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Cheap flights from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns

Compare Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns flight deals

Find the cheapest month or even day of the year to fly to Cairns

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Flight deals from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns

Looking for a cheap last-minute deal or the best round-trip flight from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport? If you want to travel next month, round-trip fares start from $213. Find the lowest prices on one-way and round-trip tickets right here.
Cairns.$173 per passenger.Departing Sun, Sep 13, returning Tue, Sep 15.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Sun, Sep 13, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Tue, Sep 15, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $173, select.
Cairns.$174 per passenger.Departing Sat, Oct 3, returning Wed, Oct 7.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Sat, Oct 3, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Wed, Oct 7, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $174, select.
Cairns.$174 per passenger.Departing Thu, Mar 25, returning Wed, Mar 31.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Thu, Mar 25, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Wed, Mar 31, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $174, select.
Cairns.$174 per passenger.Departing Fri, Apr 2, returning Tue, Apr 6.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Fri, Apr 2, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Tue, Apr 6, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $174, select.
Cairns.$174 per passenger.Departing Tue, Mar 23, returning Sun, Apr 4.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Tue, Mar 23, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Sun, Apr 4, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $174, select.
Cairns.$174 per passenger.Departing Sat, Aug 29, returning Fri, Sep 4.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Sat, Aug 29, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Fri, Sep 4, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $174, select.
Cairns.$174 per passenger.Departing Tue, Feb 23, returning Wed, Mar 3.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Tue, Feb 23, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Wed, Mar 3, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $174, select.
Cairns.$180 per passenger.Departing Wed, Sep 30, returning Mon, Oct 12.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Wed, Sep 30, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Mon, Oct 12, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $180, select.
Cairns.$182 per passenger.Departing Fri, Oct 30, returning Sun, Nov 1.Round-trip flight with Virgin Australia.Outbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Fri, Oct 30, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Cairns on Sun, Nov 1, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $182, select.
Cairns.$183 per passenger.Departing Sun, Dec 6, returning Wed, Jan 13.Round-trip flight with Virgin Australia.Outbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Sun, Dec 6, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Cairns on Wed, Jan 13, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $183, select.
Cairns.$184 per passenger.Departing Thu, Dec 17, returning Fri, Dec 18.Round-trip flight with Virgin Australia.Outbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Thu, Dec 17, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Cairns on Fri, Dec 18, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $184, select.
Cairns.$184 per passenger.Departing Mon, Jan 4, returning Thu, Jan 7.Round-trip flight with Virgin Australia.Outbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Mon, Jan 4, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Cairns on Thu, Jan 7, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $184, select.
Cairns.$187 per passenger.Departing Thu, Feb 18, returning Tue, Feb 23.Round-trip flight with Jetstar.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Thu, Feb 18, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Cairns on Tue, Feb 23, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $187, select.
Cairns.$189 per passenger.Departing Thu, Jan 21, returning Fri, Mar 12.Round-trip flight with Jetstar and Virgin Australia.Outbound direct flight with Jetstar departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Thu, Jan 21, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Cairns on Fri, Mar 12, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $189, select.
Cairns.$190 per passenger.Departing Mon, Nov 30, returning Wed, Dec 2.Round-trip flight with Virgin Australia.Outbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Mon, Nov 30, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Cairns on Wed, Dec 2, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $190, select.
Cairns.$190 per passenger.Departing Thu, Nov 12, returning Thu, Nov 19.Round-trip flight with Virgin Australia.Outbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Melbourne Tullamarine on Thu, Nov 12, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Virgin Australia departing from Cairns on Thu, Nov 19, arriving in Melbourne Tullamarine.Price includes taxes and charges.From $190, select.

Find the cheapest month to fly from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns

We’re always keeping an eye on fares, so you can find the best one in seconds. It looks like Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns flights are currently cheapest in September.
Jul
from $213
Aug
from $213
Sep
from $173
Oct
from $174
Nov
from $190
Dec
from $184
Jan
from $184
Feb
from $187
Mar
from $174
Apr
from $174
May
from $198
Jun
from $234

Direct flights from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns

Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns: Alternative routes

Compare routes from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns below. You may find an airport to fly into that's cheaper, faster, or easier than Cairns.

Cairns

4km from central Cairns
ClosestCheapest
from $173
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Melbourne to Cairns: Flight information

The things to know before you go.
Cheapest flight found$173
Cheapest month to flySeptember
Average flight time3 hrs, 25 mins
Most popular airlineQatar Airways
Average flights per week238

Finding cheap flights from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns: Frequently asked questions

The best price we found for a round-trip flight from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns is $173. This is an estimate based on information collected from different airlines and travel providers over the last 4 days and is subject to change and availability.
3 hours and 25 minutes is the average flight time from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns.
Qatar Airways, IndiGo and Qantas fly direct from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns.
There are 238 flights per week flying from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns, as of July 2026.
The cheapest month to fly from Melbourne Tullamarine to Cairns is usually September.
After crunching the numbers on our flight calendar, we found that it's currently cheapest to fly from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Yes – the average flight time is 3 hours and 25 minutes.
We show every price from over 1,200 airlines and travel agents, comparing them all so you don’t have to. If you know you want to fly to Cairns but you’re not ready to book, set up a Price Alert. We’ll track prices for you, and let you know when they rise or fall.

