Steal My Cairns to Brisbane Road Trip Itinerary: The 8 Best Places to Visit By Bus or Van

Is it time to plan your Cairns to Brisbane road trip itinerary?

There are so many incredible places to visit from Brisbane to Cairns: the Whitsundays Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, K’Gari (Fraser Island) and handfuls of laidback beach towns…

Likewise, there are so many things to do from Cairns to Brisbane: diving, snorkelling, skydiving, sailing, hiking and camping, for example.

There are two main ways to ‘do’ this infamous road trip: driving your own car/van or taking the Greyhound bus.

Each has its own set of problems to solve: What’s the best route? Where is the nearest campsite or Greyhound bus stop? Most importantly, which places are worth your time and money?

In this blog post, I’ll break down the pros and cons of both approaches (and my experience using the Greyhound).

I’ll also cover the best places to visit and my best tips to make sure your Cairns to Brisbane road trip itinerary runs smoothly.

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.

Is a Cairns to Brisbane Road Trip Worth it?

My Cairns to Brisbane road trip is one of my favourite travel experiences to date.

I ticked off so many bucket-list activities: snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef, sailing at the Whitsundays and camping on K’Gari (Fraser Island).

K’Gari (Fraser Island)

At the time, I was travelling on a budget, so I took advantage of the Greyhound East Coast Whimit Travel Pass.

This pass gave me 30 days of unlimited Greyhound tickets between Melbourne and Cairns for $449.

Travelling by bus limited my ability to get off the beaten track. If I could start over again, I’d hire a van from Travellers Autobarn instead.

The Brisbane to Cairns route is packed with incredible landscapes, no matter whether you travel by car/van or the Greyhound.

The Whitsundays

Some of the highlights of the route include:

• Snorkelling or diving on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns
• Visiting Australia’s oldest rainforest (the Daintree Rainforest)
• Sailing at the Whitsundays Islands
• Camping and driving four-wheel vehicles on K’Gari (Fraser Island)
• Learning about Australia’s aboriginal culture
• Skydiving and other extreme sports
• Surfing (in Noosa and Agnes Water)
• Sightseeing in Brisbane

Quick Look: The Best Places to Visit from Cairns to Brisbane

Here’s a quick look at the best places to visit on your Cairns to Brisbane road trip:

• Cairns (for the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest)
• Mission Beach
• Magnetic Island
• Airlie Beach (for the Whitsundays Islands)
• Agnes Water and the Town of 1770
• Rainbow Beach or Hervey Bay (for K’Gari/Fraser Island)
• Noosa
• Brisbane

I visited all of these destinations except two: Magnetic Island (I just hadn’t heard of it!) and Agnes Water/Seventeen Seventy (I couldn’t reach it due to floods).

Australia is packed with amazing ‘offbeat’ destinations, so this isn’t an exhaustive list by any means.

If you are travelling by car/van, you can scan Google Maps for nearby waterfalls, national parks and other destinations that are away from the traditional road trip.

Do you need to book activities and tours in advance?

During the high season (December to February and May to October), many of these destinations are extremely busy.

This means that you must book high-demand tours 2 – 4 months in advance.

The high-demand tours are the multi-day sailing tours at the Whitsundays and the four-wheel drive tours of K’Gari (Fraser Island).

The Whitsundays

Fraser Island

When I reached out two months prior to my travel date (which fell in January, during high season), many of the tours were already booked out until March.

The Great Barrier Reef tours from Cairns are also incredibly popular. However, there are so many tour operators that you can get away with booking these tours 1 – 3 weeks in advance.

Cairns to Brisbane Distance

There are 1,055 miles from Cairns to Brisbane.

The journey takes 18 to 19 hours by road if you don’t encounter traffic.

The Greyhound bus takes longer because it makes regular stops.

Here’s a quick map of the route on Google Maps:

If you are travelling by car or van, you can expect the following drives (before any traffic delays):

• Cairns to Mission Beach: 86 miles (1 hour and 45 minutes’ drive)
• Mission Beach to Townsville: 146 miles (2 hours and 50 minutes)
• Townsville to Airlie Beach: 172 miles (3 hours and 10 minutes)
• Airlie Beach to Agnes Water: 439 miles (7 hours and 45 minutes) – add a stop in Yeppoon to break up the trip
• Agnes Water to Rainbow Beach: 198 miles (3 hours and 40 minutes)
• Rainbow Beach to Noosa: 63 miles (1 hour and 15 minutes)
• Noosa to Brisbane: 93 miles (1 hour and 50 minutes)

How Long Do You Need for a Road Trip from Brisbane to Cairns?

