Queensland is a magnet for superlatives. Biggest. Oldest. Most Beautiful. Only.

Queensland’s tropics are famous the world over for natural marvels like The Great Barrier Reef, lush rainforests, idyllic beaches and islands and colourful local character. I’ve rounded up the best things I’ve experienced in Tropical North Queensland, hopefully to inspire you to explore the region too.

Read more: Queensland Travel Guide

1. Snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef

It’s not just one of the best things to do in Queensland, it’s one of the siren calls of Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is so big it can be seen from outer space. It stretches for more than 2300 kilometres, but Cairns is the most popular base for visiting.

There are many ways to visit the Great Barrier Reef, such as from the Outer Reef Station or on a day trip to Green Island, where you can snorkel the Great Barrier Reef right off the beach.

2. Explore the oldest rainforest in the world

At the ripe old age of 180 million, the Daintree Rainforest is the oldest rainforest in the world. It’s older than the Amazon by tens of millions of years, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can be visited on a day trip from Cairns. The Daintree’s tropical rainforest ecosystem is one of the most complex on earth, and is best experienced with a local eco-tour guide. I recommend Daintree Discovery Tours, for a knowledgeable, eco-friendly and fascinating day trip from Cairns.

3. Cruise the Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsundays is Australia’s island fantasy. The archipelago of some 74 islands, most of them uninhabited, is the stuff tropical island dreams are made of. You can stay on a handful of the islands, such as Hayman Island, Hamilton Island or Daydream Island, but otherwise you can stay on the mainland in Airlie Beach, and visit the islands on day trips. Either way, make sure you get out on the water and spend time cruising the bright turquoise sea between the islands.

4. Chill out on Australia’s most beautiful beach

Whitehaven Beach is the crown jewel of the Whitsundays. Located on the uninhabited Whitsunday Island, Whitehaven is regarded as the most beautiful beach in Australia. It is unique in the Whitsundays, as unusual ancient currents crushed silica rocks onto the beach, resulting in fine white silica sand found nowhere else in the Whitsundays. Silica sand is bright white and yet doesn’t heat up in the sun – which is a blessed thing in the scorching tropics! Visit Whitehaven with a local tour operator for a day trip. Half day trips will give you enough time to enjoy the beach itself, whereas full day trips can include a guided hike to Hill Inlet, which has spectacular views over the islands.

5. Ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway

The journey to the historic rainforest village of Kuranda is half the fun in going there. Kuranda is a small village in the mountains in the Atherton Tablelands, just outside of Cairns. In 1891, the Kuranda Scenic Railway was built and became an engineering marvel. It cuts through 15 handmade tunnels and crosses 37 bridges, as it weaves its way through the rainforest, up the mountain, into Barron Gorge and past waterfalls.

6. Glide over the treetops in the Kuranda Skyrail

On your return visit from Kuranda, glide over the treetops in the Kuranda Skyrail. Comfortable six-person gondolas make quick work of the journey back down the mountains and provide stunning views over the rainforest and Barron Gorge.

7. Stroll down Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas

Port Douglas is one of the most sophisticated holiday towns in Tropical North Queensland. No doubt, a large part of its popularity is due to the magnificent Four Mile Beach.

8. Explore Mossman Gorge

Mossman Gorge is one of the most dramatic sites within the Daintree Rainforest, as well as the best place to learn about the cultures of the Indigenous Australians in this area on a Dreamtime Walk. Mossman Gorge is a real highlight of the Daintree Rainforest. If you take a guided tour, your guide can show you the safe place to swim within the gorge, which is an amazing experience. The water is unbelievably fresh, clean…and freezing. There is one part of the gorge which is safe to swim in, because it is too cold for crocodiles – it’s worth a few teeth-chattering moments!

9. Marvel at Cape Tribulation

Cape Tribulation is the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites collide. At Cape Tribulation, the Great Barrier Reef meets the Daintree Rainforest at the beach, creating one of the most special sites in the world. There is access to the beach itself, but I also love the view over Cape Tribulation from Alexandra Lookout.

10. Go croc spotting in the Daintree River

Get closer to nature (without getting too close!) on a croc-spotting cruise on the Daintree River. Eco-guides provide a history of the river and region, as well as being armed with fascinating crocodile facts and stories. Even when you’re not spotting lots of crocs, there is plenty of other Australian wildlife to see, and the scenery from the river is breathtaking.

11. Taste the flavours of the rainforest at Daintree Teahouse

The Daintree Teahouse celebrates the bounty of the rainforest and local region with quirky, tropical cuisine. While it’s definitely a tourist spot, it’s a fun way to try unusual local fruits & produce that you’ve likely never heard of, let alone tried before.

12. Indulge your sweet tooth with rainforest ice cream

Daintree Ice Cream Company serves up scoops of delicious & unusual rainforest flavours. When I visited, they were serving soursop, black sapote and banana wattleseed, but flavours change daily and with the seasons. It’s unlike any other ice cream you’ll find anywhere else!

13. Catch a spectacular sunset on Magnetic island

Magnetic Island is a sleepy little island just a short ferry ride from Townsville. Once you’re on the island, catch a bus to Horseshoe Bay for a stunning tropical sunset over the water. You can make it a picnic dinner with fish & chips from the nearby fish & chip shop, and there’s a good chance you’ll have the whole beach to yourselves!

14. Visit the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda

The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly sanctuary in the Southern Hemisphere and is home to more than 1500 species of butterfly. You can wander through the sanctuary, and if you stay still for long enough some might land on you! Unfortunately, when one of the most elusive and beautiful butterflies landed on me as we were leaving, we’d already put our cameras away and missed the shot!

15. Take the scenic route on the Great Tropical Drive

The Great Tropical Drive is one of the most scenic driving routes in Australia. It’s a series of several interconnected routes, with plenty of options for touring by different sites and scenery. I took parts of the Great Tropical Drive twice when I was in Tropical North Queensland, and loved the endless, lush scenery of the tropics and some of the quaint and quirky small towns along the way.

Have you explored Tropical North Queensland? Would you like to? Let me know what you think in the comments?