Best time to go: what is the RIGHT price for a round-trip flight to Cairns (from: Sydney)

The average price to go to Cairns from Sydney airport is $ 223 (round trip). However, there are variations depending on the departure month. Thus, it is possible to pay for your plane ticket on average between $ 195 (in march) and $ 271 (in july), which is a saving of $ 28 or a surplus of $ 49 (compared to the average price) depending on the period you leave.

The analysis of all the prices reveals that the most frequent price is between $159 to $211 and that it is generally more economical to leave on a wednesday and return on a wednesday on a direct flight.

Be careful, the cheapest months may correspond to unfavorable weather periods . Check out our page best time to go to Cairns before booking your flight.

If you want to know when to book your flight at the best price, go straight to the second part of this page: When to buy your Sydney-Cairns plane ticket.

How are these data calculated?

We have studied a sample of 60009 airfare prices from previous years for flights to Cairns from Sydney and can thus establish precise and credible price variation trends based on different parameters. Of course, prices can vary from year to year, but the seasonal aspect of this data (recurrence of school holidays, events... from year to year) makes these statistics quite reliable.

Average price depending on the departure month

Data analysis:

By leaving in march, the price of the plane ticket will statistically be the cheapest ($ 195, saving $ 28 compared to the average price over the year which is $ 223). Conversely, july will be the most expensive ($ 271).

Flight Sydney-Cairns: when is the best time to go for the best price?

Month Good price* Average price Our opinion
January$ 204 $ 247 fair price
February$ 179 $ 208 good price
March$ 174 $ 195 very good price
April$ 206 $ 240 fair price
May$ 174 $ 198 good price
June$ 180 $ 216 fair price
July$ 230 $ 271 very high price
August$ 179 $ 198 good price
September$ 175 $ 207 good price
October$ 183 $ 215 fair price
November$ 181 $ 202 good price
December$ 215 $ 270 high price

*great price to buy your plane ticket: if you see this price or cheaper during your flight search, go for it and buy it!

Price breakdown to travel from Sydney to Cairns

Data analysis:

The prices for flights from Sydney to Cairns range from $106 to $422. 8% of tickets were purchased at the minimum price (from $106 to $159), 3% at the maximum price (from $369 to $422). The majority of plane tickets were purchased in the range of $159 to $211 (53% of tickets).

Cheapest airlines for the Sydney->Cairns flight

There are 3 companies that serve Sydney from Cairns airport: Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas.

Data analysis:

Of the 60009 flights analyzed in previous years, Jetstar was the airline that offered the best fare most often in the flight ticket search results (71% of the time) on the Sydney->Cairns route.

Which day of the week to leave?

Data analysis:

Statistically, Sydney-Cairns flights departing on a wednesday are cheaper than on other days of the week. By choosing a wednesday as your departure date, you can save an average of $4. On the other hand, departing on a saturday may cost you an additional $5.

Which day of the week to come back?

Data analysis:

Statistically, return flights from Cairns to Sydney departing on a wednesday are cheaper than on other days of the week. By choosing a wednesday for your return date, you will save an average of $8. Conversely, departing from Cairns on a saturday may cost you an additional $6.


Top prices Sydney-Cairns

Round tripDatesPrice
Sydney → Cairns10-12 to 16-12-2024$ 133 
Sydney → Cairns11-02 to 18-02-2025$ 136 
Sydney → Cairns15-02 to 19-02-2025$ 136 
Sydney → Cairns15-05 to 20-05-2025$ 136 
Sydney → Cairns02-06 to 11-06-2025$ 136 
Sydney → Cairns06-08 to 13-08-2025$ 136 
Sydney → Cairns20-08 to 28-08-2025$ 136 
Sydney → Cairns01-09 to 07-09-2025$ 136 
Sydney → Cairns09-09 to 13-09-2025$ 136 
Sydney → Cairns11-09 to 16-09-2025$ 136 


When to book your flight Sydney - Cairns to get the cheapest price?

Statistically, you will make the biggest savings by buying your plane ticket between 3 to 4 months in advance. However, you may end up paying a high price if you book between 11 to 12 months in advance.

Did you know: the price of plane tickets not only varies depending on how far in advance you book, but also on the day of the week you book! So, to maximize your chances of getting the best price for a Sydney-Cairns flight, it is recommended to book your ticket on .

How far in advance should I buy my flight?

Data analysis:

To get the cheapest flight ticket from Sydney to Cairns, it is recommended to buy it 3 to 4 months before departure (it is then on average 204 $, which is a saving of 19 $ compared to the overall average price). On the other hand, if you buy your ticket 11 to 12 months in advance, you will pay the full price (116 $ more than the average price).

