Cairns Central Shopping Centre and Reef Fleet Terminal are located near YHA Cairns Central, which provides a garden, laundry facilities, and a business center. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi.
Located in Cairns Central Business District, a neighborhood in Cairns, YHA Cairns Central is near a train station. Reef Fleet Terminal and Cairns Marlin Marina are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those in the mood for shopping can visit Cairns Central Shopping Centre. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's happening at Barlow Park or Cazalys Stadium. Discover the area's water adventures with scuba diving, snorkeling, and sailing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails. Visit our Cairns travel guide
Cairns Central Shopping Centre and Reef Fleet Terminal are located near YHA Cairns Central, which provides a garden, laundry facilities, and a business center. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi.
You'll also enjoy the following perks during your stay:
An outdoor pool
Continental breakfast (surcharge), self parking (surcharge), and express check-out
Express check-in, a billiards/pool table, and a water dispenser
1 meeting room, a vending machine, and multilingual staff
Guest reviews give top marks for the helpful staff
Room features
All 52 rooms offer comforts such as air conditioning, as well as amenities like free WiFi.
Other conveniences in all rooms include:
Recycling and communal kitchens
Awards and affiliations
Sustainability Certifications
This property is certified by this third-party sustainability certification scheme: Ecotourism Australia Sustainable Tourism. For more information on what this certification requires and verifies, please visit their website.
How much does it cost to stay at YHA Cairns Central?
As of Oct 23, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at YHA Cairns Central on Nov 10, 2026 start from ₩83,710, excluding taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
Is YHA Cairns Central pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much is parking?
Self parking is available for AUD 5 per day.
What time is check-in at YHA Cairns Central?
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM.
What time is check-out at YHA Cairns Central?
Check-out is at 10 AM.
Where is YHA Cairns Central located?
Located in Cairns Central Business District, this hostel is within a 10-minute walk of Cairns Central Shopping Centre and Cairns Esplanade. Reef Fleet Terminal and Cairns Marlin Marina are also within 15 minutes. Cairns Station is only a 4-minute walk.
Can I cancel my reservation for free and receive a full refund?
Yes, this property offers free cancellation on select room rates, because flexibility matters! Please refer to the property cancellation policy on our site for more details about any exclusions or requirements.
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Reviews
YHA Cairns Central Reviews
8.4
Very Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
Really good place to be a hostel. The staff is very friendly and nice, the kitchen that’s fine. In the outside of the hostel to many homeless around the place
This was a great place to stay in Cairns! 10-15 minutes walk to the wharf and great shopping and dining. Large kitchen and shared area in the hostel and I loved that they advertised local events and activities happening.
I arrived late and had to punch in a code the lighting was poorly so I had my daughter punch it in for me, to my amazement the place looked very up market and the room was just the right size, only problem I had was lugging my luggage up the stairs to the room, highly recommend YHA :)
Room was basic but clean. Yha sydney is a lot nicer. I had a twin ensuite which had towels and body wash included. There are no lifts so I had to carry luggage up the stairs. There's not enough staff so it takes a while to check in and check out
As a first time backpacker, I couldn't fault this establishment. It was impeccably clean, staff were friendly, bedding and beds impeccably clean and comfortable. Sheets even had iron marks on them. I would go there again.
Nice hostel with friendly and helpful staff. Private room is very comfortable and good value for money. Hostel itself is quite social through the events they put on every night but relaxed in the day which makes a good mix.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Rhiannon
Aug 29, 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Was great to meet some lovely ladies during my 2 night stay. Staff was excellent and accommodating.
The bed was uncomfortable.
Convenient location.
This was my first stay at a hostel. It was great. The folks at the front desk were very friendly and helpful. The kitchen facilities were great. The pool looked nice just didn ’t get a chance to use it. All of the people staying there were friendly.
Only complaint was there was only one dryer operational in the laundry room. I would highly recommend staying here if you are traveling to Cairns.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Noelene
Oct 1, 2025
Disliked: Amenities
Room was clean and comfortable we had ensuited room. Kitchen was messy unwashed cookware and utensils etc . we washed cutlery before using and when finished. Shops all around was great. Staff always helpful. Near to train station which was a priority for us as needed an overnight stay close to the station.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Owal
Sep 7, 2025
Liked: Staff & service
Functional room for my stay, rather basic but suited me fine. Small car park was also used, nearly full on arrival but managed to secure a spot.
Noise from other guests speaking loudly in common outside areas by the pool in the early morning having breakfast and in the evening having dinner (surprisingly quiet during the day). Noise from a neighbouring bar when I stayed which stopped at 11pm.
Very nice and helpful staff. Rooms are quiet, compact and good but private bathroom is not split into shower, toilet and sink like in some other YHAs (e.g. Sydney Harbor). So our family of 4 took longer to get ready in the morning though we did use the common bathrooms also to speed things up.
I always stay at the YHA Cairns Central because the location is so convenient, right opposite a large, air conditioned shopping centre, buses right outside the door and friendly service but I did find my room hugely over priced, (I stayed in a queen sized room with an ensuite)...$150 a night!! Great facilities, and service but found the price very disappointing; for that price I thought at least a hair dryer, little shampoos, etc and coffee and tea making facilities would have been included
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Sok
Jul 2, 2024
Liked: Amenities
It’s ok for the price. Stayed in the 10-bed room, which felt quite packed when full. Hardly any privacy. Made a mistake of getting the breakfast, better to just walk across the street to Cairns central for a better proper coffee and breakfast for the same price. Location is excellent and very convenient, although a bit dodgy area.
The Hostel it’s self seemed well taken care of with a pretty decent standard of cleanliness, all though many hostel mates didn’t properly clean up after themselves in the kitchen and I found myself re-washing dishes before I could actually use them.
The room I stayed in (a 4 bed) was quite spacious and the lockers were big enough for my travel backpack, but the beds themselves were pretty lack luster and I found myself having a hard time getting a comfortable sleep. It does in a pinch, but I probably stayed a day too long for the sake of my back.
Friendly staff, very convenient location, all (bed linen, towel, ...) very clean, 50m from Cairns big shopping centre with major supermarkets, department store. The communal kitchen is very well organised, clean. Secure car parking for $5 a day. Negative things are the free wifi is only up to 5Mbps during off-peak but very slow and just enough to check email at night (peak-hours), power points should be close to the bed or the floor or the very small table in the room, if your phone charging cables are short then you have to use the power point in the ensuite (if your room has ensuite). In general I would highly recommend this place if you don't expect all the bells and whistle of a 3-4 star hotel.
They don’t have life, they only have stairs! But in total they only have a ground floor and a second floor. Things are a bit old except the washing machines and dryer. The air con is not cool enough. The staff is nice and friendly.