Darwin & the Top End Holidays

This full-day trip from Darwin explores Litchfield National Park, an area known for its waterfalls, swimming holes and woodland landscapes. Travelling by road with a guide, you’ll visit several of the park’s main falls, stop for short walks, and have time to swim when conditions allow. It’s one of the easiest ways to experience the Top End’s scenery in a single day, without long drives or complicated logistics.

You’ll leave the city heading south along the Stuart Highway, passing through the small township of Batchelor before arriving at Litchfield National Park. The first stop is Florence Falls. A short, scenic walk takes you through bushland and monsoon vine forest before twin cascades come into view. At the bottom, a clear plunge pool waits below the falls. If conditions allow, you can take a swim here by descending the steps and straight into cool water.

From here, you’ll continue to Tolmer Falls. There’s no swimming at this stop, but the view more than makes up for it. From the lookout, you’ll watch water drop into a deep gorge below, framed by rugged rock and open forest. Wangi Falls is broader and more open than the earlier stops, with a large, clear pool surrounded by rainforest.

A visit to Litchfield wouldn’t be complete without seeing the park’s famous termite mounds: the Magnetic termite mounds which stand up to two metres high and are carefully aligned north to south to help regulate temperature, and the Cathedral termite mounds that rise even higher, reaching over three metres.

• Start time: 6.30am
• Duration: full day 
• Departs daily from January and May to September and Monday, Thursday and Saturday from October to December and March to April
• Group experience\

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This is a long, full-day out from Darwin that combines big landscapes, Aboriginal culture and wildlife. You’ll travel well over 500 kilometres by coach, explore key areas of Kakadu National Park with a guide, take a wildlife cruise on Yellow Water Billabong, and walk to important rock art sites. It’s a rewarding experience if you’re happy with a full itinerary, but it’s not a quick highlights trip or a light wander.

You’ll leave Darwin early and head east along the Arnhem Highway, crossing wide river systems and seasonal wetlands as the scenery opens out. Around 155 miles from the city, you’ll reach Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage-listed area roughly the size of Wales. The first stop is the Warradjan Cultural Centre. Here, you’ll take time to understand the traditions, stories and way of life of the Aboriginal people of Kakadu.

One of the day’s highlights comes next with a cruise on Yellow Water Billabong. Moving slowly through the wetlands, you’ll look out for saltwater crocodiles, water buffalo, and an impressive variety of birdlife. After lunch you’ll head to Burrungkuy, also known as Nourlangie. With your driver guide leading the way, you’ll walk beneath the escarpment to view rock art sites that date back thousands of years. If you’d like to see the park from above, there’s also the option to take a scenic flight at your own expense.

• Start time: 6.30am
• Departs Tuesday, Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from October to April
• Daily departures from May to September
• Group experience

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