Ideally, you need three to four weeks to make the road trip from Brisbane to Cairns (or the reverse, Brisbane to Cairns).

Travelling from Cairns to Brisbane took me four weeks (one month).

However, I made a conscious effort to travel slowly and incorporated a five-day petsit (through Trusted Housesitters) into my itinerary.

If you only have a couple of weeks spare, you can still do this road trip.

You’ll need to stop at fewer destinations or take a flight to cut down your travel time.

How to Get from Cairns to Brisbane (or Brisbane to Cairns)

With so much ground to cover between Brisbane and Cairns, it couldn’t be more important to choose the best mode of transport for you.

Here’s a quick overview of the pros and cons of each mode of transport:

Car or Van	Greyhound Bus
✓ Gives you the most freedom. ✓ You can travel off the beaten track. ✘ Car/van hire is expensive. ✘ Requires long drives. ✘ Less downtime.	✓ It’s the most affordable. ✓ No need to concentrate on driving. ✘ The bus stops are limited. ✘ You’ll need to buy more tours/taxis. ✘ It offers limited privacy.

Option 1: Cairns to Brisbane by Car or Van

Best for: Travelling on your own terms and visiting lesser-known destinations

Cost: £500+ for a car or £900+ for a van (plus approx. £300-500 in petrol)

The best way to travel from Cairns to Brisbane is by car or van. It gives you the freedom to stop wherever you like, as long as you stay within Australia’s strict parking laws.

However, you need to be comfortable with driving long distances.

In Australia, you also need to drive on the left side of the road.

Josephine Falls, near Missions Beach – you need a car to get here.

Driving and sleeping in a van also requires some extra planning.

In Queensland, it’s against the law to sleep in your van overnight unless you stay at a designated campsite.

Therefore, you need to find campsites that are suitable for overnight stays; these can sometimes be far away from the main tourist areas.

Cost-wise, hiring a car or van seems more expensive upfront.

However, when I travelled by the Greyhound, I often found that I had to fork out on expensive tours or taxi services to reach local attractions (even hiking trails and waterfalls), which quickly adds up.

How to hire a van or car

The route from Brisbane to Cairns is very popular from December to February and May to October, so you should make your car hire reservation at least 3 months in advance.

During my trip, I was constantly recommended Travellers Autobarn for their affordability and quality.

You’ll see their iconic campervans everywhere along the route from Cairns to Brisbane.

Image by Travellers Auto Barn

Typically, the Travellers Autobarn vans come with sleeping and kitchen facilities. The facilities you get depends on the model you choose, so you’re best off browsing the campervan models directly on the Travellers Autobarn website.

For car hire, I also like Discover Cars for this route. Like Travellers Autobarn, it allows you to drop the car off in a different location to your pick-up point.

Therefore, you can pick up your car in Cairns and drop it off in Brisbane (or the reverse).

2. Cairns to Brisbane by Greyhound Bus

Best for: Saving money on your road trip

If you’re keen to avoid car-hire costs, you can travel from Cairns to Brisbane by Greyhound bus. The downside is that it has a limited number of bus stops.

Often, I had to rely on additional local buses or tours to reach tourist destinations or hiking trails.

I purchased the East Coast Whimit Travel Pass, which gave me 30 days of unlimited Greyhound tickets between Melbourne and Cairns for $449.

If you don’t use this pass, you can book individual Greyhound buses in advance on 12Go (although you might spend more if you’re making a lot of stops and booking last-minute).

Overall, the Greyhound bus was comfortable, although the Wi-Fi didn’t work.

I preferred to sit in the middle of the bus because the back can get hot and the front gets very cold.

With the pass, I had access to an online reservation system where I could reserve my bus and seat in advance – this was a dream for organisation!

Cairns to Brisbane Road Trip Itinerary

Without further ado, let’s jump into the full itinerary.

For each of the best places to visit from Cairns to Brisbane, I’ll explain a little about the best things to do, where to stay, and how to access it by Greyhound or bus/van.

