13 days in Cairns Itinerary

A neat, cosmopolitan city of shaded plazas and laid-back neighborhoods, Cairns serves as a popular base for exploration of the surrounding region and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as a center for watersport activities like surfing or waterskiing.

Your itinerary includes some good beach time at Trinity Beach and Palm Cove Beach. Get out of town with these interesting Cairns side-trips: Shannonvale Tropical Fruit Winery (in Mossman), Spas (in Palm Cove) and Port Douglas (Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, Four Mile Beach, &more). Spend the 16th (Fri) among aquatic life with a scuba or snorkeling tour. Spend the 21st (Wed) wandering through the wild on a nature and wildlife tour. And it doesn't end there: trek along Esplanade Boardwalk, get up close and personal with brilliant marine life at Cairns Aquarium, look for all kinds of wild species at Mossman Gorge Centre, and walk around Paronella Park.

For maps, more things to do, traveler tips, and tourist information, read our Cairns planner.

In December, daytime highs in Cairns are 36°C, while nighttime lows are 26°C.