Best Family Activities in Cairns: Great Barrier Reef, Wildlife and Rainforest Adventures

Cairns is one of Australia's most spectacular family holiday destinations, combining Great Barrier Reef experiences, tropical wildlife encounters and accessible rainforest adventures that are genuinely unlike anything available in the southern cities. The Great Barrier Reef is the defining Cairns family experience, accessible by fast catamaran from the Reef Fleet Terminal on Wharf Street, with snorkelling, glass-bottom boat viewing and introductory scuba diving available for children from most major reef platforms including Green Island (45 min) and the Outer Reef pontoons (90 min). Cairns Aquarium on Sheridan Street in the CBD is the most comprehensive aquarium for Great Barrier Reef marine life on the mainland, with touch pools, a live reef exhibit and a behind-the-scenes tour option. The Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome on Wharf Street is a rooftop wildlife encounter at the Reef Hotel Casino, with koalas, crocodiles and a zipline course. Hartley's Crocodile Adventures at Palm Cove, 40 minutes north, is one of Queensland's premier wildlife parks with crocodile feeding shows, a boat cruise through a crocodile lagoon and koala and cassowary encounters in a tropical setting. The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park north of Cairns provides First Nations cultural performances and experiences for families.