There are 4 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
21h 8mRM 1,478–6,280Fly 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
29h 17mRM 1,580–6,492Fly to Lahad Datu Airport, bus
- Fly from Cairns (CNS) to Lahad Datu Airport (LDU)plane CNS - LDU
- Take the bus from Lahad Datu to Sandakan Centralbus
28h 59mRM 1,608–6,819Fly to Tawau Airport, Minibus, bus
- Fly from Cairns (CNS) to Tawau Airport (TWU)plane CNS - TWU
- Take the bus from Tawau Airport to Sempornabus
- Take the bus from Semporna to Sandakan Centralbus
29h 25mRM 1,823–7,547
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 1400 - RM 6500 and takes 21h 8m.
The fastest way to get from Cairns to Sandakan is to fly which takes 21h 8m and costs RM 1400 - RM 6500.
The distance between Cairns and Sandakan is 3978 km.
It takes approximately 21h 8m to get from Cairns to Sandakan, including transfers.
Sandakan is 2h behind Cairns. It is currently 1:44 AM in Cairns and 11:44 PM in Sandakan.
There are 196+ 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) once daily.
- Website
- airasia.com
Flights from Cairns to Sandakan Airport via Singapore Changi, Kota Kinabalu Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 45m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,400–6,500
Flights from Cairns to Kota Kinabalu Airport via Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 55m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,500–6,500
Flights from Cairns to Tawau Airport via Singapore Changi, Kota Kinabalu Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 30m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,700–7,500
- Website
- maswings.com.my
Flights from Cairns to Lahad Datu Airport via Singapore Changi, Kota Kinabalu Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 23h 21m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Sunday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,500–7,000
- Website
- malaysiaairlines.com
Flights from Cairns to Sandakan Airport via Singapore Changi, Kuala Lumpur
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 45m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,500–7,000
Flights from Cairns to Sandakan Airport via Darwin, Singapore Changi, Kuala Lumpur
- Ave. Duration
- 26h 40m
- When
- Monday and Thursday
- Estimated price
- RM 2,200–7,500
- Website
- singaporeair.com
Flights from Cairns to Kota Kinabalu Airport via Singapore Changi
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 30m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,500–6,500
Flights from Cairns to Tawau Airport via Singapore Changi, Kuala Lumpur
- Ave. Duration
- 25h
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,700–8,000
- Website
- malindoair.com
Flights from Cairns to Tawau Airport via Singapore Changi, Kuala Lumpur
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 5m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- RM 1,700–8,000
- 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
Bus from Lahad Datu to Sandakan Central
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 12m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- RM 34
- Schedules at
- redbus.my
Bus from Semporna to Sandakan Central
- Ave. Duration
- 6h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- RM 61
- Schedules at
- redbus.my
Bus from Tawau Airport to Semporna
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- RM 35
Want to know more about travelling around Malaysia
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
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