The Cairns City Guides answer what every visitor asks: how to book the reef without overpaying, how to get up to Kuranda and the rainforest, where to swim safely in stinger season and where to eat well away from marina prices. Each guide is a short, opinionated list with the reason to go, the area and one practical tip for every place, and it opens in your browser the moment you pay.
About the Cairns City Guides
- 144 places
- 6 guides
- 13 languages
- Works offline
- Print or PDF
- Instant access
- Free updates
The six Cairns guides
Food guide
26 places
Prawns eaten on a moored trawler, Thai, Vietnamese and ramen behind the Esplanade, native Australian flavours and flat whites worth the queue.
Things to do guide
22 places
Reef trips and islands, the cable car and rainforest lookouts, free city sights and plans that still work in the wet season.
Family guide
26 places
Free water play on the Esplanade, crocodiles, koalas and turtles, rainy-day plans and food stops, with ages and pushchair notes.
Nightlife guide
24 places
Sunset decks on the marina, a rooftop bar, craft beer in a laneway, live music and where to eat after 9 pm.
Day trips guide
23 places
The Northern Beaches, two reef islands, the Kuranda railway, Port Douglas and the Daintree and the waterfalls of the Tablelands.
Budget guide
23 places
Free swims and galleries, rainforest walks, fruit markets and the cheapest good meals in a pricey tropical city.
Why an interactive guide beats a list
Tick places off
Mark each place as done and watch your progress, so you always know what is left.
Your own notes
Write notes on any place and add your own finds. They stay on your phone.
One tap to Maps
Every place opens in Google Maps, and the day route puts your picks in a sensible order.
Open now, near me
Filter by what is open right now or what is closest to you.
Works offline
Open the guide once with a connection and it keeps working without data.
Print it or save as PDF
On a computer, print any guide or save it as a PDF to take with you.
Three places from the guides
Prawn Star
Marlin Marina, Pier Point Rd
Dinner on the deck of a moored prawn trawler: tiger prawns, oysters and salmon sashimi, peeled by hand and washed down with a cold beer as the boat sways. From the food guide.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Smithfield, 25 minutes north of the city
A 7.5 km gondola line above the canopy of a World Heritage rainforest, with boardwalk stops and a view of the Barron Falls before it lands in Kuranda. From the things to do guide.
Crystal Cascades
Redlynch Intake Rd, Redlynch
Natural rock pools strung along a paved rainforest path, 20 minutes from town by car, with picnic shelters and toilets. The simplest free swim around Cairns. From the budget guide.
Plan your days in Cairns
Day one: a reef boat from the Reef Fleet Terminal on the first fine morning, then a swim in the Esplanade Lagoon and sunset drinks on the marina. Day two: the Skyrail over the rainforest to Kuranda, the Barron Falls lookout and the scenic railway back down. For a rainy or slow day, keep the Cairns Aquarium, the Cairns Museum and the rooftop wildlife dome, with a bowl of ramen in between.
Questions about the Cairns guides
What will I find in the Cairns City Guides?
Six guides covering 144 places: food, things to do, family, nightlife, day trips and budget. Each place has the reason to go, the area, opening notes and one useful tip.
When do I get the guides?
Straight after payment, on your order page and in the order email. They open in the browser of any phone or laptop, with no app or account required.
Do the guides work without internet in Cairns?
Yes. Load each guide once with a connection and it carries on working offline, with your ticks and notes. Map links need mobile data.
What languages are the guides in?
The guides open in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic. You can switch the language inside the guide at any time.
Can I buy a single guide?
Yes. One guide costs A$7.99, two cost A$14.99, four cost A$25.99 and all six cost A$32.99.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.