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MEL - DRW

Find cheap flights from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin from $270

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Melbourne to Darwin departing on 3/6. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
Sun 28/4
Sun 5/5

Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Darwin

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Melbourne to Darwin, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Melbourne to Darwin, as well as popular online travel agencies
In the last 7 days, travellers have searched 46,342,885 times on KAYAK, and here's why:

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Cheap flight deals from Melbourne to Darwin

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Melbourne to Darwin that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
20:00 - 00:05MEL-DRW
4h 35mdirect
00:55 - 05:35DRW-MEL
4h 10mdirect
$477Jetstar
Find Deal
Fri, 19 Apr - Sat, 20 Apr
20:00 - 00:05MEL-DRW
4h 35mdirect
00:55 - 05:35DRW-MEL
4h 10mdirect
$499Jetstar
Find Deal
Fri, 19 Apr - Wed, 24 Apr
19:45 - 23:50MEL-DRW
4h 35mdirect
01:05 - 08:30DRW-MEL
6h 55m1 stop
$540Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Fri, 31 May - Thu, 6 Jun
20:00 - 00:05MEL-DRW
4h 35mdirect
01:20 - 06:00DRW-MEL
4h 10mdirect
Thu, 18 Apr - Sat, 20 Apr
20:00 - 00:05MEL-DRW
4h 35mdirect
01:20 - 06:00DRW-MEL
4h 10mdirect
Thu, 18 Apr - Sat, 20 Apr
15:10 - 00:10MEL-DRW
9h 30m1 stop
14:30 - 23:50DRW-MEL
8h 50m1 stop
$617Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Mon, 13 May - Thu, 23 May
20:30 - 00:30MEL-DRW
4h 30mdirect
01:20 - 06:00DRW-MEL
4h 10mdirect
$680Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Sun, 23 Jun - Tue, 25 Jun
21:30 - 22:45MEL-DRW
25h 45m2 stops
18:45 - 19:45DRW-MEL
24h 30m1 stop
$1,450Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 12 Apr - Sat, 20 Apr
08:45 - 00:50MEL-DRW
16h 35m2 stops
01:15 - 08:05DRW-MEL
30h 20m2 stops
$2,112Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Fri, 31 May - Thu, 6 Jun
09:15 - 12:35MEL-DRW
51h 50m2 stops
18:45 - 20:35DRW-MEL
49h 20m2 stops
$2,325Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Mon, 13 May - Thu, 23 May

Flights from Melbourne to Darwin - Travel Insights & Trends

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Melbourne to Darwin to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

The average price of all flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to Darwin on a Tuesday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Thursday is the most expensive day to fly from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Monday and avoiding Fridays for the best deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Melbourne Airport to Darwin?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.
The cheapest month for flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin is March, where tickets cost $468 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, where the average cost of tickets is $727 and $665 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Melbourne Airport to Darwin?

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price on the flight from Melbourne Airport to Darwin, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 59 days before departure.

Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

The cheapest price for the route for each airline clicked by KAYAK users in the last 72 hours.
In the last 72 hours, the best return deals on flights connecting Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin were found on Jetstar ($477) and Virgin Australia ($540). Virgin Australia proposed the cheapest one-way flight at $270.

Which airlines fly most frequently between Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) and Darwin?

Jetstar connects Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin with up to 1 flight per day and both Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia also offer 1 flight per day.

Which airlines fly direct between Melbourne Airport and Darwin?

Airline and price data is aggregated from results in KAYAK’s search results from the last 2 weeks for flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin.
There are 3 airlines that fly direct from Melbourne Airport to Darwin. They are: Jetstar, Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia. The cheapest price of all airlines flying this route was found with Jetstar at $252 for a one-way flight. On average, the best prices for this route can be found at Jetstar.

How many flights are there between Melbourne Airport and Darwin per day?

Each day, there are 3 direct flights that take off from Melbourne Airport and land in Darwin, with an average flight time of 4h 33m. The most common departure time is 20:00 and most flights take off in the evening. Each week, there are 21 flights and there are the same amount of flights each day 3.

Which cabin class options are there for flights between Melbourne Airport and Darwin?

