Mystery Weekend Getaways Experiences-Cairns

What To Do In Cairns: A Guide on How to Spend a Day

As one of Australia’s adventure capitals, Cairns—the pinnacle of excellence of tropical North Queensland—guarantees epic moments and memories. Cairns City offers a vibrant nightlife and is near natural wonders like the Wet Tropics. When venturing beyond the city of Cairns, there’s even more to discover. Sprawling rainforests, tropical islands, cascading waterfalls, and quirky towns are all within reach.

Cairns Airport and Cairns International Airport are key travel hubs, making it easy for travellers to access this exciting destination.

If Cairns is your destination, complete your Mystery Weekend Getaway by embarking on a Mystery Weekend Getaways Experience. Whether you wish to explore ancient landscapes, get up close to wondrous wildlife, relax by your hotel’s pool or explore the fabulous beaches, you will find whatever you are looking for at Mystery Weekend Getaways Experience. Cairns hotels, including the Cairns Plaza Hotel, offer various accommodation options for travellers.

Check Mystery Weekend Getaways Experiences at Cairns

Below is a sample of Mystery Weekend Getaways activities in Cairns

Start Your Day

Begin your day in Cairns with a delicious breakfast at one of the many cafes or restaurants along the Cairns Esplanade. Enjoy the stunning views of the Coral Sea while you fuel up for a day of adventure. After breakfast, take a short walk to the Cairns Lagoon, a picturesque spot for a morning swim or sunbathing session.

The Cairns Esplanade is a picturesque 2.5 km stretch of foreshore in the heart of Cairns, managed by the Cairns Regional Council. The parklands, playgrounds, boardwalk, lagoon, and recreational facilities are all free to enter.

Cairns Botanic Gardens

If you’re looking for a more leisurely start, stroll through the Cairns Botanic Gardens, a tropical paradise with diverse plant life and scenic walking trails. Cairns Botanic Gardens is known as one of the country’s best exhibits of tropical plants. The gardens offer a serene escape and a perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Queensland’s Tropical North. The Cairns Botanic Gardens may just be a stone’s throw away from the city, but the lush greenery and meandering rainforest paths will make you feel as if you are in a real wet tropical rainforest.

Morning Activities

Spend your morning exploring the Cairns Aquarium, home to over 16,000 aquatic animals and featuring daily animal talks, shark feeds, and a marine touch tank. It’s a fantastic way to learn about the diverse marine life of the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Alternatively, visit the Cairns Art Gallery, which showcases local and international art exhibitions, providing a cultural start to your day.

Cairns Museum

If you’re interested in history, head to the Cairns Museum, which offers insights into the region’s past and present. For a more adventurous morning, consider taking a scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef or go skydiving over the Coral Sea for an unforgettable experience.

Outdoor Adventures

Cairns is the perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Take a snorkelling or diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems. Explore the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest continuously surviving rainforest, and spot exotic wildlife such as the green turtle, humpback whale, and saltwater crocodile.

For a more leisurely outdoor experience, take a boat tour of the Coral Sea or go kayaking or paddle boarding along the Cairns Esplanade. These activities offer a fantastic way to appreciate Queensland’s Tropical North’s natural beauty and biodiversity.

Relaxation and Wellness

After a day of exploring, unwind with a relaxing spa treatment at one of Cairns’ many wellness centres. Take a leisurely walk along the Cairns Esplanade, which features parklands, playgrounds, and recreational facilities. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Cairns Lagoon or take a dip in the saltwater lagoon.

Pamper yourself with an extraordinary experience. Book a stay at a luxury resort and enjoy fine dining, golfing, or other leisure activities. Cairns offers the perfect blend of relaxation and adventure, ensuring a well-rounded holiday experience.

Adventure Experiences

Cairns is Queensland’s adventure capital, offering a range of high-adrenaline activities. Go bungy jumping or skydiving over the Coral Sea or take a scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef. For a more unique experience, go beach horse riding or take a guided horse-riding tour through the Daintree Rainforest.

