How long is the flight from San Francisco to Cairns?

Airlines like Qantas Airways, Air New Zealand, and United Airlines fly from San Francisco to Cairns in about 22h 50m. The time it takes to get you to your destination can typically vary by up to 4h 05m. The distance from San Francisco to Cairns is about 11296 km. When browsing for deals, the options you’ll see will be for both direct flights and flights with stops.

In terms of precipitation, rainfall in Cairns ranges from 20.0 - 430.0 inches per month. March is typically the wettest month, when rainfall can reach 430.0 mm. July is typically the driest time to visit Cairns when rainfall is around 20.0 mm.

If weather is an important factor for your trip to Cairns, use this chart to help with planning. For those seeking warmer temperatures, January is the ideal time of year to visit, when temperatures reach an average of 27.0 C. Travellers hoping to avoid the cold should look outside of June, when temperatures are typically at their lowest (around 21.0 C).

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

When flying from San Francisco to Cairns, the time of day you decide to fly out makes little to no difference towards the overall price you’ll pay on tickets.

Can I find deals for flights from San Francisco to Cairns that include hotel bookings?

Yes. In addition to deals on San Francisco to Cairns flights, Cheapflights offers holiday packages that include both flights and hotel.

How can I find direct flights from San Francisco to Cairns?

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

Can I find deals for business class flights from San Francisco to Cairns?

Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from San Francisco 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.

$1,045+ Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Cairns

Cheap flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns

Enter your travel dates to find the best prices.

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Cheapest flights from San Francisco to Cairns
Explore the most affordable flight options available from San Francisco to Cairns. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 7 October 2026.

Sat 17/1023:10 -

1 stop19h 30m

Sat 31/1012:35 -

1 stop18h 00m

Deal found 6/10$1,772

Tue 17/1118:53 -

2 stops27h 57m

Tue 24/1106:00 -

2 stops25h 51m

Deal found 3/10$1,885

Thu 22/1018:33 -

2 stops26h 07m

Mon 16/1106:00 -

2 stops25h 51m

Deal found 5/10$1,979

Sat 17/1023:10 -

1 stop19h 30m

Sat 31/1012:35 -

2 stops21h 25m

Deal found 6/10$2,005

Tue 17/1116:25 -

3 stops28h 30m

Tue 24/1106:00 -

3 stops35h 06m

Deal found 3/10$2,313

Sun 6/1215:35 -

1 stop43h 00m

Mon 28/1212:35 -

2 stops25h 15m

Deal found 6/10$2,429

Mon 7/1215:35 -

1 stop43h 00m

Mon 28/1212:35 -

2 stops25h 15m

Deal found 6/10$2,458

Thu 22/1012:28 -

2 stops28h 17m

Mon 16/1117:40 -

3 stops44h 18m

Deal found 5/10$2,471

Sun 6/1219:50 -

2 stops27h 00m

Sun 27/1215:40 -

2 stops33h 25m

Deal found 6/10$2,510

Find flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns

Round-trip from	$1,879
One-way from	$952

6/2-23/2
4 total stops
51h 52m total
San Francisco to Cairns

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5/1-31/12
2 total stops
28h 41m total
San Francisco to Cairns

Search Deals

Cheapflights Fare Finder

Use the filters below to find and compare flights from San Francisco to Cairns that are best for you.

Fly from

Fly to

Route

Depart

Return

Price

Cheapest return flight

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Fri 23/10

08:58-10:15

2 stops32h 17m

Cairns

Wed 31/12

00:00-06:00

Nonstop0h 00m

$1,045

Fastest return journey

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Fri 23/10

21:30-11:50

1 stop21h 20m

Cairns

Wed 31/12

00:00-06:00

Nonstop0h 00m

$1,787

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Tue 17/11

12:00-11:50

2 stops29h 50m

Cairns

Tue 24/11

18:05-15:55

1 stop39h 50m

$2,398

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Sun 28/3

21:30-13:50

1 stop23h 20m

Cairns

Thu 1/4

11:35-22:41

2 stops28h 06m

$2,449

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Thu 22/10

23:05-14:55

1 stop22h 50m

Cairns

Mon 16/11

06:00-06:30

1 stop18h 30m

$2,899

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Sun 28/3

22:25-17:05

1 stop25h 40m

Cairns

Thu 1/4

18:00-09:50

1 stop32h 50m

$2,991

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Thu 10/12

23:05-14:00

1 stop20h 55m

Cairns

Mon 28/12

06:00-06:30

1 stop18h 30m

$3,358

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Wed 9/12

23:05-14:00

1 stop20h 55m

Cairns

Wed 30/12

19:50-08:10

1 stop30h 20m

$3,894

San FranciscoCairns

SFO San Francisco - CNS Cairns

SFOCNS

San Francisco

Sat 12/12

23:35-19:05

1 stop25h 30m

Cairns

Thu 31/12

06:00-06:30

1 stop18h 30m

$4,260

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 2/10

Sorted by cheapest first

Best time to book a flight from San Francisco to Cairns

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Cairns from San Francisco with our price prediction graph.

