Melbourne to Cairns flights: How long do they take and what do they cost?

Melbourne to Cairns flights are pretty cheap considering the 3h20m flight duration. Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia fly the route, with one way fares from $139.

Melbourne to Cairns is not the sort of journey that most people consider undertaking by car. Australia is huge, and the Melbourne to Cairns drive crosses most of the country.

Unless you’re planning on a serious road trip, it is better to fly instead.

Before leaving, you may want to tick Melbourne Cricket Ground tours, Yarra River dinner cruises and cross-city hot air balloon flights off your Melbourne wish list. For a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences, explore here. To track down the best value Melbourne accommodation, come this way.

Cairns, on the other hand, brings Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruises, World Heritage-listed rainforest adventures, glass bottom boat tours at Green Island and the Kuranda Scenic Railway into the mountains. 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.

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.

Search for discount deals here

Cost of Melbourne to Cairns flights

Melbourne to Cairns flights aren’t outrageously expensive, given the distance involved.

This is mainly because there is plenty of competition on the route. Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia all fly from Melbourne to Cairns.

Melbourne to Cairns flights: Cheapest fares

Using Webjet to check prices, Australia Travel Questions searched for flights from Melbourne to Cairns a couple of months out. The lowest fare was consistently $139 for a one way flight. These Melbourne to Cairns fares were with Virgin Australia, included checked baggage and were for a reasonably-timed afternoon flight.

Of course, look at another time of year, and one of the other airlines might have the good sale fares. But $139 is a decent rough baseline for a one way ticket.

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.

Looking north from Kewarra Beach in Cairns. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

Melbourne to Cairns flights: Duration

The Melbourne to Cairns flight takes around three hours and 25 minutes with Virgin Australia. Qantas and Jetstar reckon it takes three hours and 20 minutes, however.

Cairns is best known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, but there are also some fabulous things to do and see on the mainland. The drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation takes you over the Daintree River – home to some great crocodile cruises.

Atherton Tableland from Cairns

You can also head south towards Innisfail and loop through the Atherton Tableland. Here you’ll find Lake Eacham – a lake in a volcanic crater – and Queensland’s highest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere. The Atherton Tableland is also big on waterfalls. Millaa Millaa Falls and Windin Falls should be top of the list.