Day trips from Cairns are a fantastic way to discover more of this beautiful North Queensland region. Whether you’re taking a Cairns to Daintree day trip or setting sail on the Great Barrier Reef, there are countless adventures to experience.
The next time you’re holidaying in Cairns, embark on one or more of these incredible day trips. You’ll soon realise why it’s the perfect gateway to some of Australia’s best natural spoils.
Cape Tribulation is one of the best day trips from Cairns. It reveals a landscape completely otherworldly compared to the rest of Australia. Ancient rainforest meets soft golden sand on Kulki (Cape Tribulation) Beach, while the headland strikes a regal pose overlooking the Great Barrier Reef.
Explore the rainforest on the Kulki Boardwalk, keeping an eye out for rare native flora and fauna. The beaches north and south of the headland are also ideal for a peaceful picnic lunch and sunset strolls.
A Cairns to Daintree day trip is the best way to experience a guided rainforest walk. There are various companies in the region offering walks ranging from 1.5 hours to four hours long. As you explore the Daintree Rainforest, you’ll learn more about the unique insects, birds and other creatures that inhabit one of the world’s oldest ecosystems.
Guided rainforest walks also reveal more about the Indigenous people who have called the Daintree home for thousands of years. You can visit sacred areas and learn how Indigenous Australians source food from the rainforest. If you’re staying at the Daintree Ecolodge, you can easily organise a number of guided walks with the lodge, including their on-property ‘A Walk Through Time’ guided walk.
Billy Tea Safaris offers a range of guided tours for memorable day trips from Cairns. Their one-day tours include adventures through the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, a visit to the Atherton Tablelands and enthralling journeys into the Chillagoe Caves. Their tours include a variety of stops and attractions, including villages, local produce, rainforest walks and Indigenous culture.
Embark on a remarkable sailing voyage from Cairns to watch the sun set over the mountains. There are a number of sailing excursions available from the harbour. Many of these include canapés, drinks and entertainment. You can also extend your voyage to include a three-course dinner. Regardless, sailing off the coast of Cairns lets you truly appreciate the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef.
Adventurous travellers shouldn’t miss snorkelling or scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. This classic day trip from Cairns is on most people’s bucket lists. Simply because the reef is an impossibly beautiful natural wonder teeming with marine life. We recommend choosing an excursion from Cape Tribulation or Port Douglas. These take you to more pristine parts of the reef that attract even more tropical fish, turtles, rays and reef sharks.
Need some pampering on your holiday? Take a day trip to the luxurious day spa at Daintree Ecolodge. The Daintree Wellness Spa offers a range of indulgent and rejuvenating treatments. They use wild-harvested Australian botanicals and the pure, healing waters of a sacred waterfall visited for thousands of years by the Kuku Yalanji people.
A Cairns to Daintree day trip delivers a myriad of unforgettable moments. Snorkelling, rainforest walks, Indigenous culture, wildlife and pampering spa treatments all await you just a few hours from Cairns. Want to extend your stay? Stay at the boutique Daintree Ecolodge for ease of access to all these experiences and more.
