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. We recommend you stay at least 2 days in order to fully appreciate everything Townsville has to offer.

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), Chico Rio Townsville (247 Flinders St) and Miss Songs (Sir Leslie Thiess Drive). If you’re looking for affordable options, Shorehouse (118 The Strand) and Jam Restaurant (1 Palmer St) are great picks.

When to visit Townsville

Townsville in January
Estimated hotel price
$100
1 night at 3-star hotel
Townsville in January
Estimated hotel price
$100
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 Etihad Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Townsville departs from Brisbane and takes around 1h 55m.

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 East Coast Car Rentals, 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 Etihad Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Townsville departs from Brisbane and takes around 1h 55m.

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 East Coast Car Rentals, among others, in Cairns.

Airports near Townsville

Airlines serving Townsville

Qatar Airways
Good (2,382 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (1,984 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,630 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Good (778 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (728 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (453 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (5,537 reviews)
Air New Zealand
Excellent (243 reviews)
Jetstar
Good (247 reviews)
Virgin Australia
Good (234 reviews)
Fiji Airways
Good (110 reviews)
Rex
Excellent (19 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Townsville

Average rates range from around $150 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $134 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Adventurers Backpackers and Summit Motel. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Townsville, with prices from $75 to $1,187 per night. North Ward is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Townsville are about 22% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Townsville

Most booked hotels in Townsville

The Palmer Collective
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
$119+
Arcadia Beach Guest House
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$39+
Rambutan Resort
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$83+
Aquarius on the Beach
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
$116+
Mercure Townsville
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
$119+
Amaroo On Mandalay
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
$134+

Hiring a car in Townsville

Hiring a car in Townsville costs $89 per day, on average, or $179 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 11% more expensive than at Townsville.

Expect to pay $1.74 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 $20.82 and $27.75. The most frequently booked car type in Townsville is Full-size (Toyota Land Cruiser or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Nissan X-Trail or similar) is, on average, 58% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Townsville costs $89 per day, on average, or $179 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 11% more expensive than at Townsville.

Expect to pay $1.74 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 $20.82 and $27.75. The most frequently booked car type in Townsville is Full-size (Toyota Land Cruiser or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Nissan X-Trail or similar) is, on average, 58% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.