31 days in Brisbane & Cairns Itinerary

Queensland’s biggest town and state capital, Brisbane has an attractive, manicured image based around its riverside aesthetic as well as the contrast between its high-rise center and extensive urban greenery.

Let the collections at Queensland Art Gallery and Mapleton Observatory capture your imagination. Chenrezig Institute and Sunshine Castle will appeal to history buffs. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Brisbane: Caloundra Lighthouses (in Kings Beach), Murwillumbah (Tweed Regional Museum - Murwillumbah & Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre) and Caloundra (Queensland Air Museum, FlyWaco, & more). Spend the 10th (Tue) exploring nature at Kondalilla National Park. Dedicate the 29th (Fri) to wine at some of the top wineries in the area. There's much more to do: look for all kinds of wild species at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, examine the collection at Opal Museum, enjoy the sand and surf at Surfers Paradise Beach, and view the masterpieces at Atrium Gallery at Buderim Craft Cottage.

For more things to do, where to stay, other places to visit, and tourist information, refer to the Brisbane day trip app .

If you are flying in from France, the closest major airports are Brisbane International Airport and Gold Coast Airport. November in Brisbane sees daily highs of 31°C and lows of 21°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 16th (Mon) to allow time to travel back home.

A neat, cosmopolitan city of shaded plazas and laid-back neighborhoods, Cairns serves as a popular base for exploration of the surrounding region and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as a center for watersport activities like surfing or waterskiing.

Start off your visit on the 17th (Tue): get a dose of the wild on a nature and wildlife tour. Here are some ideas for day two: identify plant and animal life at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, learn about all things military at The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum, and then take in the architecture and atmosphere at St Monica's Cathedral.

To find other places to visit, reviews, more things to do, and other tourist information, use the Cairns visit planning app .

You can fly from Brisbane to Cairns in 5.5 hours. Alternatively, you can do a combination of bus and flight; or drive. Traveling from Brisbane in December, expect nights in Cairns to be about the same, around 26°C, while days are somewhat warmer, around 36°C. On the 19th (Thu), wrap the sightseeing up by early afternoon so you can travel back home.