Top Cairns & the Tropical North Attractions & Museums

Discover Two Worlds in One Day: Tomb of the Pharaohs & Cairns Aquarium Immerse yourself in two unforgettable experiences in the heart of Cairns. Step back in time at the Tomb of the Pharaohs, where you’ll explore life-sized recreations of 11 ancient Egyptian tombs, complete with detailed hieroglyphics, burial treasures, and over 450 museum-quality replicas. Then, dive into the wonders of Tropical North Queensland at the Cairns Aquarium, home to over 16,000 marine creatures from the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding ecosystems. From mummies to marine life, this unique cultural and natural journey is perfect for families, history lovers, and curious explorers alike—all within walking distance in the city center.

Learn more about Cairns' unique culture and history at the interesting Cairns Museum. This ticket saves you time, so you can straight into the museum and check out its interactive exhibits. There are family friendly displays that all members of the family can enjoy, plus refreshing air conditioning when the heat of tropical North Queensland gets too much.

Enjoy an evening of wildlife and fine dining with this night at Cairns Aquarium that combines a guided after-hours tour and a 2-course meal amid floor-to-ceiling glass fish tanks. Joining a wildlife education for the 1.5-hour aquarium tour is a chance to see a side of the Cains Aquarium that most miss—showcasing nocturnal creatures from the Great Barrier Reef to the Coral Sea.

See Kuranda’s top wildlife attractions in one easy visit with this multi-attraction pass—ideal if you’re short on time and want to avoid booking separately. Enjoy entry to Kuranda Koala Gardens, Birdworld Kuranda, and Australian Butterfly Sanctuary—with the chance to spot endangered species at each. A supervised koala photo is included for a memorable souvenir.

Guarantee your entry to Cairns Aquarium, by booking your admission ticket in advance. Family-friendly and fun, Cairns Aquarium is home to 70 different exhibits that house over 16,000 marine and land animals life from the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland's Wet Tropics Rainforest.

See snapping crocs in action on this half-day tour to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. Departing from Cairns or Palm Cove, explore the five different zones of this eco-park and working crocodile farm, including a narrated boat tour through a coastal lagoon. Stroll along elevated boardwalks to observe cassowaries, turtles, lizards, and koalas, and admire the mighty stars of the attraction at the thrilling Crocodile Attack Show.

Not only do you have general admission to the Cairns Aquarium, this ticket also provides a tour of the Turtle Hospital. Here rescue turtles are cared for by experts. The hospital experience lasts around a half hour, but you are free to take as much time as you like in the aquarium. There are tens of thousands of Great Barrier Reef species to learn about.

Avoid waiting around outside in the tropical heat with priority access to the Cairns Museum. Save money with a family ticket, and head right on inside to enjoy interactive exhibits on the history, culture, and geography of Cairns and Northern Queensland. Conveniently located in the central city, you can enjoy great views from the upstairs veranda.

Make the most of your time in Kuranda with a single ticket to Rainforestation Nature Park—no need to juggle multiple bookings or plan a complex itinerary. Just minutes from Kuranda village and easily reached from Cairns, this all-in-one experience combines wildlife encounters, a rainforest tour in an amphibious Army Duck, and the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience. It’s an effortless way to see native animals, explore lush rainforest, and connect with Australia’s First Nations culture, all in one place and at your own pace.

Enjoy a day at the Kuranda Koala Gardens by pre-booking your admission ticket. Discover this unique wildlife experience that is home to an array of Australian species including koalas, quokkas, wallabies, and wombats. Learn about the gardens' efforts to rehabilitate sick and injured wildlife and restore habitats, and experience the only nocturnal exhibit in the Tableland region, home to night-loving marsupials such as the greater bilby, northern bettong, and rare mahogany glider.

As the sun goes down on the Great Barrier Reef, a whole new world awakens. Corals glow, colourful reef fish seek shelter and predators begin their night hunt. At the same time, coastal forests stir with life, as reptiles, amphibians and insects emerge from their burrows to seek out food in the safety of the shadows. Night at the Aquarium gives you a glimpse into the unique world of the region’s nocturnal creatures and their behaviours as they move about in the darkness.

Observe how Cairns’ marine wildlife behaves at night in this after-hours tour of the Cairns Aquarium. Enjoy exclusive evening entry to the aquarium after closing time and benefit from your ecologist guide's insights insights into the nighttime behavior of reptiles, amphibians, insects that make their home in Cairns.

