There are 2 ways to get from Cairns to Sandakan by plane or bus
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly to Sandakan Airport
best- Fly from Cairns (CNS) to Sandakan Airport (SDK)plane CNS - SDK
18h 48mRM 1,401–7,683Fly to Kota Kinabalu Airport, bus
- Fly from Cairns (CNS) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI)plane CNS - BKI
- Take the bus from Kota Kinabalu North Bus Terminal Inanam to Sandakanbus
25h 2mRM 1,812–4,368
Cairns (CNS) to Sandakan Airport (SDK) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cairns to Sandakan is to fly and bus which costs RM 1800 - RM 4400 and takes 25h 2m.
The fastest way to get from Cairns to Sandakan is to fly which takes 18h 48m and costs RM 1400 - RM 8000.
The distance between Cairns and Sandakan is 3978 km.
It takes approximately 18h 48m to get from Cairns to Sandakan, including transfers.
Sandakan is 2h behind Cairns. It is currently 9:21 AM in Cairns and 7:21 AM in Sandakan.
There are 213+ hotels available in Sandakan.
What companies run services between Cairns, QLD, Australia and Sandakan, Malaysia?
Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and three other airlines fly from Cairns (CNS) to Sandakan Airport (SDK) twice daily.
- Website
- singaporeair.com
Flights from Cairns to Sandakan Airport via Singapore Changi, Kuala Lumpur
- Ave. Duration
- 25h 30m
- When
- Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,400–8,500
Flights from Cairns to Kota Kinabalu Airport via Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 17h 47m
- When
- Tuesday, Sunday, Monday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,400–8,000
- Phone
- +60 198072570
- Website
- redbus.my
Bus from Kota Kinabalu North Bus Terminal Inanam to Sandakan
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- RM 40–65
- Schedules at
- facebook.com
- Book at
- facebook.com
Want to know more about travelling around Malaysia
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