We crunched all the numbers in our flight calendar, and it looks like the cheapest time to book a flight to Cairns is around 40 days in advance, so don’t leave your flight to the last minute.

Currently, Jetstar offers the cheapest flight tickets to Cairns.

Traveling from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) to Cairns Airport (CNS): what you need to know

  • The average duration of a direct flight from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport is 3 hours 25 minutes.

  • Cairns's timezone is UTC+10, which makes Cairns one hour behind Melbourne.

  • Every week, there are 47 Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport flights. If you prefer to jet off as soon as possible, take the 06:00 Jetstar flight. If you're eager to make the most of your day before flying, the last departure is at 20:45 with Jetstar.

  • To ensure you get on your MEL to CNS flight, allow plenty of time to navigate the airport and find your gate. Arriving two hours ahead of international departures and one hour before domestic flights is the general rule.

  • Be prepared for bigger queues during popular months like December. Arriving up to four hours ahead of an international flight and two hours for domestic departures is a good idea.

  • With direct flights from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport available through various airlines, getting to Cairns (and then other parts of Australia) is a snap. Here's who you can travel nonstop with:

  • Jetstar has the highest passenger demand on this route.

  • The most punctual carrier offering MEL to CNS flights is Virgin Australia. Its services arrive without delay 74.64% of the time.

  • If you want to break up your flight, simply deselect 'Direct flights only' when searching for your ticket from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport. Here are the most popular stopovers between MEL and CNS:

    • Sydney Airport

    • Brisbane Airport

    • Newcastle Williamtown Airport

How to find the cheapest flights from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) to Cairns Airport (CNS)

  • The lowest price we've seen for a one-way Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport flight is $86. A return plane ticket is currently $173. Depending on the availability and when you book, these fares can change.

  • Score cheap tickets from MEL to CNS by booking at least six months ahead. According to our research, that's the sweet spot for landing a bargain.

  • The cheapest month for flights from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport is November. Use the 'Whole month' tool to find the lowest prices if you have flexible dates.

  • Landing cheap flights from MEL to CNS couldn't be easier with Price Alerts. Simply set up one of these automatic alerts and we'll notify you as soon as a new deal comes up.

  • Tailor your trip using filters. Pick your preferred departure and arrival times, airlines and total journey duration. You can also sort results by 'Fastest,' 'Cheapest' or 'Best' flights from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport.

Handy information about Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL)

  • 63% of flights that depart Melbourne Tullamarine Airport land at their destination on schedule.

  • To reach Melbourne Tullamarine Airport from central Melbourne, it'll take about 25 minutes if you're traveling by car. This depends on traffic, however. It's approximately 24 kilometers from the airport to the city center.

  • You can expect a trip time of around 35 minutes on public transport.

  • Looking for a handy hotel close to MEL? If you've booked an early flight from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport, these accommodation options will have you moments from check-in:

Arriving at Cairns Airport (CNS)

  • The last thing you want is a lengthy journey to your hotel if you're arriving on a late Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport flight. Book one of these accommodation options near CNS instead:

  • Go where the road takes you with a Cairns Airport rental car. Pick up your wheels from simba car hire, Bargain Car Rentals or East Coast and experience more of Cairns and beyond.

  • To get the best deal, reserve your vehicle from Cairns Airport about two weeks before you set off.

Getting from Cairns Airport (CNS) to central Cairns

  • From Cairns Airport, Cairns is approximately 6 kilometers away. It takes around 15 minutes to reach the center by car.

  • It takes around 25 minutes when traveling by public transport.

When to fly to Cairns Airport (CNS)

  • July is the most popular month for flights from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport. To skip the crowds, visit Cairns in March.

  • When booking your flight from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Cairns Airport, consider the type of weather you like. January is the warmest month in Cairns, with the temperature ranging from 23ºC (73ºF) to 31ºC (88ºF).

  • August has average temperatures of between 16ºC (61ºF) and 25ºC (77ºF). Look for cheap tickets from MEL to CNS sometime around then if you like traveling in cooler conditions.

Explore more of Australia

  • Townsville is just one of the many places in Australia waiting to be discovered once you've seen Cairns. Around 290 kilometers away to the south, its top attractions include Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Great Barrier Reef Aquarium and Botanic Gardens.

  • If you're ready to explore another corner of Australia, consider Bowen, roughly 434 kilometers south-east of Cairns. Horseshoe Bay Beach, Sunset Point and Kings Beach are highlights.

More travel options

Plan the rest of your trip from Melbourne to Cairns

Prices shown on this page are estimated lowest prices only. Found in the last 12 days.