Best time to visit Cairns, QLD, Australia

Our verdict

The best time to visit Cairns is March-April

Cairns can be visited year-round, but based on the ideal climate conditions, cost of travel, and avoiding peak holiday periods, March-April is the best time to go.

In the summer months, temperatures can reach as high as 32℃ (89℉) in Cairns. The weather at night in the winter can get down to temperatures as low as 17℃ (62℉).

If you’re a sun-chaser and want to visit Cairns when the days are longest, you should visit in October. On average it rains the most days in January, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.

Continue reading to find out more about when to visit Cairns, including the climate, seasonal info, what to pack, FAQs, and the best tools to help you plan and book your next vacation.

Warmest month

January

Least rainfall

September

Most daylight

October

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Cairns seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Cairns as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Cairns is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer December to February
Autumn/fall March to May
Winter June to August
Spring September to November

Average temperatures in Cairns

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Cairns for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Cairns climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Cairns for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Cairns in January

  • Average temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average humidity: 80%
  • Average sunny days: 6 days
  • Average rainfall: 162mm (6") over 22 days
6 days
of pure sunshine
22 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in January, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Cairns in February

  • Average temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average humidity: 79%
  • Average sunny days: 6 days
  • Average rainfall: 123mm (5") over 20 days
6 days
of pure sunshine
20 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in February, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Cairns in March

  • Average temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average humidity: 81%
  • Average sunny days: 7 days
  • Average rainfall: 110mm (4") over 22 days
7 days
of pure sunshine
22 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in March, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Cairns in April

  • Average temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average low temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
  • Average humidity: 80%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 44mm (2") over 15 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
15 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in April, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Cairns in May

  • Average temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average low temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average humidity: 79%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 27mm (1") over 14 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
14 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in May, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Cairns in June

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average humidity: 78%
  • Average sunny days: 16 days
  • Average rainfall: 15mm (1") over 11 days
16 days
of pure sunshine
11 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in June, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Cairns in July

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (65℉)
  • Average humidity: 78%
  • Average sunny days: 14 days
  • Average rainfall: 15mm (1") over 11 days
14 days
of pure sunshine
11 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Cairns in August

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 18 days
  • Average rainfall: 10mm (0") over 8 days
18 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Cairns in September

  • Average temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 17 days
  • Average rainfall: 9mm (0") over 7 days
17 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in September, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.

Cairns in October

  • Average temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average low temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 19 days
  • Average rainfall: 24mm (1") over 8 days
19 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in October, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Cairns in November

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average low temperature: 23℃ (72℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 26mm (1") over 12 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
12 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in November, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Cairns in December

  • Average temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (74℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 79mm (3") over 15 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
15 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in December, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Cairns is usually January, where temperatures tend to rise to around 29℃ (85℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Cairns is generally around September. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in September first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Cairns is generally around January, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of January too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Cairns, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in October are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Cairns map