How to Plan an Awesome Cairns Family Holiday

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Last Updated on December 9, 2023 by Ariana Svenson

If you are looking to have the BEST Cairns family holiday ever, then you have come to the right place!  Here we have gathered together all the most important information for someone looking to plan their family holidays in Cairns.

Read on for our best tips for when to go, how to get around, what to do…and so much more!

This post may contain affiliate links, from which we would earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More info in my disclaimer.

Where is Cairns?

Cairns, Australia, is located in tropical North Queensland along Australia’s eastern coast.  It is located on a Cape York Peninsula coastal strip, between the Coral Sea and the Great Dividing Range.  Though only the 5th biggest city in Queensland, it is one of the most well-known – probably due to its proximity to the famous Great Barrier Reef!  Thanks to its location, Cairns experiences a tropical monsoon climate, with hot, humid summers and warm winters.

Did you know? Cairns was founded in 1876 by Sir William Wellington Cairns, for whom it was named!  Check out more fun facts about Things to do in Cairns for Kids.

Is Cairns a Good Family Holiday Destination?

Cairns and the surrounding Great Barrier Reef are probably one of the best holiday destinations for families in Australia.  As one of the most popular destinations in Australia, family holidays in Cairns have so many things going for them.

Let’s start with the practical.  The Cairns region (including Port Douglas to the North and Mission Beach to the south) caters extremely well to all types of travelers, especially families with children.  From the incredible number of kid-friendly activities (here is a post where I go into detail about that!) and a wide range of family-friendly accommodation options, it’s easy to plan a great Cairns family holiday.  (Cairns family accommodation is described more fully below and in this post!)

 

How Many Days Will You Need to Visit Cairns?

Honestly, a lifetime is not enough to explore and enjoy all the amazing natural wonders of Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef!  But, if you can’t spend your life on holiday, we recommend at least three to five days in Cairns to discover the main attractions.  If you have more time, great!  We ourselves spent 2 week on our last family holidays in Cairns and are intending to return soon for another ten days as there is so much to do and see!

Just a 2-hour drive from Cairns is Cape Tribulation, a beautiful spot perfect for the family and nestled between the Daintree Rainforest National Park and the Great Barrier Reef. If you’re ready to explore Cape Tribulation, check out our top picks for accommodations in Cape Tribulation.

You can read all about our Family Friendly Cairns Itinerary and combine it with our wonderful Port Douglas Itinerary.

You might want to combine your Cairns holidays with a trip to the Whitsundays.  In that case, an extra couple of days is needed.  Read our Sailing Adventure on the Camira Whitsundays Day Trip Review for a fun Whitsunday sailing idea.

 

How to Get to Cairns: Cairns Airport and Nearby Options

Flying Into Cairns

There are direct international flights to Cairns Airport from New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea.

Those traveling from other destinations would first land at one of the Australian airport hubs, such as Melbourne, Brisbane, or Sydney.  From there, you would catch a domestic flight into Cairns.

Driving from Cairns to Port Douglas

Driving Into Cairns

You can also drive to Cairns from Brisbane or Townsville if doing an entire tropical north Queensland exploration.  The distance from Brisbane to Cairns is quite big.  At 1,678.5 km (1,042.9 mi), it’s a lengthy road trip.  It may not be the longest road trip in Australia, but it’s still a long drive! The Brisbane to Cairns driving time would be around 18 hours if you decided to do the whole trip in one go.

Or, if you just want to explore Northern Queensland, we suggest starting at Townsville, the gateway to the North.  Townsville itself has a laidback vibe and gorgeous views out to Magnetic Island.

Between Cairns and Townsville, you can also make several interesting stops along the way, including Mission Beach, the Babinda Boulders, Paronella Park, and Wallaman Falls.  You can also visit those spots as day trips from Cairns, which we describe in full here!

 

Taking The Train

What about taking the train from Brisbane to Cairns?  If you love train travel, then you might consider taking the Spirit of Queensland train from Brisbane to Cairns to start your Cairns holidays.  The price is $210 AUD per person at the time of publishing.  The full 1681 km trip takes 25 hours to complete.

Where to Stay in Cairns: Best Cairns Family Hotels

For complete information on the best Cairns family accommodation, read our Where To Stay In Cairns With Kids: The 13 BEST Cairns Family Accommodation.

Briefly, there are four areas where you could base yourself during a Cairns family holiday:

• Downtown Cairns (the most convenient).
• Cairns suburbs (where you’ll find all the family friendly resorts).
• Trinity Beach (a tropical oasis best for relaxing).
• Palm Cove (known for being a bit exclusive with some luxury resorts).

