You can go by bus, taxi, rideshare (a car with a driver booked through an app, such as Uber) or private shuttle. From 23 November 2026 there is a public bus, route 100, which costs 50 cents and takes 18 to 24 minutes to Cairns Lagoon. If you arrive before that date, the pages we have opened do not mention another public bus.
Everything was seen on 5 November 2026 on the airport's website. The city is in the Cairns page.
What are the options and how much do they cost?
There are four, listed in alphabetical order, without ranking them:
| Option | Adult price | Journey time | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 100 | 50 cents per trip | 18 to 24 minutes | 4:00 to 22:00, every 30 minutes, from 23 November 2026 |
| Private shuttle | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Taxi | By meter, plus a charge of A$4 or A$5 | Not published | Supervised rank 24 hours |
| Rideshare | Not published | Not published | Not published |
How does bus 100 work?
It runs from the airport to the centre every 30 minutes, from 4:00 to 22:00, 7 days a week. It does not run on Good Friday or Christmas Day.
- Stops: airport, Cairns Hospital, Cairns Private Hospital, Cairns City bus station (Lake Street) and Cairns Lagoon.
- Where to catch it: between terminals T1 and T2, along the covered walkways. It is about three minutes on foot from either one.
- Journey time: 18 to 24 minutes, depending on the time.
- Price: 50 cents per trip.
- How to pay: on board, in cash or with a contactless card.
- Go card: does not work on Cairns buses, although it does in South East Queensland.
Translink, the Queensland public network, lists Cairns among the cities with the 50-cent fare. Its page does not say how long it lasts.
How much does a taxi cost?
It goes by meter, and the airport website does not give a fixed amount to the centre. It says it depends on distance, place and time, including public holidays. It refers readers to a Cairns Taxis calculator, which we have not opened.
What it does publish:
- Airport charge: added to the meter and paid to the driver. It is A$4 per pick-up at the domestic terminal and A$5 at the international one.
- Ranks: covered, in front of each terminal, with signs. The Cairns Taxis control room supervises them 24 hours.
- Bookings: you cannot book in advance from the terminals. It says there are always taxis, and each rank has a free button to speak to the control room.
- Vehicles: up to 4 passengers, large ones up to 10 and wheelchair-accessible ones.
- Contact: Cairns Taxis, telephone 131 008.
Where do you catch a rideshare?
You catch it outside the arrivals of each terminal:
- T1, international: outside international arrivals, at the east end of the building.
- T2, domestic: outside domestic arrivals, at the north end of the building.
The page does not name apps or give charges, and it gives no price to the centre either.
Are there shuttles?
Yes, from private companies, according to the airport, although its page does not name them. It only says that several operate at Cairns Airport and that you book with each one. So we give no names or prices here: we have not opened any of their websites.
What about before 23 November?
That leaves taxi, rideshare, shuttle and hire car, which are the other options the airport lists. The pages we have opened present 23 November 2026 as the start of route 100, and do not mention another public bus to the centre. We cannot say that none exists: Translink lists Cairns among its urban networks, but we have not opened its routes.
What have we not been able to confirm?
These details are missing:
- Whether route 100 starts on the announced date. When we wrote this, it had not started yet.
- How long the 50-cent fare lasts. Translink does not say.
- Price of a taxi to the centre. Only the calculator is published.
- Rideshare apps available and their charges. The page only shows a generic logo.
- Names and prices of the shuttles. The airport does not give them.
What comes after the airport?
Next is usually somewhere to sleep and a phone. These guides cover it:
Sources
All opened on 5 November 2026.
- Transport options, Cairns Airport (company)
- Public bus, Cairns Airport (company)
- Taxis, Cairns Airport (company)
- Ride booking and ride share, Cairns Airport (company)
- 50-cent fares, Translink (official)