Things to do in Northern Territory
60 places worth stopping for and 24 places to stay on a road trip through Northern Territory.
See and do
Viewpoint · Yulara
Uluru
The iconic red monolith, with sunrise, base walks and cultural centre.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Jabiru
Ubirr
Rock art galleries and a sunset lookout over the floodplains.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Jabiru
Jim Jim Falls
Kakadu's tallest falls, reachable only in the dry season by 4WD and a hike.
- Walk
Walk · Yulara
Kata Tjuta (Valley of the Winds)
Domed rock formations with a rewarding walk through the valleys.
- Activity
Activity · Cooinda
Yellow Water cruise
The classic Kakadu wetland boat cruise for birds and crocs.
Lake · Katherine
Nitmiluk Gorge (Katherine Gorge)
Sandstone gorge system you cruise or paddle by boat or canoe.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Wauchope
Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles
Huge granite boulders balanced in a sacred Aboriginal landscape.
- Walk
Walk · Alice Springs
Ormiston Gorge
Red walls, a permanent pool and the classic Ormiston Pound loop.
- Walk
Walk · Watarrka
Kings Canyon Rim Walk
A 6km rim walk past sandstone domes and a leafy waterhole.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Batchelor
Wangi Falls
Big twin waterfalls into a wide pool, the best-known swim in Litchfield.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · JabiruHidden gem
Maguk (Barramundi Gorge)
A clear plunge pool at the end of a bush walk, dry-season only.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · JabiruHidden gem
Twin Falls Gorge
A boat shuttle and boardwalk lead to a dramatic two-fall gorge.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Berry Springs
Territory Wildlife Park
Big bush wildlife park with an aquarium tunnel, aviary and walk-through nocturnal house.
- History
History · Jabiru
Nourlangie Rock (Burrungkuy)
Rock art galleries and sandstone lookouts you can walk in an hour.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Jabiru
Gunlom Falls
Infinity-edge plunge pools on top of the escarpment, with a big view.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Pine CreekHidden gem
Umbrawarra Gorge
A quiet gorge near Pine Creek with a chain of rocky pools in the dry season.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Alice Springs
Alice Springs Desert Park
Desert wildlife and nocturnal animals along a big bush loop.
Walk · Alice Springs
Standley Chasm (Angkerle Atwatye)
A narrow red gorge that glows at midday.
- Walk
Walk · HermannsburgHidden gem
Palm Valley
Prehistoric red-fronded palms in a remote 4WD-only gorge.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Alice SpringsHidden gem
Rainbow Valley
Coloured sandstone cliffs that blaze at sunrise, south of Alice.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Alice SpringsHidden gem
Chambers Pillar
A 50m sandstone pillar that glows red, lit by the setting sun.
Wildlife · Humpty DooHidden gem
Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve
Wetland bird heaven on a causeway, best at dawn and dusk.
Swimming hole · Katherine
Edith Falls (Leliyn)
Big plunge pool and short walk to a second pool, 40 minutes north of Katherine.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Mataranka
Mataranka Thermal Pools
Warm palm-fringed thermal pool in the bush, 34 degrees year round.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Batchelor
Florence Falls
A long set of falls reached by a stair walk down to a big pool.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Batchelor
Buley Rockhole
A chain of rock pools you slide down and swim between.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Alice Springs
Ellery Creek Big Hole
A chilly swimming hole beneath high red cliffs.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Berry Springs
Berry Springs Nature Park
Shady spring-fed pools you can swim in, 45 minutes from Darwin.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Litchfield National ParkHidden gem
Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek)
Quieter plunge pool in Litchfield's west, reached by 4WD track and a short walk.
- History
History · Alice SpringsHidden gem
Arltunga Historical Reserve
Ruins of the Centre's first gold rush town in the East Macs.
- Walk
Walk · Alice SpringsHidden gem
Trephina Gorge Nature Park
Red cliffs, ghost gums and a creek bed good for walking.
- History
History · Alice SpringsHidden gem
N'Dhala Gorge
A rock-art gorge with ancient engravings on rocks, short walk.
- Walk
Walk · Alice SpringsHidden gem
Redbank Gorge
A narrow rocky gorge with cold water, at the foot of Mount Sonder.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · HermannsburgHidden gem
Gosses Bluff (Tnorala)
A ring of hills formed by an ancient asteroid impact.
