Cairns travel guide

Cairns Tourism | Cairns Guide

You're Going to Love Cairns

With a population of 153,075, Cairns is a must-see destination in Queensland, Australia. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Cairns deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Cairns

Cairns CBD is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Cairns. These include popular favourites such as Vivaldis Restaurant (53-57 Esplanade), Bushfire Flame Grill Restaurant - Pacific Hotel Cairns (43 Esplanade) and Hemingway's Brewery - Cairns (Cairns Wharf Corner Wharf & Lake Streets). If you’re looking for affordable options, Soy Kitchen Street Food (41 Wharf St) and Bellocale (62c Shields St) are great picks.

When to visit Cairns

Cairns in February
Estimated hotel price
₹ 10222
1 night at 3-star hotel
Cairns in February
Estimated hotel price
₹ 10222
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Cairns in January, when the average temperature is 27 °C, and the highest can go up to 31 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is June, when it can get as cold as 17 °C, with an average temperature of 21 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 430 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Cairns, with an average rainfall of 20 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Cairns

Plane

When flying to Cairns, you’ll arrive at Cairns (CNS), which is located 4 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Cairns from India departs from Mumbai and takes around 40h 15m.

Train

The train station in Cairns is called Cairns, and is located 0.4 km from the city centre.

Bus

Greyhound Australia operates bus routes to Cairns.

Plane

When flying to Cairns, you’ll arrive at Cairns (CNS), which is located 4 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Cairns from India departs from Mumbai and takes around 40h 15m.

Train

The train station in Cairns is called Cairns, and is located 0.4 km from the city centre.

Bus

Greyhound Australia operates bus routes to Cairns.

Airports near Cairns

Airlines serving Cairns

Lufthansa
Good (4,658 reviews)
KLM
Good (857 reviews)
SWISS
Good (924 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,484 reviews)
Air France
Good (979 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,938 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,126 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,482 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,781 reviews)
Finnair
Good (880 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (916 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (832 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (495 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (463 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (965 reviews)
China Eastern
Good (54 reviews)
China Southern
Excellent (30 reviews)
LATAM Airlines
Good (986 reviews)
Air China
Good (31 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (544 reviews)
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Where to stay in Cairns

From 5-star hotels such as the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino to great affordable options like the Cascade Gardens, Cairns offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around ₹ 7,731 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to ₹ 16,154 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Travellers Paradise Heritage Historical Place - Hostel and Caravella Backpackers. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Cairns, with prices from ₹ 1,084 to ₹ 140,414 per night. Cairns CBD is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Cairns are about 24% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Cairns

Most booked hotels in Cairns

Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns
5 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
₹ 12,324+
Hilton Cairns
5 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
₹ 12,461+
Paradise on the Beach Resort - Palm Cove
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
₹ 6,785+
Mango Lagoon Resort & Wellness Spa
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
₹ 8,176+
Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
₹ 12,521+
Mantra Amphora
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
₹ 8,088+

Hiring a car in Cairns

Hiring a car in Cairns costs ₹ 4,764 per day, on average, or ₹ 9,528 if you want to hire it for 2 days. Sixt, Alamo and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Cairns is the Bargain Car Rentals branch at 410, Sheridan Street, which is 3 km from the city centre.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 15% more expensive than at Cairns.

Expect to pay ₹ 98 per litre in Cairns (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between ₹ 1,171 and ₹ 1,561. The most frequently booked car type in Cairns is Compact (MG ZS or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (MG 3 or similar) is, on average, 45% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Cairns costs ₹ 4,764 per day, on average, or ₹ 9,528 if you want to hire it for 2 days. Sixt, Alamo and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Cairns is the Bargain Car Rentals branch at 410, Sheridan Street, which is 3 km from the city centre.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 15% more expensive than at Cairns.

Expect to pay ₹ 98 per litre in Cairns (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between ₹ 1,171 and ₹ 1,561. The most frequently booked car type in Cairns is Compact (MG ZS or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (MG 3 or similar) is, on average, 45% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Car hire agencies in Cairns

Hertz

Hertz

Budget

Budget
Find car hire in Cairns