Cardwell to Cairns road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The Cardwell to Cairns drive covers a distance of 182km in a driving time of roughly 2h14m. Top road trip stops along the route include Mission Beach, Josephine Falls and the Babinda Boulders.
The drive from Cardwell to Cairns covers some of northern Queensland’s most spectacular scenery. For most travellers, this will be a leg on a longer road trip – Townsville to Cairns or Airlie Beach to Cairns, perhaps. But if you have the time to take it slowly, you’ll be amply rewarded.
Cardwell is the gateway to Hinchinbrook Island and the photogenic Cardwell Spa Pools.
Cairns, meanwhile, offers Green Island tours, jet boat adventures, Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruises and river tubing adrenalin rushes.
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.
Cardwell to Cairns distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Cardwell to Cairns is 182km. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 14 minutes.
Best Cardwell accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Cardwell are:
- For a holiday park with an outdoor pool and children’s playground: Cardwell Beachcomber Motel and Tourist Park.
- For prime location: Cardwell Beachfront Motel.
- If those two are fully booked: Kookaburra Holiday Park.
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.
This will obviously take longer if you visit a few attractions or make an overnight stop along the way. The first possible detour is Murray Falls in Girrimay National Park.
Cardwell to Cairns road trip: Tully and Mission Beach
Travelling along the Bruce Highway, the most attractive town between Cardwell and Cairns is Mission Beach.
The turn off for Mission Beach is in Tully, home of the Golden Gumboot. You’ll pass Mount Mackay National Park on the way in.
Things to do in Mission Beach include Djiru National Park mountain bike rides, skydiving onto the beach and taking the boat to Dunk Island. You can go on small group Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tours from here.
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.
Mission Beach accommodation favourites include the gardens-surrounded Mission Beach Resort, the waterfront Castaways Resort and Spa and the pool-focused Mission Reef Resort.
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