Experience one of the wonders of the natural world up close and personal on this snorkeling and diving cruise on the Great Barrier Reef. Climb aboard a superyacht in Cairns and set sail to two different outer reef locations. Explore the colorful world underneath the water, and snorkel or dive for a closer look. A delicious barbecue lunch and light refreshments are included.

To visit the Cairns Aquarium without the crowds, get special after-hours access. You can take your time without jostling with others for the best views of the sharks, rays, and tropical fish. The glass viewing tunnel is a highlight. Learn more about the creatures you see from your personal guide. After the tour, top off your night with dinner at Squire's Loft.

Visit two of the most popular wildlife venues in the Cairns area with this combo admission to the Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld. Aussie animals are renowned for various reasons—from adorable (koalas) to elusive (wombats). You’ll have the chance to see an array of wildlife. Some activities are an additional fee.

Immerse yourself in the recreated native rainforest habitat of more than 60 Australian bird species at Birdworld Kuranda in Cairns & the Tropical North as the birds fly all around you. Pay for your ticket in advance to avoid waiting in line and last-minute hassles. Stroll the park and see more than 350 birds from Australia and around the world—the largest collection of free-flying birds in the country.

Secure your admission to one of Cairns' top attractions with a prebooked entry ticket for the blockbuster *Tomb of the Pharaohs* exhibition. Admire examples of some of the most lavishly decorated tombs of Ancient Egypt, each of them filled with hieroglyphic wall inscriptions, engraved plaques, mummified remains, and over 450 meticulously crafted items.

Venture off-the-beaten-track and explore the UNESCO-listed wilderness of Australia’s tropical north on this full-day tour from Cairns. Journey along the Captain Cook Highway; take a guided hike through the Mossman Gorge and cool off with a dip in the Mossman River. After lunch (included), look out for crocodiles on a scenic cruise down the Daintree River, then continue to Cape Tribulation to trek through the Daintree Rainforest and enjoy magnificent views over the Great Barrier Reef. This small-group tour is limited to 14 people for a personalized experience.

Journey through Australia’s diverse landscapes for a family fun and educational-focused experience. Australia's stunning Great Barrier Reef, a vibrant ecosystem teeming with marine life, is a real-life testament to the planet's natural beauty. Our lush, abundant Rainforest and Mangrove environments are a sanctuary for distinctive wildlife, providing shelter and sustenance for countless species. The rugged Outback, with its harsh, yet mesmerizing terrain, is another integral part of our natural heritage while the precious Woodlands is home to one of our Australian icons, the koala. Each of these unique areas play a crucial role in maintaining Australia’s biodiversity. Learn and understand about the significance of protecting these invaluable natural landscapes for future generations. Don’t forget to purchase your koala souvenir photo for an unforgettable memory.

The Daintree's rainforest, coast, and the rugged Bloomfield Track are spread across a big stretch of Far North Queensland, hard to cover self-driving in a day. Join a 4WD tour that links them with a guided walk through the ancient rainforest and along the sand at Cape Tribulation. Watch for crocodiles on a river cruise, cool off with a freshwater swim in the forest, and finish with a tropical fruit ice cream.

Cairns Aquarium is one of the city’s top attractions, but to learn more about its residents—and its conservation work—a behind-the-scenes tour is the way to visit. A wildlife educator takes you around, giving you access to parts that the general public usually can’t enter. Visit the turtle hospital, handfeed cownose rays, and get insider insights at the reptile breeding facility. Learn more than you would on a regular visit.

Discover the secrets and stories of 19th-century Queensland with a visit to the Historic Village Herberton. Just over 90-minutes inland from Cairns, this huge outdoor pioneer museum gives visitors a chance to peek back to a long-ago era. Walk through the streets and you’ll discover the original buildings from the town, including the school, jail, bank, grocery, bottle shop, apothecary, and mechanic—complete with antique cars. You can also enjoy the natural surroundings and go wildlife-spotting on purpose-built trails.

A visit to the Historic Village Herberton is like stepping back in time. Showcasing Australia’s rich and diverse history this outdoor pioneer museum is testament to an era that is long gone. This incredible museum collects, preserves and displays fascinating historical exhibits from across Australia. The history of this museum is also closely tied with the township of Herberton and features many priceless antiques as well as buildings that have come from the town’s ancestors. The Village currently features over 60 original buildings that date from Herberton’s foundation years and are as they were originally constructed. Walking through the Village, visitors are given a sense of being in a real township complete with apothecary, bottle shop, school, bank, grocer’s store, frock salon, toy shop, mechanic, jail and more. There is just so much to see and do in this amazing village that it needs to be experienced to understand the full depth of history it offers.