NT Road Trips Worth Taking Time Off For

The NT is basically one giant adventure backyard, red gorges, waterfalls, crocs, ancient rock art and outback pubs that feel like something out of a movie. Whether you’ve got a long weekend or a few weeks up your sleeve, here’s where to point the car for an NT road trip you won’t forget.

Quick Hits (2 to 5 days)

Darwin to Litchfield National Park; Ninety minutes from Darwin and packed with swimming holes. Wangi Falls, Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole are all easy walks from the car, and the termite mounds are honestly wild to see up close. Grab a coffee and a feed at the café near Wangi Falls, or book a helicopter flight over the park if you’re feeling flush. Perfect first taste of the Top End if you’re short on time.

Darwin to Kakadu National Park: Three hours up the Arnhem Highway gets you into World Heritage territory. Cruise the East Alligator River and get eyeball to eyeball with a few crocs, check out the rock art at Ubirr, then catch a sunset cruise on Yellow Water Billabong. If caves and culture are more your thing, the Guluyambi Cultural Cruise and Warradjan Cultural Centre are both worth the stop. Give it three or four days if you can, there’s more here than a single day trip can cover.

Darwin to Katherine: Another easy three-hour drive, and this one’s got range. Swim at Katherine Hot Springs or Edith Falls, go underground at Cutta Cutta Caves, or canoe through Nitmiluk Gorge between towering orange cliffs. If you want to make a night of it, book a sunset cruise along the gorge.

Go Bigger (6+ days)

Red Centre Way: A 1,750km sealed loop out of Alice Springs covering Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and the West MacDonnell Ranges. Walk the rim of Kings Canyon, swim at Ellery Creek and Ormiston Gorge along the way, and catch Uluru at sunrise, it changes colour completely depending on the time of day. Camp under a genuinely wild number of stars once you’re near the rock.

Explorers Way: The classic north-south run from Adelaide through to Darwin. If the full length feels like a lot, do it in chunks, Alice to Tennant Creek, or Katherine to Darwin, and stop at the legendary Daly Waters Pub along the way for a beer and some outback history.

Want more remote? If you’re set up for it, the Savannah Way, Binns Track and Arnhem Way push further off the beaten path through savannah woodlands, big rivers and outback history.

Before you go

Sealed roads cover most of the popular routes, so you don’t need a serious rig to see a lot of the NT. For the more remote tracks, do your research on vehicle requirements and permits first.

Whatever route you’re eyeing off, it’s worth sorting your fuel budget before you leave. Tourism NT’s fuel cost planner lets you punch in your route and vehicle type to estimate costs upfront, with live pricing checks through MyFuel NT.

To find the best caravan parks along your NT road trip, Caravanning NT is a great next stop.

This article is inspired by Tourism NT’s guide to the best drive experiences in the NT.

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