Planning a road trip from Cairns to Mission Beach?
When I mentioned my plans to travel directly from Cairns to Airlie Beach without stopping at Mission Beach, my local friend gasped. “You need to go to Mission Beach,” he said.
That was the first time I’d heard of Mission Beach, a small beach town an hour and 50 minutes’ drive south of Cairns.
Apparently, it had a long, golden beach, an adorable collection of coffee shops and one of the best settings for skydiving in the Far North.
Two days later, we set out on a Cairns to Mission Beach road trip.
I couldn’t believe how many people miss out on this incredible stretch of Australia’s east coast.
From Mission Beach to Cairns, there are unforgettable (and uncrowded) waterfalls as well as the famous Atherton Tablelands and national parks.
Before I jump into my Cairns to Mission Beach road trip itinerary, feel free to open a tab ready to plan your Cairns travel itinerary too.
I have also written an in-depth guide to the ultimate Cairns to Brisbane road trip if you’re driving the infamous route.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. If you decide to click through and make a qualifying purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you – thanks for your support.
QUICK INFORMATION
Best time for a road trip: May to October
Time needed: 2 hours +
Not to be missed: The popular Mission Beach tandem skydive! 🪂
Hiring a car or van?
Check availability on Discover Cars 🚗
For campervans, grab your best fit at Travellers Autobarn 🚐
Cairns to Mission Beach Distance
Cairns is 139 kilometres from Mission Beach. That might sound like a lot of distance, but in reality, the drive only takes an hour and 50 minutes without traffic.
Cairns
Most of the route follows the A1, a well-maintained highway. Unless there is an accident or really bad weather conditions, it’s unlikely you’ll experience many delays.
Cairns to Mission Beach Transport
There are two main ways to get from Cairns to Mission Beach.
If you don’t want to drive, you take the Greyhound bus. There are no trains to Mission Beach.
1. How to Take the Bus from Cairns to Mission Beach
You can catch a Greyhound bus from Cairns to Mission Beach by booking directly on their website or via 12Go.
The bus takes one hour and 55 minutes and costs at least $21 AUD.
A Greyhound bus parked in Rainbow Beach in Queensland
I travelled most of the East Coast by Greyhound (using their East Coast Whimit Travel Pass) and I love how comfortable the coaches are.
They have air conditioning, Wi-Fi (which was slightly unreliable) and reclining seats. A word of advice: Choose a seat somewhere in the middle of the coach, as the front is often cold and the back can get very hot.
The Greyhound bus for Mission Beach departs from Cairns Central Railway Station and arrives at the Transit Centre in Mission Beach.
From the Transit Centre, you will usually need to take a taxi to your hotel or hostel.
There is a large supermarket right next to the Transit Centre where you can pick up food and snacks to take to your hostel or hotel.
The downside of taking the bus is that you won’t get the chance to stop at any of the beautiful places on the way to Mission Beach. However, it’s cheap and easy.
2. How to Drive from Cairns to Mission Beach
Driving from Cairns to Mission Beach (or the reverse) is the best way to explore. It gives you the freedom to stop at waterfalls, beaches and hiking trails.
I was lucky enough to travel with a friend who lives in Cairns and owns a car.
Image provided by Travellers Autobarn
However, if you don’t have a vehicle already, you can easily rent a car in Cairns. Whenever I needed to rent a car in Australia, I always booked through Discover Cars.
What I like about Discover Cars it that you can compare different vehicles. You can also choose a different drop-off location, so if you want to make your way further down the east coast, you don’t need to retrace your steps to Cairns.
For vans, your best option is Travellers Autobarn, as they provide sleeping and kitchen facilities. You’ll see these iconic vans everywhere along the east coast.
Cairns to Mission Beach Road Trip: 6 Places to Visit
Once you have a vehicle, you can get fully stuck into your Cairns to Mission Beach road trip (or your Mission Beach to Cairns road trip, if you’re travelling from south to north).
The area between Cairns and Mission Beach is especially famous for its waterfalls, so I highly recommend visiting at least one Queensland waterfall.
As this isn’t a common tourist route, they are delightfully uncrowded, especially on a weekday.
1. Cairns
If you’re starting in Cairns, I’m going to assume you’ve already had time to explore some of the surrounding areas as part of your Cairns travel itinerary – perhaps the Daintree Rainforest or Fitzroy Island.
Cape Tribulation, north of Cairns
That means that you can focus your road trip on the area south of Cairns.
To get to Mission Beach, you will be heading south, so it won’t be easy to visit the Daintree Rainforest without taking a huge detour.
However, if you missed two of Cairns’ most popular waterfalls, Crystal Cascades and Fairy Falls, that’s far easier.
You only need an extra 40 minutes to drive there and then rejoin your original route to Mission Beach.
Crystal Cascades
It’s worth noting that Crystal Cascades and Fairy Falls are some of the easiest waterfalls to get to from Cairns, so they are quite busy on the weekends.
