Innisfail to Cairns road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops

The Innisfail to Cairns drive covers an 88km distance in a driving time of around 1h10m. Road trip stops worth considering include the Babinda Boulders and Behana Gorge.

For most visitors, the Innisfail to Cairns drive is likely to be part of a bigger road trip. It’s either the last leg up the Queensland coast from Brisbane to Cairns, or the return journey after a day trip around the Atherton Tableland.

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.

The Palmerston Highway, where you’ll find attractions such as Nandroya Falls and the Mamu Tropical Skywalk, meets the Bruce Highway just north of Innisfail.

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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Innisfail to Cairns distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Innisfail to Cairns is 88km. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 10 minutes. There are, however, a few road trip stops worth investigating along the route.

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.

First up is Josephine Falls in Wooroonooran National Park. If you’re feeling particularly brave, you can tackle the hike from here to Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland’s highest mountain.

Otherwise, it’s a 1.2km walk from the car park to the viewing platform over the cascades.

Birdwatchers, however, might be more interested in the wetlands of Eubenangee Swamp National Park to the east.

Innisfail to Cairns road trip: Babinda attractions

The next sizable town is Babinda, where the highlight is the photogenic Babinda Boulders swimming hole.

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

The Russell River National Park is along the coast, but that’s 4WD access only and mainly about fishing and camping rather than walks, swims and lookouts.

Innisfail to Cairns drive: Behana Gorge and Isabella Falls

Before reaching Gordonvale, there’s the turn-off for Behana Gorge. Here, the 6.6km return walking track takes you to a gorgeous swimming hole at Clamshell Falls.

From Gordonvale, the last slight detour worth taking before you hit Cairns’ southern suburbs is to Isabella Falls.

Top Cairns attractions include the Cairns Aquarium (BOOK HERE), the Cairns Botanic Gardens and Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome (BOOK HERE).

From Cairns, you can also try Great Barrier Reef cruises to Moore Reef (BOOK HERE), plus island hops to Fitzroy Island (BOOK HERE) or Green Island (BOOK HERE).

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