If you don’t like the sound of somewhere, you can simply cross it off your list. Travelling from Brisbane to Cairns? Start at the bottom, and work your way up.

1. Cairns

Best for: Visiting the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest

Time needed: 3 – 7 days

Cairns is a spectacular place to start or end your road trip.

Located in North Queensland, it is a short drive from the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest rainforest in Australia.

The most famous activity in Cairns is visiting the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system.

On my Divers Den snorkelling and scuba tour (recommended to me by diving-instructor friend), I spotted turtles, stingrays and Maori wrasse.

This was just the day tour – on the overnight Great Barrier Reef tour, you get to do 2 – 5 dives or snorkels (as opposed to two).

Cape Tribulation in the Daintree Rainforest

As I explain in my detailed Cairns travel itinerary, Cairns is also a good place to learn about Australia’s aboriginal culture.

I experienced a traditional smoke ceremony on my Daintree Rainforest tour.

We then visited Mossman Gorge, Cape Tribulation (where Captain Cook ran aground on the reef in June 1770), the Marrdja Boardwalk and the famous Daintree Ice Cream Company.

One thing I didn’t get a chance to do was taking the Kuranda Scenic Railway or Skyrail to the incredible Barron Falls (you can grab the self-guided tickets here).

Kuranda Scenic Railway

However, I had a lot of downtime in the city, where some of the best things to do in Cairns CBD include taking a night walk in the Cairns Botanic Gardens or taking the bus to Palm Cove for a beach day.

Where to Stay in Cairns

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Where to park your van:

• Free: Upper Davies Creek camping area
• Paid: NRMA Cairns Holiday Park

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2. Mission Beach

Best for: Skydiving and visiting the Atherton Tablelands

Time needed: 1 – 2 days

Mission Beach is the name of a long, palm-fringed beach located an hour and 50 minutes’ drive south of Cairns.

However, many people also use it to refer to the wider area, where there are several laidback beach towns (Bingil Bay, Wongaling Beach and Kurrimine Beach).

The Mission Beach tandem skydive is incredibly popular; many skydive here instead of Cairns, because it’s more scenic.

Otherwise, activities centre around relaxing on the beach (not swimming – due to the jellyfish), café-hopping and walking in the Clump Mountain National Park.

Milla Milla Falls

Mission Beach has a dedicated Greyhound station. However, if you can drive from Cairns to Mission Beach, you should seize the opportunity.

As I explain in my Cairns to Mission beach road trip guide, the area between Mission Beach and Cairns is incredibly beautiful.

It’s home to the Atherton Tablelands, a lush, green area with waterfalls and swimming holes.

I drove part of the Waterfalls Circuit, a 17-kilometre driving route that visits waterfalls such as Josephine Falls and Milla Milla Falls.

Josephine Falls

I spent several hours at Josephine Falls, watching the dragonflies flit around the base of the waterfall and locals take on the natural waterslide.

Where to Stay in Mission Beach

Where to park your van:

• Free: Babinda Boulders Campground
• Paid: Mission Beach Hideaway Holiday Village

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3. Magnetic Island

Best for: Snorkelling and spotting wild koala bears

Time needed: 2 – 3 days

Magnetic Island is located a short ferry ride from Townsville, a small city between Cairns and Airlie Beach.

I found out about Magnetic Island too late (just as my bus passed the ferry port).

If I’d known about this palm tree-lined island with the largest koala bear colony in northern Australia, I’d have been there in a heartbeat.

There are a handful of hikes on Magnetic Island where you look out for koalas, brushtail possums, echidnas and black flying foxes.

It’s also packed with snorkelling and dive sites (such as the Nelly and Geoffrey Bay snorkel trails) – you can visit these with the help of a snorkelling trail tour.

The island also has a go-to sunset location, Horseshoe Bay.

Where to Stay on Magnetic Island

Where to park your van: There are no free campsites on Magnetic Island.

• Paid: The FORTS
• Paid: Roamer Magnetic Island
• Paid: Apex Camps Magnetic Island

Ferry prices for cars and vans can be expensive. Instead, you may want to leave your van in Townsville and take the Sealink passenger ferry.

