Itineraries
Plans that actually fit the driving
Each of these assumes early starts, a midday break, and one hire car. Adjust the swimming stops to whatever Parks and Wildlife has open on the day.
Three days: Darwin city
Enough for the city to make sense, with one big day out.
Day 1 — Harbour and history
Esplanade walk before the heat, WWII oil storage tunnels, lunch at Stokes Hill Wharf, an afternoon in the shade, then a harbour sunset cruise from the Waterfront.
Day 2 — Markets and museums
Parap Village Market laksa if it is Saturday, otherwise the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Botanic Gardens late morning, lagoon swim after lunch, East Point and Lake Alexander at dusk with the wallabies.
Day 3 — Wetlands or wildlife
A dawn drive to Corroboree Billabong for a wetland cruise, or Territory Wildlife Park and Berry Springs. Mindil Beach market in the evening if it is running.
Five days: add Litchfield
The three-day plan plus the drive that most people rate as the best day of their trip.
Day 4 — Litchfield National Park
Leave by seven. Termite mounds, Florence Falls lookout and stairs, Buley Rockhole, lunch at Wangi, Tolmer Falls late afternoon, home for dinner in town.
Day 5 — Slow morning, then choose
Nightcliff foreshore walk and Rapid Creek Market, or a scenic flight, or a half day at Charles Darwin National Park and the Waterfront lagoons.
Seven days: Darwin and Kakadu
Days 1 to 3 — Darwin as above
Day 4 — Arnhem Highway into Kakadu
Stop at the wetlands en route, reach Jabiru by mid afternoon, Bowali visitor centre, then Ubirr for rock art and the Nadab lookout at sunset.
Day 5 — Yellow Water and Burrungkuy
Dawn cruise at Yellow Water, Warradjan cultural centre, Burrungkuy rock art and the Anbangbang billabong walk in the cooler afternoon.
Day 6 — Plunge pool and the southern exit
Maguk or Gunlom if open, then south through Pine Creek and back toward Darwin, or continue to Katherine.
Day 7 — Litchfield on the way home
Batchelor, one or two falls, back into the city by evening.
Ten days: the full Top End loop
Add Nitmiluk Gorge and Katherine Hot Springs, Mataranka's thermal pools, Edith Falls, and a slower pace through Kakadu with a scenic flight over the escarpment. Ten days is also the first point where the Wet season becomes genuinely workable, because you can wait out closures rather than losing your only chance.