Stepping off the plane in Cairns felt different from the moment we walked out the doors. The warm air hit us immediately — thick, tropical, familiar. After a week in Sydney and a week in Brisbane, Cairns finally felt like something closer to home. Smaller airport, easy to navigate, warm night air and the kind of relaxed energy that tells you immediately you’re somewhere special. We picked up our Turo rental car — $347 USD for the week, notably cheaper than a traditional rental — and made our way to our accommodation feeling ready for whatever Cairns had in store.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Il Palazzo Boutique Hotel, right in the heart of everything Cairns has to offer. The location could not have been better — steps from the Night Markets, a short walk to the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, Muddy’s Playground, and the pier where the Green Island ferry departs. Everything we needed for the week was within easy walking distance.
Our room had one bedroom with a pull out sofa in the living area, a fully equipped kitchen, and all the basics covered. The hotel had a nice pool the kids enjoyed regularly and a rooftop deck where we had dinner one evening and watched thousands of bats fly overhead at dusk — a completely unexpected and unforgettable sight that had all four of us just standing there looking up. Parking was free but limited — we reserved a spot in advance which we’d strongly recommend doing. The room and hotel was nothing fancy, but it had everything we needed, asides from WiFi, there network was incredibly week and did not work well in the rooms.
At around $200 AUD per night it felt like good value for the location and what was included, especially for a tourist town where prices run higher than elsewhere in Australia.
The Cairns Esplanade — Our Daily Playground
If there is one thing Cairns does exceptionally well it is the Esplanade. This stretch of waterfront became the backbone of our week and we kept coming back to it daily. The Cairns Esplanade Lagoon is a free saltwater swimming lagoon right on the waterfront — we could walk there at any point and take a dip, which we did often. The lagoon is beautiful, well maintained, and perfect for families.
Muddy’s Playground sits right alongside it and is one of the best free activity hubs we found in all of Australia. We spent hours here across multiple visits — the playground, the splashpad, the open space for running around. The cafe there served coffee and hot chips which kept us fueled between play sessions, and some items can be made vegan although the options were limited. Mostly we grabbed a coffee and let the kids run.
Beyond Muddy’s the Esplanade has a lot more going for it. There are several other playgrounds along the path, workout equipment for adults, a skate park the kids loved running around in, and a small rock climbing area for kids — all completely free. On my morning runs along the Esplanade path it was already buzzing with locals walking, cycling, and exercising. Cairns takes its waterfront seriously and it shows.
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, Muddy’s Playground and all Esplanade activities are free.
Kuranda — A Full Day in the Rainforest
Kuranda was one of the highlights of our entire week in Cairns and easily fills a full day. Our plan had been to take the Skyrail gondola up and the scenic train back down — but we hadn’t booked far enough in advance and the train was sold out for the entire week. A good lesson learned — book both the Skyrail and Kuranda Scenic Railway well in advance if the train is on your list.
We drove to the Skyrail terminal and rode the gondola up through the rainforest canopy — looking out above and sometimes directly into the treetops as we glided through. It was a genuinely beautiful ride and the kids loved every minute of it. The Skyrail makes two stops on the way — Red Peak Station and Barron Falls Station — and we got off at both of them on the way down.
At Red Peak we walked the rainforest boardwalk through the ancient rainforest canopy which was stunning and peaceful. Then something completely unexpected happened — two cassowaries appeared in the wild right near the path. Neither of us had any idea we might see one and for a moment we all just froze. A cassowary is an extraordinary thing to see up close — enormous, prehistoric looking, completely unbothered by our presence. A guide nearby made sure everyone kept their distance and told us she had once been chased into a bathroom by one. The kids were absolutely wide eyed. It was one of those travel moments that you genuinely could not have planned.
At Barron Falls Station we walked to the lookout and took in the stunning waterfall views before continuing up to Kuranda village.
In Kuranda we started with lattes while the kids had snacks from our packed lunch, then headed into Birdworld Kuranda where the kids had an absolute blast having birds land on their shoulders and eat seed directly from their hands. One bird gave Easton an unwanted peck which he was not happy about — but he recovered quickly and spent the rest of the visit happily feeding seed to the ducks. There is also an Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and Kuranda Koala Gardens which we skipped both given our incredible experience at Lone Pine — hard to top that.
After the aviaries we walked around the village, browsed gift shops, found some pieces from local artists we loved, grabbed some ice cream, and ate our packed sandwiches at the park while the kids played on the playground. We were up in Kuranda for around six hours between the gondola rides, the station stops, and the village itself. It never felt rushed and we could have easily stayed longer.
Skyrail pricing at time of booking: $111 AUD adults, $55.50 AUD children. Kuranda Scenic Railway combo: $145.50 AUD adults, $79.50 AUD children. Prices may have changed since our visit — check current pricing at skyrail.com.au and book well in advance. Glass bottom Diamond Skyrail upgrade available for additional cost. Birdworld Kuranda, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Kuranda Koala Gardens and bird seed are additional costs — combo packages available.
Green Island — Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef
No trip to Cairns is complete without experiencing the Great Barrier Reef and Green Island was our choice for doing exactly that. A coral cay sitting right on the reef, it was the perfect fit for our family — snorkeling at our own pace, a beautiful beach, and a full day that never felt rushed. It ended with a blacktip reef shark cruising past us on the pier and a few sea turtles drifting up near the boat — the kind of ending you couldn’t have written.
We’ve covered Green Island in full detail in its own dedicated post — everything you need to know about booking, costs, what to bring, and what to expect with kids.
