What is the travel distance from Cairns to Townsville?

Cairns and Townsville are 176 miles (284 km) apart.

What are the best sights and things to do in Townsville?

Once in Townsville, you can start exploring the city and discover its surroundings. The top sights and things to do are Great Barrier Reef, Magnetic Island, Mission Beach, Reef HQ Aquarium and The Palmetum.

Bus Cairns to Townsville from $49 | Refundable Tickets

Next bus departures

Next departures for Cairns to Townsville on November 28
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
	Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	CheapestFastest

Next departures for Cairns to Townsville on November 29
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	Cheapest
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	Fastest
Bus	7:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	6h	1:00pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	No tags

Next departures for Cairns to Townsville on November 30
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
	Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	CheapestFastest

Next departures for Cairns to Townsville on December 1
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	Cheapest
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	Fastest
Bus	7:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	6h	1:00pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	No tags

Next departures for Cairns to Townsville on December 2
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	Cheapest
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	Fastest
Bus	7:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	6h	1:00pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	7:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	6h	1:00pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	No tags

Next departures for Cairns to Townsville on December 3
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	Cheapest
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	Fastest
Bus	7:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	6h	1:00pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	3:00pm	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	8:30pm	Townsville	No tags

Next departures for Cairns to Townsville on December 4
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	Cheapest
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	Fastest
Bus	7:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	6h	1:00pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	7:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	6h	1:00pm	Townsville	No tags
Bus	11:00am	142 Bunda St, Cairns Train Station, Bus stop (Platform 1)	5h 30m	4:30pm	Townsville	No tags

Last refresh of the prices: Today at 2:17 PM AEST.

Get from Cairns to Townsville

This route is served by bus only

The journey takes about 5 hours 30 minutes and with fares starting at just $51, it presents an excellent value for a comfortable ride.

3bus per day

5h 30mAverage Duration

175 milesDistance

7kgCO₂ emissions

Compare bus companies

Greyhound Australia

4/52,368 reviews

Staff4.7

Timeliness3.9

Cleanliness4.7

Wifi3.8

According to user feedback, the bus service is appreciated for its friendly drivers and onboard amenities such as air conditioning and Wi-Fi. Additionally, passengers enjoyed a brief stopover during their journey.

Greyhound Australia Cairns Townsville recent customer reviews

The greyhound bus was very clean, the driver was efficient with luggage arrangement and with seat allocation. The only negative was the luggage area was wet from recent rain and maybe previous luggage however I’m not sure how this could be avoided.

Tracee H.

January 31, 2020

There was an accident on the highway south of Tully which caused an unavoidable delay.

Alex B.

July 19, 2019

We enjoyed the air-conditioned, wifi and a little stopver.

Wilma A.

November 12, 2025

AU bus companies: FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus, ALSA, Greyhound, Intercape, Trenitalia, Sindbad

Frequently asked questions about traveling from Cairns to Townsville by bus

What is the travel distance from Cairns to Townsville?
What are the best sights and things to do in Townsville?

Find cheapest prices for buses

Price is for a one-way ticket for one passenger and based on past searches.

Best price found

11/25

$71

11/26

$66

Today

$66

11/28

$71

11/29

$53

11/30

$66

12/01

$49

12/02

$49

The cheapest trip from Cairns to Townsville was searched and found on Dec 1, 2025 with a price of $49

To save money and be sure you have the best seat, it's a good idea to buy your bus tickets from Cairns to Townsville, as early as possible.

You can expect to pay from $49 to $200 for a bus ticket from Cairns to Townsville based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $49 which is on 2025-12-01.