9 days in Gold Coast & Cairns Itinerary

A city of towering skyscrapers, sandy beaches, and tree-lined streets, Gold Coast has an unpretentious air complemented by a citywide focus on sports and the arts.

Give yourself a bit of retail therapy at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and Marina Mirage. Appreciate the collections at Queensland Museum & Sciencentre and Queensland Art Gallery. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Gold Coast: Brisbane (Noosa Chocolate Factory & Gallery of Modern Art). There's lots more to do: tour the pleasant surroundings at Surfers Paradise Beach, race across the water with Jetboat Extreme, buy something for everyone on your list at Harbour Town Premium Outlets, and find something for the whole family at Warner Bros. Movie World.

To find photos, other places to visit, more things to do, and other tourist information, use the Gold Coast trip itinerary planning site.

Sydney to Gold Coast is an approximately 3.5-hour flight. You can also drive; or take a bus. In December in Gold Coast, expect temperatures between 32°C during the day and 22°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 19th (Sat) early enough to travel to Cairns.

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.

Appreciate the collections at Bones and Jones and Doongal Aboriginal Art Gallery Cairns. Relax by the water at Trinity Beach and Palm Cove Beach. Change things up with a short trip to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures in Wangetti (about 44 minutes away). Spend the 23rd (Wed) wandering through the wild on a nature and wildlife tour. And it doesn't end there: see some colorful creatures with a scuba or snorkeling tour, make a trip to Captain Cook Highway Rock Stacks, trek along Esplanade Boardwalk, and meet the residents at Cairns Aquarium.

To see more things to do, photos, traveler tips, and other tourist information, use the Cairns journey planning tool.

Fly from Gold Coast to Cairns in 4.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a train. Plan for a bit warmer temperatures traveling from Gold Coast in December, with highs in Cairns at 36°C and lows at 26°C. On the 24th (Thu), you'll have the morning to explore before heading back home.