- Walk
Walk · Kununurra borderHidden gem
Keep River National Park
Red sandstone beehive formations on the WA border, with a quiet walk.
Activity · Darwin
Crocosaurus Cove
Darwin city-centre croc park with a clear-cage swim above the big crocs.
- Museum
Museum · Fannie Bay
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Free museum with Cyclone Tracy exhibit, Aboriginal art and Sweetheart the croc.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · BatchelorHidden gem
Tolmer Falls
A tall, no-swim waterfall viewed from lookouts, with bats in the gorge.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · MatarankaHidden gem
Bitter Springs
A drifting swim down a clear palm-lined spring.
History · Alice Springs
Alice Springs Telegraph Station
The original Alice Springs, with a walk to the waterhole.
- Walk
Walk · Alice Springs
Simpsons Gap
A gap in the range with rock wallabies and a permanent pool.
- History
History · HermannsburgHidden gem
Hermannsburg (Ntaria)
An historic mission with Namatjira's art, a tea room and gallery.
- Town
Town · Daly RiverHidden gem
Daly River
Barra-fishing river community with a mango farm campground.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Glen Helen
Glen Helen Gorge
Wide gorge where the Finke River cuts the range, beside a homestead.
Wildlife · East Point
East Point Reserve
Wallabies at dusk, a sunset lake, bush walks and a swimmable lake.
- Walk
Walk · Mataranka
Elsey National Park
Roper River park around Mataranka with thermal pools, riverside walks and a campground.
- Walk
Walk · Timber CreekHidden gem
Judbarra Gregory National Park
Big, rarely visited park west of the Stuart Highway, with gorges and river camps.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · MatarankaHidden gem
Mataranka Falls (Elsey National Park)
Walk along the Waterhouse River in Elsey National Park to a swimming spot at Mataranka Falls.
- Walk
Walk · JabiruHidden gem
Anbangbang Billabong walk
Easy boardwalk around a quiet billabong full of birds.
- Cave
Cave · KatherineHidden gem
Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park
Guided limestone cave tours south of Katherine.
- Museum
Museum · East Point
Darwin Military Museum
Darwin's WWII story in guns, bunkers and a surprisingly big air-raid display.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · JabiruHidden gem
Mamukala Wetlands
A free birdwatching hide on the wetlands, huge flocks at dry-season dawn.
- History
History · Tennant CreekHidden gem
Tennant Creek Telegraph Station
One of the best-preserved Overland Telegraph stations in the country.
- History
History · Alice SpringsHidden gem
Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve
A cluster of meteorite craters you can walk between.
- History
History · DarwinHidden gem
Charles Darwin National Park and WWII ammunition bunkers
Old WWII oil and ammo bunkers beside a mangrove lookout over the harbour.
- Town
Town · MandorahHidden gem
Mandorah ferry and Crocodile Hotel
A short ferry from Cullen Bay to a laid-back pub with the sunset in front of it.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Mary RiverHidden gem
Mary River National Park
Big-croc wetlands and barra fishing on the Mary River floodplain.
- Museum
Museum · Fannie Bay
Fannie Bay Gaol
A free old jail museum with cells, a gallows and some good Darwin stories.
- Garden
Garden · The Gardens
George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens
Free tropical gardens with orchids, a rainforest and some shade in the middle of town.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Howard SpringsHidden gem
Howard Springs Nature Park
Spring-fed rainforest pool close to Darwin, fed by a clear creek.
Food stops
- Market
Market · Darwin
Mindil Beach Sunset Market
Food stalls, crafts and a sunset on the sand every Thursday and Sunday in the dry.
- Pub
Pub · Daly Waters
Daly Waters Pub
Territory's oldest licence, with bras on the ceiling and a beef and barra dinner.
Market · ParapHidden gem
Parap Village Market
Saturday-morning market known for laksa, fresh tropical fruit and a local crowd.
- Pub
Pub · LarrimahHidden gem
Larrimah Hotel and Pink Panther
A tiny outback town with an old pub and a very big Pink Panther.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Darwin
Stokes Hill Wharf
Fish and chips and cold beers on a working wharf at the end of the city.
- Roadhouse
Roadhouse · Barkly Homestead
Barkly Homestead
The roadhouse stop on the Barkly Highway, 210 km east of Tennant Creek.