You’ll find that many of the waterfalls between Cairns and Mission Beach are less crowded because they are more remote, so maybe save your time for…
2. The Waterfalls Circuit (Atherton Tablelands)
To visit the Waterfalls Circuit in the Atherton Tablelands, you need at least an hour.
The Atherton Tablelands (also known as the Tablelands) is a highland area with rainforest, savanna and wetlands.
This very green area has a 17-kilometre circular driving route called the Waterfalls Circuit, which passes by waterfalls such as Milla Milla Falls (an 18-metre fall).
Milla Milla Falls
From Cairns, you will start by visiting Lake Barrine, then move onto Yungaburra (which has a platypus lookout), Milla Milla Falls, Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls.
You don’t have to visit every single waterfall, and likewise, you can easily stop at additional destinations such as Josephine Falls (which has its own honourary mention below…).
If you don’t have time to drive the route yourself, you can always take this Atherton Tablelands wilderness tour from Cairns, which visits several waterfalls including Milla Milla Falls and Josephine Falls.
3. Josephine Falls (Wooroonooran National Park)
On our Cairns to Mission Beach road trip, our main focus was visiting Josephine Falls in Wooroonooran National Park.
It was definitely the right choice… the waterfall was spectacular and there were only a handful of other people. It has a natural waterslide, several pools and plenty of space to lay down a towel and sunbathe.
Some of the pools are slippery, so please be careful and use your judgment wisely.
Josephine Falls has a large car park. To get there, you need to follow a dirt track, but it was surprisingly well-maintained.
If you have time to spare, Wooroonooran National Park also has a few hiking trails, including the Nandroya Falls and Walsh’s Pyramid trails. I’ve provided a link to the trails on Alltrails, where you can download the map.
4. Clump Mountain National Park
I ran out of time to visit Clump Mountain National Park.
Just north of Bingil Bay, it’s very easy to visit on the way to Mission Beach. The national park is only a 10-minute drive north of Mission Beach. Just follow Bingil Bay Road.
The Bicton Hill Circuit is a short, circular trail that takes just over an hour.
It’s low effort, high reward, offering coastal views over Bingil Bay, Mission Beach and the Family Islands.
5. Mission Beach
You must, of course, end your road trip at Mission Beach, the namesake of the coastal town.
Just as I expected, Mission Beach was uncrowded. Bordered by palm trees, it has a wild atmosphere. The golden sand stretches for just over a mile.
Stinger season in Mission Beach is generally from November to May, so I would avoid swimming at all during those months. The ocean does have stinger nets, but my friend (a diving instructor) told me that small stingers have been known to slip through the nets.
The views should be more than satisfying, whether you go into the water or not.
6. Go café-hopping in Mission Beach and Bingil Bay
Mission Beach and Bingil Bay are great places for café hopping.
They are far better than Cairns, in my opinion, as the coffee shops have that addictive laidback coastal atmosphere.
There’s something different about sipping on coffee and knowing that the sand is only a short walk or drive away.
My favourite café is Bingil Bay Café, mainly because they serve really good gluten-free pizza. The place has a friendly atmosphere, and the outdoor terrace is peaceful.
If you want a rainforest view, however, you must visit Jack’s Jungle Bar and Cafe, which overlooks the rainforest. This coffee shop is very near Clump Mountain National Park, making it a nice activity after hiking Bicton Hill.
In Mission Beach, there are a couple handfuls of cafés and restaurants just off the beach, including an acai bowl café, a fish and chips shop and a brewhouse.
Where to Stay in Mission Beach
There are limited places to stay in Mission Beach, so it’s best to book your accommodation early rather than leaving it to the last minute and finding they are all full (or out of your price range).
I stayed at Jackaroo Treehouse Rainforest Retreat, a hostel just outside of Bingil Bay. It’s right in the rainforest, which I adore. It also has a swimming pool and a shared kitchen.
If you’re looking for a nicer hotel, there are many more options. You may need to stay somewhere for a couple of nights, especially if you’re interested in doing the Mission Beach tandem skydive or taking the ferry to Dunk Island.
Try these…
Jackaroo Treehouse Rainforest Retreat (£££)
I stayed here!
Shangri-La The Marina (£££)
Seadreams Mission Beach (£££)
I hope you found my road trip from Cairns to Mission Beach (or the reverse, Mission Beach to Cairns) helpful.
If you’re planning a big East Coast trip, you may find some of my other blog posts useful. Have a great trip!
Suggested reading:
- Cairns travel itinerary – Start here to plan your Cairns trip!
- Best things to do in Cairns CBD
- Backpacking Whitsundays budget guide (and how to visit Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach)
FAQ
From Mission Beach to Cairns, you can visit waterfalls in the Atherton Tablelands such as Milla Milla Falls and Josephine Falls. Mount Clump National Park near Bingil Bay is also an easy road trip stop; Bicton Hill has a short trail with views over the Mission Beach coastline.
The Greyhound bus takes approximately two hours to go from Mission Beach to Cairns. It departs from the Transit Centre in Mission Beach.
You can take a snorkelling tour to the Great Barrier Reef from Mission Beach. However, they visit the Outer Reef.