14 Cairns Markets to Add to the Calendar

Sharing the region’s incredibly diverse offerings, there’s a Cairns market out there to suit every taste, budget, and whim.

Tropical North Queensland offers a hefty number of unique experiences, but when it comes to tasting the unique flavours of this region, you have to head to the eclectic variety of Cairns markets.

From stalls along the beachside promenade and out in the rustic country to indoor night markets and plenty more in between, here are 14 of the best markets Cairns has to offer.

1. Rusty’s Market

desserts on display at Rusty’s Market, Cairns — Delight in sweet creations at Rusty’s Market. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Those in town for the weekend should set their sights (and stomachs) on the iconic Rusty’s Market . What began as a modest, community food market has now transformed into a bustling three-day event every week, showcasing over 180 stalls.

Both tourists and locals convene from Friday to Sunday to browse the region’s best. You’ll find local produce – exotic fruit, artisan bread, samosas, coffee, smoothie’s organic meats, and the like – as well as international foods, jewellery, clothing and more.

Opening hours: Friday – Saturday 5am to 6pm and Sunday 5am to 3pm.

Location: 57-89 Grafton Street, Cairns City
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 minute drive

2. Cairns Night Markets

unique items at Cairns Night Markets — Find unique gifts and trinkets at Cairns Night Markets. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Each night when the sun sets, the Cairns Night Markets come alive and are famous for good reason.

With over 70 market shops to explore (including gifts, homeware, jewellery and more), as well as a varied food court and licensed restaurants, it’s the perfect place to grab dinner and hunt for a bargain. Oh, and it’s fully air-conditioned too, so if it’s a scorcher of a night, you know where to go.

Opening hours: Daily 4.30 – 11pm.

Location: 54-60 Abbott St, Cairns City
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 minute drive

3. Carnival on Collins

guests exploring Cairns Botanic Gardens Conservatory — Wander through the lush Cairns Botanic Gardens. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

A market and festival wrapped up one? Yes Please. Join the annual Carnival on Collins Street party celebrating life in the tropics as you wander through the Tanks Arts Centre and Cairns Botanic Gardens precinct.

Be entertained in every direction, from pop-up dance acts and lively street performers to the multicultural rhythms coming from the main stage. Over 200 market stalls will feature on the day, with plants, arts, and crafts, alongside an extensive array of free workshops.

Opening hours: Sunday 7 September 2025, 9am – 3pm

Location: Tanks Arts Centre & Cairns Botanic Gardens, 46 Collins Avenue, Edge Hill.
Distance from Cairns Centre: 8 minutes drive

4. Tanks Monthly Markets

For a taste of the arts, the Tanks Monthly Markets showcase a blend of local art, craft, and vintage clothing, as well as produce, collectables, natural-health products, and food and drink stalls.

Everyone is invited to wander the leafy promenade and enjoy the local musicians and refreshments.

Opening hours: Held on the last Sunday of the month from 8am – 1pm (between April and November).

Location: Tanks Arts Centre, 46 Collins Ave, Edge Hill
Distance from Cairns Centre: 8 minutes drive

5. Gordonvale Cottage Markets

potted plants in a shopping cart — Find an abundance of potted plants at Gordonvale Cottage Markets. (Image: Getty/Ольга Симонова)

At the heart of the sugar farming township of Gordonvale is their monthly market with a happy country vibe, often with live music, and an enjoyable atmosphere. There are around 120 stalls to explore, including a wide variety of homemade crafts, locally grown produce, and delicious food.

Opening hours: Held on the first Saturday of every month (except in January).

Location: Norman Park, Gordonvale
Distance from Cairns Centre: 25 minutes drive

6. Palm Cove Markets

chakra coconut candles at Palm Cove Markets — Chakra coconut candles at Palm Cove Markets.

Heroing its sustainable, local, quality handmade products, the Palm Cove Markets have a reputation for being one of Tropical North Queensland’s best community markets. With over 130 stalls stretched across Williams Esplanade and entertainment alongside beachside scenery, it’s a market experience unlike anything you’re used to at home.

Opening hours: Held on the first Sunday of every month.

Location: Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove
Distance from Cairns Centre: 30 minutes drive

7. Kuranda Original Rainforest Markets

two women strolling along Kuranda Original Rainforest Markets — Meander around the stalls at Kuranda Original Rainforest Markets. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/ Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Found high up in the famous mountain village of Kuranda, the Kuranda Rainforest Markets showcase the area’s local arts, cuisine, culture, and history, and attract thousands of visitors annually.

