Queensland’s tropical north is home to some of the most spectacular natural wonders in Australia, making it the perfect place to discover the tropics. This itinerary for 1 week in Queensland from Whitsundays to Cairns includes the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest, Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation, to name just a few! I travelled with my best friend Chloe on this trip, and we stayed in Airlie Beach, Townsville and Cairns.

The Great Barrier Reef may be this region’s major draw, but don’t let your adventures stop there. There is so much to do in Queensland’s tropics and it’s worth at least a week of your time. It was a busy week but we had enough island time to unwind in between our many day trips and excursions.

Queensland Trip Highlights

• Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef
• Swimming in Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest
• Visiting the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites collide, at the beautiful Cape Tribulation 
• Kicking back on the best beach in Australia, on Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays
• The scenic journeys to and from the mountain-top rainforest village of Kuranda, via the Kuranda Skyrail and the Scenic Railway.
• Taking the scenic route along the Great Tropical Drive – one of Australia’s prettiest driving routes.
• The view over Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas
• Seeing a baby crocodile in the wild in the Daintree River
• Visiting the biggest butterfly sanctuary in the world in Kuranda
• Sailing through the Whitsundays archipelago
• Swimming in the calm clear waters on Hamilton Island

Day 1: Brisbane to Airlie Beach

The first leg of our trip was in the Whitsundays, an archipelago of 74 islands off the coast of Queensland. It’s one of the dreamiest travel destinations in Australia!

You can stay on one of the luxurious islands, like Hamilton Island, Hayman Island or Daydream Island, or you can stay at Airlie Beach on the mainland. We stayed in Airlie Beach, but next time I’d stay on Hamilton or Hayman Island to enjoy more island time.

Airlie Beach doesn’t have an airport, so we flew to Prosperine and pre-booked a seat on a transfer bus to Airlie Beach. Pre-booking is essential, I can’t stress this enough.  The transfer was $36 with Whitsunday Transit – it would be a $100+ cab ride!

We spent the first afternoon relaxing in Airlie Beach, which is a very pretty coastal town with vivid turquoise waters.

Accommodation: This was my first stay in a hostel! These days I’d stay somewhere different, but we were very happy with our private double room at Airlie Beach Magnums.

Day 2: Day Trip to Hamilton Island & Whitehaven Beach

Our first full day was spent visiting two of the most beautiful islands in the Whitsundays. Since we weren’t staying on any of the islands, we decided to take a tour with Cruise Whitsundays that would give us four hours on Hamilton Island and two hours on Whitehaven Beach.

Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island is a very popular island with a number of accommodation options, ranging from luxury resorts to relaxed family friendly accommodation

Hamilton Island has a picturesque marina, with sparkling turquoise water and a village of cafes, restaurants and shops. We went swimming at Catseye Beach, which is one of the most popular beaches on the island. I’d love to come back to Hamilton Island for a few days of uninterrupted beach time!

Whitehaven Beach

The most famous beach in the Whitsundays is Whitehaven Beach, which is considered to be the best beach in Australia for its bright white sand. Located on the resort-free Whitsundays Island, Whitehaven is uninhabited and is only accessible only as a day trip. .

Unlike the other islands in the Whitsundays, Whitehaven has blindingly bright, white sand. Unusual tidal patterns over millions of years have made waves crash onto the beach, crushing white silica rock onto the island. The result is the softest, whitest sand you’ll find! We didn’t have to do the hot potato dance across the beach for a change because silica sand stays cool, even in the blazing Queensland sunshine.

When we reached the shore, we walked far enough away from the rest of the tour group so that we had a big chunk of beach all to ourselves. All that there was left to do for the next two hours was sit back and relax!

I didn’t realise this when booking, but the half-day trip to Whitehaven doesn’t include walking up to Hill Inlet for the famous view over the island. This was disappointing, and I definitely recommend booking a tour that includes this, as it’s one of the most spectacular views in the Whitsundays.

Day 3: Airlie Beach to Townsville and Magnetic Island

Bus from Airlie Beach to Townsville

We could have flown from Prosperine to Townsville, but at the time I was a bit nervous about flying on a very small plane – these days, I’d just take the flight! We took a Greyhound bus instead. It was my first time travelling with Greyhound and I was really impressed. Comfortable leather seats that recline, great air conditioning, a bathroom onboard, free WiFi and a USB charger for every seat.

We took an early Greyhound Bus from Airlie Beach to Townsville. The trip took five hours including a lunch break at a service station in the middle of nowhere. There was basic food for purchase but I’m glad I brought my own lunch.

Townsville

We were only in Townsville for one night. It broke up the journey between Airlie Beach and Cairns but I’m glad we went because it is a pretty waterfront town in its own right.