The average price of flights for each cabin class for the route found by users searching on KAYAK over the last 2 weeks.
There are 3 cabin class options for the route. These are Business, Economy and Prem Economy. Perform a search on KAYAK to find the latest prices and availability for all cabin fares, which differ across airlines.

How long does a flight from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin take?

The duration of a direct flight to Darwin from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) is typically 4h 30m. The journey crosses a distance of 5,037 km.

What’s the earliest departure time from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

Early birds can take the earliest flight from Melbourne Airport at 16:30 and will be landing in Darwin at 19:35.

What’s the latest departure time from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

If you prefer to fly at night, the latest flight from Melbourne Airport to Darwin jets off at 21:00 and lands at 00:05.

Good to know

Low season

February

High season

July

Cheapest flight

$270
Best time to beat the crowds (16% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (17% more expensive on average)
Flight from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin

When to book flights from Melbourne to Darwin

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Melbourne to Darwin based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin flights

  • What is the best way to reach Darwin centre from Darwin Airport?

    There is no public bus departing directly from Darwin Airport, but within a 5–15min walk, you can board the BusLink to Darwin centre. Tickets for the bus lie at approximately A$ 3–7, depending on how long you want the ticket to be valid. The closest bus stop to the airport is at Charles Eaton Drive, about 5min away.

  • Where can I find the car hire centre at Darwin Airport?

    One who wants to rent a car for their time in Darwin does not have to bother with public transport and can head straight to the many car hire desks in the Arrivals Hall. Just outside the baggage claim area, you find a variety of providers, including Avis, Hertz, and Thrifty, among many others.

  • What is the smoking policy at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport?

    Smoking is only permitted in a few areas and not possible once passengers have passed through the security screening. In general, it is difficult to find clearly marked smoking areas throughout the airport building, so it is best-advised to refrain altogether or inquire about safe smoking places at the information desk in the Departures Hall.

  • What shopping perks can I enjoy at Melbourne Airport?

    Melbourne Tullamarine offers a wide range of shops, including high-street brands like Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Emporio Armani. As part of their Shop & Collect policy, you can leave your purchases at Melbourne Airport and collect them when you return, so you don’t have to account for extra luggage space beforehand.

  • How fast can I be in Darwin by car from Darwin Airport?

    Darwin International Airport is merely 15min by car away from the centre of Darwin and about 10min from Charles Darwin National Park. The quickest route into the city leads via Bagot Road and Tiger Brennan Drive.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Melbourne Airport to Darwin?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Melbourne Airport to Darwin was $176 for a one-way ticket and $311 for a return.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

    The Boeing 737-800 Passenger/BBJ2 (winglets) is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

    SkyTeam, Star Alliance, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) and Darwin, with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

    There are direct flights from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Melbourne to Darwin, Virgin Australia or Qantas Airways?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Melbourne to Darwin are Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways. With an average price for the route of $654 and an overall rating of 7.7, Virgin Australia is the most popular choice. Qantas Airways is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $874 and an overall rating of 7.7.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Darwin from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly to Darwin with an airline and back to Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Darwin?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Darwin from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from Melbourne to Darwin

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $302 or less one-way and $405 or less round-trip.
  • Travellers on a budget should book with low-cost airline Jetstar for their flight from Melbourne to Darwin (DRW). The airline departs from both Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL) and Melbourne Avalon (AVV), but choose Melbourne Tullamarine as your origin airport for a direct flight.
  • When you fly from Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL), you can spend the time before your flight in one of the open-access lounges inside the International Terminal. At the Marhaba Lounge on Level 3, you can work in peace, enjoy a hot drink and dinner, and watch the planes land and take off. In the Plaza Premium Lounge, there are also kids’ packages available.
  • When you arrive at Darwin International Airport (DRW) and need to change your baby, head to the baby changing facilities close to Gate 9 and the Green Bean Café.
  • If you depart from Terminal 3 at Melbourne Tullamarine, you can relax at one of the massage chairs available in the post-security area. For A$ 2, you can enjoy 5min on the massaging chairs to board entirely relaxed.
  • The Skybus services are your quickest public connection from Melbourne CBD to both Melbourne airports. Tickets to Avalon Airport cost approximately A$ 25, and are around A$ 20 to Melbourne Tullamarine.
  • If you opt to park your car at Melbourne Tullamarine to have it await your return, you can choose from various car parks. The cheapest is around A$ 100–150 per week in the long-term car park, located a bit away from the airport. A complimentary shuttle connects the lot with the terminal buildings.
See more tips

Prefer to fly direct from Melbourne to Darwin?

