Queensland‘s tropical north is home to some of the most spectacular natural wonders in Australia, making it the perfect destination for an Australian road trip. 

This itinerary is for a 7-day road trip through the most beautiful & iconic places in North Queensland, including the Whitsundays islands and Whitehaven Beach, the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest.

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.

This itinerary is jam-packed, to show you what is possible to see & do in just seven days, but if you can add an extra day or two in the Whitsundays or Cairns, you’ll have plenty of reasons to linger for longer.

This itinerary is based on my own trip to North Queensland, to the Whitsundays, Townsville & Cairns, that I did with my bestie when we were in our early twenties. I’ve also updated the itinerary with suggestions based on recent trips to Townsville and the Whitsundays.

I’ve updated it to become a self-drive road trip itinerary, but you could also take Greyhound buses between each city (like we did). A self-drive road trip will give you a lot more flexibility and be more comfortable.

Itinerary Summary

Click to jump to this section of the itinerary

Practical Details

Car Hire

• You can hire a car with Hertz in Airlie Beach and drop it off in Cairns at the other end.

Hotels

• Airlie Beach – You’ll find the best value in Airlie Beach on the mainland, but you could also splurge on an island stay. The Sundays on Hamilton Island or InterContinental Hayman Island Great Barrier Reef are two luxurious options.
• Townsville – There are lots of hotel options in South Townsville, but for something special, splurge on a stay at Ardo, which is the only 5-star hotel in Townsville
• Cairns – There are lots of hotel options in Cairns. Crystalbrook Riley is a beautiful luxury option.

Tours

• Whitehaven Day Cruise – There are a number of tour options leaving from Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island. If you stay on Hayman Island you can book your tour via the resort.
• Great Barrier Reef Day Cruise – Book a tour departing from Cairns, to the Outer Great Barrier Reef for the best snorkelling
• Daintree Rainforest Day Tour – Book a tour from Cairns, ideally one that includes the Daintree Rainforest, Port Douglas & Cape Tribulation

Drive Times

• Airlie Beach to Townsville (3 hrs 15 mins + breaks)
• Townsville to Cairns (4 hrs 20 mins + breaks)

Day 1: The Whitsundays

The Whitsundays is one of the most idyllic destinations in Australia, with 74 tropical islands just off the coast from Airlie Beach. You’ll find the best value accommodation in Airlie Beach, which is a pretty seaside town, or you can splurge on an island stay at Hamilton Island, Hayman Island or Daydream Island.

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon, whether you’re on the mainland or on an island, before a busy few days.

Transport

Staying in Airlie Beach

• Fly to Proserpine Airport & pre-book your transfer from Prosperine to Airlie Beach. Pre-booking is essential!
• Collect your hire car in Airlie Beach

Staying on an Island

• Fly to Hamilton Island with Jetstar
• If staying on Hayman Island or Daydream Island, pre-book your boat transfer from Hamilton Island to your  destination
• Don’t collect your hire car until after your island stay. Wait til you’re leaving for Townsville

Accommodation

• InterContinental Hayman Island Resort – $$$$ – Hayman Island’s only resort is a splurge, but it delivers. It’s an island paradise, with one of the most famous hotel pools in Australia. We stayed here on our second trip to the Whitsundays.
• The Sundays, Hamilton Island – $$$$ – A luxury, family-friendly resort on Hamilton Island, that has recently opened.
• Reef View Hotel, Hamilton Island – $$ – A bright & breezy hotel on Hamilton Island, that offers a more affordable option without compromising on quality.
• Palm Bungalows, Hamilton Island -$$$ – Cool private bungalows on Hamilton Island, with a garden view
• Peninsula Airlie Beach – $$$ – Stylish, 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom apartments in Airlie Beach.

Day 2: Whitehaven Beach

On your full day in the Whitsundays, book a day cruise to Whitehaven Beach. If you’re staying in Airlie Beach, you can book tours that include a stop on Hamilton Island, but if you’re already staying on one of the islands all you need to worry about is visiting Whitehaven.

On my first trip to the Whitsundays, we did a day cruise from Airlie Beach that included Hamilton Island and Whitehaven Beach (south). On my most recent trip, we stayed on Hayman Island and did a day cruise to Whitehaven Beach (north) which includes Hill Inlet.