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4. The Whitsundays (Airlie Beach)

Best for: Multi-day sailing tours, snorkelling and visiting Whitehaven Beach

Time needed: 1 – 4 days

The Whitsundays is one of the most famous places to visit from Brisbane to Cairns.

You’ve probably seen pictures of Whitehaven Beach, which has swirling silica sands and turquoise waters.

Surrounding Whitehaven Beach, though, there are countless islands with dense bush and white-sand beaches.

Sailing tours of the 74 Whitsundays Islands depart from Airlie Beach, a small town with a Greyhound station and several campsites.

Taking a multi-day sailing tour is a bucket-list activity for many people. Staying overnight gives you the chance to visit Whitehaven Beach before the crowds arrive and experience the sunrise and sunset on the water.

The sailing boats in the Whitsundays have very different personalities.

As I explain in my guide to the best backpacker Whitsundays tours, the Atlantic Clipper and Apollo are iconic party boats designed for backpackers.

Apollo party boat

There are many family-friendly sailboats too, such as the Prima.

I only had one day spare to explore the Whitsundays, so I had to figure out how to visit Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach in one day.

I took the incredible (and fast-paced) Ocean Rafting day tour, travelling to Whitehaven Beach by speedboat to hike to the Hill Inlet (for the famous view).

Ocean Rafting speedboats

I also had time to snorkel on the Outer Great Barrier Reef and relax on Whitehaven Beach’s silica sands.

Back in Airlie Beach, my favourite activity was hiking the Honeyeater Lookout Trail, an eight-kilometre bushwalk to a viewpoint over the Whitsundays.

Honeyeater Lookout trail

The Whitsundays are renowned for being one of the most expensive destinations from Cairns to Brisbane, but in my backpacking Whitsundays budget guide, I discuss how to visit on a budget.

Where to Stay in Airlie Beach

Where to park your van:

There are no free campsites in Airlie Beach or the surrounding area.

• Paid (budget-friendly): Nomads/Base Backpackers
• Paid: Tasman Holiday Parks

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5. Agnes Water and the Town of 1770

Best for: Surfing, museums and visiting Lady Musgrave Island

Time needed: 1 – 3 days

Agnes Water is often overlooked when people plan their Cairns to Brisbane itinerary.

However, they are well worth a visit. Agnes Water is home to the northernmost surf breaks on the East Coast, so it’s a good place to get in a few solid days of surfing.

Agnes Water is adjacent to the Town of 1770 (Seventeen Seventy). This town was Captain James Cook’s first landing site in Queensland, in the year 1770.

In the Town of 1770, there are several museums and monuments based aroun this historic event.

There are lots of walking trails and viewpoints in the area: the Red Rock Walking Trail, Bustard Head Lighthouse and the Paperbark Forest boardwalk.

Don’t sleep on Lady Musgrave Island either, where there is a turtle breeding ground and regular visitors such as humpback whales, dolphins and manta rays.

I had planned to take this tour to Lady Musgrave Island to go snorkelling on the island’s famous reef-formed lagoon.

Another iconic activity in Agnes Water is the 1770 LLARC! joy-ride along the edge of Eurimbula National Park. Along the 1770 sand, you can look out for wildlife such as dolphins.

Where to Stay in Agnes Water

Where to park your van:

• Paid (cheapest): Workman’s Beach
• Paid: Agnes Water Beach Holidays Caravan Park
• Paid: 1770 Camping Ground
• Free: Eurimbula National Park (four-wheel-drives only)

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6. K’Gari (Fraser Island)

Best for: Camping and four-wheel driving

Time needed: 2 – 4 days

I missed out on visiting Agnes Water because I was in a hurry to make it to Rainbow Beach for my long-awaited tour of K’Gari (Fraser Island).

This windswept island is a special place, indeed.

Located just off the coast from Hervey Bay and Rainbow Beach, it is only accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Eli Creek

The island’s 75 Mile Beach has several of the island’s main tourist spots: Eli Creek (I spent hours lazily floating down this creek on inflatable rings), The Cathedrals and the SS Maheno shipwreck.

Down the island’s dirt tracks, there are homely campsites and places such as Lake Mackenzie.

Lake Mackenzie

As I explain in my guide on how to get to Fraser Island (K’Gari), there are two main ways to visit the island.

The first is to hire a four-wheel-drive vehicle and navigate the island’s tides yourself.