Find which airlines fly direct from Melbourne to Darwin, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Melbourne to Darwin

Monday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Tuesday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Wednesday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Thursday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Friday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Saturday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Sunday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Darwin to Melbourne

Monday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Tuesday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Wednesday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Thursday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Friday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Saturday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +6 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +7 more

Sunday

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, Etihad Airways, +5 more

Air New Zealand, China Eastern, +6 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top 3 airlines serving from Melbourne to Darwin

Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Melbourne to Darwin? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to KAYAK reviews.
7.7
Virgin AustraliaOverall score based on 725 reviews
80boarding
76comfort
68food
69entertainment
78overall
84crew
Airline reviews

Very good experience, considering the short flight the meals were served promptly after takeoff.

Read more about Virgin Australia

Very good experience, considering the short flight the meals were served promptly after takeoff.

X class seats in row 3 with the new configuration are very poor in fact I feel 3B and 3E should no longer be considered as X class seat as there is no forward seat pocket available to these seats and greatly reduced leg room due the intrusion of the business class armrests/table module

It was pretty good. Everyone friendly. Like all airlines, the draconian limitations on baggage and weight and not giving even a free soda kind of drags down the experience a bit.

Last 10 minutes boarding they canceled the flight and didn’t organise anything

Estheticly the plane looks great, although the seats are way too upright. If the seats were just slightly more reclined then the comfort level would increase tenfold. I had the stiffest neck after just a short flight due to this. A nap was almost out of the question.

Cabin crew were very professional and welcoming. They certainly appeared to have lifted their game. Congratulations

I know not directly a Virgin "thing" but I hold Virgin responsible for their subcontractors. Had to wait 45 minutes waiting for baggage at PER before the belt conveyor even started. This is unacceptable and hopefully Virgin engages with whoever to pull their fingers out. I realise PER staff are generally slow at the best of times but this was ridiculous. Maybe more seating for those waiting, a cafe in the baggage area for a light meal while we wait or at the very least a troop of dancing girls to entertain the punters while they stare at the conveyor belt start light almost willing it to fire up.

Very poor. Flight was cancelled due to captain exceeding hours. Told to fend for ourselves for 12 hours until a new flight could be done. This meant overnight accommodation in Hobart. Next plane was delayed and no food onboard. No apologies from Virgin. Extremely disappointing.

Flight was cancelled due to a mechanical fault - Virgin rebooked me on a flight 6 hours later so I cancelled and flew with another carrier

There is no not applicable button to tick. Due to turbulence there was no food/drink offered. That’s expected and was fine 👌🏻

It's only a short trip from Sydney to Melbourne, which i have done many times. The trip met my expectations

I really appreciated the fact that when I checked my bags at the Quantas counter after arriving from an international flight an hour early, the agent noticed I had a very long layover. He then found an earlier flight that allowed me to get to Cairns several hours earlier than I planned. That was amazing because I had already traveled over 20 hours and wasn’t looking forward to such a long layover. It allowed me to see my daughter and grandchildren much earlier (it had been two years since I visited last).

Qantas cancelled my flight for no good reason and rebooked me into a middle seat.

The flight met my expectations. It left and landed on time

Flights delayed multiple times, travellers requests for updates ignored. Qantas continues to desatisfy travelling basics.

Better food, hotter coffee, otherwise it was a very smooth and reasonably comfortable flight.

Packed flight. Urged to check carry-on before boarding only to discover numerous empty overhead bins after boarding. Challenging entertainment screen. After almost 20 minutes to arrive at baggage claim, waited over 30 mins before luggage was loaded on baggage claim carousel.

Grubby plane, dirty seat & table, poor food, wait for baggage, staff ok.

We were delayed for 7 hours. The staff and management could have organized the getting of seats on later flight earlier than 20 minutes before late takeoff. Everyone was worried and lost. Was chaos and it didn’t need to be.

First flight on Quantas. High marks all around. Plus it appears as if the have a comparatively new flight. Excellent airline!

