Cairns to Paronella Park drive: Distance, time, stops & tours

The Cairns to Paronella Park drive covers a 105km distance in a driving time of around 1h25m. Worthwhile road trip stops along the way include Walshs Pyramid, Behana Gorge, Josephine Falls and the Babinda Boulders.

The drive from Cairns to Paronella Park takes you from the Great Barrier Reef’s main gateway to one of Queensland’s most curious tourist attractions.

If you have three days in Cairns, do a Great Barrier Reef trip, a Kuranda scenic train and cable car combo and a Mossman Gorge plus Cape Tribulation World Heritage rainforest day tour. With more time, consider mesmerising scenic flights over the Reef, dinner cruises and waterfall-packed Atherton Tableland tours.

To choose from a wide range of memorable Cairns tours and experiences, look here. To pick the Cairns accommodation best suited to you, book here.

Paronella Park is a bizarrely out-of-place Spanish castle, surrounded by rainforest and gardens. It manages to be simultaneously beautiful and strange. To buy mobile-friendly entry tickets, head this way.

How to get to Paronella Park from Cairns: Tours

The easiest way to get to Paronella Park from Cairns is on a tour. There are several good value tour options that stop at Paronella Park for a while as part of their itinerary.

One popular choice also visits Atherton Tableland highlights such as Millaa Millaa Falls and Lake Barrine.

Another option bundles it in with the Herberton historic village and Granite Gorge.

Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday

Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.

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Cairns to Paronella Park: Distance and driving time

However, those who have hired a car in Cairns may prefer to get to Paronella Park under their own steam and just pay for a Paronella Park entry ticket.

By car, the distance from Cairns to Paronella Park is 105km. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 25 minutes.

It’s also possible to turn the drive into a bit of a road trip, as there are plenty of attractions worth seeing on the way to Paronella Park or on the way back.

Save time queuing – Book these Cairns attractions in advance

From the air: Outer Reef helicopter flight | Sunrise hot air balloon ride | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
At night: Sunset dinner cruise | Pub and club tour | Aquarium by Twilight experience.
For wildlife: Birdworld Kuranda | Kuranda Koala Gardens | Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome | Cairns Aquarium | Rainforestation Nature Park
For culture: Cairns Museum tickets | Street art walking tour | City and surrounds highlights bus tour.
For thrills: AJ Hackett giant jungle swing | High speed jet boat tour | Barron Gorge white water rafting | Mulgrave River tubing.

Cairns to Paronella Park drive: Best stops

The Cairns to Paronella Park drive is mainly to the south along the Bruce Highway. You can make a slight detour to Isabella Falls on the way to Gordonvale, then climb Walshs Pyramid and walk to Clamshell Falls down Behana Gorge afterwards.

The next sizable town is Babinda, where you’ll find the popular Babinda Boulders swimming hole.

Josephine Falls in Wooroonooran National Park is a little further south, and the truly intrepid can tackle the hike to the summit of Mt Bartle Frere – Queensland’s highest mountain.

You’ll leave the Bruce Highway in Innisfail, where you can do Johnston River crocodile-watching cruises. The Mamu Tropical Skywalk, Nandroya Falls and Tchupala Falls are only a short detour away up the Palmerston Highway, too.

Top experiences near Innisfail to book in advance

Get superlative rainforest views – on the Mamu Tropical Skywalk.
Enjoy the strange Spanish castle surrounded by jungle – at Paronella Park.
Save money with a Mamu Tropical Skywalk and Paronella Park combo ticket.

Innisfail to Paronella Park

To get to Paronella Park, however, you should turn off at Blackwood Street, then zig-zag via Maple Street and Oak Street to Lawrence Road.

This leads into Mundoo Road, Grima Road and Henderson Drive, which you follow briefly before taking the Innisfail-Japoon Road through South Johnstone and Germantown. This will bring you Paronella Park in Mena Creek.