Alternatively, try snorkelling or diving with dwarf minke whales, a truly unforgettable experience. These adventure activities are sure to get your heart racing and provide lasting memories of your time in Cairns.

Shopping and Markets

Cairns has various shopping options, from quirky boutiques to big-name brands. Visit the Cairns Night Markets, which offer over 70 market shops and a food court, perfect for an evening stroll. Alternatively, head to Rusty’s Markets, a popular spot for local produce, souvenirs, and crafts.

For a more upscale shopping experience, visit the Oceana Walk retail arcade or Cairns Central Shopping Centre. Don’t forget to check out the local art galleries and studios, which showcase the work of local artists and craftspeople. Whether you’re looking for unique souvenirs or high-end fashion, Cairns has something for every shopper.

Activities around Cairns – best for the day trips

Atherton Tablelands

Located just south of Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands is a lush, fertile rainforest, wetland, and savannah region. Here, you can explore various landscapes and attractions, including waterfalls, organic farms, limestone caves, and coffee plantations. Most people visiting the Atherton Tablelands on a day trip from Cairns will venture to the iconic Waterfall Circuit.

Millaa Millaa Falls

Approximately a two-hour drive from Cairns, this circuit will take you to three of the most photographed waterfalls in Australia – Millaa Millaa Falls is picturesque, with water rushing over lava columns as you enjoy a picnic lunch. Turtles and platypus play, and don’t forget to pack your swimsuit to bask in the water.

Immerse yourself in the stunning natural beauty of the wet tropics Atherton Tablelands, a mix of rainforest, swimming holes, wetlands, and savanna landscapes.

Kuranda

Kuranda is one of the most accessible day trips you can take from Cairns, only 40 minutes away. This rainforest village offers a cool mountain climate as an ideal reprieve from the warm weather on the coastline. There are endless attractions to discover in Kuranda, including a butterfly sanctuary, koala gardens, riverboat cruises, cultural experiences, and the iconic Heritage Markets, where stalls sell handmade jewellery and locally sourced produce.

Kuranda Scenic Railway

Travel via the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to glide high above the pristine jungle canopy. On your return, hop aboard the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway, which winds through the rainforest, passing the thundering Barron Falls on its way to Cairns.

Discover endless experiences in Kuranda, including a butterfly sanctuary, koala gardens, cultural experiences and the iconic Heritage Markets.

Port Douglas

Drive just one hour north of Cairns via the incredibly scenic Great Barrier Reef Drive to reach the laidback coastal town of Port Douglas. Here, you’ll discover the famous Four Mile Beach, where golden sands stretch as far as the eye can see.

Aim for Flagstaff Hill Lighthouse for the best views of the beach. When you’re feeling peckish, stroll down Macrossan Street to dine at one of 60 restaurants and cafes. The Port Douglas region is also rich in Indigenous Australian heritage, which is exciting to learn more about on a guided day tour from Cairns.

Travel just one hour north of Cairns via the incredibly scenic Great Barrier Reef Drive to arrive at the laidback coastal town of Port Douglas.

Fitzroy Island

There are over 900 islands scattered along the coast of Tropical North Queensland, and if you’d like to enjoy a day trip from Cairns, Fitzroy Island is among the most accessible. This tropical paradise is just a 45-minute ride onboard the Fitzroy Flyer.
You’ll likely spend most of your time here in the water, snorkelling, kayaking, and or riding a glass bottom boat. Outside the water, explore one of many scenic walking trails or learn about turtle conservation at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. Fitzroy Island is also home to a resort, a campground, and two restaurants.

Enjoy your time on Fitzroy Island in the water, as popular activities include snorkelling, kayaking, and rides on a glass-bottom boat.

Mission Beach

Mission Beach is another popular day trip from Cairns, located two hours south along the Cassowary Coast. This relaxed coastal strip is made up of four beachside villages – Bingil Bay, North Mission, Wongaling Beach and South Mission – spread along a seemingly infinite palm-lined beach.
Spend your stay lounging on one of these beaches or take a quick water taxi to nearby Dunk Island to enjoy activities like swimming, snorkelling, fishing, and bushwalking. Plus, the area surrounding Mission Beach is home to one of the highest concentrations of cassowaries in Australia, often spotted walking through fields and swimming across rivers.

