Introduction
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

Cairns North travel guide

Cairns North Tourism | Cairns North Guide

You're Going to Love Cairns North

With a population of 153,075, Cairns North is a must-see destination in Queensland, Australia. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. We recommend you stay at least 4 days in order to fully appreciate everything Cairns North has to offer.

When to visit Cairns North

Cairns North in December
Estimated hotel price
$73
1 night at 3-star hotel
Cairns North in December
Estimated hotel price
$73
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Cairns North

Plane

When flying to Cairns North, you’ll arrive at Cairns (CNS), which is located 3 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Australia to Cairns North include Air India, Etihad Airways and Jetstar. The shortest domestic flight to Cairns North departs from Brisbane and takes around 2h 20m.

Car

Another option to get to Cairns North is to pick up a car hire from Cairns, which is about 2 km from Cairns North. You’ll find branches of Bargain Car Rentals and Simba Car Hire, among others, in Cairns.

Bus

Greyhound Australia operates bus routes to Cairns North. From Proserpine, the bus ride to Cairns North takes 1287 km and will cost you around $159. From Brisbane, the ticket costs about $626 for a journey of 3090 km.

Plane

When flying to Cairns North, you’ll arrive at Cairns (CNS), which is located 3 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Australia to Cairns North include Air India, Etihad Airways and Jetstar. The shortest domestic flight to Cairns North departs from Brisbane and takes around 2h 20m.

Car

Another option to get to Cairns North is to pick up a car hire from Cairns, which is about 2 km from Cairns North. You’ll find branches of Bargain Car Rentals and Simba Car Hire, among others, in Cairns.

Bus

Greyhound Australia operates bus routes to Cairns North. From Proserpine, the bus ride to Cairns North takes 1287 km and will cost you around $159. From Brisbane, the ticket costs about $626 for a journey of 3090 km.

Airports near Cairns North

CNSCairns
BFCBloomfield

Airlines serving Cairns North

Lufthansa
Good (7,044 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,333 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,834 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,588 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,444 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,695 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,213 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,563 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,242 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,273 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,203 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,292 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (852 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (852 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (1,459 reviews)
China Eastern
Good (148 reviews)
China Southern
Good (96 reviews)
LATAM Airlines
Good (1,767 reviews)
Hawaiian Airlines
Good (2,403 reviews)
Air China
Good (88 reviews)
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Where to stay in Cairns North

Average rates range from around $192 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $517 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Cairns North

Most booked hotels in Cairns North

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Crystalbrook Riley
5 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
$272+
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Crystalbrook Bailey
5 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
$201+
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Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns
5 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
$230+
View
Hilton Cairns
5 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
$234+
View
Cairns Colonial Club Resort
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$125+
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DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns
5 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
$201+
View

Hiring a car in Cairns North

Hiring a car in Cairns North costs $67 per day, on average, or $270 if you want to hire it for 4 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 12% cheaper than airport locations in Cairns North.

Expect to pay $1.66 per litre in Cairns North (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $19.87 and $26.49. The most frequently booked car type in Cairns North is Standard (Mitsubishi Outlander or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Class Intermediate SUV or similar) is, on average, 47% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Cairns North costs $67 per day, on average, or $270 if you want to hire it for 4 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 12% cheaper than airport locations in Cairns North.

Expect to pay $1.66 per litre in Cairns North (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $19.87 and $26.49. The most frequently booked car type in Cairns North is Standard (Mitsubishi Outlander or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Class Intermediate SUV or similar) is, on average, 47% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in Cairns North

Cairns North Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Cairns North city guide for the best Cairns North travel tips. To help you organise your Cairns North trip ideas, this Cairns North visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.