11 Day Port Douglas and Cairns Self Drive Tour Itinerary

Collect your rental car and journey to pretty Port Douglas, tropical playground of the rich and famous.

Port Douglas: Reef and Rainforest

Port Douglas is a foodie haven with cafés, bars and restaurants galore. A year-round resort destination, you can dine al fresco and swim in the warm ocean waters no matter when you visit. With five nights here you have ample time to discover the region's many delights.

Approximate Distance: 68 km | 42 miles   Total Driving Time: 1 hour 15 mins

Accommodation: Port Douglas - 5 Nights

There’s nothing quite like the Wildlife Habitat Experience.

Hand-feed iconic Australian Wallabies and Kangaroos or catch a glimpse of the legendary Southern Cassowary or Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. Watch a crocodile feeding presentation or have your photo taken with a Koala, Port Douglas’s Wildlife Habitat Experience has something for everyone.

This award-winning and advanced eco-certified wildlife sanctuary allow guests to interact with Australian animals in their recreated natural environments. Explore five spacious unique environments, Wetlands, Rainforest, Savannah, Nocturnal, and Woodlands, and meet with the species that call these animals home.

Discover the vibrant fish life and delicate coral of three specifically chosen sites suited for conditions on the day of travel. The shallow reef lagoons are a great opportunity to see the Great Barrier Reef at its best, as some of the best coral growth is found in the shallower waters where sunlight is plentiful. For more experienced snorkellers, you’ll be thrilled with exploring spectacular drop-offs and coral pinnacles.

Join the Marine Biologist for a guided snorkel tour over the shallow coral gardens, pointing out fish and marine life, corals and areas of interest along the way.

Our dedicated snorkel crew will provide you with:

• Snorkelling equipment and floatation devices.
• Tips of technique and help for beginners.
• In-water assistance and guidance to where the best areas to snorkel are.
• A briefing on the biology and history of the reef.

Arrive at Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre hidden in the Daintree Rainforest, where you will be welcomed with a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony. Explore the gallery and local crafts store before embarking on an interpretive rainforest walk with an Aboriginal guide, learning about the Kuku Yalanji people's connection to the land. Indulge in a delicious lunch at the Mayi Café at Janbal Gallery before joining an Aboriginal artist for an art class, where you'll hear Dreamtime stories and local history. Create a unique souvenir by painting a canvas with the artist's guidance, using techniques you learn in the class.

Today join a small personalised Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation tour, where the rainforest meets the reef! On this full-day tour, you will explore all the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation region has to offer. Sit back and relax in comfort in a custom-built 4WD air-conditioned vehicle while listening to informative and entertaining commentary by your local naturalist guide.

As one of the only tour operators to travel on the Bloomfield Track your experience will be like no other. Spot crocodiles on a Daintree River cruise, learn about flora, fauna and the history of the Daintree on a guided boardwalk tour, take a 4WD ride through a World Heritage-listed rainforest on the rugged Bloomfield Track, savour a traditional Aussie barbecue, sample traditional ‘Aussie’ billy tea, damper and tropical fruits in the company of wallabies and enjoy a homemade Daintree ice-cream on your journey home.

Take a leisurely drive to the Atherton Tablelands for a two-night escape in a rainforest Wilderness Retreat.

Atherton Tablelands

Here in the Atherton Tablelands, you'll become acquainted with a vast array of Australian landscapes, from glistening waterfalls to grassy savannahs, rainforests and coffee plantations.

Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat

For the next two nights, you will enjoy a blissful rainforest getaway in the cool highlands above Cairns. Your treehouse accommodation offers total seclusion, with World Heritage mountain or rainforest views from your private balcony. Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat is a welcoming, family-operated nature retreat named by Tourism Queensland as one of its top Queensland experiences.

Approximate Distance: 295 km | 183 miles   Total Driving Time: 3 hours 54 mins

Accommodation: Atherton Tablelands - 2 Nights

If you can tear yourselves away from your pristine rainforest hideaway, there's much to explore in the Atherton Tablelands:

Suggested Activities at Rose Gums Retreat

Rose Gums is situated on a 93-hectare property at the edge of the World Heritage Listed Wooroonooran National Park. There are 9 kilometres of trails on the property to explore: keep an eye out for the 5-metre-high hidden waterfall!

View colourful parrots, learn about Australia’s unique animals, and feed the amazing Australian Brush-Turkey at a daily wildlife talk. Wander down to the creek and if you remain quiet and still, you may be rewarded with a sighting of the oldest mammal in the world: the shy Platypus.

Explore the Atherton Tablelands

Outside the property, there are many charming villages to discover within an hour's drive (with wonderful food markets at weekends). Swim in a volcanic crater lake, tour a local coffee plantation, or go in search of colossal Curtain Fig and Cathedral Fig Trees in the forests. You're in dairy farming country, so be sure to stop off at local farm shops for gourmet ice-cream, yogurt, and cheese.

Of course, if you prefer, you could remain on your private rainforest balcony all day, immersed in the views and the beautiful birdsong.

Welcome to Cairns! Close to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, Cairns is a haven of scuba diving, snorkelling, reef cruises, all types of fishing, rainforest walks, native bird and wildlife watching.

Sun-seekers and locals alike flock to Cairns Esplanade's swimming lagoon on the city’s foreshore. There are picnic areas, birdwatching viewpoints, free barbecues and fitness equipment along the boardwalk, perfect for unwinding and relaxing.

Approximate Distance: 295 km | 183 miles   Total Driving Time: 3 hours 54 mins

Accommodation: Cairns - 3 Nights

The Kuranda Scenic Railway is the name for the railway line that runs from Cairns over the Great Dividing Range to the town of Kuranda on the Atherton Tableland.

Join a comprehensive full-day tour to Kuranda and experience the best of this picturesque mountain village, including a visit to Rainforestation Nature Park. You’ll learn about the ancient rainforest, the local Indigenous culture, and the native wildlife of Australia. Includes Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

The World Heritage-listed Wet Tropical Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, and the Outback are all within easy reach. Cairns is both an adventure and nature lovers paradise. From white-water rafting to bungee jumping and skydiving, you'll find the perfect activity to suit your penchant and with hundreds of tours visiting the Great Barrier Reef each year, you're sure to find one, or a couple, to try.

Some suggested activities around Cairns:

Say farewell to Cairns to drop off your rental car at the airport and board your onward flight. We know you will enjoy your 11 Day Port Douglas and Cairns Self Drive vacation, taking with you the magical memories of a truly exceptional Australian experience. We hope you will return soon to discover even more highlights of this incredible continent.

Hope to see you again soon!