Four-wheel drive tag-along tours

The second (and safest option for most) is to take a tour.

Tag-along tours are the most popular, as they give you the chance to try driving a four-wheel car under a tour guide’s supervision.

Coach tours are the second alternative. On these, you travel in the comfort of a small four-wheel bus.

The most popular company for tag-along tours is Dingo’s, which runs a 3D2N or 2D1N tour from Rainbow Beach.

My Fraser Island campsite!

I took the Dingo’s 2D1N coach tour because their tag-along tours were already full. They were incredibly organised and entertaining, a tricky combination to master.

Don’t want to camp?

I recommend taking the 3D2N or 2D1N tours by Fraser Dingo 4WD Hire tours instead, which include a beach house stay.

Where to Stay in Fraser Island/Rainbow Beach

Where to park your van: Only four-wheel-drive vehicles can access K’Gari (Fraser Island).

You should leave any two-wheel drives in Rainbow Beach or Hervey Bay before travelling to the island.

If you have a four-wheel-drive, there are 45 camping areas on Fraser Island.

You need to purchase a camping permit and book a campsite in advance on the Queensland National Parks website.

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7. Noosa

Best for: Surfing, hiking and the laidback coastal lifestyle

Time needed: 1 – 3 days

Out of every destination on my Cairns to Brisbane road trip itinerary, Noosa was the one that surprised me the most.

Admittedly, I didn’t know that much about Noosa before I booked into Noosa Flashpackers, aside from that it had a few beaches and a national park.

Noosa ended up being one of the most scenic places I visited. I used the free surfboards included in my accommodation to catch waves on Little Cove Beach, just along from Noosa Main Beach.

I have prior surfing experience, but if you don’t, you can take a professional surfing lesson.

I spent the day hiking in Noosa National Park, where I spotted dolphins from the Fairy Pools (natural swimming pools) and sunbathed at Sunshine Beach at the end of the hike.

In the evening, I caught the sunset at Noosa River (at the end of Noosa Spit), which turned out to be the most incredible sunset I had seen on the entire trip.

I didn’t have time to visit the Noosa Everglades, one of only two everglades in the world. These boat and kayak tours give you the chance to see pelicans, eagles and jabiru.

Noosa is also the best place to drive or take a tour of Australia Zoo, which is owned by Steve Irwin’s family.

Dolphin kayaking safaris are also another go-to activity in Noosa. I had already spotted dolphins from the Fairy Pools, so I opted out of this.

Where to Stay in Noosa

Where to park your van:

• Free: Chatsworth Park
• Paid: Noosa River Holiday Park
• Paid: Noosa North Shore Beach Campground

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8. Brisbane

Best for: Sightseeing, river ferry and nightlife

Time needed: 1 – 3 days

The very end of your road trip still has excitement in store: lively Brisbane, with its towering skyscrapers.

On the South Bank of Brisbane River, you can visit the Queensland Museum and Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.

Make your way to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at the bottom of Brisbane’s tallest mountain, Mount Coot-tha, to see native Australian plants.

I was limited on time, so I took the CityCat ferry down the Brisbane River for a spectacular sunset and a budget-friendly look at many of the city’s iconic landmarks, including Story Bridge.

I also seized my chance take this day trip to Moreton Island to try sandboarding and go snorkelling over the Tangalooma Wrecks.

Moreton Island

If you’re yet to see koalas in the flesh, you have another chance at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane too.

Where to Stay in Brisbane

Where to park your van:

You can’t access the inner city with a van due to height restrictions. Your best bet is to find a camping area outside of the city and take public transport into the city.

You can also find a space on a public road (or with the landowner’s permission) and stay at a hotel or hostel in the city.

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I hope you found my Cairns to Brisbane road trip itinerary useful! It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so have fun.

If you’re looking for more tips and itinerary ideas, keep on reading…

Suggested reading:

• Cairns travel itinerary + the best things to do in Cairns CBD
• Cairns to Mission Beach road trip itinerary
• How to get to Fraser Island (K’Gari) – and is it worth it?
• The Whitsundays: how to visit Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach 🌊
  • Backpacking Whitsundays budget guide
  • The best backpacker Whitsundays tours
  • The Honeyeater Lookout Trail in Airlie Beach

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