We arrived later in the evening than I expected, so we didn’t have time to visit the Reef HQ Aquarium before catching the ferry to Magnetic Island. I’ve visited Townsville since this trip, and found so many beautiful things to do there when you have a bit more time!

9 Of The Best Things to Do in Townsville

Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island is a stunning tropical island just off the coast of Townsville. Visiting “Maggie” as locals call it is one of the best things to do in Townsville. The ferry from Townsville to Magnetic Island only takes 20 minutes, so it’s an easy addition.

There is an island bus which departs from the ferry terminal at Magnetic Island, so we hopped straight on and went to Horseshoe Bay. There are plenty of beaches on Magnetic Island, but Horseshoe Bay was easy to get to by bus and it was lovely and quiet when we got there. We chilled out on the beach for a couple of  hours, watched a magnificent sunset and had fish and chips for dinner by the water.

Townsville Accommodation

We stayed at Yongala Historic Lodge, Townsville. The room was simple but huge and we had our own private bathroom. We were on the third floor and there was was no elevator.

Day 4: Townsville to Cairns

Cardwell

We travelled with Greyhound from Townsville to Cairns, for  another five-hour drive. We had a much nicer lunch stop, in the pretty seaside town of Cardwell. This drive is part of one of Australia’s most scenic driving routes, The Great Tropical Drive, so the scenery was lovely for most of the trip.

Cairns Night Markets

We were pretty tired by the time we got to Cairns, so we spent the afternoon wandering around the shops, finding the Cairns Night Markets and checking out the beautiful Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, which is a popular spot to cool down.

We were pretty tired by the time we got to Cairns, so we spent the afternoon wandering around the shops, finding the Cairns Night Markets and checking out the manmade lagoon.

Cairns Accommodation

We stayed at Queens Court on Sheridan St. We got a great deal but it was around a fifteen-minute walk into town. In the thick tropical humidity, I would have really appreciated staying even five minutes closer to the action.

Day 5: Day Trip from Cairns to Kuranda

Kuranda is a rainforest village on a mountain just outside Cairns. The journeys to and from Kuranda are a big part of the attraction. We went up on the award-winning Kuranda Skyrail and took the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway back down the mountain at the end of the day.

Kuranda Skyrail

My heart was racing the entire time on the Skyrail, but even my fear of heights couldn’t ruin it for me. The views are an absolute knockout and I’ve never felt smaller than when I was floating above the endless sea of the ancient rainforest canopy.

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

We visited the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, which is the biggest butterfly sanctuary in the world. A few butterflies landed on us, but we missed getting a photo of the elusive blue Ulysses butterfly landing on me – it waited until we had packed up our cameras and were leaving!

After the butterfly sanctuary, we took a tour of the rainforest at the Rainforestation Nature Park. The 45-minute tour is hosted on a restored WWII Aquaduck, by a guide had lived and worked in the rainforest for decades. It was fascinating to hear his stories from the beautiful but potentially lethal rainforest as he introduced us to the tropical plants and wildlife.

Kuranda Scenic Railway

Our return journey was on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a historic train. The Scenic Railway return trip gave us beautiful views over the range as we descended the mountain. The journey itself is one of the world’s most scenic railway trips and the train is an engineering marvel, completed in the late 19th century.

Unfortunately, everyone was distracted from the views by how sticky and sweaty it was inside the train – just a part of travelling in the tropics.

When we got back to our hotel, I walked straight into the pool in my clothes – I could not wait another second to cool down!

Day 6: Day Trip from Cairns to Green Island

The best way to see the Great Barrier Reef is to visit the Outer Reef Station on a day trip. In hindsight, I’m not sure why we didn’t book that, but I’m happy we visited beautiful Green Island.

Green Island is a coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef, covered in rainforest and fringed by white sandy beaches and brilliant blue water. This means that you can technically snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, right off the beach!

However, because the water around the island is very shallow, the coral has been bleached by the sun and there isn’t a great deal to see. This was my first time snorkelling, and now that I’ve since snorkelled in the vibrant reefs of Vanuatu and Fiji, I’m very keen to return to the Great Barrier Reef and go snorkelling on the outer reef.

There is a resort on Green Island, so you can use the resort pool, cafe and kiosks, but the sublime beaches feel a world away from modern life.

Day 7: Day Trip to Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas & The Daintree

Our final full day was full of pristine natural landscapes. We took a full day tour with Daintree Discovery Tours which included the Daintree Rainforest, Port Douglas, a Daintree River Cruise & Cape Tribulation.

Daintree Rainforest

Our first stop was the  Mossman Gorge Centre in the Daintree Rainforest. The Daintree is the oldest living rainforest in the world – 80 million years older than the Amazon!

We had morning tea at the centre before going on a walk through the rainforest. Our guide, Jean, took us to the only body of water in Tropical North Queensland that he’d let us swim in. 

