The ultimate Cairns itinerary for families

Dining out for every meal while on holiday can get expensive, so begin your Cairns trip by stocking up on supplies. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Rusty’s Market in the CBD is in full swing. Do as the locals do and start your morning here, grabbing plenty of snacks and fresh produce for your adventures ahead.

This taste of the tropics comes by way of a market that’s 180 stalls strong, with everything from fresh produce from the Atherton Tablelands to delicatessen goodies from the Daintree. The kids will love sipping on a fresh coconut and ogling the weird and wonderful tropical fruits that grow locally like rambutan, black sapote and jackfruit. There are also other market stalls like clothing and bric-a-brac for finding unique local treasures. 

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Make Cairns your base for three nights, and if you can swing it, splurge for Esplanade-facing accommodation. Water views aren’t just a nice-to-have in this itinerary, they’ll mean you don’t need a hire car for the first part of the trip.

For families, Mantra Trilogy is a great choice. It’s less of a hotel and more of a self-contained apartment situation. With Mantra as your base, you’ll be able to take a 2.5km stroll along the flat waterfront boardwalk to watch the sunset over the reef – and reach a handful of these kid-friendly restaurants on foot.

The bonus of this waterfront location is that if the kids need a change of scenery from the resort-style swimming pool, you can swap to the beach-inspired swimming pool at the Esplanade’s Cairns Lagoon.

For dinner, get straight into the tropical spirit with a fresh seafood platter that doesn’t leave the trawler at Prawn Star. Take your pick at this floating restaurant – cooked to order or served fresh.

Day 2: Dive into the Great Barrier Reef

Since time isn’t of the essence this holiday, opt for a full-day Great Barrier Reef tour for maximum snorkelling time.

For a good family-friendly choice, Sunlover will have you out on the water for longer than a school day, departing the marina at 8:30am and returning before sunset at 5:30pm.

In between, you’ll swing by Fitzroy Island before heading out to the Moore Reef pontoon, with four hours of free time to snorkel and try their onboard facilities (perfect for non-swimmers) like an underwater observatory, semi-submersible and glass-bottom boat.

If that’s not enough action for the kids, this pontoon also has a theme park-worthy waterslide to really make an entrance into this World Heritage-listed wonder.

Want to research some other Great Barrier Reef tour options? Here’s our advice for choosing the best tour for your family.

Once you’ve returned to dry land, there’s no need to venture from the marina to fuel up for the night. Mondo on the Waterfront is family-friendly with outdoor dining where kids can run around without anyone blinking an eye.

The menu covers a lot of ground, from sharing options to raw and organic dishes, and classics like burgers, chicken schnitzel and an array of Asian favourites. But most importantly, it has a kids menu where all choices are just $11.

Day 3: Swap reef for rainforest

If you thought the rainforest behind Cairns was just called the Daintree, you have much to learn about the precincts that make up the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics.

Start out with a visit to its Cairns Central section, joining Skyrail Rainforest Cableway for a gondola-glide over the forest. A transfer service will collect you from your hotel, taking you to Skyrail’s Smithfield Terminal where you’ll experience the rainforest from a new perspective.

The ride to Kuranda’s heights packs a feature-film (aka 1.5 hours) worth of rainforest watching into your morning, all done from the comfort of an air-conditioned gondola. You’ll have the opportunity to break up the journey with lookouts at the Red Peak and Barron Falls mid-stations, and a complimentary ranger-guided forest tour at Red Peak station.

Mix up your return journey with a train ride back to Cairns onboard one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys, the Kuranda Scenic Rail. The one-and-a-half hour ride includes a stop at Barron Falls, which in the wet season, puts on a thunderous show.

Finishing at Freshwater Station, a coach will transfer you back to your hotel – proving this is the most accessible section of the Wet Tropics, just 15 minutes from your doorstep.

Tonight, eat where the locals eat with a cheap and cheerful bowl of ramen at Ganbaranba Noodle Colosseum in the heart of Cairns. The line out the door and lickety-split service are both indications this hole-in-the-wall are specialists in delicious dinners.

