HomeSearch by dateVacation packagesHotelsFlight dealsCar rentalTravel tips & news
Cairns

$91+ Cheap flights from Sydney to Cairns (SYD - CNS)

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 10/27. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SYD — CNS
Sep 15 — Sep 221
Tue 9/15
Tue 9/22
1 adult, Economy
We work with more than 300 partners to bring you better travel deals

Find cheap flights from Sydney to Cairns with Cheapflights

1. Tell us where you want to go

Enter your travel information like dates, passengers, trip type (one-way or round trip), and preferred cabin class then click “Find deals”

2. Select your favorite providers

We find the providers serving your travel needs. Choose up to four travel providers to compare side-by-side for flights, hotels, or car rentals.

3. Compare prices and book

Review each provider’s pricing and select the best option for you! Book through your favorite provider’s website for a seamless experience.
Cheapflights Tip: The best prices from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns are usually found in January or March, booked 73 days in advance, depart on a Tuesday or Wednesday and return on a Friday

Cheap flight deals from Sydney to Cairns

Cheapest flights from Sydney to Cairns
Explore the most affordable flight options available from Sydney to Cairns. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on August 16, 2026.

This Jetstar deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/14. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Jetstar is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 9/127:15 pm -
Nonstop3h 10m
Sat 9/266:45 am -
Nonstop3h 00m
Deal found 8/14$158
This Jetstar deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/14. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Jetstar is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 9/126:10 am -
Nonstop3h 10m
Thu 9/247:10 pm -
Nonstop2h 55m
Deal found 8/14$159
This Jetstar deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/11. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Jetstar is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 9/123:15 pm -
Nonstop3h 10m
Wed 9/166:45 am -
Nonstop3h 00m
Deal found 8/11$160
This Jetstar deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/11. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Jetstar is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sun 9/66:10 am -
Nonstop3h 10m
Wed 9/97:10 pm -
Nonstop2h 55m
Deal found 8/11$161
This Jetstar deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/14. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Jetstar is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 10/126:05 pm -
Nonstop3h 10m
Thu 10/156:10 pm -
Nonstop2h 55m
Deal found 8/14$162
This Jetstar deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/14. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Jetstar is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 9/147:15 pm -
Nonstop3h 10m
Thu 9/177:10 pm -
Nonstop2h 55m
Deal found 8/14$163
This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/13. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 10/108:15 pm -
Nonstop3h 10m
Wed 10/146:10 pm -
Nonstop2h 55m
Deal found 8/13$167
This Jetstar deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/12. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Jetstar is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 9/97:15 pm -
Nonstop3h 10m
Sat 9/126:45 am -
Nonstop3h 00m
Deal found 8/12$169
This Jetstar deal was found by Cheapflights users on 8/11. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Jetstar is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Fri 9/113:15 pm -
Nonstop3h 10m
Thu 9/177:10 pm -
Nonstop2h 55m
Deal found 8/11$170

Find flight deals from Sydney to Cairns

Discover tips and strategies to find the most affordable flight options for your journey from Sydney (SYD) to Cairns (CNS). Learn about various techniques such as flexible date searches, comparing prices across and setting up price alerts. Use these methods to find the cheapest flights available for your travel needs. Data last updated August 16, 2026.

Most accurate provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Most trusted provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Round-trip from

$158
(Jetstar)

One-way from

$91
(Jetstar)

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

January

Average price

$212

Good round-trip deal

$238 or less

Good one-way deal

$120 or less
Provider with most accurate pricing for Sydney Kingsford Smith-Cairns flight deals.
Search Deals
Provider most trusted by Cheapflights users for Sydney Kingsford Smith-Cairns flights.
Search Deals
From Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns
Search Deals
One-way flight from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 0% potential increase in price ($2 potential increase over avg. RT price).
Search Deals
Cheapest flight prices on average. 1% potential price decrease ($3 potential savings vs. average RT price).
Search Deals
Average for round-trip flights in August 2026
Search Deals
Price to beat on a round-trip flight from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns.
Search Deals
Price to beat on a one-way flight from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns.
Search Deals

Cheapflights Fare Finder

 
Customize your flight search to find flights from Sydney to Cairns that fit within your specific budget. Explore options based on user searches and filter the results based on your desired price range. Find flights that match your budget for a cost-effective journey. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated August 16, 2026.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights from Sydney to Cairns that are best for you.

