Cairns to Mission Beach: Distance, driving time and best road trip stops

The Cairns to Mission Beach drive is 139km long, with a driving time of around 1h53m. Good road trip stops include the Behana Gorge walking track, the Babina Boulders and Paronella Park.

If you’re planning to stay in Mission Beach, Queensland, you have the choice of flying into either Cairns or Townsville. The Townsville to Mission Beach drive is slightly longer, at 235km, so driving from Cairns to Mission Beach is the sensible choice.

Cairns brings Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruises, World Heritage-listed rainforest adventures, glass bottom boat tours at Green Island and the Kuranda Scenic Railway into the mountains. 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.

Cairns to Mission Beach driving time and distance

The Cairns to Mission Beach drive is 139km in distance, with a driving time of around one hour and 53 minutes. This drive is almost entirely down the Bruce Highway, but there are a few good detours along the way.

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.

Shortly after Gordonvale, you’ll reach the turn-off for the Behana Gorge walking track. This track, around 6.6km there and back, heads through the rainforest to Clamshell Falls. There are some gorgeous swimming holes along the way.

The Cairns to Mission Beach road trip route then skirts the eastern edge of the Wooroonooran National Park past Bellenden Ker and into Babinda.

Cairns to Mission Beach drive: Road trip attractions

The highlight of Babinda is the Babinda Boulders, a stunning swimming hole based around giant granite boulders.

The Babinda Boulders near Babinda, Queensland, is a highly photogenic, but not entirely safe, place to swim. Photo courtesy of Destination and Events Queensland.

If you want to stay overnight, Babinda accommodation options include the personality-packed Babinda Quarters.

Then, just past Mirriwinni, comes the turn-off for Josephine Falls and the hiking trail to Mt Bartle Frere, Queensland’s highest mountain. Alternatively, you can cut towards the coastal Ella Bay National Park via the birdlife-heavy Eubenangee Swamp National Park.

These are just north of Innisfail, the biggest town on the Bruce Highway before Mission Beach. Top things to do in Innisfail include a Johnston River crocodile cruise and turtle-spotting on the Warrina Lakes.

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 accommodation picks include the budget-conscious Flying Fish Tourist Park and the highly-rated Barrier Reef Motel.

Cairns to Mission Beach drive: Mourilyan and Kurrimine Beach

Stick to the Bruce Highway on the way south and you’ll come to the Australian Sugar Heritage Centre in Mourilyan. Divert slightly inland and you’ll find Paronella Park, a gloriously out-of-place historic mansion surrounded by the rainforest.

Before the end of the Cairns to Mission Beach drive, there are a couple more coastal national parks to the east of the highway. But the Kurrimine Beach National Park and Maria Creek National Park don’t offer much that you’ll not see in Mission Beach anyway.

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)

Things to do in Mission Beach include mountain biking in the Djiru National Park, beach skydives and taking a boat over to Dunk Island. You can also do Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tours.

Mission Beach accommodation options include the gardens-set Mission Beach Resort, the beachfront Castaways Resort and Spa and the pool-focused Mission Reef Resort.

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.