Top sport: Gilligan's Backpackers Resort on Grafton St is one of the most popular and central spots for Backpackers to choose for their stay in Cairns. It even has a great nightclub.

 

Services: Most Backpacker hostels in Cairns offer double rooms as well as dorms and air-conditioning is generally standard.

 

Eco-tourism: Accommodation in the Daintree and Cape York region ranges from eco-luxury to campsites. Many backpackers save their money for a stay in a rainforest resort while in the area.

 

 

Backpackers are a unique group of travellers that have made the Cairns region home in increasing numbers.

Apart from the large backpacks they cart around, the term can cover people aged from 18 to 80, from countries like the United Kingdom and the US to Israel, Eastern Europe and Japan.

One thing backpackers generally have in common is a desire to “experience up close and personal” everything a country has to offer.

Cairns backpacker accommodation is unique in that more money is spent on activities and entertainment than on luxury items. However, with more money being spent on holidays every year, the concept of luxury backpacker resorts has developed and the Cairns region is home to some of the best.

Most Cairns backpacker hostels operate on the “cheap beds” concept with some going for as low as $20 per night in a dormitory during the low season. Some are run by not-for-profit organisations or religious groups like the YMCA, but most are designed as simply a place to sleep, shower and meet people.

Cairns City Backpacker Accommodation

Cairns is home to a large number of backpacker hostels with everything from the modern Gilligan’s Backpacker Resort in Grafton St to smaller one or two dormitory models.

Gilligan’s Backpackers Resort is, without a doubt, one of the most popular backpackers in Cairns. Coupled with its multiple choices of rooms, including ones that are as good as any hotel room, it is its enormous swimming pool and even larger bar and nightclub venue that has made it a backpackers’ Mecca.

As one of the most popular entertainment venues for Cairns people, Gilligan’s is always swarming with the under 30s on the weekends. The same complex holds the iconic Rusty’s Markets – fresh vegetables, flours, homemade sauces, pastas and soaps – a bakery, newsagent, ATMs, jewellery and clothing stores, a café and pizzeria and a gaming lounge.

Another good option in the centre of the city is the relatively new The Northern Greenhouse. The owners have another popular backpackers in Melbourne and the Cairns version is known for its good service and friendly atmosphere, particularly for single, female travellers. This hostel has a 4.5 star rating as well, so it's a cut above the rest.

The modern building includes all the expected facilities including a pool, in-house bar, air-conditioning and an open

kitchen. Their freebies are generous with free car-parking, free airport pick-up, free half hour of internet use, free breakfast daily, free tea & coffee and even free luggage storage. Services include a popular weekly activities program – Australian movie screenings, trivia nights and pool competitions – as well as travel advice & bookings and a jobs board.

Accommodation includes dormitories with 6 beds, twin rooms and family apartments; there’s also 24hr reception and check-in. Located on Grafton St, The Northern Greenhouse is a good option for travellers looking for convenience and quality service without a huge price tag.

Another popular Cairns backpackers is Calypso Inn Backpackers in the city with four different accommodation options including dormitory share, double share and singles. There’s a nice pool set in tropical gardens, the popular Zanzibar Bar & Grill, a pool table, laundry facilities, 24 hour security, mail service, cheap overseas calls, free storeroom, free bus into the city and super fast ADSL internet access.

Cairns Beach House, on Sheridan St, is not next to a beach but certainly has a similar relaxed atmosphere. A family run hostel, it offers the usual dormitory rooms plus en suite and family rooms. There is a bar and restaurant, a large swimming pool, beer garden, free courtesy bus, internet lounge and a tour desk.

Esplanade Backpackers is right on the waterfront only 200m from the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and surrounded by bars and restaurants. There is a variety of rooms and all have en suites; and a fully staffed tour desk.

Cairns Central YHA offers quality backpacker accommodation in the centre of Cairns, right next to Cairns Central Shopping Centre. A four and half star rated hostel, there is a range of room choice including dormitories, twin share and family rooms. Facilities include a communal kitchen, laundry, internet café, games room, indoor and outdoor dining areas and a YHA Travel office.

Another four and a half star hostel is Serpent Hostel and Bar on Lake St, to the north of the city centre. Rooms are competitively priced with a number of options and resort-style facilities with a large pool, fully air-conditioned rooms, stylish décor and a tour desk.

An iconic backpacker hostel in Cairns is the Caravella Backpackers right on the Esplanade. The Spanish-themed building is surrounded by gardens and offers a number of accommodation choices including dormitories, single rooms and double rooms. There are barbecue facilities, a laundry, a games room, internet access, pool table, courtesy bus, safety deposit box and the hostel is close to the city centre.

>> Click here for more information on Cairns city.

Palm Cove Backpacker Accommodation

There is no dedicated backpacker holiday accommodation in Palm Cove although the Palm Cove Caravan Park on Williams Esplanade does offer campsite, caravan sites and budget cabins.

>> Click here for more information on Palm Cove.

Kuranda Backpacker Accommodation

Kuranda Backpackers Hostel is set up in a spacious old Queensland built in 1907 with original details in 0.6ha tropical gardens. Facilities include a common room, swimming pool, TV, fully equipped kitchen, free fruit from the garden, a barbecue, a reading room with book exchange, laundry and off-street parking. Rooms consist of dormitories, single rooms, twin rooms and double rooms.

