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Cairns Food & drinks

Our most recommended Cairns Food & drinks

Tully River Rafting: Guided Rafting Trip with Dinner

1. Tully River Rafting: Guided Rafting Trip with Dinner

Prepare for a wild ride on this guided white water rafting tour down the Tully River. Receive all rafting training and equipment needed before venturing into the water and taking on grade 3-4 rapids. End your experience with lunch or dinner. Begin your adventure with pickup or choose to self-drive to the starting point. Once here, meet your river guide and fellow paddlers and get fitted with your life jacket, helmet, and rafting shoes (if you choose to rent a pair).  Once out on the water, spend up to 4 hours white water rafting on grade 3 and 4 rapids. Paddle hard as you carve your way through the spectacular gorge surrounded by pristine rainforest that’s been listed as a World Heritage Site and was home to the 2019 World Rafting Championships. Rest assured that no experience is necessary for this rafting experience. You’ll receive a comprehensive safety briefing and paddling instructions from your guide who will be there to help throughout your experience.  After your time on the water, replenish your energy with a Riverside BBQ burger lunch or dinner at the Feluga Hotel, depending on the time of your trip. Look over photos of the day and choose to purchase some as souvenirs.

Spirit of Cairns: Waterfront Dining Experience

2. Spirit of Cairns: Waterfront Dining Experience

A Cairns Dinner Cruise is the perfect way to end a perfect day in paradise.  Set sail aboard a newly refurbished 26-meter catamaran on the calm waters of Trinity Inlet, for an evening of dining, entertainment, and panoramic mountain and city views. The ultimate in waterfront dining, your cruise includes a delicious dinner with a focus on local and fresh produce, a complimentary beverage on arrival, and views of the Trinity Inlet. A selection of beverages and cocktails are also available for purchase from our fully licensed bar. Throughout the evening you will cruise the waterways of Cairns, exploring the beauty of the natural harbor, and sailing past the waterfront and restaurant precincts. Watch the day transcend into night, against a backdrop of rainforest-clad hills, as the twinkling night lights of the city appear. 

Cairns: Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner

3. Cairns: Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner

Witness the setting of the sun on Tropical North Queensland’s mountain ranges and experience how steamy rainforests and shallow reef lagoons begin to stir with life. Reptiles, Amphibians, Insects, and nocturnal fish sense the onset of dusk and emerge from their day time lairs.  Get an insight into the unique changes of the region’s nocturnal creatures as they move in the shadows.  Complete your evening at Dundee’s Restaurant with a perfectly matched dining experience while you enjoy a stunning sea life backdrop.

From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour

4. From Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour

STOP 1 Journey to the Atherton Tablelands which is located 1 hour’s drive from the city via the scenic Gillies Highway. Discover a cool highlands where you will sample a delicious breakfast of local produce and enjoy a special coffee or local tea at an 80-year old lakeside tea house over looking Lake Barrine crater lake surrounded by lush rainforest. STOP 2 Private property of Rainforest Bounty, taste their unique products all made with local tropical Indigenous fruits over looking the Johnstone River. Keep your eyes peeled as you might just spot one of the resident Tree Kangaroos, too! STOP 3Enjoy Gourmet lunch. The Australian Platypus Park is home to a thriving platypus population. Take a wander down to see them in their magnificent setting then sit down to enjoy flavored handcrafted smoked products, combined with a unique blend of local Australian native herbs and spices. These tasty treats are all produced in-house using only the freshest quality ingredients and include Crocodile, Red Claw (Yabby), and Kangaroo with fresh local salads topped off with a boutique beer, Dragon Fruit cider, Lemon Myrtle tea, and finish with a wine tasting of the Murdering Point tropical fruit wine range. STOP 4Arrive at Gallo Dairyland, a working dairy farm where we sample their hand-crafted chocolates and sit down to a selection of their cheeses. STOP 5The Humpy is the best place to go for freshly harvested produce straight from the growers. Marvel at the array of vegetables, tropical fruits, and hundreds of varieties of nuts, dried fruits, and locally produced jams and sauces. Enjoy some seasonal fruits and different hot peanuts and macadamia nuts, and get some time to browse to make any purchases. STOP 6 Continue to the Mount Uncle distillery to taste some of their award-winning liqueurs and spirits. Wander around the stunning property nestled in coffee and banana plantations and meet the friendly animals. STOP 7 Move on to the Jacques Family coffee plantation and get an insight into the finer details of coffee, from the tree to the cup, Stroll through the coffee bushes and gardens, and end with a coffee tasting platter with coffee liqueurs served with homemade scones with jam and cream.