SFO-CNS

Estimated return 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 San Francisco to Cairns

How often are flights from San Francisco to Cairns delayed?

About 15% of weekly flights between San Francisco and Cairns have experienced delays in the past year, with the average delay time being 184 minutes.

What is the most punctual flight time for San Francisco to Cairns flights?

Historically, flights departing in the morning are less likely to be delayed, whereas flights leaving in the early afternoon tend to experience delays more often.

What day of the week experiences the fewest flight delays on this route?

Sunday tends to have the lowest number of delays on this route, whereas Friday has historically faced a higher average of delays compared to other days of the week.

Which airline has the best punctuality record on San Francisco to Cairns flights?

Over the past year, China Eastern have had the lowest number of delays on this route, with just 14% of flights being delayed.

Related info for your journey

How long is the flight from San Francisco to Cairns?
Airlines like Qantas Airways, Air New Zealand, and United Airlines fly from San Francisco to Cairns in about 22h 50m. The time it takes to get you to your destination can typically vary by up to 4h 05m. The distance from San Francisco to Cairns is about 11296 km. When browsing for deals, the options you’ll see will be for both direct flights and flights with stops.
Can I find deals for flights from San Francisco to Cairns that include hotel bookings?
Yes. In addition to deals on San Francisco to Cairns flights, Cheapflights offers holiday packages that include both flights and hotel.
How can I find direct flights from San Francisco to Cairns?
After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from San Francisco to Cairns.
Can I find deals for business class flights from San Francisco to Cairns?
Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from San Francisco 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.

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Cheap flights from San Francisco to Cairns from $1,045

This is the cheapest retur flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 23/10. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.

Cheap flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns

Cheapest flights from San Francisco to CairnsExplore the most affordable flight options available from San Francisco to Cairns. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 7 October 2026.

Explore the most affordable flight options available from San Francisco to Cairns. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 7 October 2026.

Best flights from San Francisco to CairnsDiscover carefully curated flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 7 October 2026.

Discover carefully curated flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 7 October 2026.

Last-minute flights from San Francisco to CairnsDiscover last-minute flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns. Data last updated 7 October 2026 and is based on user searches.

Discover last-minute flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns. Data last updated 7 October 2026 and is based on user searches.

One-way flights from San Francisco to CairnsSearch for one-way flight options from San Francisco to Cairns. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 7 October 2026.

Search for one-way flight options from San Francisco to Cairns. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 7 October 2026.

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Use the filters below to find and compare flights from San Francisco to Cairns that are best for you.

Best time to book a flight from San Francisco to Cairns

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Cairns from San Francisco with our price prediction graph.

Cheapflights Insights

How often are flights from San Francisco to Cairns delayed?

About 15% of weekly flights between San Francisco and Cairns have experienced delays in the past year, with the average delay time being 184 minutes.

What is the most punctual flight time for San Francisco to Cairns flights?

Historically, flights departing in the morning are less likely to be delayed, whereas flights leaving in the early afternoon tend to experience delays more often.

What day of the week experiences the fewest flight delays on this route?

Sunday tends to have the lowest number of delays on this route, whereas Friday has historically faced a higher average of delays compared to other days of the week.

Which airline has the best punctuality record on San Francisco to Cairns flights?

Over the past year, China Eastern have had the lowest number of delays on this route, with just 14% of flights being delayed.

Related info for your journey

How long is the flight from San Francisco to Cairns?

Can I find deals for flights from San Francisco to Cairns that include hotel bookings?

How can I find direct flights from San Francisco to Cairns?

Can I find deals for business class flights from San Francisco to Cairns?

Travelling to a place near Cairns?

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Alternative routes for San Francisco to Cairns

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Other flights to Cairns

Explore flights to Cairns departing from other origins. Flights are based on user searches made on Cheapflights and were last updated on 7 October 2026.

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San Francisco and Cairns flights

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Cheapest flights from San Francisco to Cairns
Explore the most affordable flight options available from San Francisco to Cairns. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 7 October 2026.

Best flights from San Francisco to Cairns
Discover carefully curated flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 7 October 2026.

Last-minute flights from San Francisco to Cairns
Discover last-minute flight deals from San Francisco to Cairns. Data last updated 7 October 2026 and is based on user searches.

One-way flights from San Francisco to Cairns
Search for one-way flight options from San Francisco to Cairns. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 7 October 2026.