>> Click here for more information on Kuranda.

Port Douglas & Mossman Backpacker Accommodation

Unlike Palm Cove, Port Douglas does offer some great backpacker accommodation. The Port O’Call Lodge is a YHA hostel with accommodation ranging from dormitories to family rooms.

This is an ecologically sustainable hostel with solar heating, water and lighting efficiency. There is a bar and bistro, a tropical-style swimming pool, internet, tour desk, communal kitchen, dining area, cable TV, bike hire, pool table, laundry facilities, luggage storage and a courtesy bus pick up from the Cairns Airport and Cairns city six days a week.

The Port Douglas Hostel is about 15 minutes’ walk from the centre of the village and offers rooms with en suites, airconditioning, a large swimming pool, bistro and a courtesy bus from Cairns. Port Douglas Backpacker is a bit further from the centre but only 300m from Four Mile Beach. There’s a communal kitchen, swimming pool and barbecue and the cheapest bar in town, apparently.

>> Click here for more information on Port Douglas & Mossman.

Daintree Backpacker Accommodation

There is quite a lot of quality backpacker accommodation in the Daintree and Cape Tribulation area. The Daintree Hostel is a three and a half star backpacker with timber cabins, a communal kitchen, swimming pool, bar and restaurant. All cabins have linen, air-conditioning and verandas.

One of the most popular backpacker spots in this are is PK’s Backpackers Hostel in the Daintree. There is great cabin accommodation of airy timber rooms, caravan sites and camping sites, a large bar and bistro and it is right on the beach. There is also air-conditioned dormitory accommodation. Because there is no mains power north of the Daintree River, none of the camping sites are powered.

>> Click here for more information on the Daintree

Atherton Tableland Backpacker Accommodation

The Atherton Travellers Lodge on Alice St in Atherton offers good budget accommodation in dormitories, single and double rooms and family rooms. There is also harvest work available all year round with transport from the lodge to the job. Facilities include a full kitchen, TV room with cable TV, laundry, barbecue, free tea, coffee and fruit, a pool table and bike hire.

Gecko Lodge in the village of Tolga, outside Atherton on the way to Mareeba, is another backpacker’s hostel that offers seasonal work combined with accommodation. The lodge offers single share, single and double rooms with a fireplace, cable TV, huge bathtubs with lots of hot water and off-street parking, breakfasts are available or there’s a full communal kitchen. There is a small charge for the bus that takes visitors to and from the seasonal work.

The Wallaby Backpackers Lodge in Yungaburra is family owned and operated and has a reputation for cleanliness and value for money. There is limited accommodation, only 35 people at any time, which makes this a more relaxed and intimate backpackers experience. Visitors can choose from dormitory-style rooms, double rooms or campsites in the grounds. The lodge offers the usual facilities plus good outdoor tours.

A little off the beaten track, the Milla Milla Tourist Park is outside the small village of the same name and offers backpacker-style holiday accommodation is the highland rainforest. There are budget cabins and deluxe villas alongside caravan sites and campsites. There’s a complete range of facilities and the natural environment is fairly pristine with abundant wildlife.

>> Click here for more information on the Atherton Tablelands

Mission Beach Backpacker Accommodation

The Mission Beach Retreat offers budget accommodation in the centre of the town with easy access to shops, restaurants and the beach. Room options include double and twin rooms, dormitory-style rooms; all air-conditioned. Facilities include a large communal kitchen, swimming pool, cable TV, internet access, laundry, bikes, free fruit, tea and coffee and a free courtesy bus.

The Treehouse hostel is a YHA facility with pole-frame timber cabins surrounded by rainforest. There are sun lounges, hammocks, regular barbecues, a library, swimming pool and internet access. The hostel has campsites as well as dormitory rooms, double and twin rooms and family rooms. Facilities include a fully-equipped kitchen, laundry, a tour desk, games room, free breakfast and a courtesy bus.

The Mission Beach Comfort Resort also offers budget accommodation with six bed dormitories, single, twin or triple share rooms with en suites. The village has a communal kitchen, laundry and resort-style pool. Full use of the resort bars, bistro and gaming lounge is encouraged.

>> Click here for more information on Mission Beach

Cape York & Cooktown Backpacker Accommodation

Just minutes from the beach, Cape Tribulation Hostel is surrounded by World Heritage rainforest and offers travellers double rooms and dormitory style accommodation with airconditioning and a natural setting.

Cooktown has a number of backpacker type hostels including the Home Rule Rainforest Lodge in Roseville St, Pam’s Place Motel and Hostel on the corner of Boundary and Charlotte streets and Komodos at the Cooktown Booking Centre in Charlotte St. There is also a good caravan park with camping and van sites

>> Click here for more information on Cape York & Cooktown

Also see:

>>Book Cairns Backpacker Accommodation

>> Cairns Backpackers Information
>> Cairns Backpackers Visas & Work
>> Backpacking Around Cairns and Far North Queensland

>>Cairns Maps

>>Jobs In Cairns