Mission Beach to Port Douglas road trip: Distance & best stops

The Mission Beach to Port Douglas inland drive covers a distance of 204km in around 2h51m. Top road trip stops to add to the itinerary include the Babinda Boulders, Cairns and Palm Cove.

The drive from Mission Beach to Port Douglas covers many of far north Queensland’s highlights. For many travellers, this might be a leg on a longer road trip from Brisbane to Port Douglas or Airlie Beach to Port Douglas.

Mission Beach is a great base for Dunk Island day trips and Great Barrier Reef dive or snorkelling tours. For great Mission Beach accommodation deals, search here.

Port Douglas, meanwhile, brings Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tours, sailing at sunset and half day tours into the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest. Check out the best Port Douglas accommodation options here.

This guide should help travellers plan their perfect Mission Beach to Port Douglas road trip itinerary.

Mission Beach to Port Douglas distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Mission Beach to Port Douglas is 204km. This makes for a driving time of around 2h51m. Obviously, you’re going to need to make a few road trip stops along the way. This guide should help you plan your itinerary.

5 great Mission Beach experiences to book in advance

Small group Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with pristine snorkelling on the Outer Reef, barbecue lunch and snorkelling equipment provided.
Hull River National Park eco cruise – spotting wildlife in the mangroves.
Full day sports rafting on the Tully River – tackle the rapids while rafting through the rainforest.
Skydive from 15,000ft – and land on the beach.
Dunk Island day trip – with plenty of time for rainforest hikes.

Things to do in Mission Beach include mountain biking in Djiru National Park, skydiving onto the beach and getting the transfer boat to Dunk Island. You can also book Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tours.

Mission Beach accommodation picks include the gardens-blessed Mission Beach Resort, the waterfront Castaways Resort and Spa and the pool-centric Mission Reef Resort.

Why Mission Beach is the best place to skydive in Australia

Mission Beach is the best place to skydive in Australia because:

You can jump from 15,000ft – which means extra freefall time.
On the way down, you see the rainforest on one side, and the Great Barrier Reef on the other.
The Mission Beach skydive lands on one of the most incredible beaches in the country.

Find out more (and book if you want to)

Mission Beach to Port Douglas drive: Mission Beach to Innisfail

The first leg of the journey is the 139km drive from Mission Beach to Cairns. On the way up to Innisfail, you can stop at the gloriously odd Paronella Park, a mansion in the rainforest, and the Australian Sugar Heritage Centre in Mourilyan.

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.

Top things to do in Innisfail include a crocodile cruise on the Johnstone River and turtle-spotting by the Warrina Lakes.

Innisfail accommodation favourites include the affordable Flying Fish Tourist Park and the well-reviewed Barrier Reef Motel.

Mission Beach to Port Douglas road trip: Babinda and Cairns

Nearby are the coastal Ella Bay National Park and birdlife-packed Eubenangee Swamp National Park. But the more popular stop is Josephine Falls, from where a hiking trail leads to Mt Bartle Frere, Queensland’s highest mountain.

The highlight of Babinda is the Babinda Boulders, where a stunning swimming hole is surrounded by giant granite boulders. The Babinda Quarters is the best overnight accommodation option here.

On the way from Babinda to Cairns, you’ll skirt the edge of Wooroonoran National Park and Bellenden Ker.

The turn-off for the popular Behana Gorge walking track comes just before Walshs Pyramid. This 6.6km return walk takes you through the rainforest, past gorgeous swimming holes, to Clamshell Falls.

Once in Gordonvale, you’re effectively in the southern suburbs of Cairns.

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.

Things to do in Cairns include taking the Green Island ferry or Fitzroy Island ferry to one of the nearby islands, or the Evolution cruise to Hastings Reef.

You can also visit the Cairns Aquarium, go bungy jumping at Skypark Cairns and learn about tropical plants at the Cairns Botanic Gardens.

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.

Search for discount deals here

High quality Cairns accommodation options include the Pacific Hotel, the Hilton Cairns and the Sebel Cairns Harbour Lights.

Mission Beach to Port Douglas road trip: Cairns to Port Douglas

The Cairns to Port Douglas drive is 67km in distance, making for a driving time of about one hour and two minutes.

It’s a particularly scenic drive as well, with the Captain Cook Highway hugging the coast. Rainforest and mountains flank the Captain Cook Highway on the other side.

The Mission Beach to Port Douglas drive passes through Smithfield before taking in several Cairns beach suburbs. These include Trinity Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove and Ellis Beach.

Find your ideal Great Barrier Reef tours by location

Great Barrier Reef tours run from numerous destinations along the Queensland coast. Different tours cater to different tastes – some make sure they go to the best snorkelling spots, others build in beach time and some throw in extra such as underwater observatories and glass bottom boat tours.

Use the following links to start picking the best Great Barrier Reef tour options where you’re going on holiday.

The best Great Barrier Reef tours in… 1770 | Airlie Beach | Bundaberg | Cairns | Cape Tribulation | Mackay | Magnetic Island | Mission Beach | Palm Cove | Port Douglas | Townsville.

Attractions further north include the Macalister Range National Park near Wangetti. Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is also in Wangetti and the Rex Lookout to the north is one of the best photo stops along the drive, overlooking Wangetti Beach.

There are plenty of natural attractions on the drive north. These include the Thala Beach Nature Reserve north of Oak Beach, while you can take a short detour at Mowbray to see Big Mowbray Falls.

9 Port Douglas experiences to boost your holiday

Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tour – visiting three amazing snorkelling sites on the Outer Reef. This is the one for seeing the very best of the Reef.
Visit Agincourt Reef – with a cruise, underwater observatory and coral viewing in a semi-submersible. This is the best Port Douglas Reef tour for less confident swimmers.
Half-day Low Isles snorkelling tour – ideal for those with less time.
Daintree River wildlife cruise combo – see lots of crocs, then visit the cascades of Mossman Gorge.
Sunset sailing cruise – with welcome drinks and appetisers aboard a luxury catamaran.
Scenic helicopter flight – see the Great Barrier Reef from above.
Go fishing at a barramundi farm – with lunch included.
Aboriginal cultural walk – including bush tucker tasting and traditional hunting techniques.
Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas – meet all manner of native Australian animals.

Shortly afterwards, you turn off the Captain Cook Highway at Craiglie and enter Port Douglas. The Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat is on the way into the resort town, and the Port Douglas Marina is where all the reef cruises depart from.

Aside from the Great Barrier Reef tours, highlights of Port Douglas include river cruises, Four Mile Beach and the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat.