4 Northern Territory road trip itineraries for epic outback adventures

Are you itching to see the Northern Territory? Are you in Darwin and have a few days to spare? Well, look no further because we've brought together all the must-do road trip itineraries for the picturesque red centre. We've got your destinations covered, so all you have to do is pick the playlist.

Darwin to Alice Springs

Alice Springs is the heart of the Northern Territory as well as the country. Your red centre adventure starts off driving from Darwin to Katherine, where you'll then spend the day exploring the incredible gorge. As your final destination is quite a drive from Darwin, Tennant Creek is where you'll spend your next night. From there, you'll hit Alice Springs where you can hot air balloon, tour Uluru and hike through the West MacDonnell Ranges.

• Distance: 2,998km, 30 hours round trip.
• Itinerary length: 7 days.
• Route: Darwin to Alice Springs via Katherine and Tennant Creek on National Highway 87.
• Highlights: Katherine Gorge, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs.
• Best time to drive: September is the best time to visit the red centre as temperatures are mild. It's important to note that most tours are seasonal and run between April and October. It's best to avoid travelling from December to March as this is the flood season for the tropical end of the territory.
• Things to do: Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge Cruise, West MacDonnell Ranges, Day Trip to Ayers Rock, Hot Air Ballooning, Tour of Alice Springs, Alice Springs Desert Park.
• Stay at: Knotts Crossing Resort, Bluestone Motor Inn and DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs.
• Eat at: Barrel & Cruse Bistro in Katherine, Sporties Club or Memories Restaurant in Tennant Creek and Epilogue Lounge and Rooftop Bar or Barra on Todd Restaurant and Bar in Alice Springs.

• View the full 7-day Darwin to Alice Springs itinerary

  Day	Itinerary
  Day 1Distance: 317km Drive time: 3 hours	Darwin to Katherine Drive 3 hours south east to Katherine. Spend the afternoon taking the Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge Cruise. Have your camera at the ready so you can capture the incredible sunset on the gorge. Rest up at the Knotts Crossing Resort.
  Day 2Distance: 675km Drive time: 7 hours	Katherine to Tennant Creek Drive 7 hours from Katherine to Tennant Creek. Be sure to take a break every two hours. Spend the night in Tennant Creek at the Bluestone Motor Inn.
  Day 3Distance: 509km Drive time: 5 hours	Tennant Creek to Alice Springs Spend your morning checking out the local mining sites including the Battery Hill Mining Centre. You can even have a go at panning for gold yourself. Drive 5 hours south to Alice Springs. Spend the night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs.
  Day 4 and 5Distance: 0km Drive time: 0 hours	Alice Springs Day 4: Take a tour of the West MacDonnell Ranges with visits to Simpsons Gap, Mount Sounder, Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ochre Pits and Ormiston Gorge. Day 5: Spend your final day at the heart of Australia with a day trip to Uluru. Spend both nights at the DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs.
  Day 6Distance: 509km Drive time: 5 hours	Alice Springs to Tennant Creek Drive 5 hours north to Tennant Creek. Rent a 4WD and drive through the Iytwelepenty/Davenport Range National Park. Keep in mind that some tracks within the ranges are for experienced four-wheeled drivers only. Spend the night in Tennant Creek at the Bluestone Motor Inn.
  Day 7 & 8Distance: 989km Drive time: 10 hours	Tennant Creek to Darwin via Mataranka Day seven: Drive six hours north to Mataranka. Spend the afternoon at the Mataranka Thermal Pool and Rainbow Springs. Rest up at the Territory Manor Motel and Caravan Park. Day eight: Drive the final 4 hours 15 minutes to Darwin from Mataranka.

Darwin to Berry Springs

Are you in Darwin and need a quick weekend away? Why not head to Berry Springs? Just over half an hour south of Darwin's city centre, it's conveniently close and jam-packed with outdoor activities.

We recommend picking a warmer weekend where you can spend the day immersed in the waters of the Berry Springs Waterhole. Best of all, with no long drive home, there's no rush to leave.

• Distance: 105km, 1 hour and 20 minutes round trip.
• Itinerary length: 2 days.
• Route: Darwin to Berry Springs via Tiger Brennan Drive.
• Highlights: Territory Wildlife Park, Berry Springs Waterhole.
• Best time to drive: March and April offer cooler temperatures so you can escape the heat, and it's also when native flowers bloom.
• Things to do: Territory Wildlife Park, Berry Springs Waterhole, Crazy Acres, Blackmore River Conservation Reserve.
• Stay at: AAOK Lake Resort and Caravan Park or Noonamah Tourist Park.
• Eat at: Berry Springs Tavern or Johnny's Dine-In Takeaway.

• View the full 2-day Darwin to Berry Springs itinerary

  Day	Itinerary
  Day 1Distance: 48km Drive time: 40 minutes	Darwin to Berry Springs Drive 48km south to Berry Springs. Make sure you've packed your bathers because on day 1 you'll be exploring Territory Wildlife Park followed by Berry Springs Waterhole. After a day out in the sun, have dinner at the Berry Springs Tavern. Drive 5 minutes up the road to Livingstone where you'll stay at the AAOK Lake Resort and Caravan Park.
  Day 2Distance: 48km Drive time: 40 minutes	Berry Springs to Darwin Drive the 5 minutes to Berry Springs. Spend the day wandering through the Blackmore River Conservation Reserve before making the short 40-minute drive back to Darwin.

Darwin to Litchfield (and the Greater Litchfield Loop)

Situated just an hour south of Darwin's city centre, Litchfield National Park offers a close escape from the busyness of city life. From adrenaline-packed activities to the soft calm of a hike, this road trip is perfect for a few days off the grid.

Spend your first couple of days exploring the ins and outs of Batchelor and the picturesque Litchfield parklands, and stop for a break in Berry Springs on your way home. Cool off at the local watering hole before heading back home.

• Distance: 369km, 4.5 hours round trip.
• Itinerary length: 3 days.
• Route: Darwin to Litchfield via Batchelor and Berry Springs.
• Highlights: Litchfield National Park, Batchelor, Berry Springs.
• Best time to drive: From March to September is recommended, as this is when the humidity is at its lowest. Keep in mind that this is peak season.
• Things to do: Batchelor Butterfly Farm and Pet Garden, Nina's Ark Wildlife Sanctuary, NT Adventure Park, Swim in Buley Hole and visit Wangi Falls, Berry Springs Waterhole.
• Stay at: Litchfield Motel, Litchfield Tourist Park or Banyan Tree Batchelor.
• Eat at: Rum Jungle Tavern, Batchelor Butterfly Farm or Berry Springs Tavern.

• View the full 3-day Darwin to Litchfield itinerary

  Day	Itinerary
  Day 1Distance: 97km Drive time: 1 hour	Darwin to Batchelor Drive 1 hour south to the Batchelor city centre. Spend your day quad biking with NT Adventure Park and explore the local butterfly farm. Make the most of the in-house cafe at the Batchelor Butterfly and Pet Garden. Spend the night at the Litchfield Motel.
  Day 2Distance: 165km Drive time: 2 hours 20 minutes	Batchelor to Wangi Falls Start the day nice and early by making the drive west to Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park. Stop off at Florence Falls (40 minutes from Batchelor) followed by a quick pitstop at Tolmer Falls which is merely 12 minutes from Wangi Falls. Once you've reached Wangi Falls, enjoy a swim at Buley Falls to cool off. If you have some time in the afternoon, Sandy Creek Falls are worth a look. It's located 20 minutes south, making the total drive home just under an hour. Enjoy dinner at the Rum Jungle Tavern before heading back to the Litchfield Motel.
  Day 3Distance: 107km Drive time: 1 hour and 15 minutes	Litchfield National Park to Darwin via Berry Springs Drive 40 minutes north to Berry Springs. Visit the Berry Springs Waterhole and Territory Wildlife Park. Drive 40 minutes north back to Darwin.

Darwin to Kakadu and Nitmiluk

Pack up the car and set the GPS for Kakadu and Nitmiluk. Just three hours south east of Darwin, get ready to immerse yourself in the natural wonder of these national parks. You'll kick things off in Nitmiluk with a serene self-guided tour of the gorge, then you'll head north east to Kakadu.

The experiences here are endless, with Aboriginal cultural tours as well as a look into how things run in the outback. In Kakadu, you can also see the local waterfalls, before slowly making your way back home to Darwin.

• Distance: 1,214 km, 13 hours round trip.
• Itinerary length: 5 days.
• Route: Darwin to Nitmiluk National Park and Kakadu via National Highway 1.
• Highlights: Nitmiluk National Park, Katherine Gorge, Kakadu National Park, Marrakai.
• Best time to drive: May to September is recommended, as this is the dry season and the heat is low.
• Things to do: Top Didj Cultural Experience and Art Gallery, Nitmiluk Gorge Canoe Tour.
• Stay at: Nitmiluk Chalets, Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel, Aurora Kakadu Lodge or the Cooinda Lodge Kakadu.
• Eat at: Jatti Poolside Restaurant, Kumbidgee Restaurant, Savannah Bar & Restaurant, Barrel & Cruse Bistro in Katherine and Mimi Restaurant in Kakadu.

• View the full 5-day Darwin to Kakadu and Nitmiluk itinerary

  Day	Itinerary
  Day 1Distance: 404km Drive time: 4 hours 15 minutes	Darwin to Cutta Cutta Caves Drive 3.5 hours to the natural phenomenal of Cutta Cutta Caves. Enjoy a hour-long tour of the inner cave systems that run 15 metres underground. While you're there, consider taking a self-guided tour of the Tropical Woodland walk which gives an insight into the local flora and fauna. Make your way 45 minutes north east to your accommodation at the Nitmiluk Chalets.
  Day 2Distance: 0 Drive time: 0	Katherine Gorge It's an early start on day two with a Nitmiluk Gorge Canoe Tour kicking off at 9am. Make your way to the boat jetty 30 minutes prior to departure, which is only a few minutes walk from the Nitmiluk National Park Visitor Centre. After returning to your original departure point at 2pm, check out Baruwei Lookout and the Southern Rockhole. Spend your last night in the Gorge at Nitmiluk Chalets.
  Day 3Distance: 375km Drive time: 4 hours	Nitmiluk National Park to Jabiru/Kakadu Drive 15 minutes west to the Top Didj Cultural Experience and Art Gallery in Lansdowne. Take the 9am tour for a look into the ancient traditions of the local Dalabon tribe. From here, make the 50 minute drive to Edith Falls in Nitmiluk National Park. Take some time to cool off by the water as you relax to the sounds of local flora rustling. Drive three hours north east to the town centre of Jabiru and spend the night at the Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel.
  Day 4Distance: 192km Drive time: 2 hours 10 minutes	Kakadu National Park Start the day off early with a visit up to Ubirr Rock Art. It's a short 30 minute drive north of Jabiru and features a cluster of natural rock formations. Drive 40 minutes south from Jabiru. The rest of your afternoon will see the likes of an Animal Tracks Safari. Enjoy a day of gathering local bush tucker, expert commentary from members of the Indigenous community and a cook-up as the sun goes down. The tour runs the course of 7 hours everyday, returning around 8:30pm between June and September. Spend your last night at Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel.
  Day 5Distance: 259km Drive time: 2 hours and 40 minutes	Kakadu to Darwin Drive 1 hour and 40 minutes to Marrakai for the crocodile experience of a lifetime. We recommend taking a cruise to see the jumping crocs in action. Make the 1 hour drive home to Darwin.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of car do I need?

To play it safe, you'll want to take a 4WD. Road tripping across the Northern Territory may require you to take unsealed, dirt roads or possibly take a route through national parks. In these instances, you'll want a vehicle that can take on the conditions.

If you're hiring a car, make sure the company allows you to take the rented vehicle down unsealed roads. Many companies don't as a standard, and if anything happens to your vehicle on unsealed roads, you may be liable for any repair costs, even if you do have insurance. Some companies do let you pay a premium that will cover you on unsealed roads.

What are the best campsites in the Northern Territory?

Some of our favourite campgrounds include:

• Wangi Falls Camping Area, Litchfield National Park
• Gunlom Campground, Kakadu National Park
• Jatbula Trail, Katherine
• Palm Valley Campground, Namatjira
• Lorella Springs Wilderness Park, Limmen National Park
• Walker Creek, Litchfield National Park
• Tjuwaliyn (Douglas) Hot Springs Park, Douglas-Daly
• Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, near Davenport Ranges National Park

When is the best time to visit the Northern Territory?

The Northern Territory is split into two climates. The northern end of the territory, which includes Darwin and Kakadu, is a tropical climate. In this case, you'll want to travel between June and September to avoid high heat and humidity.

The southern portion of the Northern Territory, where you'll find Alice Springs and Uluru, has a desert climate. This means that the days are hot and the nights can reach 0 degrees. The best time to visit Alice Springs is in September when the temperatures are the most comfortable.

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