Airlie Beach to Cairns road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The Airlie Beach to Cairns drive is 619km in distance, with a driving time of around 7h19m. Top road trip attractions to add to the itinerary include Magnetic Island, the Cardwell Spa Pools and Mission Beach.
The drive from Airlie Beach to Cairns connects two of the most popular haunts on the Queensland coast. Airlie Beach is the tourism hub for the Whitsunday Islands, while Cairns plays the same role for far north Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef.
Airlie Beach brings Whitsunday Islands sailing and snorkelling cruises, coral and marine life viewing from a glass-bottom boat and day cruises to the staggering white sands of Whitehaven Beach. To explore the full range of Airlie Beach tours and experiences, investigate here. For Airlie Beach accommodation bargains, look here.
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.
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Many visitors to Australia make the mistake of thinking Airlie Beach and Cairns must be reasonably close. That’s an idea that’s swiftly disabused as you set out on the road trip.
Airlie Beach to Cairns distance and driving time
The distance from Airlie Beach to Cairns by car is 619km. That makes for a pretty punishing Airlie Beach to Cairns driving time of around seven hours and 19 minutes.
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.
It is better, therefore, to treat the journey as a road trip, stopping in at least one place along the way.
Next up: Airlie Beach to Townsville attractions.