With rustic yet charming outdoor stalls, a strong eco-conscious ethic, gourmet regional fare, tropical gardens to walk through, and even a mini golf course, why not enjoy a whole day trip here?

Opening hours: Held every day 10am – 3pm.

Location: 13 Therwine St, Kuranda
Distance from Cairns Centre: 35 minutes drive

8. Port Douglas Sunday Markets

market stalls at Port Douglas Sunday Markets — Spend your Sunday shopping at the esplanade. (Image: Port Douglas Sunday Markets)

Just a short stroll from the esplanade, the Port Douglas Sunday Markets have a little bit of everything, from freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, opened coconuts, chocolate-coated bananas, fresh tandoori, and ice creams, smoothies, and great coffee, as well as fashion, jewellery, art, music, local buskers and entertainers.

Opening hours: Held every Sunday from early morning to late afternoon.

Location: Rex Smeal Park, Macrossan Street, Port Douglas
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 hour drive

9. Wednesday Market at Crystalbrook Superyach Marina in Port Douglas

boats moored at the Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina in Port Douglas — Enjoy some shopping on Wednesdays at the marina. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Wednesday is a popular day for cruise ships to visit Port Douglas, so what better place to hold a market than at the Marina to greet visitors? It’s an easy way to hop off and connect with local products and services.

Opening hours: Held every Wednesday from 11am – 5pm (April to October) and every Wednesday over Christmas school holidays.

Location: 44 Wharf St, Port Douglas
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 hour drive

10. Mareeba Markets

a stall selling plants and locally grown produce at Mareeba Markets — Shop locally grown produce at Mareeba Markets.

Browse up to 150 stalls at the Mareeba Markets showcasing locally grown produce, quality handmade products, food, drinks, live music and much more. Coordinated by the Lions Club of Mareeba, it’s a fantastic opportunity to support the area’s local sellers in the community.

Opening hours: Held every second and fifth Saturday of the month.

Location: 100 Park (Centenary Park), Byrnes Street, Mareeba
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 hour drive

11. Yungaburra Markets

fruit stalls at Yungaburra Markets — Meander around the stalls selling fresh fruits at Yungaburra Markets. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Fancy a day trip to the Atherton Tablelands? With a relaxed family atmosphere and the philosophy of fostering the value of buying local, the Yungaburra Markets bring together around 260 local growers, producers, and artisans to display and sell their produce and handiwork in the middle of the historic village of Yungaburra.

Opening hours: Held every fourth Saturday of the month from 7.30am – 12.30pm.

Location: 4 Maple Street, Yungaburra
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 hour 10 minutes drive

12. Mossman Markets

a woman walking through Mossman Markets — Browse your way around the stalls selling arts and crafts. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Described as the world’s most beautiful markets under the Mossman Raintrees, the Mossman Markets are a genuine country market where you can expect to find a lot of fresh produce, including exotic fruits, herbs and spices, and a wide range of vegetables.

As well as taste testing and browsing, take your pick of arts and crafts to take home as a unique handmade souvenir.

Opening hours: Held every Saturday from 7am – 1pm.

Location: 13 Foxton Ave, Mossman
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 hour and 15 minutes drive

13. Mission Beach Markets

a woman browsing through the stalls at Mission Beach Markets — Look for handcrafted items at Mission Beach Markets. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Located in the shady Ulysses Day Park beside the beach on Porter Promenade, you’ll find something for everyone at the local Mission Beach Markets . Meander around 100 stall sites consisting of a wide range of goods from fruit and veg, takeaway food, plants, clothing, jewellery, books, second-hand items and handcrafted wares and more.

Opening hours: Held every first and third Sunday of the month from 8am – 1pm.

Location: Opposite Hideaway Holiday Village in Porter Promenade in the Mission Beach Village
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 hour and 50 minutes drive

14. Mission Beach Monster Markets

Managed and promoted by the Mission Beach Rotary Club, the Wednesday Monster Markets are a much-loved sibling to the Sunday Mission Beach Markets, but held nearby on a grassed sports field at MARCS Park, where you can expect to find much the same — a huge variety of exciting stalls.

Opening hours: Held on the last Sunday of every month from 8am – 12.30pm (April to November)

Location: MARCS Park, Cassowary Drive, Mission Beach
Distance from Cairns Centre: 1 hour and 50 minutes drive

Stay up to date with openings, special market events, and local community markets via the Cairns Market Facebook page .

Ready for another adventure? Check out the most dreamy islands to visit off Cairns

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.

14 must-visit markets in and around Cairns