Cairns is a city with a population of about 150,000 in Tropical North Queensland. Cairns is a popular starting and ending location for most Australia East Coast Trips. Like most cities in Australia, Cairns is located next to the ocean. Cairns also has the advantage of having beautiful mountains and rainforests to provide a variety of day trips.  Keep reading below to find out my top 10 day trips around Cairns.

I am going to start with an honorable mention, the Walshs Pyramid hike. The reason this hike just barely misses out on the top ten is because of its difficulty level. This hike is about 6.5 kilometers roundtrip with an elevation gain of about 900 meters. If you plan ahead and have a fitness level able to do this hike, then you might want to consider making the trip. Your reward for conquering this hike is stunning views. Now the countdown is below.

10 – Crystal Cascades

Crystal Cascades is one of the most accessible day trips on this list since it is so close to Cairns. Car is the most convenient transportation to take, but I have also known a few people to use a bicycle to travel there. Many pools there are safe for swimming among the cascades. Most backpackers go to the top, so if you are looking for a more family environment, you would probably be better off in the lower areas. There are also many BBQs if you would like to bring some food for a cookout as well.

9 – Kuranda

Kuranda is a town in the mountains with a lot of markets for you to go shopping. In addition to shopping, Kuranda has quite a few animal exhibitions as well. The animals include butterflies, birds, and koalas. You can choose to drive to Kuranda, but the most popular choice is to take the Skyrail and Scenic Railway. Most people take one up to the town and the other to come back down. The options you choose for Kuranda will depend upon your budget and what you enjoy seeing.

8 – Fitzroy Island

Fitzroy Island is a 45-minute ferry ride from the Cairns port. It is a beautiful little island with lots of activities. Some of the activities include sea kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, glass-bottom boat, hiking trails, and beach lazing. The island also has a resort for anyone that wants to do an extended stay. On my trip to Fitzroy, I did the sea kayaking and attempted the paddleboard. I was not very successful on the paddleboard, but it was still a fun day.

7 – Hot Air Balloon over Atherton Tablelands

I feel like this one gets missed by most people. Most backpackers do not consider going on a hot air balloon, but I would recommend at least considering it. This trip begins early in the morning so that you can watch the sunrise from the sky. On my tour, the sunrise wasn’t magnificent because of a lot of clouds but seeing the animals, and everything was stunning. You might also learn a bit about how they use the winds to control the balloon. If you have the time and money to make this trip, then it will provide you with an incredible story that many travelers do not have.

6 – Windin Falls

Next on the list is Windin Falls. Windin Falls has an incredible infinity pool at the top of the waterfall. No tour companies go to this waterfall, so you will have to plan this trip with some friends. Driving to the trailhead is easy enough with google maps. The hike to the falls is relatively easy but a little long. Once you reach the top of the waterfall, you will fall in love with the sight. The total time for Windin Falls makes for one of the most incredible day trips around Cairns.

5 – Skydiving Mission Beach

Skydiving is a popular adventure sport all over the world. Throughout Australia, you can find different places to go skydiving. One of the highest-rated locations is from Mission Beach. Mission Beach is less than 2 hours driving from Cairns. Because of this, many tours will do pickups and dropoffs in Cairns for this trip. People love this trip because you will go over the Great Barrier Reef and land on the beach. For nature-loving thrill-seekers, this is a perfect day trip to take!

4 – Tully River white water rafting

White-water rafting down the Tully River was one of my favorite day trips around Cairns. I have gone rafting down quite a few rivers, and I would rank the Tully River among my two favorites, the other being the Ocoee River in Tennessee, USA. This river takes about four hours to complete and has a stop for lunch in the middle. During the trip down, they also add a few fun activities during the slower sections, such as jumping off a rock and getting into some wars with the other rafts.

3 – Waterfall and rainforest tour

I had trouble ranking the second and third place tours because they are both so popular. I placed them in this order, but I might declare them a tie instead. Different companies have slightly different itineraries, but most of them go to Babinda Boulders, Josephine Falls, Milla Milla Falls, and Lake Eacham. They also have a few other stops that vary between the companies. It is possible to get to all of these places with a car rather than booking a tour. If you make a self-driving tour, you can also go to some more waterfalls that the tour buses are not able to visit.

2 – Daintree Rainforest

A tour to the Daintree Rainforest is one of the most popular excursions from Cairns. This trip is another tour option that you could do with a company or on your own. The biggest problem if you go on your own is you will not have any cell service for navigation or issues. I took a tour with Uncle Brian’s to Cape Tribulation. This tour has quite a bit of driving, so the overnight visit is probably a little better option, but I only did the day tour. The trip includes stops at Port Douglas, a few different lookouts for the fantastic views, a beach, a swimming hole, and a crocodile cruise. Most companies have a similar itinerary.

1 – Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef undoubtedly takes the top spot on this list. Most people coming to Australia want to make a trip to the reef. Cairns is one of the most popular places to take a trip out to the reef. The guides will show you as much as possible and make sure you find Nemo during your dive. There are many companies offering trips out to the reef, and all of them should provide a fantastic trip. I have now taken a couple of trips to the reef with Diver’s Den and Dreamtime. I think I prefer Dreamtime because they include some local culture into the trip and go to some better reef locations.