Best time to visit Port Douglas

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart recolours live for your heat & sea limits 27°C · sea 29°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Sea feels bathtub at 29°C
26° strict 31° tolerant

Default 29 °C is the Beach Climate Index "bathtub" line (Morgan et al.) — where the sea stops being refreshing and starts feeling like a warm bath.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Sea temp cold <18° chilly 18–21° ideal 22–26° warm 27–28° bathtub 29–30° too warm ≥31°
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Sea Nov 2022 – Dec 2024 (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
1010109766810121210
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
1314131181012131314
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
666798889987
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
9910121311131313121212
June 6/10 feels 27°C (+2°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 58/100
Day 25° · Night 20° 74% humidity 15 km/h wind 14 rain days (200h) 220h sun sea 24°C
Thermal 7
Sky 5
Rain 4
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Port Douglas

20 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Port Douglas).

  1. 1Solar Whisper Daintree River Crocodile and Wildlife Cruise4.88★ (1,684)1hfrom $25🔥 Selling fast
  2. 2Kuranda Scenic Railway & Skyrail Tour from Port Douglas4.80★ (264)9hfrom $179🔥 Selling fast
  3. 3Half Day Low Island and Lagoon Snorkeling from Port Douglas4.98★ (51)3h 30mfrom $179🔥 Selling fast
  4. 4Half Day Outer Reef Snorkelling Tour from Port Douglas5.00★ (17)3h 30mfrom $208🔥 Selling fast
  5. 52 1/4 hr Low Isles Reef Sprinter Snorkeling Tour-No Island Access4.92★ (304)2h 15mfrom $136🔥 Selling fast
  6. 6Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge: Full Day Tour4.89★ (390)9hfrom $179🔥 Selling fast
  7. 7Morning Daintree Tour with River Cruise from Port Douglas4.82★ (440)4h 45mfrom $128🔥 Selling fast
  8. 8Port Douglas & Daintree Tour for Cruise Ship Passenger4.83★ (46)5h 30mfrom $122🔥 Selling fast
  9. 9Hartleys Crocodile Adventures Plus Return Port Douglas Transfers4.86★ (7)40mfrom $79🔥 Selling fast
  10. 10Quicksilver Dive 4 Day PADI Learn to Dive Course5.00★ (36)96hfrom $939🔥 Selling fast
  11. 11Adventure on a Budget Visit Kuranda or Palm Cove from Pt Douglas4.82★ (205)8hfrom $86🔥 Selling fast
  12. 12Affordable Return Mossman Gorge from Port Douglas Transfers5.00★ (6)30mfrom $29🔥 Selling fast
  13. 13Hartley Crocodile Park with Kuranda, Skyrail Cableway and Train5.00★ (6)10h 30mfrom $208🔥 Selling fast
  14. 14Calypso Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise from Port Douglas4.86★ (1,424)8hfrom $229
  15. 15Daintree Rainforest, Mossman Gorge Small-Group from Port Douglas4.93★ (2,427)9hfrom $194
  16. 16Silversonic Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise from Port Douglas4.81★ (531)10hfrom $235
  17. 17Barron River Rafting: Cairns, Port Douglas or Self-Drive4.81★ (1,614)4h 30mfrom $93
  18. 18Daintree, Cape Tribulation & River Cruise from Port Douglas4.95★ (813)10hfrom $200
  19. 19ABC Reef Safaris4.99★ (1,494)7h 15mfrom $458
  20. 20Full Day Low Isles Sailing & Snorkelling Cruise from Port Douglas4.82★ (574)7h 30mfrom $262

Last refreshed 2026-06-08.

