Skip the darkest five weeks of the London winter and spend them in the Australian summer.
Air China flies from London to Melbourne from £480 return, with one stop in Beijing each way and two checked bags included. All the cheap dates leave on Monday 16 November and come back between 23 and 25 December.
✈️ The Deal
- From: London Gatwick, United Kingdom (return to Heathrow)
- To: Melbourne, Australia
- Airline: Air China
- Stops: 1 stop each way (Beijing Capital)
- Price: £480 return
- When: 16 November - 25 December 2026
Example dates:
16/11/2026 - 23/12/2026
16/11/2026 - 24/12/2026
16/11/2026 - 25/12/2026
Claim up to £520 for your delayed or cancelled flight →
The flight leaves Gatwick at 11:35 on Monday 16 November and lands in Melbourne at 16:05 on Wednesday 18 November. The return leaves Melbourne at 20:40 and lands at Heathrow at 17:50 the next day. Leaving a few days earlier or later, or coming back after Christmas, the price jumps to £530 or more.
💰 How far does your money go?
A pint in a Melbourne pub costs about £6.50, about the same as in London. The savings are elsewhere. A flat white from a laneway cafe costs about £2.70, a plate of dumplings in Chinatown is under £6, and trams inside the city centre are free, so there is no daily Oyster bill.
☀️ The Weather
November and December are late spring and early summer in Melbourne. Expect highs of 22°C in November and 25°C by Christmas, with nights around 12-14°C. The city is famous for four seasons in one day, so pack a light jacket. The sun sets after 20:30 in December, so the evenings are long.
🏨 Where to Stay
Stay in the CBD, close to the free tram zone and the laneways.
Holiday Inn Melbourne Bourke Street Mall · 9.1/10 · From £61/night
Central rooms next to the tram lines, within walking distance of most of the CBD.
Laneways by Ovolo · 8.6/10 · From £70/night
Design-led rooms in the laneway network, surrounded by street art and coffee.
QT Melbourne · 9.6/10 · From £140/night
A rooftop terrace and stylish rooms in the heart of the CBD, for the trip of the year.
⏱️ Making the most of your layover in Beijing
On the way out you have 19h55 in Beijing, from early morning until the evening, so there is time to see the city. On the way back the stop is 8h50. Both stops are at Beijing Capital airport. British passport holders can usually use China's visa-free transit when flying on to a third country, but check the rules before you fly and be back at the airport 3 hours before your next flight.
Great Wall layover tour from Beijing Capital: A guided trip from the airport to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, with the cable car and transfers both ways.
Hutong layover tour: A private tour from the airport to the old lanes and courtyard houses of central Beijing.
If you'd rather rest:
Jinjiang Inn Beijing Capital Airport · 8.8/10 · From £30/night
A simple, clean hotel about 1 km from Beijing Capital airport, for a few hours of sleep.
🎯 What to Do
Melbourne is coffee and laneways in the city, with some of Australia's best coastline and wildlife a day trip away.
Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles: A full-day coastal tour past surf beaches and rainforest to the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles.
Phillip Island Penguin Parade: Watch little penguins waddle ashore at sunset, with koalas, kangaroos and Brighton's beach huts on the way.
Yarra Valley wine tour: A day of tastings at Yarra Valley wineries, with lunch, about an hour from the city.
Puffing Billy steam train: A century-old steam train through the tall forests of the Dandenong Ranges.
🗺️ Where to Go From Here
Five weeks is enough time to see more of Australia.
Hobart, Tasmania: Mountains, wild coastline and the MONA museum, about 1h15 by air. Search flights
Sydney: The harbour, the Opera House and Bondi Beach, about 1h30 by air. Search flights
Adelaide: Barossa Valley wine and Kangaroo Island, about 1h20 by air. Search flights
Cairns: The Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest, about 3h15 by air. Search flights
£480 return to Melbourne with two bags, for five weeks of summer before Christmas. Only one departure date at this price.
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