$218 Find Cheap Flights from Melbourne to Darwin - Compare and Save

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Melbourne Airport to Darwin:

• Earliest: departs at 9:25 am and lands at 1:57 pm
• Latest: departs at 8:45 pm and lands at 1:17 am.

The flight takes about 4h 32m.

Two cabin classes are available on flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin:

• Economy Class
• Business Class

A nonstop flight from Melbourne Airport to Darwin takes 4h 32m, covering 1,945 miles.

No, a passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Round-trip flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin range from $373 to $572, with an average of $453 over the past 12 months. Anything below $373 counts as a good deal.

Last-minute fares on this route (booked within two weeks of departure) run 29% above the $453 route average. Book 13 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

On this route, nonstop flights are cheaper than layover options on average. Nonstop fares average $446 round-trip, compared to $474 via a layover through Brisbane (BNE).

Virgin Australia is slightly above the route average for timely arrivals, while Qantas Airways has a lower on-time arrival rate. On-time arrival rates on Melbourne Airport to Darwin flights are:

• Virgin Australia: 86% on time
• Qantas Airways: 78% on time
• Jetstar: 67% on time

Overall, flights on this route are punctual 77% of the time on average.

There is no standard. Checked-bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $28–$96 for the first checked bag in economy. Premium fares and elite-status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

The Boeing 737-800 Passenger/BBJ2 (winglets) family is used most often on this route, operated mainly by Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia. Other aircraft seen on the route include Airbus A320-100/200 variants.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Melbourne Airport to Darwin flights, with 50% of flights leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 50%, evening flights for 0%, and night flights for 0%.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, round-trip prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $253 to $1,718. That means the highest observed fare was about 7x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Melbourne Airport to Darwin are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $258, which is 9% below the typical average for this route.

Darwin Airport (DRW) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around $14 for economy cars. Top options include:

• Bargain Car Rentals
• East Coast Car Rentals
• Thrifty
• Budget
• Dollar

Flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin usually depart from Melbourne (MEL) and arrive at Darwin (DRW).

Evening flights have the fewest delays on this route, while afternoon departures tend to have the most.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Melbourne Airport to Darwin route, 23% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 1h 36m.

One-stop flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin most commonly connect through:

• Brisbane (BNE) - 84% of one-stop connections
• Adelaide (ADL) - 9% of one-stop connections
• Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) - 5% of one-stop connections
• Denpasar Bali Ngurah Rai (DPS) - 2% of one-stop connections

Yes. Flexible dates can save you up to 11% on flights from Melbourne Airport to Darwin. Monday is the cheapest departure day at $439 round-trip on average, while Tuesday is the most expensive at $488, a difference of $49.

KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

3 airlines operate flights between Melbourne Airport and Darwin. The airlines offering nonstop flights on this route include:

• Qantas Airways
• Jetstar
• Virgin Australia

Flying via Brisbane (BNE) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 7h 40m, compared with 8h 22m via Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) and 9h 31m via Adelaide (ADL).

Darwin is 1 hour behind Melbourne Airport (Central Australia Time vs Eastern Australia Time). Plan for the time shift when scheduling connections or first-day activities.

Bicentennial Park is one of the most viewed places in Darwin on KAYAK.

Among airlines operating Melbourne Airport to Darwin flights:

• Virgin Australia: offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Jetstar: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• Virgin Australia: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• Qantas Airways: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route and airline, so always check the fare details before booking.

There is no public bus departing directly from Darwin Airport, but within a 5–15min walk, you can board the BusLink to Darwin centre. Tickets for the bus lie at approximately A$ 3–7, depending on how long you want the ticket to be valid. The closest bus stop to the airport is at Charles Eaton Drive, about 5min away.

One who wants to rent a car for their time in Darwin does not have to bother with public transport and can head straight to the many car hire desks in the Arrivals Hall. Just outside the baggage claim area, you find a variety of providers, including Avis, Hertz, and Thrifty, among many others.

Smoking is only permitted in a few areas and not possible once passengers have passed through the security screening. In general, it is difficult to find clearly marked smoking areas throughout the airport building, so it is best-advised to refrain altogether or inquire about safe smoking places at the information desk in the Departures Hall.

Melbourne Tullamarine offers a wide range of shops, including high-street brands like Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Emporio Armani. As part of their Shop & Collect policy, you can leave your purchases at Melbourne Airport and collect them when you return, so you don’t have to account for extra luggage space beforehand.

Darwin International Airport is merely 15min by car away from the centre of Darwin and about 10min from Charles Darwin National Park. The quickest route into the city leads via Bagot Road and Tiger Brennan Drive.