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. 

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.

Whitehaven Beach South

On my first trip to the Whitsundays, we stayed in Airlie Beach and we booked a day cruise to Whitehaven Beach & Hamilton Island with Cruise Whitsundays. We had 4 hours on Hamilton Island and 2 hours on Whitehaven Beach. This took us to the southern part of Whitehaven Beach, which is a long, pristine beach, however didn’t include access to Hill Inlet because it’s on a different part of the island.

Whitehaven Beach North: Hill Inlet & Betty’s Beach

On my second trip to the Whitsundays, we were staying on Hayman Island, so we booked a tour through our resort, which took us just to Whitehaven Beach. This took us to Whitehaven Beach North, which is known as “Betty’s Beach” and included access to Hill Inlet lookout.

Day 3: Whitsundays to Townsville

Drive from Airlie Beach to Townsville

The drive from Airlie Beach to Townsville is 270km and takes 3 hrs 15 minutes. I recommend stopping in the small town of Bowen, to break up the drive. Bowen is 1 hour from Airlie Beach, and is known for being home to The Big Mango, and has pretty beaches at Gray’s Bay and Horseshoe Bay (not to be confused with Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island, in Townsville).

Townsville

Townsville is the largest city in North Queensland, with a population of 200,000 people. It’s a pleasant, laidback city for an overnight stop. 

If you arrive in the afternoon, you have a few options for how to spend your time. You could either spend theafternoon at the The Ville’s swim up pool bar, or take the ferry to Magnetic Island.

The Splash Bar at The Ville

Relax at The Splash Bar, The Ville’s gorgeous pool bar. Entry price is redeemable on drinks at the swim up bar. We spent an afternoon here for my sister’s hens, it is honestly the best pool bar experience I’ve ever had!

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.

In the evening, head to The Strand, which is Townsville’s waterfront esplanade. You’ll find bars & restaurants along here.

Accommodation

• Ardo $$$ – A new, luxury hotel in Townsville and the only five-star hotel in town.
• The Ville Resort (Casino) $$$ – The Ville Resort is a stylish hotel, and is also home to the aforementioned Splash Bar.

Day 4: Townsville to Cairns

Start your day with coffee & breakfast at Pedlar Project, a cute cafe in Townsville’s city centre.

Castle Hill

Before you leave Townsville, take in the magnificent view from Castle Hill. Castle Hill is only a few metres short of meeting the height requirements to be called a mountain, and looms large over the Townsville landscape. Drive to the summit car park and take in the beautiful views!

Drive from Townsville to Cairns

The Great Tropical Drive starts in Townsville, and stretches all the way to Cooktown in the north, passing through Cairns.

The drive from Townsville to Cairns is 350km and takes 4.5 hours, but you’ll need to allow extra time for breaks. I recommend stopping in the small seaside town of Cardwell (pictured), which is 2 hrs from Townsville, and then at Mission Beach, which is 1 hour from Cardwell.

Cairns

Spend a lazy afternoon in Cairns, unwinding along the Cairns Esplanade or swimming in the beautiful, manmade Cairns Lagoon. In the evening, check out the Cairns Night Market.

If you’re looking for a non-touristy spot for dinner, try Dunwoody’s Hotel. I work for the company which owns Dunwoodys, and I worked closely on its major renovation a few years ago. It’s a lovely locals’ pub, away from the main tourist drag, with great food and drinks.

Accommodation

• Crystalbrook Riley $$$ – A stylish, luxury boutique hotel. I’ve stayed in a Crystalbrook property in Sydney, and loved it! This would be my pick for my next trip to Cairns.
• Oaks Cairns – $$$ – Book a room with an ocean view at Oaks, a well known hotel chain. Some rooms here have no window, so make sure you check which kind of room you’re booking.
• Piermonde Apartments – $$$ – A variety of two-bedroom apartments, ideal for families and group trips.

Day 5: Day Trip to Kuranda Rainforest Village

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 in summer.

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 book a day cruise to the Outer Reef. 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.

I recommend booking an Outer Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns to get the best snorkelling experience.

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.

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.

Further Reading

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