What clothes to wear in Cairns

Cairns, Australia’s tropical wonderland, is as fun a city itself as it is serving as the landing point for the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

This vibrant north Queensland town is famous for its close proximity to these wonders as well as for its lively esplanade, complete with a charming boardwalk and swimming lagoon!

When it comes to what clothes to wear in Cairns, it’s good to remember that the city has a tropical climate. This means that regardless of it being the dry or wet season it is going to be pretty warm.

With that in mind, it’s best to pack your bags with balmy days in mind: shorts, tees, hats, *sunscreen* – you get the picture. You really don’t need to pack your thickest North Face coat for a trip to Cairns, but maybe a light rain jacket in case you encounter one of those cheeky out-of-the-blue storms that Queensland is known for!

So, now that we’ve got clothing out of the way, what are some of these wondrous attractions that await you in and outside of the uber fun Cairns city?

The Great Barrier Reef

Because you don’t go to Cairns without experiencing the reef in some capacity. Going to Cairns and not seeing the Reef is like going to Paris and skipping La Tour Eiffel, or New York and, well, you know what we mean – you can’t skip the Great Barrier Reef!

What’s more, Cairns provides the best access to some of the Reef’s most sublime snorkel and diving spots, where weird and wonderful fish and sea creatures bob and whiz around gorgeous colourful coral – you have to experience it even if you opt for a glass bottom boat ride over the flippers…

The Daintree Rainforest

The Daintree Rainforest is a cheeky 10 million years older than the Amazon, so this fun fact should give you an idea of the, shall we say, enormity of the biodiverse history there?

Whether you’re on a croc-spotting cruise, seeing but not getting too close to a southern cassowary or learning about Indigenous connection to the forest with a Kuku Yalanji walking tour, the Daintree Rainforest is a mystical, lush expanse that is has to be seen to be believed.

Finish it off on the Esplanade

After all this adventure you can sit back, soak up and relax on the vibrant Cairns Esplanade: home to plenty of laid back vibes and good tropical times…

Related article: Why you should visit Cairns