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
20h 48mRM 1,551–4,626Fly 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 1,781–4,389
Cairns (CNS) to Sandakan Airport (SDK) flights
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Cairns to Sandakan is to fly which costs RM 1500 - RM 4700 and takes 20h 48m.
The fastest way to get from Cairns to Sandakan is to fly which takes 20h 48m and costs RM 1500 - RM 4700.
The distance between Cairns and Sandakan is 3978 km.
It takes approximately 20h 48m to get from Cairns to Sandakan, including transfers.
Sandakan is 2h behind Cairns. It is currently 6:27 PM in Cairns and 4:27 PM in Sandakan.
There are 215+ hotels available in Sandakan.
What companies run services between Cairns, QLD, Australia and Sandakan, Malaysia?
Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and four other airlines fly from Cairns (CNS) to Sandakan Airport (SDK) twice daily.
- Website
- airasia.com
Flights from Cairns to Sandakan Airport via Singapore Changi, Kota Kinabalu Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 55m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,300–8,000
Flights from Cairns to Sandakan Airport via Ngurah Rai, Kuala Lumpur
- Ave. Duration
- 28h 5m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,500–4,600
Flights from Cairns to Sandakan Airport via Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 25m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,700–7,000
Flights from Cairns to Sandakan Airport via Darwin, Singapore Changi, Kota Kinabalu Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 28h 25m
- When
- Monday
- Estimated price
- RM 2,000–7,500
- 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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