Are there any direct flights from the UK to Cairns?
Discover why there are no direct flights from the UK to Cairns, and which airline offers the quickest London to Cairns flights.
For British (and European) travellers, Cairns is one of the top destinations in Australia. It’s the main gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the World Heritage-listed Daintree rainforest.
Getting to Cairns, however, can be a chore. Most flight routes from the UK to Cairns involve two stops, and an infuriating backtrack in Brisbane.
But are there any direct flights from the UK to Cairns?
Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday
- Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
- Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
- Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
- Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
- Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
- Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
- Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.
Direct flights from London to Cairns
Alas, there are no direct flights from London to Cairns. Or from Manchester. Or from any other UK airport. The route is too long, too leisure-focused and not demanded enough to be commercially viable.
The only direct route from the UK to Australia at present is the Qantas flight from London Heathrow to Perth.
Find your ideal Great Barrier Reef tours by location
Great Barrier Reef tours run from numerous destinations along the Queensland coast. Different tours cater to different tastes – some make sure they go to the best snorkelling spots, others build in beach time and some throw in extra such as underwater observatories and glass bottom boat tours.
Use the following links to start picking the best Great Barrier Reef tour options where you’re going on holiday.
- The best Great Barrier Reef tours in… 1770 | Airlie Beach | Bundaberg | Cairns | Cape Tribulation | Mackay | Magnetic Island | Mission Beach | Palm Cove | Port Douglas | Townsville.
One stop flights from the UK to Cairns
However, it is possible to avoid the gruelling two stop flights to Cairns, and doubling back in Brisbane. That’s because Singapore Airlines runs direct flights from Singapore to Cairns.
Go via Singapore, therefore, and the London to Cairns flight takes 20 hours and 35 minutes. This includes a one hour and ten minute layover in Singapore.
The Manchester to Cairns flight takes 20 hours and 45 minutes. There’s a one hour layover in Singapore.
Save time queuing – Book these Cairns attractions in advance
- From the air: Outer Reef helicopter flight | Sunrise hot air balloon ride | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
- At night: Sunset dinner cruise | Pub and club tour | Aquarium by Twilight experience.
- For wildlife: Birdworld Kuranda | Kuranda Koala Gardens | Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome | Cairns Aquarium | Rainforestation Nature Park
- For culture: Cairns Museum tickets | Street art walking tour | City and surrounds highlights bus tour.
- For thrills: AJ Hackett giant jungle swing | High speed jet boat tour | Barron Gorge white water rafting | Mulgrave River tubing.
What to do in Cairns
If you have three days in Cairns, do a Great Barrier Reef trip, a Kuranda scenic train and cable car combo and a Mossman Gorge plus Cape Tribulation World Heritage rainforest day trip.
Cairns offers jet boat tours, the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tours. To choose from a wide range of memorable Cairns tours and experiences, look here. To pick the Cairns accommodation best suited to you, book here.