There are plenty of Cairns family accommodations to suit all budgets!  We stayed at the Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns, which was very conveniently located next to Muddy’s Playground, had family rooms with great views, and a beautiful swimming pool area which was a hit with the kids.

Our top choice had been the Mantra Esplanade Cairns because of its self-contained holiday apartments and awesome location,  but sadly it was sold out on our travel dates.

Other top Cairns family hotel choices include the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort and the Pullman Cairns International.  The Cairns Colonial Club Resort is a good option if you choose to stay outside the city center.  If you decide to stay in Palm Cove, then the Palm Cove and Alamanda Palm Cove make great choices, too.

Don’t forget to check out Where To Stay In Cairns With Kids: The 13 BEST Cairns Family Accommodation, where we go into more detail about these and other hotel choices for your Cairns family vacation.

 Cairns Holidays: How to Get Around Cairns

Cairns is a highly walkable city, and this is the way most people get around the city itself.  If you want to visit the suburbs or Northern Beaches, you’ll need some other form of transportation.

Taking the Bus

The Sunbus is a great way to get out of Cairns itself and into the surrounding areas.  Buses frequently depart from Cairns city centre and tickets are cheap and easy to acquire.

You can get a daily bus pass which is good all day, until the last service at night.  The last buses leave Cairns for the suburbs at 11 PM or 12 midnight; for coming back into the city, the last buses depart around 10 PM or 11 PM.

Hiring A Car

Having a car in Cairns is always worth it.  It is much easier to drive around yourself, especially if you are traveling with children!  There is no need to hire a car from the airport; there are plenty of hire car places downtown.

We didn’t hire a car for the first 8 days of our stay in Cairns.  While in the city, we visited Kuranda and took the train up to Kuranda, and the Skyrail back.  The Skyrail shuttle dropped us back at our hotel.  We then went to Fitzroy Island for 3 nights and didn’t have a hire car during that time.

The most beneficial time for having a car was for our stay around Port Douglas, where the resorts are quite spread out.  We found it useful to drive to the different attractions around Port Douglas, too, like Four Mile Beach, Mossman Gorge, and the Wildlife Habitat.

 

Where To Eat: Our Favorite Restaurants in Cairns

As an international travel destination, Cairns has an awesome range of restaurants from French to Greek, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese, as well as Asian Fusion.  Some Cairns restaurants also feature unique Australian cuisine, including kangaroo, barramundi, crocodile, or emu…!  In short, there are a lot of different restaurants in Cairns – all of them offering different experiences.

Where Did we Eat in Cairns? Family-Friendly Restaurants in Cairns

For families, sometimes efficiency trumps fine dining as it’s most important to get the kids fed, and then off to bed.  We were traveling with a 4-month-old, so we wanted early nights.

In Cairns, we ate one night at Rusty’s Market, which had an adjacent food hall with a range of Asian food.  Another evening we bought pre-made salads and cold meats and had a sunset picnic at the Cairns Lagoon.  This was the perfect family-friendly feast as we swam, and then ate, and then after digesting our food some more, swam again.  For the kids, swimming in the sunset light was a real highlight of their time in Cairns!

If you’re wondering where to eat in, this is what we would suggest.  There are barbecue’s at the lagoon, and plenty of families and backpackers enjoying the facilities.  A sunset picnic on the Cairns Lagoon would be something we’d do again in a heartbeat – it had such a great vibe!

For more suggestions of where to eat in Cairns, I’d consider the following places.

Apex Milk Bar

When you travel with kids – especially if you have picky eaters – you know that the familiar is best.  I’d been eyeing the Apex Milk Bar, which is a Cairns institution that opened in 1960!

They claim to serve up the best burgers in the world (well, definitely the best in Cairns!) and have 12 burgers on the menu.  The burgers include beef, chicken, pork, fish, and vegetarian options.  They proudly use as much local produce in their food as they can.  Also on the menu are fish and chips, hotdogs, and milkshakes!

Ochre Restaurant

Wondering where to eat crocodile in Cairns?  Or where to eat kangaroo in Cairns?  Ochre Restaurant is the place to do it!

I’m told Ochre Restaurant is a spectacular Australian dining experience and the best place to go for authentic fare on your Cairns holidays!  As Australians, we don’t generally eat kangaroo or crocodile, so I was super excited about the idea of dining out at the Ochre Restaurant.  They serve up dishes like Chargrilled Kangaroo Sirloin and Salt and Native Pepper-leaf Crocodile and Prawns, with ingredients like lemon myrtle and wattleseed.