→ Green Island with Kids — Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns
Centenary Lakes Nature Playground
One morning we made our way to Centenary Lakes Nature Playground and it turned into one of those quietly wonderful stops that wasn’t on anyone’s radar but ended up being a highlight. The playground is set in a beautiful natural environment and has a really unique feature — excavator buckets on frames that kids sit on and operate with their hands to dig in the sand. Both Easton and Milo were completely absorbed by them. We spent a couple of hours here, the kids made friends with a family visiting from the United States, and the whole morning had that slow easy pace that makes a travel day feel restful rather than exhausting.
Centenary Lakes Nature Playground is free.
Yorky’s Knob Beach
One afternoon we drove out to Yorky’s Knob Beach for a relaxed beach day — packed sandwiches, water, and no particular agenda. The kids made friends almost immediately with a local boy who was generous with his toys and happy to ride the waves alongside them. There was a playground nearby that they disappeared into for a while, exploring the wooded area around it with the kind of freedom that only happens when kids feel completely at ease somewhere new.
It was one of those simple, unhurried days that travel needs more of. No entry fees, no booking required, just a beautiful beach and an afternoon well spent.
Yorky’s Knob Beach is free.
The Night Markets
The Cairns Night Markets were right next to our hotel and became a regular evening stop throughout the week. The kids found souvenirs for themselves, family, and friends and Matt and I picked up a few things too. The markets have a good energy — busy but not overwhelming — and the food options include some vegan friendly choices.
One of Easton’s favorite discoveries in the markets had nothing to do with food — it was a glass blowing workshop where we watched an artist at work. Easton was completely transfixed. He would have stood there all evening if we’d let him. We ended up picking out a piece for our neighbor and walked away with a memory that had nothing to do with anything we’d planned. That’s the Night Markets in a nutshell — you never quite know what you’re going to find.
We grabbed vegan pizza from Vitalia’s Italian Restaurant which has a separate vegan menu you need to ask for — two pizzas ran around $20 AUD each and were well worth it. Several ice cream and frozen yogurt shops in and around the markets had vegan options as well.
The standout discovery was YOMG Cairns — a frozen yogurt spot where we found the now legendary vegan Biscoff frozen yogurt topped with melted Biscoff butter and crumbled Biscoff cookies. If you read our Gold Coast post you know Blend Love is where our Biscoff obsession began — YOMG is where it peaked. The kids went back for this more times than we are prepared to publicly admit and honestly so did we.
Vegan in Cairns
Cairns had fewer dedicated vegan options than Sydney or Brisbane but we made it work beautifully with a mix of cooking in and finding the right spots around the city.
Our local Woolworths had great grocery options — good quality produce, vegan staples, and enough variety to cook in regularly which we did more often here than in the other cities. Having a full kitchen at Il Palazzo made that easy.
When we did go out we found some real gems. One evening we ordered takeout from Katch Up Bar which has a small vegan section on their menu — grilled tofu, a stir fry tofu with mixed vegetables and cashew nuts, and stir fry mixed vegetables with satay sauce. We took it all up to the rooftop deck, ate dinner watching thousands of bats fly overhead at dusk, and agreed it was one of the more memorable meals of the trip for reasons that had nothing to do with the food. Prices were very reasonable — tofu dishes around $11 AUD and the larger mains around $23 AUD.
Another lunch favorite was Hecho En Mexico Cairns which has a dedicated vegan section on the menu. We ordered their famous nachos made vegan, a vegan classic burrito, and chips and guac, then took everything over to Muddy’s Playground to eat on the grass before the kids went straight back to playing. Entrees ran around $25 AUD and the chips and guac around $15 AUD — great value for a filling, delicious lunch.
For pizza, Vitalia’s Italian Restaurant near the Night Markets has a separate vegan menu available on request. Two pizzas came to around $40 AUD total — simple, satisfying, and the perfect easy dinner after a long day.
And of course YOMG Cairns for the Biscoff frozen yogurt. Multiple times. No regrets.
Staying Active in Cairns
Cairns is a wonderful place to stay active. I got out for several morning runs along the Esplanade path — hot and humid but beautiful, with the water on one side and the mountains in the distance. The Esplanade also has outdoor workout equipment along the path for a full body workout with a view. Between the daily walking, beach days, the Kuranda adventure, and keeping up with two kids on playgrounds all week, we never felt like we were missing our workouts.
A Note on Cost
Cairns runs more expensive than Brisbane or Sydney — it’s a tourist town and the prices reflect that. We were more selective here about where we spent and found that cooking in regularly, using the Night Markets for gifts at reasonable prices, and being strategic about which paid activities we chose helped keep things manageable. The exchange rate continued to work in our favor throughout.
What We’d Do Differently
Only one real thing — book the Kuranda Scenic Railway well in advance. We wanted to do the train one way and the Skyrail the other and the train was sold out for our entire week because we left it too late. The Skyrail both ways was still wonderful but the scenic railway is supposed to be a beautiful ride and it’s firmly on the list for a return trip. Book early and don’t make our mistake.
We also didn’t make it to the Cairns Aquarium or some of the other beaches north of the city like Palm Cove — not because they weren’t appealing but simply because a week goes fast when you’re doing it right. Both are on the list if we find ourselves back in Cairns.
Is Cairns Worth It?
Without question. Cairns felt like the perfect final chapter of our Australia trip — warm, tropical, relaxed, and full of experiences that only exist in this part of the world. The Great Barrier Reef, the rainforest, the cassowaries appearing out of nowhere on a gondola stop, the glass blowing artist that stopped Easton in his tracks, the Biscoff frozen yogurt the kids still talk about — Cairns delivered in ways we didn’t fully anticipate going in.
If you’re building an Australia itinerary and wondering whether Cairns deserves a full week — it does. Give it the time and it will give it right back.
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