Spend your stay lounging on Mission Beach or enjoy activities like swimming, snorkelling, fishing, and bushwalking.

Daintree Rainforest

Just over two hours north of Cairns you’ll find the oldest surviving rainforest in the world: Daintree Rainforest.  There is plenty to discover here. Start at the Daintree Discovery Centre, with interactive displays to help you learn more about the history of the Daintree, along with several aerial walkways and rainforest boardwalks.
From here, it’s just a 30-minute drive to Cape Tribulation, a remote headland where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. On your way back to Cairns, stop by the Daintree Ice Cream Company, where you can indulge in locally-grown exotic flavours like Breadfruit, Mangosteen, Durian, and Lychee served with the most incredibly scenic backdrop, surrounded by lush, tropical mountains.

Explore the several aerial walkways, clear waters, tropical flavours, and rainforest boardwalks of Daintree Forest.

Great Barrier Reef

No holiday to Cairns is complete without a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef. One of the seven wonders of the natural world, the Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2,300 kilometres along the coast of Queensland.

Cairns is by far the most popular base to explore this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, with countless tours to both the Outer Great Barrier Reef and the Inner Fringing Reefs. Whichever section of the reef you choose to explore, expect to spend your day trip swimming, snorkelling, or diving among the 400 types of coral and 1,500 species of fish that call the Great Barrier Reef home.

No matter which part of the reef you decide to visit, you’ll love swimming, snorkelling, or diving among 400 types of coral and 1,500 fish species that call the Great Barrier Reef their home.

Paronella Park

Paronella Park is one of the most unique attractions in Tropical North Queensland and is easily accessed from Cairns. Hidden among verdant foliage beside the spectacular Mena Creek Falls, this Spanish-style castle was built in the early 1900s. Admission to Paronella Park includes a 30-minute guided storytelling tour that takes you through the park’s highlights, along with an after-dark experience that culminates in an incredible sound and light display.

Enjoy the unique attractions at Paronella Park, Queensland.

Palm Cove

Add luxury to your Cairns holiday by driving 30 minutes north to Palm Cove. This is Tropical North Queensland’s most glamorous village, where luxury hotels and fine-dining restaurants line a beautiful stretch of palm-fringed beach.

Palm Cove is where time slows down, so spend your day riding bikes along the esplanade, kayaking in the calm ocean waters or fishing off the jetty. For those seeking even more indulgence, why not treat yourself to a massage or facial?

Palm Cove has been dubbed the spa capital of Australia and is dotted with several day spas, many of which offer a specialised treatment menu.

Mossman Gorge

Mossman Gorge, nestled within the Daintree Rainforest, is one of the best day trips from Cairns. Here, crystalline waters cascade over large granite boulders in the Mossman River, surrounded by lush emerald rainforest.

First, pay a visit to the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, where you can join a guided Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk tour. Led by the traditional owners, the Kuku Yalanji people, this scenic walk offers a chance to learn about ancient culture and traditions while wandering through the rainforest.

Afterward, you can explore further by trekking one of several self-guided trails, including the 2.4-kilometre Rainforest Circuit Track, which crosses the Rex Creek suspension bridge.

Mossman Gorge offers unforeseen landscapes that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia.

Cairns, the adventure capital of Australia

Cairns, the adventure capital of Australia, offers a perfect blend of vibrant city life and stunning natural wonders. Visitors can indulge in a variety of activities, from exploring the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest to enjoying local markets and relaxing at beautiful beaches like Palm Cove and Mission Beach. With easy access to nearby attractions such as Kuranda and Atherton Tablelands, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re seeking adventure, relaxation, or cultural experiences. Enhance your getaway with a tailored Mystery Weekend Getaways Experience for a unique holiday.

How to book a Mystery Weekend Getaways Experience

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