From Cairns: Rainforest & Nocturnal Wildlife Tour

5. From Cairns: Rainforest & Nocturnal Wildlife Tour

Departing from your Cairns or Northern Beaches accommodation, head south to view the agile wallabies that live within the city limits. Make a second stop at the Cathedral Fig Tree, an 8,000-year-old Strangler fig with a giant root system. Enjoy an afternoon tea at the world-renowned Lake Barrine before walking through the rainforest. Keep your eyes out for musky rat-kangaroo, Boyd's forest dragon, rainforest birds, butterflies and flying foxes. After a quick stop at Lake Eacham, visit a private access platypus viewing area in Yungaburra for a 90% chance of seeing the unique mammal. Enjoy a delicious dinner at a restaurant in the township of Yungburra. Then, your nighttime spotlighting adventure begins! Walk under the night stars and into the rainforest. Look out for Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo, northern leaf-tailed gecko, ringtail possums, gliders, frogs, owls and more. Return to Cairns at around 10:00 PM and Northern Beaches at around 10:30 PM.

Cairns: City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise

6. Cairns: City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise

Explore Cairns' highlights on this afternoon tour with a local guide. Discover St. Monica's Cathedral, Cairns Museum, Cairns Botanic Gardens, and more. Enjoy a dinner cruise in the evening, and savor a 3-course hot and cold buffet. Begin your tour with pickup at your hotel, then head to St. Monica’s Cathedral. Step inside to admire the world's largest themed stained glass windows. Next, visit the Cairns Museum, with a local guide who has plenty of stories to share about living in the tropics. Hear tales of heat, cane, railways, rainforests, and reefs. From there, move on to the Cairns Botanic Gardens to visit one of the best exhibitions of tropical plants in Australia. Learn about the various plants you see along the way with the help of your guide. Take a break after the walk and experience an afternoon tea at a local cafe in the leafy suburb of Edge Hill. Take in the panoramic view of Cairns' city and the Coral Sea before exploring the lower section of the Barron Gorge National Park and Surprise Creek Falls. Traveling further north, discover one of Cairns' northern beaches, Palm Cove, fringed with coconut palms and paperbark trees. After exploring Cairns by day, see it's charming beauty by night. Your guide will drop you off at the Cairns Marina from where you'll join the dinner cruise. Sail aboard a 26-meter catamaran as you cruise the calm waters of Trinity Inlet. Enjoy a 3-course hot and cold buffet dinner featuring some of the region's best produce, including seafood. 

Cairns: Shore Excursion Guided Food and Wine Tour

7. Cairns: Shore Excursion Guided Food and Wine Tour

This tour commences at the cruise ship terminal in Cairns departing between 8:00- 9:00am where you will be met by our professional tour guide. From here you will be whisked away and transported up the picturesque mountain range to the Atherton Tablelands, a gem waiting to be explored. You will enjoy a tantilizing tea and scone tasting for brunch and you might even spot a rare Far North Queensland Tree Kangaroo. From here, you will experience gin, beer, distillery and wine tastings throughout the many towns scattered throughout the Atherton Tablelands. You will then return and be back safety on your cruise ship between 4:00-5:00pm ready for your next adventure.

Port Douglas: Shaolin 1.5 hour Daytime Sail with prawns

8. Port Douglas: Shaolin 1.5 hour Daytime Sail with prawns

Join us on Shaolin to experience a spectacular 1.5 hour Seafood Sail aboard the unique Chinese Junk Boat, one of Port Douglas’ iconic vessels. Enjoy a complimentary drink once you arrive on board and then enjoy a serving of Crocodile and Barramundi spring rolls, followed by a box of delicious, locally caught, wild prawns with bread, lemon and seafood sauce. Non-Seafood options available. The sailing experience will be like no other on the authentic junk boat ‘Shaolin’! Learn the intriguing history of this unique and rare vessel as she takes you on a relaxing sail from Port Douglas across the coral Sea. Enjoy stunning views of the Daintree Mountains and local Islands you relax on the teak deck or inside the comfortable saloon area. The local captain delivers informative commentary from the salon seating or head to the deck and soak up the tropical ambiance.

Frequently asked questions about Cairns

What top attractions are a must-see in Cairns?

What are the best day trips and excursions from Cairns?

The best day trips and excursions from Cairns are:

Port Douglas

What are the best indoor activities in Cairns for rainy days?

What are the most popular museums and exhibitions in Cairns?

Other Sightseeing Options in Cairns

Want to discover all there is to do in Cairns? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Cairns

We had the best night ever from our arrival to the end. The staff service to the beautiful delicious food to the music my family enjoyed the vibe. I would recommend anyone on holiday to do it you won’t be disappointed we didn’t care with the few showers on the night too. Thank you Skipper and crew for a wonderful awesome night

What a super enjoyable tour. Our tour guide Chris was so full of knowledge of what we were to expect at each destination and also pointing out places of interest along the way. The good was great too. On the way home we had a sing a long. Would thoroughly recommend this tour.

Great Tour. The Cairns aquarium is beautiliful. The guide was very informative and the meal at Dundee's did not disappoint.

My parents enjoyed the dinner . The hosts were very pleasant and polite. The food was also delicious .

Fascinating & very informative. Very well organised.