Cairns travel guide
Cairns Tourism | Cairns Guide
You're Going to Love Cairns
With a population of 153,075, Cairns is a must-see destination in Queensland, Australia. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Cairns has to offer.
Activities & attractions in Cairns
Where to Eat in Cairns
Cairns CBD is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Cairns. These include popular favorites such as Vivaldis Restaurant (53-57 Esplanade), Bushfire Flame Grill Restaurant - Pacific Hotel Cairns (43 Esplanade) and Hemingway's Brewery - Cairns (Cairns Wharf Corner Wharf & Lake Streets). If you’re looking for affordable options, Soy Kitchen Street Food (41 Wharf St) and Restaurant Oak & Vine - Cairns (59/63 Esplanade) are great picks.
When to visit Cairns
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Cairns in January, when the average temperature is 80.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 87.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is June, when it can get as cold as 62.6 °F, with an average temperature of 69.8 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 16.9″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Cairns, with an average rainfall of 0.8″.
How to Get to Cairns
Plane
When flying to Cairns, you’ll arrive at Cairns (CNS), which is located 4 km from the city center. The shortest flight to Cairns from the United States departs from Honolulu and takes around 17h 35m.
Train
The train station in Cairns is called Cairns, and is located 0.4 km from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Cairns is to pick up a car rental from Townsville, which is about 282 km from Cairns. You’ll find branches of Bargain Car Rentals and Budget, among others, in Townsville.
Bus
Greyhound Australia operates bus routes to Cairns.
Airlines serving Cairns
Where to stay in Cairns
Average rates range from around $101 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $196 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Cairns, with prices from $13 to $1,684 per night. Cairns CBD is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Cairns are about 38% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Where to stay in popular areas of Cairns
Most booked hotels in Cairns
Renting a car in Cairns
Renting a car in Cairns costs $46 per day, on average, or $139 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Sixt, Alamo and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Cairns is the Bargain Car Rentals branch at 410, Sheridan Street, which is 3 km from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 4% cheaper than airport locations in Cairns.
Expect to pay $4.39 per gallon in Cairns (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $52.69 and $70.26. The most frequently booked car type in Cairns is Mini (Kia Carnival or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Nissan Tiida or similar) are, on average, 76% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.