Fly from

Fly to

Route

Depart

Return

Price

Cheapest round-trip
Quickest round-trip

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Fri 9/4

7:15 pm-10:25 pm

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Tue 9/8

7:10 pm-10:05 pm

Nonstop2h 55m

$174

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 9/17

6:10 am-9:20 am

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Mon 9/21

7:10 pm-10:05 pm

Nonstop2h 55m

$174

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 9/6

6:10 am-9:20 am

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Fri 9/11

3:35 pm-6:30 pm

Nonstop2h 55m

$183

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Tue 10/13

8:15 pm-10:25 pm

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Tue 10/20

6:10 pm-10:05 pm

Nonstop2h 55m

$183

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Tue 9/8

7:15 pm-10:25 pm

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Sat 9/12

6:45 am-9:45 am

Nonstop3h 00m

$183

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 9/13

6:10 am-9:20 am

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Sun 9/20

7:10 pm-10:05 pm

Nonstop2h 55m

$201

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Wed 9/2

7:15 pm-10:25 pm

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Mon 9/7

6:45 am-9:45 am

Nonstop3h 00m

$224

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 11/2

6:00 pm-11:05 pm

1 stop6h 05m

Cairns

Fri 11/6

5:35 pm-9:35 pm

Nonstop3h 00m

$261

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 10/17

7:00 am-11:10 am

1 stop5h 10m

Cairns

Mon 10/19

9:20 am-5:40 pm

1 stop7h 20m

$306

SydneyCairns

SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith - CNS Cairns

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 2/11

7:00 pm-11:05 pm

1 stop5h 05m

Cairns

Mon 2/15

9:15 am-5:40 pm

1 stop7h 25m

$306

Flights are sorted by cheapest round-trip flights first.

Deals found on 8/15

Showing 1-10 of 19 resultsSorted by cheapest first
1
2

Compare providers for flights from Sydney to Cairns

Provider information is updated monthly. Please note that these providers often have deals for this flight, but the availability may vary on a day-by-day basis on Cheapflights.
Use the table below to compare price accuracy, trust ratings, and cancellation policies for each provider offering flight deals from Sydney to Cairns in August.
ProviderPrice AccuracyTrust Score*
FlightHubPrice Accuracy3 starsTrust Score*3 stars
eDreamsPrice Accuracy2 starsTrust Score*3 stars
OneTravelPrice Accuracy2 starsTrust Score*3 stars

*The Trust Score is based on feedback from users after their booking experience. It measures overall satisfaction, helping us identify issues like hidden fees, problems during the ticketing process, and the quality of customer service. This score is our best indicator of the provider's quality and reliability.

  • Most accurate provider: When it comes to deals on Sydney-Cairns flights, users find the pricing of FlightHub to be most consistent on Cheapflights vs. FlightHub Users can find the same prices on Sydney-Cairns flight deals on Cheapflights vs. FlightHub >95% of the time. Price accuracy is based on data collected from Sydney-Cairns flight searches over the past month and is updated monthly.
  • Most trusted provider: When it comes to deals on Sydney-Cairns flights, Cheapflights users trust FlightHub the most. FlightHub has received a user feedback score of 3 out of 3 stars (3 being the best), meaning they have been trusted the most by Cheapflights users looking for Sydney-Cairns flight deals. Provider user feedback score is based on Cheapflights searches over the past month and is updated monthly.

Best time to book a flight from Sydney to Cairns

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Cairns from Sydney with our price prediction graph.
Estimated round-trip price
Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Cheapflights Insights

Everything you need to know about your flight from Sydney to Cairns

How far ahead should I book a flight from Sydney to Cairns?

To ensure you get the cheapest price possible for a flight from Sydney to Cairns, you should look to book at least 72 days in advance of your intended travel date. The price of your flight may increase if you delay and leave booking until a week or so before departure.

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Sydney to Cairns?

Currently, January is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Sydney to Cairns (average of $190). Flying from Sydney to Cairns in December is currently the most expensive (average of $262). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from SYD to CNS?

Find hourly flight availability from Sydney to Cairns. Discover flight options and departure times throughout the day, allowing you to choose a departure time that suits your schedule. Data last updated August 16, 2026.

A simple way to save on the total cost of your ticket is to fly from Sydney to Cairns in the evening. If you’re flexible enough to do this you can expect to save up to 27% on your trip compared to booking a flight at noon.

What is the cheapest day to fly from Sydney to Cairns?

Use this chart to determine the cheapest time to fly round-trip from Sydney to Cairns. Price data was last updated on August 8, 2026.

Travelers seeking maximum savings on their Sydney to Cairns flight should consider departing on Sunday evenings when fares are most often at their lowest. Sunday at noon flights should be avoided if possible as fares are typically the most expensive at this time.

How much does it cost to fly round-trip from Sydney to Cairns?

Airfare is below average for this route at the moment.

Sydney to Cairns flights typically cost between $168 and $270 in September.
The cheapest round-trip price found within the last 5 days was $158 on Jetstar (Sep 12-Sep 26).