Similar climatesBali84% · Byron Bay76% · Puerto Viejo75%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Port Douglas (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Port Douglas's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 25–30 35 26 431 16.6 81% 12 215 10 Busy 1
Feb 25–30 35 25 396 15.8 78% 12 203 10 Moderate 1
Mar 24–29 34 23 383 16.7 77% 15 224 10 Quiet 1
Apr 24–28 32 22 322 14.6 76% 16 222 9 Moderate 2
May 22–26 28 17 266 15.6 74% 17 228 7 Peak 4
Jun 20–25 27 14 200 14.3 74% 15 220 6 Peak 6
Jul 19–24 25 14 205 14.6 73% 15 230 6 Busy 6
Aug 20–24 26 15 206 13.7 71% 16 238 8 Moderate 6
Sep 21–26 27 16 228 14.3 71% 17 245 10 Quiet 5
Oct 23–28 31 14 181 12.9 69% 14 274 12 Quiet 5
Nov 24–29 32 18 269 14.9 69% 14 259 12 Moderate 3
Dec 25–29 34 20 324 16.2 77% 13 239 10 Moderate 1

UV Index in Port Douglas by Month

UV index in Port Douglas peaks at 12 (extreme) in November, dropping to 6 (moderate) in June. January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

June

6/10

20–25°C (feels 27°C) · 14 rain days (200h) · 220 sun hours · 74% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)

July

6/10

19–24°C (feels 25°C) · 14 rain days (205h) · 230 sun hours · 73% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 6 (high)

August

6/10

20–24°C (feels 26°C) · 15 rain days (206h) · 238 sun hours · 71% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

January

1/10

25–30°C (feels 35°C) · 26 rain days (431h) · 215 sun hours · 81% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 13 (extreme)

February

1/10

25–30°C (feels 35°C) · 25 rain days (396h) · 203 sun hours · 78% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 14 (extreme)

March

1/10

24–29°C (feels 34°C) · 23 rain days (383h) · 224 sun hours · 77% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 13 (extreme)

April

2/10

24–28°C (feels 32°C) · 22 rain days (322h) · 222 sun hours · 76% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)

May

4/10

22–26°C (feels 28°C) · 17 rain days (266h) · 228 sun hours · 74% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 7 (high)

September

5/10

21–26°C (feels 27°C) · 16 rain days (228h) · 245 sun hours · 71% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 12 (extreme)

October

5/10

23–28°C (feels 31°C) · 14 rain days (181h) · 274 sun hours · 69% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 12 (extreme) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 13 (extreme)

November

3/10

24–29°C (feels 32°C) · 18 rain days (269h) · 259 sun hours · 69% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 12 (extreme) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 13 (extreme)

December

1/10

25–29°C (feels 34°C) · 20 rain days (324h) · 239 sun hours · 77% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 14 (extreme)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Port Douglas

When is the best time to visit Port Douglas?

June is the highest-scoring month (6/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 20–25°C (14 rainy days). The top three months by score are June, July, August.

What is the worst time to visit Port Douglas?

January is the lowest-scoring month (1/10, capped by extreme heat). Typical conditions: 25–30°C (26 rainy days).

Is Port Douglas too hot in summer?

7 months (January, February, March, April, October, November, December) trip the heat deal-breaker in our scoring: apparent temperature crosses the comfort cap, so even with clear skies and low rain the score is held down. Plan around it if heat tolerance is low.

When are crowds lowest in Port Douglas?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in October and peaks in June. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in Port Douglas have good weather but fewer tourists?

August (climate 6/10, crowd index 43) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Port Douglas by month?

UV peaks at 12 (extreme) in November and is lowest in June at 6 (moderate). Monthly peak values: Jan 10, Feb 10, Mar 10, Apr 9, May 7, Jun 6, Jul 6, Aug 8, Sep 10, Oct 12, Nov 12, Dec 10. January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in Port Douglas in November?

November is the peak UV month in Port Douglas, with a daily-peak UV index of 12 (extreme). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in Port Douglas on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. February is the worst case: typical days average UV 10 (very high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 14 (extreme) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: January, February, March, April, June, August, September, October, November, December. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.