$276 Find Cheap Flights from Cairns to Darwin – Compare and Save

Among airlines operating Cairns to Darwin flights:

• Qantas Airways: offers extra legroom

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

Only Qantas Airways operates flights between Cairns and Darwin.

Flights from Cairns to Darwin usually depart from Cairns (CNS) and arrive at Darwin (DRW).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Qantas Airways: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Airnorth: a checked bag in Economy class class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

Only Economy class is available on flights from Cairns to Darwin.

On this route, stopover flights are cheaper than direct options on average. Stopover fares average $648 return via Brisbane (BNE), compared with $781 for direct.

The Embraer 190 family is used most often on this route, operated mainly by Qantas Airways and Airnorth. Other aircraft seen on the route include Airbus A350-900 variants.

Connecting flights from Cairns to Darwin most commonly pass through:

• Nhulunbuy Gove (GOV) – 76% of one-stop connections
• Brisbane (BNE) – 24% of one-stop connections
Together, these airports account for 100% of one-stop bookings on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 23% on the Cairns to Darwin route. Wednesday is the cheapest departure day at $734 return on average, while Sunday is the most expensive at $950, a difference of $216. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Cairns to Darwin flights, with 100% leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 0%, Evening flights for 0%, and Night flights for 0%.

Some of the most popular sights in Darwin are Darwin Waterfront, Crocosaurus Cove, and Fort Hill Wharf. These are among the most viewed places in Darwin on KAYAK.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Cairns to Darwin:

• Earliest: departs at 10:45 and lands at 13:23
• Latest: departs at 14:40 and lands at 17:18.

The flight takes about 2h 38m.

A direct flight from Cairns to Darwin takes 2h 38m, covering 2,694 km.

No. A passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, return flight prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $594 to $3,572. That means the highest observed fare was about 6x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Cairns to Darwin are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $345, which is 15% below the typical average for this route.

Flying via Nhulunbuy Gove (GOV) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time of 3h 31m, compared to 9h 51m via Brisbane (BNE).

Darwin Airport (DRW) hosts 5 major car hire companies, with daily rates starting from around $20 for economy cars. Top options include:
· Bargain Car Rentals
· East Coast Car Rentals
· Thrifty
· Budget
· Dollar

Return flights from Cairns to Darwin range from $725 to $939, with an average of $807 over the past 12 months. Anything below $725 counts as a good deal.