The Insider Guides Road Trip Series offers popular itineraries packed with local tips to plan your next adventure. In this guide, you’ll discover the natural beauty of Far North Queensland, one of Australia’s most authentic and wild regions.
So, start the car and let us guide you on the ultimate Far North Queensland road trip!
When is the best time to road-trip around Far North Queensland?
Peak season: September – November
Off-season: March – September
Our recommendation: Go during the dry season between April and October.
Route
Airlie Beach & Whitsundays → Townsville → Cairns & Great Barrier Reef → Port Douglas & the Daintree Rainforest → Cape Tribulation
Airlie Beach and Whitsundays
Airlie Beach is a coastal town with a vibrant tourism industry as it sits in the perfect position to access the Great Barrier Reef and the majestic Whitsunday Islands. It also has an airport making it an ideal starting point to land and rent a car.
What to do
Basing yourself in Airlie Beach for three days will give you enough time to venture out to some of Australia’s most iconic beaches and islands. The Whitsundays are a cluster of 74 islands located off the coast of Airlie Beach and are consistently ranked among the top beaches in the world – and for good reason!
Some of the most common tours will include trips to:
The breathtaking crystal-clear waters blend into the stunning white sandy beaches, which are easily reached by a daily ferry.
Image by Eclipse Chasers via Pexels
There are also endless snorkelling, boating and jetski tours to choose from, including the southern parts of the Great Barrier Reef.
Some of the tours even include overnight stays on a boat out in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef!
Local tip: If you happen to be there on a Saturday, be sure to explore the Airlie Beach markets in the morning to mingle with locals and grab your morning coffee!
Townsville
A three-hour drive north from Airlie Beach, you will arrive in the tropical city of Townsville. A stop here for a night will give you a chance to get an authentic pub-style dinner and soak up some Queensland culture before continuing on your way.
What to do
Townsville is a popular destination for boating, camping and fishing enthusiasts and with a day in Townsville we recommend visiting Magnetic Island.
The island features 23 bays and beaches, with Nelly Bay, Arcadia, Horseshoe Bay and Picnic Bay being some of the most popular. You can actually choose to stay on the island if you have time, or hop aboard a ferry from Townsville for a day trip.
Local tip: City Lane is an amazing dining precinct with great choices for food and drinks!
Cairns & Great Barrier Reef
A four-hour drive north, you will arrive in the beautiful city of Cairns.
What to do
The Great Barrier Reef stretches across all of these destinations, but in Cairns, you will find the most options for tours, boat rides and snorkelling trips to the reef. Depending on your budget and schedule, spending up to four days in Cairns will give you a chance to see and do all that this beautiful city has to offer!
Image by Francesco Ungaro via Pexels
Another must-do while in Cairns is to catch the Kuranda scenic railway train through the Barron Gorge National Park. It takes roughly two hours to wind through the dense and breathtaking rainforest, where you arrive at the quaint village of Kuranda.
Images by Laetitia Barroux
Here you can have some lunch, pick up some souvenirs at one of the many local stores and then choose to head back via SkyRail which takes you over the rainforest in a cable-car perched above the trees, giving you a unique perspective on the vastness of the rainforest with views all the way to the ocean.
Port Douglas and the Daintree
Just one hour’s drive north of Cairns is the quiet, upmarket town of Port Douglas, which gives you easy access to the barrier reef and Daintree Rainforest.
What to do
Port Douglas offers a more relaxed and luxurious experience than Cairns. We recommend spending two full days in Port Douglas to soak up the town’s atmosphere and visit the Daintree Rainforest.
If you are deciding on where to splurge on a restaurant dinner on your trip, Port Douglas would be the place as Macrossan Street is lined with boutique shopping, cafes and bars with Yachts from all over the world dock at the Marina.
Perhaps the highlight of staying in Port Douglas will be the opportunity to visit the world’s oldest rainforest – the Daintree. Just a 15-minute drive from the town centre is Mossman Gorge, an untouched natural wonder of emerald rock pools.
Local tip: Visit the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre to learn more about the Kuku Yalanji people who call the Daintree Rainforest home.
Cape Tribulation
As you travel further north, say goodbye to cities and modern dining as you really start to feel the isolated beauty of Queensland’s far north. Cape Tribulation is a truly unique, once-in-a-lifetime destination, as it is the point where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef.
What to do: This part of your trip will require some planning, as the UNESCO heritage site has limited entry points as well as different hikes, tours and accommodation types to choose from.
The rainforest and beaches here are remote and vast, so if you love bush walks and secluded beaches, you could stay forever! But we recommend two days to ensure you get to see a variety of spots.
Make sure Myall Beach is part of your itinerary as it truly is one of the most breathtaking beaches in all of Australia, as the dense rainforest reaches right up to the water’s edge.