Depending on the departure month

The best time to buy your Sydney to Cairns flight ticket may vary depending on your departure month. Therefore, we offer you statistics on when to book your flight month by month.

Departure on... How far in advance should I book?
January

Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 221 $)

Other interesting period(s): 4 to 5 months ($ 224), 5 to 6 months ($ 241), 7 to 8 months ($ 246), 8 to 9 months ($ 241), 9 to 10 months ($ 227)

February

Best time: 5 to 6 months before departure (average price: 176 $)

Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 206), 3 to 4 months ($ 208), 4 to 5 months ($ 188), 6 to 7 months ($ 186), 7 to 8 months ($ 190), 8 to 9 months ($ 195), 9 to 10 months ($ 186), 10 to 11 months ($ 195)

March

Best time: 6 to 7 months before departure (average price: 166 $)

Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 187), 4 to 5 months ($ 191), 5 to 6 months ($ 173), 7 to 8 months ($ 181), 8 to 9 months ($ 191), 9 to 10 months ($ 190), 10 to 11 months ($ 195)

April

Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 215 $)

Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 237), 4 to 5 months ($ 231), 5 to 6 months ($ 234), 7 to 8 months ($ 226), 8 to 9 months ($ 237), 9 to 10 months ($ 239)

May

Best time: 8 to 9 months before departure (average price: 170 $)

Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 178), 3 to 4 months ($ 183), 4 to 5 months ($ 181), 5 to 6 months ($ 190), 6 to 7 months ($ 186), 7 to 8 months ($ 179), 9 to 10 months ($ 172)

June

Best time: 9 to 10 months before departure (average price: 181 $)

Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 213), 2 to 3 months ($ 189), 3 to 4 months ($ 191), 4 to 5 months ($ 194), 5 to 6 months ($ 192), 6 to 7 months ($ 203), 7 to 8 months ($ 206), 8 to 9 months ($ 191), 10 to 11 months ($ 198)

July

Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 241 $)

Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 253), 4 to 5 months ($ 249), 5 to 6 months ($ 248), 6 to 7 months ($ 251), 9 to 10 months ($ 260)

August

Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 182 $)

Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 184), 4 to 5 months ($ 184), 5 to 6 months ($ 183), 6 to 7 months ($ 189), 7 to 8 months ($ 189), 8 to 9 months ($ 193), 9 to 10 months ($ 189), 10 to 11 months ($ 194)

September

Best time: 4 to 5 months before departure (average price: 187 $)

Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 189), 2 to 3 months ($ 194), 3 to 4 months ($ 199), 5 to 6 months ($ 187), 6 to 7 months ($ 190), 7 to 8 months ($ 202), 8 to 9 months ($ 198)

October

Best time: 7 to 8 months before departure (average price: 195 $)

Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 201), 3 to 4 months ($ 202), 4 to 5 months ($ 210), 5 to 6 months ($ 201), 6 to 7 months ($ 202), 8 to 9 months ($ 208), 9 to 10 months ($ 207)

November

Best time: 8 to 9 months before departure (average price: 181 $)

Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 184), 3 to 4 months ($ 187), 4 to 5 months ($ 191), 5 to 6 months ($ 198), 6 to 7 months ($ 185), 7 to 8 months ($ 183), 9 to 10 months ($ 193), 10 to 11 months ($ 195)

December

Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 227 $)

Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 244), 2 to 3 months ($ 239), 4 to 5 months ($ 246), 5 to 6 months ($ 258), 6 to 7 months ($ 263), 7 to 8 months ($ 262), 8 to 9 months ($ 260), 9 to 10 months ($ 265)

What day of the week should I book my flight ticket?

Data analysis:

Statistically, tuesday is the day when plane tickets for Sydney->Cairns are the cheapest. So, by buying your plane ticket on a tuesday, you will save $0. Conversely, by buying it on a sunday, you may end up paying $2 more.



Sydney to Cairns: flight price when booking today

Information: this data is not statistics but comes from real prices collected less than 7 days ago. Some months may not be available as we do not have enough data for them.

Month Current price
November 2024$ 423
$248 to $591
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December 2024$ 221
$133 to $437
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January 2025$ 224
$136 to $567
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February 2025$ 157
$136 to $198
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March 2025$ 146
$136 to $167
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April 2025$ 223
$136 to $310
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May 2025$ 153
$136 to $180
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June 2025$ 154
$136 to $188
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July 2025$ 204
$157 to $271
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August 2025$ 153
$136 to $212
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September 2025$ 136
$136 to $136
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October 2025$ 185
$142 to $361
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Data analysis:

Compared to the average price, december, january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september and october are cheaper to travel to Cairns. So it may be interesting to book now to leave during these months!



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