Note that food has to be purchased in flight. No free food. And no entertainment in flight. So I’ve treated these two items as okay which, in this case, means neutral/not applicable.

My Dad needed assistance to board the plane. The Jetstar staff were excellent with him and made the experience a lot easier😁

No food taken so can't rate also no entertainment so can't rate.

Would be better if can provide small free snacks on a long flight

Boarding was easy and unstressful, though the early "final call" was a bit off-putting. The crew were pleasant, and the seats were comfortable. The prices for food and drink were reasonable, apart from tea and coffee, where simple percolated coffee was charged at espresso prices. Deboarding was OK, though some Jetstar passengers appear to have a bad habit of pushing forward from their assigned rows, making it more difficult to get out for passengers that have paid a premium to sit up-front. Jetstar might want to look to address this to stop it from spreading.

I was allocated an exit row seat and was told to move so it could be given away to someone who had purchased two extra legroom seats and one regular seat but wanted the three to sit together. I was also charged for entertainment after booking but before checking in, and the ground crew couldn't do anything about refunding it. When the whole plane was given access to the entertainment as an apology for the flight being four hours late, I was told they couldn't do anything about that either, so I was charged for something I didn't want even though it would have been free anyway

I got to the airport earlier than I expected, and they let me change to an earlier flight with no trouble.

It was a super crowded time to travel out of Melbourne, but the flight was OK

Worst flying experience of my life. FIVE HOURS delayed! Rude and unhelpful staff and poor communication from the grounds team. Never flying Jetstar again

Worst experience ever flying Melbourne to Phuket. 5 hours delayed! Didn’t land till 1am in the morning. Staff were rude and unhelpful

Book cheap flights from Melbourne to Darwin

Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best one-way flight deals from Melbourne to Darwin found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
3/6Mon
1 stopVirgin Australia
7h 30mMEL-DRW
$270
3/6Mon
directJetstar
4h 35mMEL-DRW
$287
4/6Tue
directQantas Airways
4h 30mMEL-DRW
$341
2/6Sun
1 stopVirgin Australia
14h 30mMEL-DRW
$347
4/6Tue
1 stop
9h 20mMEL-DRW
$350
4/5Sat
1 stopJetstar
28h 10mMEL-DRW
$351
5/4Fri
directJetstar
4h 35mMEL-DRW
$371
5/4Fri
1 stopVirgin Australia
11h 05mMEL-DRW
$381
6/6Thu
directQantas Airways
4h 30mMEL-DRW
$450
4/4Thu
1 stopSingapore Airlines
15h 40mMEL-DRW
$1,578

Search by stops

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Last minute flights from Melbourne to Darwin

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights from Melbourne to Darwin that are departing in the next 10 days.
29/3Fri
directJetstar
4h 15mMEL-DRW
31/3Sun
directJetstar
4h 10mDRW-MEL
$810
29/3Fri
multi-stop
6h 45mMEL-DRW
31/3Sun
direct
4h 10mDRW-MEL
$892
29/3Fri
directJetstar
4h 15mMEL-DRW
30/3Sat
multi-stopJetstar
12h 20mDRW-MEL
$947
29/3Fri
multi-stop
7h 00mMEL-DRW
31/3Sun
multi-stop
7h 35mDRW-MEL
$981
29/3Fri
multi-stop
7h 15mMEL-DRW
30/3Sat
multi-stop
14h 25mDRW-MEL
$1,008
29/3Fri
multi-stopQantas Airways
8h 45mMEL-DRW
31/3Sun
multi-stopQantas Airways
9h 50mDRW-MEL
$1,197
29/3Fri
multi-stop
7h 00mMEL-DRW
30/3Sat
multi-stop
14h 50mDRW-MEL
$1,254
29/3Fri
multi-stop
29h 00mMEL-DRW
31/3Sun
multi-stop
12h 35mDRW-MEL
$2,184
29/3Fri
multi-stop
29h 00mMEL-DRW
31/3Sun
multi-stop
8h 25mDRW-MEL
$2,540

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) - Darwin Flights

Departure:

Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) (MEL)Australia

Destination:

Darwin (DRW)Australia

Return flight deals:

Darwin - Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)

Cabin classes:

$1,790
$1,774
$252

Browse destinations: