Top Cairns & the Tropical North Museums

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.

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.

Discover the natural wonders of Tropical North Queensland on a full-day tour to Chillagoe Caves and Granite Gorge. Travel from Cairns by rugged 4WD vehicle with a naturalist guide, passing over the McAllister Ranges and the Great Dividing Range as you explore the Australian Outback. Visit Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park, drive near the wetlands to spot Australian native wildlife, and stop by historic mining towns. This small-group tour also included morning tea and a pub lunch.

Let’s Go Buggin’ and Let’s Go Shroomin’! Follow your expert photographer around Cairns Botanic Gardens, learn professional photography tricks, and learn all about the wildlife that live there. Bridgette Gower is a highly-experienced photographer specializing in the tiny, weird and wonderful, and on this unique tour, she will teach you how to use your camera to take pro shots. See bugs, frogs, fungi and more, and explore the depths of the botanic gardens.

Explore Kuranda's Rainforestation Nature Park, a 100-acre (40-hectare) tropical rainforest and World Heritage site located within five minutes of Kuranda village, accessible from Cairns. Your admission ticket to this family-friendly attraction includes three eco-experiences: see Australia's native animals at the Koala and Wildlife Park; ride the amphibious Army Duck on a unique rainforest tour; watch an Aboriginal Dance Show at the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience and take a Dreamtime Walk.

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.

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.

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.

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.