Port Douglas itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Port Douglas, day by day: a boat out to the Great Barrier Reef at the Low Isles, St Mary's by the Sea, the Flagstaff Hill lookout and an evening on Macrossan Street first, then the Sunday market in Anzac Park, Mossman Gorge, a crocodile cruise on the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation as you add days. A car or a tour is needed for the rainforest. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Port Douglas in 1 day
Day 1
Great Barrier Reef trip (Low Isles)
A boat trip to a coral cay with a lighthouse on the inner reef, for snorkelling over coral with turtles and tropical fish.
St Mary's by the Sea
A small white timber chapel on the waterfront, heritage-listed, with a window behind the altar that frames the sea.
Flagstaff Hill lookout
A lookout on the hill at the tip of town with a sweeping view down the length of Four Mile Beach and out to sea.
Macrossan Street
Port Douglas's main street of shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, busy and relaxed in the evening, running down to the beach.
Port Douglas in 2 days
Day 1
Great Barrier Reef trip (Low Isles)
A boat trip to a coral cay with a lighthouse on the inner reef, for snorkelling over coral with turtles and tropical fish.
St Mary's by the Sea
A small white timber chapel on the waterfront, heritage-listed, with a window behind the altar that frames the sea.
Flagstaff Hill lookout
A lookout on the hill at the tip of town with a sweeping view down the length of Four Mile Beach and out to sea.
Macrossan Street
Port Douglas's main street of shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, busy and relaxed in the evening, running down to the beach.
Day 2
Port Douglas Sunday Market (Anzac Park)
The Sunday-morning market by the water in Anzac Park, with local crafts, fruit, fresh juices and food stalls under the trees.
Mossman Gorge
Rainforest gorge in the Daintree with a clear river running over granite boulders, walking tracks and Indigenous-guided Dreamtime walks.
Daintree River crocodile cruise
A boat trip on the Daintree River to spot saltwater crocodiles basking on the banks, along with birds and mangroves.
Cape Tribulation
The headland where the Daintree rainforest meets the reef, with boardwalks through the forest and empty beaches; about two hours north by road.
Port Douglas in 3 days
Day 1
Mossman Gorge
Rainforest gorge in the Daintree with a clear river running over granite boulders, walking tracks and Indigenous-guided Dreamtime walks.
Daintree River crocodile cruise
A boat trip on the Daintree River to spot saltwater crocodiles basking on the banks, along with birds and mangroves.
Cape Tribulation
The headland where the Daintree rainforest meets the reef, with boardwalks through the forest and empty beaches; about two hours north by road.
Macrossan Street
Port Douglas's main street of shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, busy and relaxed in the evening, running down to the beach.
Day 2
Port Douglas Sunday Market (Anzac Park)
The Sunday-morning market by the water in Anzac Park, with local crafts, fruit, fresh juices and food stalls under the trees.
Day 3
Great Barrier Reef trip (Low Isles)
A boat trip to a coral cay with a lighthouse on the inner reef, for snorkelling over coral with turtles and tropical fish.
Watch: Port Douglas
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Port Douglas
The dry season, from about May to October, is the best time, with warm sunny days, lower humidity and calmer seas for the reef. The wet season, from December to March, brings heavy rain, high humidity and the chance of cyclones, and some rainforest roads can flood. Stinger season runs roughly from November to May, so plan swims inside the nets.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Port Douglas on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Port Douglas on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Port Douglas on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Australia from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Port Douglas
- Book the reef trip ahead and keep it for a calm day; boats leave from the marina in the morning and return in the afternoon.
- From about November to May is stinger season: swim only inside the netted area of Four Mile Beach and wear the stinger suits that reef boats provide.
- Saltwater crocodiles live in the rivers, creeks and estuaries of the area; never swim there, and keep well back from the water's edge where signs warn you.
- For the Daintree and Cape Tribulation hire a car or join a tour, start early, and cross the Daintree River on the cable ferry; there is little phone signal north of the river.
- At Mossman Gorge, a shuttle bus runs from the visitor centre into the gorge, and Indigenous-guided walks explain the Kuku Yalanji people's country.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Cape Tribulation: Luxure, CC BY 3.0 au
- Daintree River crocodile cruise: Hagai Agmon-Snir حچاي اچمون-سنير חגי אגמון-שניר, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Great Barrier Reef trip (Low Isles): Peter Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Macrossan Street: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mossman Gorge: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Port Douglas Sunday Market (Anzac Park): Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Mary's by the Sea: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
