Cairns shore excursion
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When is the best time to visit Cairns?
Dreaming of sunnier climes? The sunshine state has the answer.
Cairns is the destination of choice for beach worshippers, and if you’re one of them read on because we’ve sussed out the optimal time to visit when you won’t feel like a hot and sticky sardine on the sands.
When is the best time to visit Cairns?
April to September is the best time to visit for the ideal balance of affordable accommodation, warm dry weather and thin crowds. By popping in after summer, you’ll completely miss the Christmas crowds and the high humidity, while still being able to enjoy sunshine and warm days. Plus, you’ll only pay a fraction of the peak season price.
Cheapest time to fly to Cairns
Overview
Located in the tropical north, Cairns enjoys hot humid summers and mild winters with temperatures that rarely dip below 24℃.
Cairns is a popular destination for Australian families as it’s the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and offers family friendly beaches. To avoid the crowds, you should steer clear of Cairns during the school holiday period.
Travelling closer to winter means you’ll enjoy pleasant, dry days that are still ideal for beachside bumming or for exploring neighbouring islands and the Daintree rainforest.
Weather and prices
Best time to visit Cairns, weather wise: April to September.
Cheapest time to visit Cairns: Search for flights and hotels in February or March when prices drop as it’s just after the peak holiday period.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Kuranda and Cairns Aquarium tour
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Cairns Aquarium family tickets from $126
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Best time to visit Cairns for...
- Beaches: With a temperatures of 25-31℃ throughout the year, Cairns is good for beaches any time of the year, though it is best from June to October when it’s the driest.
- Snorkelling: Snorkelling is good all year round though, the wet season between December and May will likely find you the best deals.
- Diving: Similar to snorkelling, diving is good all year round with the best deals occurring from December to May, but the least chance it will rain while you're snorkelling is from June to November..
- Riding the Kuranda Scenic Railway: Ride the rails on this iconic railway during the cooler and drier months of winter for clear views sans the stuffed carriages. The Kuranda Scenic Railway operates every day except Christmas Day.
- Watersports: Available all year round, watersports such as jetskiing and parasailing are best enjoyed during dry warm months such as April and May or September and October.
Now that you know when to go, here are Cairns travel deals to save on your trip:
Virgin Australia
FLASH SALE
Australia-wide flights from $79 each way
Available for travel on select dates from April - June 2020. Sample fare is Launceston-Melbourne. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Newcastle, Cairns, Perth and more.
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Cheap Flights
Domestic flights from $42 each way
Available on select dates until December 2020. Destinations include Adelaide, Sydney, Newcastle, Ballina, Hobart and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Melbourn with TigerAir.
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Wotif
Up to 73% off Australia-wide stays
Available on select dates. Destinations include Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Byron Bay, Perth and more. T&Cs apply.
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Wotif
Australia-wide flights from $73 return
Available on select dates until November 2020. Destinations include Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Hobart and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Melbourne with Jetstar. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Accor Hotels
Up to 25% off advance bookings in Australia
Available on select travel dates when booking 30 days in advance. Prepayment required. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Cairns, Melbourne and Canberra. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Adrenaline
Extra 10% off site-wide with code
Coupon code valid on driving and flying experiences, water sports, land adventures etc when you spend $199 or more. T&Cs apply.
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Coupon code ends
Cheap O Air
Domestic flights from $132 return
Available on select travel dates from March - August 2020. Sample fare is Sydney-Gold Coast with Jetstar. Destinations include Hobart, Melbourne, Cairns and Perth.
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Budget Air
Domestic flights from $141 return
Available on select travel dates from February - March 2020. Sample fare is Sydney-Brisbane with Tigerair. Destinations include Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Ballina and more.
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Europcar
Up to 25% off Australia-wide car hire
Available on rentals until 31 May 2020. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Accor Hotels
Up to 40% off hotels worldwide
Available for stays on select travel dates. Destinations include Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. T&Cs apply
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STA Travel
Australia-wide flights from $99 each way with Virgin Australia
Available on select dates until 27 August 2020. Sample fare is Sydney-Gold Coast. Destinations include Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Broome and more.
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DriveNow
Airport rentals from $30/day
Valid for travel on select dates in 2020 with Avis, Budget, Sixt, Europcar, Hertz and more. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Gold Coast and more. T&Cs apply.
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Adrenaline
Up to 25% off things to do in Cairns
Available for activities like driving experiences, helmet diving, helicopter flights, bungy jumping, water rafting, suba diving, skydiving and more. T&Cs apply.
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Topdeck
Up to 15% off Australia and New Zealand trip
Valid for travel between 1 July 2020 - 31 March 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane, Alice Springs, Auckland, Wellington and more. T&Cs apply.
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TourRadar
Up to 25% off Australia-wide tours with Intrepid
Available on select travels in 2020 and 2021. Destinations include Brisbane, Sydney, Darwin, Broome, Uluru and more.
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RedBalloon
Up to $30 off things to do in Cairns
Activities includes diving, jet boat rides, skydiving, cruises, parasailing, bike tours and much more.
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Flight Centre - Domestic
Australia-wide flights from $74 each way
Available on select dates until December 2020. Sample fare is Sydney-Gold Coast with Tigerair. Other destinations include Brisbane, Melbourne, Hobart, Ballina, Canberra and more.
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Skydive Australia
Skydive from $249
Available on select 2020 dates across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Perth and York. Sample rate is from Hunter Valley. T&Cs apply.
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Trafalgar Tours
Up to 10% off Australia and New Zealand tours
Available on select 2020 dates. Destinations include Cairns, Tasmania, Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Auckland and more. T&Cs apply.
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Budget Air
Extra $5 off your next booking
Subscribe to BudgetAir enewsletter and receive extra $5 discount of your next booking. Destinations include Europe, Asia, Australia and more. T&Cs apply.
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Otel.com
Extra 9% off hotel bookings
Valid on select hotel stays worldwide like Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Thailand, USA, Europe and more on all dates, including over holidays like Easter, Christmas and New Year's Eve. Some restrictions apply.
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Medina
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eClub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia and New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Vibe
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eClub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia and New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Travelodge
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eClub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia and New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Adina
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eClub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia and New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Rendezvous
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eClub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia and New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
TFE Hotels Collection
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eClub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia and New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Otel.com
Extra 8% off hotel bookings
Valid on hotel stays worldwide on all dates, including over holidays like Easter, Christmas and New Year's Eve.
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Rentalcars.com
Up to 20% off car hire
Compare car hire prices on Rentalcars.com and save up to 20% compared to booking direct.
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Gift It Now
Up to 20% off experiences
Valid on select experiences and activities like skydiving, scenic helicopter flight, kayaking, whale watching and more. Destinations include Sydney, Byron, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Darwin and Perth. T&Cs apply.
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Popular Cairns deals coupon codes
| Last checked | Code description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 2020 | Extra 10% off site-wide with code | ZON**** |
| 28 Oct 2019 | Extra 9% off hotel bookings | AUT**** |
| 20 Aug 2019 | Extra 8% off hotel bookings | 8OF**** |
| 20 Feb 2020 | Australia-wide flights from $79 each way | ******** |
| 19 Feb 2020 | Domestic flights from $42 each way | ******** |
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