Tip: If your kids don’t dig noodles, try somewhere else on this Cairns foodies list.

For more kid-friendly activities to add to this Cairns itinerary for families, check out this guide.

Day 4: Hire a car to go north

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Check out of your Esplanade home and hire a car to discover a place where it’s always holiday o’clock, Palm Cove.

It might only be 30 minutes north of Cairns but the carefree vacation vibes are always on tap, largely thanks to its beachfront esplanade, lined with palm trees and paperbarks.

Spend the morning on the water with Palm Cove Watersports to kayak your way to Double Island. Once you’re out in the ocean, keep your eyes peeled in the crystal clear water for turtles, blue spotted lagoon rays, mangrove rays and shovel nose sharks. Also, take a moment to look back at the mainland and marvel at the geology of Cairns, where rainforest-clad mountains meet the sea.

Once you reach Double Island, pop on your snorkel and fins and explore the coral bombies right off the shore. Before you head back, you’ll also kayak through sea caves and enjoy morning tea on the beach.

Keen to stay longer in Palm Cove? Here are 10 top things to do in Palm Cove.

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Discover the northern frontier of the Wet Tropics, by road tripping two hours north of Port Douglas to Cape Tribulation for the day. You’ll be spoilt for day trip choices as soon as you cross the Daintree River.

Up here, the trees are older than those found in the Amazon Rainforest (we’re talking more than 130 million years old) and play habitat to animals you can only spot here, like the Daintree River ringtail possum, Bennett's tree-kangaroo and the endangered spotted-tailed quoll.

Take a cruise down the Daintree River to get up close to the abundant wildlife that lives amongst the dense mangroves. The low emission, fuel-efficient Daintree River Cruise Centre boats have minimal impact on the environment as they weave their way through the tranquil World Heritage site. As you take in the beautiful surroundings, be on the lookout for the colourful birds and butterflies, frogs, snakes, and estuarine crocodiles that spend their days by the riverbank. The cruise lasts up to 1.5 hours and departs regularly throughout the day, although bookings are recommended.

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Port Douglas didn’t earn its reputation as a relaxing resort playground because everyone is busy doing activities all the time. Test out your resort pool, take a nap, wander along Four Mile Beach and be sure to put down a picnic rug in Rex Smeal Park to watch sailboats cruise by.

If you’re having trouble sitting still, there’s always these shopping hot spots to give your wallet a workout and 30 more things to do in Port Douglas if you want to feel like you’ve gotten the most out of your visit.

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If you like your beer brewed locally and made from money-can’t-buy ingredients like the pure waters of Mossman Gorge, then get yourself to Hemingway’s on the marina.

It’s not just beer – but food, too – complete with a kids menu to keep everyone happy. You’ll find pub bites like chicken wings and sliders on the menu along with more substantial serves from the grill.

If the kids have a thirst for learning how things work, follow up your meal with a brewery tour, where you can explore the makings of Hemingway’s craft beer.

For more ways to spend your evenings while in Port Douglas, be sure to also check out these things to do after dark.

Day 7: Discover rich Indigenous heritage

You don’t have to venture far from Port Douglas to find stories of the world’s oldest living culture. In fact, 15 minutes is all you need to find your way to the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre.

It’s well worth venturing on a Dreamtime tour, where a Kuku Yalanji guide, one of the traditional owners, will share their stories from past and present.

Each tour starts with a smoke cleansing ceremony before a 90-minute walking tour, covering the basics of bush tucker and traditional medicine while wandering the beautiful outdoors.

Proving sustainability and zero waste have been around a lot longer than we have, the stories of the Kuku Yalanji will leave you feeling like you should listen to the seasons and Mother Nature more in your day-to-day life.

It’s a fitting end to your time in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, and you’ll have a 90-minute drive back to Cairns to discuss your holiday highlights before returning to the normal daily grind.