Experience the best of Australia’s diverse, stunning East Coast with this ultimate Sydney to Cairns road trip itinerary!
Explore Australia’s East Coast with a Sydney to Cairns road trip!
Packed with world-famous cities, lazy beach towns, lush national parks, abundant wildlife, pristine beaches, and idyllic islands, there is so much to see between Sydney and Cairns.
Sure, you can just fly between the two cities in a couple of hours. Or hop between the major destinations.
But a slow, relaxed, immersive East Coast road trip will have you experiencing Australia in a whole new way. Here is our complete guide for a Sydney to Cairns road trip!
Plan more of your trip with our ultimate guide to travelling Australia!
How long do you need for a Sydney to Cairns road trip?
3-6 weeks is an ideal time frame for driving from Sydney to Cairns. You can make the trip in 2 weeks, but you’d be rushing and would have to skip lots of worthwhile destinations.
You could also stretch the journey out into a few months or more! There is so much to see, but you can easily customise the road trip to suit your travel plans.
We have outlined our favourite stops from Sydney to Cairns below in our itinerary. The longest you’ll have to drive between stops is 5.5 hours, with most of the driving sections only being around 2-3 hours.
This gives you a nice break from driving and allows you to enjoy all the epic places along the East Coast of Australia.
Feel free to skip or add places to the list as well. We also included our recommended time frame for each place, which can, of course, be altered as well.

The best time for a Sydney to Cairns road trip
There is no bad time for a Sydney to Cairns road trip, as the weather is generally warm and pleasant year-round. NSW has a Mediterranean climate, so the weather is lovely here at all times of year.
Once you get up to the tropics, the climate is hot and humid. You may want to plan your road trip for the cooler months, between May and October.
This is the dry season in Tropical North Queensland, so you can avoid the heavy rains and intense heat of summer.
Dry season is also when the oceans are free from stingers! Stinger season in Queensland is between November and May. During these months, the oceans around the Great Barrier Reef may have harmful jellyfish, so swimming is not recommended.
The winter months are also whale…
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