When to go · Cairns, Australia
Best time to visit Cairns
The sweet spot is July, August and June — averages 21°C, 6 rainy days, peak-season crowds and peak prices.
June–October, the dry season: sunny, warm and stinger-free, with the clearest reef visibility from August. The wet season (December–March) is hot, humid and stormy.
Tropical monsoon: dry, warm winters (June–September, 26°C by day), hot wet summers (31°C, heavy rain and cyclone risk December–March).
The short answer
21°C · 6 rainy days · high season
22°C · 5 rainy days · high season
22°C · 7 rainy days · high season
Hardest months: February and January. averages 28°C, 18 rainy days, few other visitors.
Month by month
| Month | Avg temp | Rain days | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28°C | 17d | mid | Wet |
| February | 28°C | 18d | low | Wet |
| March | 27°C | 18d | low | Wet |
| April | 26°C | 14d | mid | Wet |
| May | 24°C | 11d | mid | Comfortable but damp |
| June | 22°C | 7d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| July | 21°C | 6d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| August | 22°C | 5d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| September | 24°C | 4d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| October | 26°C | 5d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| November | 27°C | 8d | mid | Hot |
| December | 28°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
Verdicts are read off the three columns to their left — temperature distance from 21°C first, then rainfall, with crowds breaking ties. Averages, so any given week can differ.
If you'd rather go cheap than perfect
February and March are low season in Cairns — thinner crowds, and the months where accommodation is easiest to book late. Budget travellers already work to about $60–110 a day here; low season is where the accommodation share of that goes furthest.
Book the month you picked
Fares move with the same seasons as the crowds — the quiet months above are usually the cheap ones to fly.