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

Townsville travel guide

Townsville Tourism | Townsville Guide

You're Going to Love Townsville

With a population of 196.219, Townsville is a must-see destination in Queensland, Australia. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Townsville deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Townsville

Townsville City is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Townsville. These include popular favourites such as A Touch of Salt (86 Ogden Street), Miss Songs (Sir Leslie Thiess Drive) and Splash Bar (Sir Leslie Thiess Drive). If you’re looking for affordable options, The Palm House (Sir Leslie Thiess Drive) and Bridgewater Restaurant + Botaniq Bar (2/2 Dibbs Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Rockpool Pavilion (54 Howitt Street North Ward) and Shorehouse (118 The Strand) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Townsville.

When to visit Townsville

Townsville in January
Estimated hotel price
$134
1 night at 3-star hotel
Townsville in January
Estimated hotel price
$134
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Townsville in January, when the average temperature is 27 °C, and the highest can go up to 31 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is July, when it can get as cold as 13 °C, with an average temperature of 19 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in February, when precipitation is around 290 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Townsville, with an average rainfall of 10 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Townsville

Plane

When flying to Townsville, you’ll arrive at Townsville (TSV), which is located 5 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Australia to Townsville include American Airlines, Emirates and Air New Zealand. The shortest domestic flight to Townsville departs from Brisbane and takes around 2h.

Car

Another option to get to Townsville is to pick up a car hire from Cairns, which is about 282 km from Townsville. You’ll find branches of Bargain Car Rentals and Apex, among others, in Cairns.

Plane

When flying to Townsville, you’ll arrive at Townsville (TSV), which is located 5 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Australia to Townsville include American Airlines, Emirates and Air New Zealand. The shortest domestic flight to Townsville departs from Brisbane and takes around 2h.

Car

Another option to get to Townsville is to pick up a car hire from Cairns, which is about 282 km from Townsville. You’ll find branches of Bargain Car Rentals and Apex, among others, in Cairns.

Airports near Townsville

TSVTownsville

Airlines serving Townsville

United Airlines
Good (8,924 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,336 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,624 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (994 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,365 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (907 reviews)
Air New Zealand
Excellent (505 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (11,025 reviews)
Jetstar
Good (474 reviews)
Fiji Airways
Excellent (205 reviews)
Virgin Australia
Good (416 reviews)
Airnorth
Excellent (1 reviews)
Rex
Excellent (27 reviews)
Hinterland Aviation
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Find flights to Townsville

Where to stay in Townsville

Average rates range from around $201 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $153 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Summit Motel and Reef Lodge Backpackers. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Townsville, with prices from $99 to $565 per night. North Ward is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Townsville are about 28% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Townsville City - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Ardo, Clarion Hotel Townsville and The Ville Resort - Casino. The average nightly price for a double room in Townsville City is $74.

Townsville City - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Ardo, Clarion Hotel Townsville and The Ville Resort - Casino. The average nightly price for a double room in Townsville City is $74.
Most popular hotel in Townsville by neighbourhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Townsville

Most booked hotels in Townsville

See all
Ardo
4 stars
Excellent (9.1, Excellent reviews)
$281+
View
Selina Magnetic Island
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
$45+
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The Ville Resort - Casino
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
$246+
View
Rambutan Resort
5 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$153+
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Hotel Grand Chancellor Townsville
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$176+
View
Grand Mercure Apartments Magnetic Island
0 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$286+
View

Hiring a car in Townsville

Hiring a car in Townsville costs $65 per day, on average, or $129 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

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

Expect to pay $1.61 per litre in Townsville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $19.24 and $25.66. The most frequently booked car type in Townsville is Compact (Volkswagen Polo or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Toyota Yaris or similar) is, on average, 57% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Townsville costs $65 per day, on average, or $129 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

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

Expect to pay $1.61 per litre in Townsville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $19.24 and $25.66. The most frequently booked car type in Townsville is Compact (Volkswagen Polo or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Toyota Yaris or similar) is, on average, 57% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Best car hire deals in Townsville

Supplier choice

5 Adults, 5 Bags

$42/day

Supplier choice

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$48/day

Economy
Find car hire in Townsville

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