Best day trips from Cairns: your guide to Far North Queensland

Cairns sits at the intersection of two UNESCO World Heritage areas and the day trips available from the city reflect this extraordinary position — the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest, and the Atherton Tablelands are all within 90 minutes, creating a day trip portfolio of global natural heritage significance.

Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation — the 90-minute drive north (with the Daintree River ferry crossing) delivers the Mossman Gorge swimming, the Daintree Discovery Centre canopy walkway, and the Cape Tribulation beach where the rainforest meets the reef in the most photographed natural conjunction in Australia. Stay for the night drive spotlighting possums and the cassowaries that cross the Cape Trib road in the early morning.

Atherton Tablelands — the 90-minute drive up to the tablelands delivers the crater lakes (Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine), the Millaa Millaa waterfalls circuit (7 falls in 16 kilometres), the Malanda dairy country, and the Yungaburra heritage village that create the temperate agricultural highland experience above the tropical coast.

Fitzroy Island — the 45-minute ferry from Cairns delivers the rainforest walks, the snorkelling at Nudey Beach (the most-visited snorkelling beach accessible from Cairns by ferry without outer reef pricing), and the turtle rescue centre that makes Fitzroy the most accessible reef snorkelling day trip from the city.

Kuranda — the combination of the Kuranda Scenic Railway (up) and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway (down) creates the most cinematic approach to a day trip destination in North Queensland, with the rainforest views from the gondola and the Barron Gorge railway descent creating memorable experiences in both directions.

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