Reviews of airlines servicing Cairns

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to Cairns. Read reviews, discover amenities, and learn about the overall travel experience offered by airlines. Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to Cairns. Reviews last updated August 16, 2026.
Read reviews from past customers who have flown Virgin Australia,Qantas Airways, andJetstar from Sydney to Cairns. Users can see the overall rating for each airline as well as how each is rated in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
Virgin Australia
7.6
Good
470 reviews

Food

6.4

Entertainment

6.4

Boarding

7.8

Comfort

7.5

Overall

7.6

Crew

8.2

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Elio,Jan 2026

MEL - ADL

Starting to be as efficient as qantas… bar the food offerings Virgin is up there now
Virgin Australia
7.6
Good
470 reviews
Virgin Australia
7.6
Good
470 reviews

Food

6.4

Entertainment

6.4

Boarding

7.8

Comfort

7.5

Overall

7.6

Crew

8.2

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Elio,Jan 2026

MEL - ADL

Starting to be as efficient as qantas… bar the food offerings Virgin is up there now
Qantas Airways
7.5
Good
1,082 reviews
Virgin Australia
7.6
Good
470 reviews

Food

6.4

Entertainment

6.4

Boarding

7.8

Comfort

7.5

Overall

7.6

Crew

8.2

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Elio,Jan 2026

MEL - ADL

Starting to be as efficient as qantas… bar the food offerings Virgin is up there now
Jetstar
6.5
Okay
567 reviews
Virgin Australia
7.6
Good
470 reviews

Food

6.4

Entertainment

6.4

Boarding

7.8

Comfort

7.5

Overall

7.6

Crew

8.2

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Elio,Jan 2026

MEL - ADL

Starting to be as efficient as qantas… bar the food offerings Virgin is up there now

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from Sydney to Cairns. Access travel guides, tips, and recommendations to enhance your travel experience. Get information about local attractions, weather, transportation options, and more.

  • What airports do I use to fly from Sydney to Cairns?

    If you book a flight from Sydney to Cairns, you will be flying from Kingsford Smith to Cairns. Flights to Cairns (CNS) from Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) take 3h 05m for a nonstop flight. There are 31 flights from Kingsford Smith to Cairns per day from 3 airlines.

  • How popular is this Sydney to Cairns flight route?

    Flights from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns have been viewed 7 times in the past calendar month.

  • How long is the flight from Sydney to Cairns?

    For as low as $174, Jetstar can have you in Cairns from Sydney in 3h 10m. There are 1224 mi between Sydney and Cairns. Generally, flights for this route are nonstop.

  • What are the cheapest airlines flying from Sydney to Cairns round-trip?

    Currently priced at $136, Jetstar will fly you from Sydney to Cairns and back. In addition to Jetstar, many other airlines offer competitively priced options for your trip. Search Cheapflights for deals from Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways - these airlines can fly you to your destination from $142 and $239, respectively. These flights start at 40% lower than the current average price 3 months from now.

  • What are the cheapest airlines to fly from Sydney to Cairns one-way?

    For one-way options, check prices for Jetstar. According to our data, you can fly for as low as $71. Users have also found prices from $92 and $134 on Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways, respectively.

  • What are the most reliable airlines from Sydney to Cairns?

    Looking for the most reliable airlines to get you to your destination on time? Our data shows these are most likely to get you from Sydney to Cairns on time: Air India (91%), Virgin Australia (86%), Emirates (82%).

  • What are the cheapest flights from Sydney to Cairns?

    Looking at all options, your cheapest flight can be booked for $90. While the most popular route (Sydney Kingsford Smith - Cairns) can be booked for $177 on average, our data indicates $291 when flying from Sydney to Cairns.

  • Can I find deals for flights from Sydney to Cairns that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on Sydney to Cairns flights, Cheapflights offers vacation packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from Sydney to Cairns?

    After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from Sydney to Cairns.

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from Sydney to Cairns?

    Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from Sydney to Cairns by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

  • What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Sydney to Cairns?

    Currently, January is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Sydney to Cairns (average of $190). Flying from Sydney to Cairns in December is currently the most expensive (average of $262). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

Toggle through the tabs below to find thousands of options on Cheapflights for your next trip.

Alternative routes for Sydney to Cairns

See prices for flight routes from nearby airports that may be better suited for you.
Sydney to Brisbane flights
Sydney to Coolangatta flights
Sydney to Proserpine flights

Top 3 airlines flying from Sydney to Cairns

Discover the top 3 airlines that operate flights from Sydney to Cairns. Compare their services, reliability, and customer satisfaction ratings to choose the airline that best suits your travel preferences and needs. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated August 16, 2026.
AirlineCheapestAverageFlexibilityOn-time
JetstarCheapest$136Average$229FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time74%
Virgin AustraliaCheapest$142Average$277FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time80%
Qantas AirwaysCheapest$239Average$383FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time74%

100% Free

Cheapflights is completely free to use, so you can start saving the moment you arrive.

Book with Flexibility

Our users can plan ahead with confidence and find flights with no change fees

Travel Smart

Millions of people come to us for their flight needs every year. We help make travel planning easy by providing useful insights and data-driven graphs that can inform your decisions.
Site
©2026 Cheapflights