The water is too cold for crocodiles – and for most of our tour group – but I couldn’t resist! It was such a sticky, humid day that I could not just sit on the gravelly riverbanks and look at the refreshing, clear water.

Swimming at beaches and in rivers is not advised in Tropical North Queensland because you won’t see a crocodile until it is too late. I was glad that we found an exception to the rule, but I can’t stress enough not to choose your swimming spots without a guide.

Port Douglas

After walking through the rainforest, we hopped back in the van and drove to Port Douglas, which is one of the loveliest small towns in the region. We drove to the top of a hill in Port Douglas to get the perfect view of Four Mile Beach before stopping in by the famous St Mary’s By The Sea Chapel for some more photos.

Daintree Treehouse

We ate a very tropical lunch at Daintree Teahouse. I had barramundi, one of Queensland’s most popular fish, and tried all of the exotic tropical fruits that were artfully arranged on our plates. Some were delicious and others were a bit unusual but they were all interesting!

Daintree River Cruise

After lunch, we went on a crocodile cruise of the Daintree River, which was fascinating! Our guide, a local tracker, reckons that one of the stretches of water we went through was one of the most dangerous in the world – it’s infested with bull sharks and crocodiles.

Cape Tribulation

In the afternoon, we visited Cape Tribulation. It’s a pretty spectacular sight because it is the only place in the world where two World Heritage Listed Sites collide, where the Great Barrier Reef meets the Daintree.

We went on a longer walk through the rainforest and stopped at a few lookouts for some great photo opportunities.

Day 8: Cairns to Brisbane

We had a slow morning before our flight home from Cairns. Fresh juices & dangling our feet in the Cairns Lagoon was a nice way to spend the morning before leaving the tropics.

Travel tips for Queensland’s Tropics

We travelled through three regions of northern Queensland. This trip took us through The Whitsundays, Townsville and Cairns Great Barrier Reef regions. The tropics are beautiful, humid and have a hell of a wet season. We travelled in mid-November, pre-school holidays and pre-wet season.

When to visit Cairns & Whitsundays

Dry Season

The best time of year to visit is Dry Season, when you’ll enjoy milder, warm weather and clear days. Dry Season runs from May to October. This is the most popular time to visit, especially around the Easter long weekend and school holidays. Daytime temps are 26-28 °C and at night it’s 16-17 °C. Humidity is low and there’s lots of great weather, with little chance of rain.

Wet Season

Wet season is November to April, with an average temperate of 31 °C that feels more like 35 °C thanks to the 75% humidity. We went in mid November and had perfect weather every day, but if you travel in January or February the chances of tropical thunderstorms, lots of rainy days and potentially cyclones and floods is much higher. The plus side is, there are less tourists!

Expect high humidity, high temperatures and lots of rain, which can bring gushing waterfalls and lush, vibrant greenery, but also can bring wild storms and even cyclones (hurricanes) near the end of the season.

Stinger Season

North Queensland’s waters are home to two kinds of poisonous jellyfish, Box Jellyfish and Irukandji jellyfish, which have extremely potent venom that is fatal to humans. They are are especially prevalent during “Stinger season” from November – March. You can hire stinger suits on most islands or with most tours. 

You’re unlikely to encounter them in the deep waters of the Great Barrier Reef, but most tour operators will have stinger suits available for hire anyway.

Crocodiles in Queensland

Every destination on this trip is in crocodile territory. As a result, you should not swim in creeks, lakes or rivers in North Queensland, even if you can’t see any signs of a crocodile.

We made one exception on this tour, under the direct guidance of a tour guide, but I would definitely not chance it on my own, without expert guidance.

Crocodiles are the ultimate predator, and their scales create countercurrents underwater, which means a five-metre croc can be in knee deep water right beside you and you won’t see the water’s surface move. Be smart.

Saltwater crocodiles can also live in the ocean. Even though this is rare, you should not swim at  unpatrolled beaches. When we visited, the beach at Cape Tribulation was closed because of a crocodile sighting.  This doesn’t apply to the Great Barrier Reef, so you can swim on the reef from Green Island or on a tour to the Outer Reef Station.

Travel Pace

This trip was about seeing some of Australia’s best beaches and most beautiful islands, experiencing the great tropical outdoors and of course, the reef. Because we only had a week, for work-related and budget-related reasons, the trip had a relatively fast pace and it was a relief to settle in Cairns for four nights at the end.

However, because most of the day’s activities involved swimming and beaches, once we plonked ourselves on a beach we had a lot of downtime. If you can, I’d recommend adding a few days and taking it slower. I’d stay an extra night in Townsville and on one of the Whitsundays islands. Hamilton, Daydream, Green Island or Magnetic would be perfect.

Have you travelled in Queensland? Would you like to? 

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