The Daintree

In the southeast corner of Daintree National Park, 5km west of Mossman town, Mossman Gorge forms part of the traditional lands of the Kuku Yalanji people…

Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas

Port Douglas

This sanctuary endeavours to keep and showcase native animals in enclosures that mimic their natural environment, while allowing you to get up close to…

Historic Village Herberton

Cairns & Far North Queensland

A must-see on any comprehensive Tablelands trip, this fascinating village houses over 60 heritage buildings, fully restored and relocated here from across…

View more attractions