Located in the Northern part of the state of Queensland, Cairns is one of the more popular gateways to the Great Barrier Reef. It was one of my favorite cities during my 10 day visit to Australia. This post covers how to spend 3 days in Cairns in 3 different ways. These 3 itineraries have something for everyone!
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Table of Contents
Notes on these 3 days in Cairns Itineraries
- You can do the activities for each day on any day. Doesn’t have to be the way I have laid it out
- Feel free to mix and match what to do within the 3 days to suit your interests
- You may need a car for any of the Port Douglas suggestions which you can rent for relatively cheaply at the Cairns airport OR you can pick tours that start from Cairns and that have pick up and drop off
- I cover most of these activities in-depth in my post below!
3 Days in Cairns – Itinerary #1
This itinerary is for someone who wants to explore a little bit of everything Cairns has to offer. It is also ideal if you have kids and want to keep them entertained.
Day 1 – The Great Barrier Reef
You cannot visit Cairns and not explore the Great Barrier Reef! Whether you snorkel or are a diver, you should definitely spend at least one day exploring the Great Barrier Reef, especially the outer reef! I did this tour below and can recommend it! They also have an option for a short flight seeing tour and I think you should do it if you can! The reef is as beautiful from the sky as it is from under the sea!
Day 2 – Daintree Rainforest or Kuranda
If you have a vehicle, you can drive up to Daintree Rainforest, the oldest rainforest in the world! There is a lot to do once you are there! You could walk in the forest, explore a gorge, do a boat tour or check out the beautiful beaches! If you don’t have a vehicle, a tour like the one below offers pick up and drop off from/to Cairns
If you don’t feel like making the 1.5 hour drive to Daintree from Cairns, you could explore Kuranda instead. Kuranda is an Aboriginal rainforest town. One of the main highlight of Kuranda is actually getting there via a cable car or a scenic train ride! (see THIS post where I talk about this in depth)
Day 3 – Explore Cairns
If you have kids, you can spend the morning exploring the aquarium and the afternoon swimming in the lagoon. Then spend your evening/night at the Cairns Night Market!
3 Days in Cairns – Itinerary #2
This itinerary is ideal for those who want to explore the Great Barrier Reef in depth. One thing about snorkeling and/or diving is that you will never really experience the same thing twice even if you go to the same location.
Day 1 – Flight Seeing and Port Douglas
Take a 40 minute plane ride to see the Great barrier Reef from the sky this morning and then either drive to Port Douglas for a half day Low Isles snorkeling tour or do a half day snorkeling or diving tour from Cairns.
Day 2 – Explore the Outer Reef
Explore the outer reef on this day 2 of your 3 days in Cairns on a full day trip. In most cases, these boats leave Cairns in the morning, go to a couple of places on the outer reef for snorkeling and diving and then bring you back in the evening. Lunch and snacks are typically served and these are well run tours. Going to the outer reef is one of the best things you can do from Cairns, so definitely do this!
Day 3 – Visit an Island
45 minutes from Cairns lie 2 islands that are known for their snorkeling and rainforests. Both Fitzroy and Green island are fun day trips from Cairns. You can actually snorkel from the beach on these islands, making it a fun experience for everyone in the family!
3 Days in Cairns – Itinerary #3
Now that you know your options in Cairns, you can mix and match from any of the options above to make an itinerary that suit your needs! For example, if you want to do more water activities but also include the a rainforest, you could do:
- Day 1 – Snorkel or dive in the Outer Reef
- Day 2 – Explore a rainforest (Daintree or Kuranda)
- Day 3 – Relax on a Beach
Being on the coast, there are some amazing beaches around Cairns that you can explore! Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, Holloways Beach are all beaches that are relatively close by to Cairns.
Where to Stay in Cairns
Pick a central spot when you are booking accommodation, especially if you don’t plan on driving. I stayed at the Crystalbrook Flynn. This hotel is located in a very central spot and is walking distance to everything! HERE is a link if you want to check it out!
Renting a Car
If you book ahead of time, I found car rentals in Australia to be relatively reasonable. Remember, Australia does drive on the left side of the road but there is signage everywhere to remind you and it was pretty easy.
Check out a rental car below:
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