By ‘authentic fare’, they actually mean Australian bush cuisine, which is very far from what the typical Australian family eats.  Hence our excitement to try one of these “exotic” dishes!  Next time …

Hemingway’s Brewery

I’ve included Hemingway’s Brewery on our list because brewpubs are an awesome way for families to get out in the evening, and everyone enjoys themselves.  The first Hemingway’s is located in Port Douglas, but the Cairns branch sounds just gorgeous: the heritage-listed building features a 19-meter-long bar and an expansive deck.

With a menu that has plenty of kid-friendly favorites, plus a few for the more discerning foodie, I think this would be a great Cairns restaurant to while away a few sunset hours!

Greenfields at The Riley

For a little taste of luxury, try Greenfields, the on-site café at The Riley.  The Riley is one of Cairns’ newest boutique hotels.  It is part of the Crystalbrook Collection resort hotels, a collection of upscale accommodations known for their quiet luxury.

Greenfields offers a simple menu with a focus on health and sustainability: grass-fed meat, sustainably caught fish, and locally sourced fruit is the stars of each plate.  Even the packaging is biodegradable!  Enjoy a light, tasty meal at Greenfields, and you’ll leave feeling refreshed – and satisfied that your meal had a positive impact on the planet!

Cairns Holidays: Best Things to do in Cairns!

We have a whole post about the Best Things To Do In Cairns With Kids (including free and paid activities), so make sure to check that out for all the details.  Some of our top picks include the Cairns Esplanade, Muddy’s Playground, the Cairns Botanic Gardens, and the Cairns Aquarium.

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon

There is no actual swimming beach in Cairns city (though there are many choices north and south of the city).  As a result, families flock to the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon – a large outdoor pool.  You’ll find it busy regardless of the season with both tourists and locals.

Muddy’s Playground

You’ll find Muddy’s Playground at one end of the Cairns Esplanade.  It is a great place for kids of all ages to let off some energy and splash around in the water park.

Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Zone

In addition to the fascinating Cairns Botanic Gardens, there is also the Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome.  With a challenging rope course to climb and the chance to see some Australian animals up close, this is a great option, especially if you don’t plan to leave Cairns itself.

 

Cairns Aquarium: The Habitats and Species of Tropical North Queensland

If your family loves aquatic life, but you don’t think you’ll make it on a Great Barrier Reef tour this time, you can always visit the Cairns Aquarium.  It is the only aquarium in the world dedicated to tropical North Queensland’s marine life.  You won’t be disappointed!

Don’t forget to check out our post on Things to do in Cairns with Kids for all the details on these activities and so much more!

 

Things to do on Your Cairns Family Holiday + Day Trip Options

There are tonnes of great activities that make easy day trips from Cairns, like the Daintree Rainforest, Kuranda, and (of course), snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, just to name a few!

The Great Barrier Reef!

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the natural wonders of the world and a no-miss Cairns activity for families.  The number of tours and options for visiting the inner and outer Barrier Reef is quite overwhelming.  But don’t worry: we have broken it all down and made it much easier to understand (check it out for snorkeling tips and more)!  Read our Amazing Great Barrier Reef Tours and Tips for Snorkeling in Cairns.

Daintree Rainforest

Move over Brazil – the Daintree Rainforest is tens of millions of years older than the Amazon Rainforest and just as cool.  Read more fun facts about the Daintree Rainforest in our post.

Kuranda Village

Last but certainly not least is a day in Kuranda.  Take the Kuranda Scenic Railway in, walk around Kuranda’s markets and the Butterfly Sanctuary, and then take the Kuranda Skyrail out.  This is a Cairns family activity the kids will not forget in a hurry!  We talk in-depth about visiting Kuranda.

Read our full post, A Great Guide to Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway – Cairns.

More Day Trips from Cairns for Families

There are many more day trips not to forget on your Cairns holidays.  Head north from Cairns, and you can visit the Northern Beaches (including Palm Cove Beach and Trinity Beach), Port Douglas (we give you all the details about Port Douglas), or head further into the rainforest on Cape Tribulation.  Or, travel south and see the attractions on the Atherton Tablelands, Paronella Park, the Babinda Boulders, and more.

We cover all of these things to do on your Cairns family holiday and so much more in our Cairns day trip post 17 BEST Cairns Day Trips – Explore Tropical North Queensland.  Read about how you can visit a number of islands off Cairns which are an excellent way to explore the Great Barrier Reef.  We visited Fitzroy Island and Green Island on our trip, and there is also Dunk Island south of Cairns.