- Pub
Pub · Curtin SpringsHidden gem
Curtin Springs roadhouse
Cattle-station roadhouse with a bar, camel burgers and a campground.
- Pub
Pub · Barrow CreekHidden gem
Barrow Creek Hotel
A tiny roadside pub covered in photos, caps and stories.
Pub · Humpty Doo
Humpty Doo Hotel
Top End pub that opened in 1971 and survived Cyclone Tracy.
- Pub
Pub · Adelaide RiverHidden gem
Adelaide River Inn and Charlie the buffalo
A classic roadside pub with a famous stuffed buffalo.
- Pub
Pub · Renner Springs
Renner Springs Desert Hotel
A classic Stuart Highway roadhouse that marks the unofficial line between the Top End and the Centre.
- Café
Café · Ti Tree
Ti Tree roadhouse
A small roadhouse town about half way between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.
Places to stay
- Campground
Campground · Kakadu National Park
Gunlom campground, Kakadu
Camp at the foot of a cliff with infinity pools on top, in the south of Kakadu.
- Campground
Campground · West MacDonnell Ranges
Ormiston Gorge campground
Big-sky camp under glowing red cliffs next to one of the range's best waterholes.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Watarrka National Park
Kings Canyon Resort campground
Camp near the rim walk of Kings Canyon, with a pool and sunset viewing across the plains.
- Campground
Campground · West MacDonnell RangesHidden gem
Redbank Gorge campground
A rocky bush camp at the foot of Mount Sonder, ending in a cold gorge walk.
- Campground
Campground · Litchfield National Park
Wangi Falls campground, Litchfield
Park camp a short walk from a big waterfall plunge pool, two hours south of Darwin.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Mataranka
Mataranka Homestead Tourist Resort
Camp beside a warm spring pool in a palm grove, a classic stop on the drive from Katherine to Darwin.
Campground · Nitmiluk National Park
Edith Falls campground
A grassed camp on a lagoon with a waterfall swimming hole, 40 km north of Katherine.
- Campground
Campground · Tennant Creek region
Karlu Karlu campground (Devils Marbles)
Camp among enormous balanced granite boulders on the Stuart Highway, sacred to local Aboriginal people.
- Campground
Campground · Daly Waters
Daly Waters Historic Pub camping
Camp in the grounds of the Territory's most famous outback pub, dinner and live music included.
- Campground
Campground · Litchfield National Park
Florence Falls campground, Litchfield
Shaded camp above a rainforest plunge pool with a long staircase down to the water.
- Campground
Campground · East MacDonnell RangesHidden gem
Trephina Gorge campground
Quiet camp among river red gums with a gorge walk and rock wallabies.
Campground · West MacDonnell Ranges
Standley Chasm camping
Simple camp by a narrow red chasm that lights up at midday.
Campground · Katherine
Nitmiluk Gorge campground
Riverside camping at the gorge visitor centre with a pool nearby.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Wycliffe Well
Wycliffe Well Holiday Park
The UFO capital: a roadhouse caravan park with alien statues.
- Campground
Campground · Yulara
Ayers Rock Campground
Camp and powered sites within Yulara village for visiting Uluru.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · WatarrkaHidden gem
Kings Creek Station
Station camping near Kings Canyon with camel rides and a cafe.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Cooinda
Cooinda Lodge and campground
Powered sites and a pool next to Yellow Water, handy for the boat tours.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Tennant Creek
Banka Banka Station
Outback station stay between Katherine and Tennant Creek.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Katherine
Springvale Homestead Tourist Park
Grassed caravan and camp sites around an 1880s homestead near Katherine, with a pool and bistro.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Jabiru
Aurora Kakadu Resort
Motel rooms, tent sites and powered and unpowered van sites on the edge of Jabiru, with a pool and restaurant.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Erldunda
Erldunda Desert Oaks Resort
Junction roadhouse with pool and campground, where the Lasseter Highway begins.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Katherine
Riverview Tourist Village
Powered and unpowered sites with motel rooms, cabins and a roadhouse on Victoria Highway.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Katherine
Shady Lane Van Park
Quiet van park on Gorge Road toward Nitmiluk, with a large pool; no pets.
- Holiday park
Holiday park · Katherine
Knotts Crossing Resort
Caravan sites and camping with cabins and motel rooms, two pools, close to Katherine town.
Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
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