Your first day in Cairns with kids
This is a first day in Cairns for families with school-age kids, mixing a ticketed morning with free parks in the afternoon. Skyrail and the armour museum sit about 12 km from the centre in Smithfield. Goomboora Park is 8 km out, and the Botanic Gardens and Tanks Arts Centre in Edge Hill are under 4 km out. Skyrail and the museum are paid, the park and gardens are free, and Tanks Arts Centre has a free gallery.
Treat it as a menu rather than a single route, because the stops are spread across the city. You will want a car. Start in Smithfield, then work back towards Edge Hill. Bring hats and water for the outdoor stops. Skyrail is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so the whole plan works Wednesday to Sunday.
Every stop is a listing on Funtivities, checked against the place's own website. Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Prices and hours can change, so check the listing before you go.
The day at a glance
- Morning: Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
- Late morning: The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum
- Afternoon: Goomboora Park
- Afternoon: Cairns Botanic Gardens
- Late afternoon: Tanks Arts Centre
Morning
Ride Skyrail over the rainforest
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway · Tours & Cruises · Ages 0-17 · From $37 · 4.7 stars (10603 reviews)
A gondola cableway over the rainforest from Smithfield, near Cairns, to Kuranda. Kids sit back and look out, which suits a first morning when everyone is still settling in. Infants are free and one way is listed at $37 per child aged 4 to 14.
Tip: Skyrail is closed Monday and Tuesday, so check the listing for current prices and the return fare.
Late morning
See the tanks in Smithfield
The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum · Museums & Science Centres · Ages 0-17 · From $22 · 4.8 stars (2057 reviews)
An indoor museum of tanks and artillery, also in Smithfield. It has a kids corner and a playground, so younger children are not stuck looking at vehicles the whole time. It is a good option if the day turns hot or wet.
Tip: Open daily 9:30am to 4:30pm. Family entry is listed for two adults and two children, or one adult and three children.
Prices, hours and map for The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum
Afternoon
Burn off energy at Goomboora Park
Goomboora Park, Brinsmead · Playgrounds & Parks · Ages 2-12 · Free · 4.7 stars (798 reviews)
A free council park in Brinsmead with a rope-course playground, a flying fox and a creek waterhole. There are barbecues too, so you can eat here instead of paying for lunch. Kids who have sat through a morning of sightseeing tend to need it.
Tip: No opening hours are listed, so check the council page before you go.
Afternoon
Wander the Cairns Botanic Gardens
Cairns Botanic Gardens, Edge Hill · Nature & Outdoors · Ages 0-17 · Free · 4.7 stars (5121 reviews)
Free council botanic gardens on Collins Avenue in Edge Hill, open daily. There is a cafe and a visitor centre. Fortnightly nature programs run for under-fives, which is useful if you have a little one along.
Tip: Open daily 7:30am to 5:30pm.
Late afternoon
Finish at Tanks Arts Centre
Tanks Arts Centre, Edge Hill · Markets & Family Outings · Ages 4-12 · 4.7 stars (486 reviews)
A council arts venue in the Botanic Gardens precinct. It has a free gallery, free monthly markets with a kids' stall corner and ticketed shows. A short, calm stop to end the day.
Tip: Weekdays 9am to 4:30pm, but weekends only 10am to 2pm, so visit it before the gardens on a Saturday or Sunday.
Where to eat
Dunwoody's Hotel, Cairns North. Dunwoody's Hotel in Cairns North has indoor and outdoor kids play areas, a kids menu and Kids Eat Free on Monday nights. Note that Skyrail is closed on Mondays, so this suits a different day of the plan.
Kids Eat Free deals change. See every current deal in Cairns.
Before you go
- The whole plan works Wednesday to Sunday, because Skyrail is closed Monday and Tuesday.
- Goomboora Park and the Botanic Gardens are free. Skyrail and the museum are ticketed.
- The stops are spread across the city, so plan to drive between them.
- On weekends Tanks Arts Centre closes at 2pm, so go there before the afternoon slips away.
Questions parents ask
What should I do on a first day in Cairns with kids?
Start with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway or the Australian Armour & Artillery Museum, both in Smithfield. Then head back towards the city for Goomboora Park, with its rope-course playground and flying fox, and the free Cairns Botanic Gardens in Edge Hill.
Is there anything free to do in Cairns with kids?
Yes. Goomboora Park in Brinsmead and Cairns Botanic Gardens in Edge Hill are both free council spaces. Tanks Arts Centre has a free gallery and free monthly markets, though its shows are ticketed.
Where can kids eat free in Cairns?
Dunwoody's Hotel in Cairns North lists Kids Eat Free on Monday nights, along with indoor and outdoor kids play areas. Trinity Beach Sports Club has an indoor-outdoor kids play zone and is open from 10am daily, about 17 km from the centre.
More days in Cairns with kids
- A rainy day in Cairns with kids - Indoor stops close together, so a wet day still works.
- A beach day in Cairns with kids - Patrolled beaches, calm water and what is near the sand.
- A free day out in Cairns with kids - A full day where every stop has free entry.
- Cairns with toddlers and under-5s - Short distances, space to run and places built for under-5s.
- Cairns with teenagers - Things teenagers choose for themselves, not just tolerate.
- Visiting Cairns with kids: all guides