 

What to Pack for Cairns

Clothing

You can expect hot weather year-round in Cairns, even during the winter months.  Pack the clothing you’d wear in any hot, humid destination.  We suggest sticking to the basics:

• Shorts
• T-Shirts
• Tank Tops
• Flip Flops (thongs for Aussies)

Dining out is pretty casual, so there is no need to pack extra “dress-up” clothes.  We do recommend bringing a light rain jacket if traveling during the wet (summer) season.

Honestly, you should really read our comprehensive Ultimate Beach Packing List for Family Days and Holidays.  It has got everything you need to take on a tropical holiday!

Sun Protection

Sun protection is a must for your Cairns holidays!  The sun in North Queensland is harsh, and hot and sunny weather in Cairns is the norm year-round.  It is easy to burn in Cairns, Australia!

You should pack:

• Sun Hat: A wide-brimmed hat is recommended.
• Sunglasses
• Rashies: If you don’t know what rashies are, we are talking about a rash guard – the gold standard clothing choice for surfing and standard attire on Australian beaches!  These synthetic swim shirts protect your skin from the harsh UV rays as well as cuts if you happen to scrape against a rock! Kids’ rashies provide neck-to-knee protection.
• Sunscreen: A strong SPF 30 (or higher!) sunscreen or zinc to use every single day.  If you haven’t brought your own, you can easily find some for purchase anywhere in Australia at supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores.  Remember: chemical-based sunscreens can have an enormous environmental impact.  If you plan to swim near wildlife or coral, try using natural sunscreen instead.  For a great Reef Safe Sunscreen check here.

Bug Spray

Bug spray is a must on your Cairns holidays packing list!  Given its tropical climate and high rainfall, the Cairns region provides an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes and biting midges.  An astounding 220 species of mosquito can be found in Queensland!

Unfortunately, some of these species can be carriers of diseases such as Ross River Fever and Dengue.  Though neither of these is especially prevalent in Cairns, it’s still important to protect yourself.

Pack or buy tropical-strength mosquito repellent for your Cairns family holiday. You will thank me!

Swimming Gear

While a regular bathing suit (or rashie/rash guard for protection against the hot sun) is fine in the hotel pool or Cairns Lagoon, if you go swimming on the Great Barrier Reef, you will want to bring some additional things:

• Shorts
• Breathable T-Shirts Or Tank Tops
• Swimwear
• Snorkel Sets For Kids – We cover the best snorkeling sets for kids here, and we also have some handy tips for how to teach your kids to snorkel.
• Stinger Suit – You might not bring this with you, but if you are offered one on a tour of the Great Barrier Reef, you should take it!

How to Stay Safe on Your Cairns Family Holiday

Stinger Season Cairns: What is it and Why is it important?

“Stinger” is the colloquial term for jellyfish – an apt description if you ask us!  Most stingers (also known as marine stingers) are easy to avoid but can cause discomfort if you are stung.  However, some tropical species can be lethal, so it’s important to know how to protect yourself.

The most dangerous stinger species in the Cairns area is the Chironex fleckeri, known as Box Jellyfish.  Box Jellyfish are large and produce a highly toxic venom which can lead to a cardiovascular collapse in humans within 3 minutes.  Their tentacles are translucent, making them difficult to spot in the water.

Luckily, they are widely dispersed, so incidences of stings are rare.  There have only been reports of 64 people killed in Australia since records began in 1883.

When is Cairns Stinger Season?

Stingers love the tropical summer weather in Cairns and can be found in the coastal waters from November to May.  Stingers are extremely rare from June to October.  As the winter nears, the stingers will migrate north.

Swimmers should exercise caution in the water during the summer months, and beaches may be closed if the risk of stingers is great.

How to Protect Yourself During Stinger Season in Cairns

Stingers are predominantly a problem along the coast and don’t usually affect tours around the Great Barrier Reef.  To ensure you enjoy your day at the beach or Great Barrier Reef tour, follow these tips.

 

The Verdict – How to Plan an Awesome Cairns Family Holiday

We hope you have enjoyed our comprehensive guide on how to plan an awesome Cairns Family Holiday.  Cairns Australia is a magical place with much to see and do.  It is an excellent base for exploring places like the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, and Kuranda Village.  Not to mention Cairns itself has a lot to offer.  Make sure you alott plenty of time for this tropical North Queensland destination.

Like It> Pin It> The BEST Cairns Holidays: Our Ultimate Guide To Family Holidays In Cairns

 

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