Introduction
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

Townsville travel guide

Townsville Tourism | Townsville Guide

You're Going to Love Townsville

With a population of 196 219, Townsville is a must-see destination in Queensland, Australia. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 4 days in order to fully appreciate everything Townsville has to offer.

Where to Eat in Townsville

Townsville City is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Townsville. These include popular favourites such as A Touch of Salt (86 Ogden Street), Miss Songs (Sir Leslie Thiess Drive) and Splash Bar (Sir Leslie Thiess Drive). If you’re looking for affordable options, The Palm House (Sir Leslie Thiess Drive) and Bridgewater Restaurant + Botaniq Bar (2/2 Dibbs Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Rockpool Pavilion (54 Howitt Street North Ward) and Shorehouse (118 The Strand) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Townsville.

When to visit Townsville

Townsville in January
Estimated hotel price
$152
1 night at 3-star hotel
Townsville in January
Estimated hotel price
$152
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Townsville in January, when the average temperature is 27 °C, and the highest can go up to 31 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is July, when it can get as cold as 13 °C, with an average temperature of 19 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in February, when precipitation is around 290 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Townsville, with an average rainfall of 10 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Townsville

Plane

When flying to Townsville, you’ll arrive at Townsville (TSV), which is located 5 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Townsville from New Zealand departs from Auckland and takes around 16h 05m.

Car

Another option to get to Townsville is to pick up a car hire from Cairns, which is about 282 km from Townsville. You’ll find branches of Budget and Ace Rental Cars, among others, in Cairns.

Plane

When flying to Townsville, you’ll arrive at Townsville (TSV), which is located 5 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Townsville from New Zealand departs from Auckland and takes around 16h 05m.

Car

Another option to get to Townsville is to pick up a car hire from Cairns, which is about 282 km from Townsville. You’ll find branches of Budget and Ace Rental Cars, among others, in Cairns.

Airports near Townsville

TSVTownsville

Airlines serving Townsville

United Airlines
Good (8,696 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,217 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,564 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,203 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,292 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (829 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (11,166 reviews)
Air New Zealand
Excellent (472 reviews)
Jetstar
Good (439 reviews)
Fiji Airways
Excellent (190 reviews)
Virgin Australia
Good (400 reviews)
Airnorth
Excellent (1 reviews)
Rex
Excellent (27 reviews)
Hinterland Aviation
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Find flights to Townsville

Where to stay in Townsville

Average rates range from around $178 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $138 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Summit Motel and Reef Lodge Backpackers. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Townsville, with prices from $99 to $636 per night. North Ward is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Townsville are about 30% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Townsville

Most booked hotels in Townsville

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The Palmer Collective
4 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
$153+
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The Ville Resort - Casino
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
$280+
View
Rambutan Resort
5 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$138+
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Aquarius on the Beach
4 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
$152+
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Mercure Townsville
4 stars
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
$188+
View
Madison Plaza Townsville
4 stars
Good (6.7, Good reviews)
$148+
View

Hiring a car in Townsville

Hiring a car in Townsville costs $67 per day, on average, or $268 if you want to hire it for 4 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 53% cheaper than airport locations in Townsville.

Expect to pay $1.79 per litre in Townsville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $21.45 and $28.60. The most frequently booked car type in Townsville is Full-size (Toyota Highlander or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Class Intermediate Car or similar) is, on average, 63% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Townsville costs $67 per day, on average, or $268 if you want to hire it for 4 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 53% cheaper than airport locations in Townsville.

Expect to pay $1.79 per litre in Townsville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $21.45 and $28.60. The most frequently booked car type in Townsville is Full-size (Toyota Highlander or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Class Intermediate Car or similar) is, on average, 63% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in Townsville

Townsville Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Townsville city guide for the best Townsville travel tips. To help you organise your Townsville trip ideas, this Townsville visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.