6D5N Darwin Top End Highlights Guided Tour

6D5N Darwin Top End Highlights Guided Tour 

Travel Period: Departure every Thursday, Subject to availability; Prices vary by departure date and accommodation standard. Please contact us for your specific travel dates and preferred accommodation

Experience the best of Australia's Top End with the Top End Highlights tour. This 6-day journey takes you from Darwin to Katharine, Kakadu, Litchfield, and Nitmiluk National Parks. Enjoy guided tours from Darwin, comfortable accommodation, and unique experiences like cruises on Yellow Water Billabong and Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Discover ancient Aboriginal rock art, vibrant wildlife, and breathtaking landscapes. With expert guides and immersive activities, our Top End tour offers an unforgettable adventure through the Northern Territory's most iconic sites.

Flight Information

Day 1: Flights to arrive prior to 1.30pm into Darwin Airport

Day 6: Flights to depart after 1.00pm from Darwin Airport

Airport to Hotel transfers are available to purchase on request

Flights to and from your tour are not included in the tour price.

Inclusions:

• 5 Nights accommodation (as per itinerary)
• 5 Breakfasts | 2 Dinners
• Travel Director, Driver Guide and local Guides
• Air-conditioned coach travel throughout
• Discover the ancient landscapes of Litchfield National Park including Florence and Wangi Falls
• On a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience discover a maze of waterways on a cruise through Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge and learn about the Jawoyn people, the owners of the gorge
• See the award-winning Katherine Outback Experience
• Take a dip in Katherine Hot Springs in Nitmiluk National Park
• Explore Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site including the Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) and Ubirr Rock Art Sites
• Cruise on Yellow Water Billabong in Kakadu National Park, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience

Excludes:

• Flights to/from Darwin
• Airport to hotel transfers (available on request)
• Meals not stated in itinerary
• Optional experiences (see below)
• All personal expenses

Fitness Requirements:

• General tour — Low level of fitness required
• Kakadu Nadab Lookout at Ubirr — Medium level of fitness required. The climb to the top of Nadab Lookout at Ubirr in Kakadu National Park will not be suitable for all guests. To get to the lookout guests are required to scale up uneven rocky paths and steps to get to the lookout. There is an alternate route on a fairly flat gravel path for those unable to climb to the top so they will not miss out on Rock Art

What to Bring:
Comfortable walking shoes | Warm layers in cooler months | Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat | Water bottle | Camera | Swimwear & quick dry towel

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Darwin

Welcome to Darwin

Darwin is the kind of place that excites all your senses. It’s always tropical, which means you have a constant glow. The aroma of Top End delights wafts from markets. The horizons are wide and sunsets blazing. Take in sights and attractions that tell stories of the NT capital’s history on a city tour. As the day begins to disappear, follow the lead of the colourful locals to the Mindil Beach Sunset Market. Your Travel Director will give you the lowdown, highlighting the eclectic range of cuisine on offer – expect everything from Greek to Japanese but it is always hard to go past a Laska (own expense). What a tasty start to your getaway.

☪️ Accommodation: The Leea Resort

Day 2: Darwin - Katherine

Darwin - Katherine

The ancient landscapes of Litchfield National Park are shaped by water, as you’ll fast discover when exploring this immense protected wilderness. There are rivers, waterfalls and waterholes. Get set to visit Florence Falls, then take a dip in the gin-clear pool of Wangi Falls, this dreamy setting enveloped by monsoon forest. (Swimming is seasonal and opening is controlled by NT Parks). The landscape is also shaped by termites. The national park is pocked with enormous termite mounds, which are architectural feats complete with tunnels and nursery chambers. Small creatures with a big vision.

☪️ Accommodation: Contour Hotel Katherine

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3: Nitmiluk Gorge

Nitmiluk Gorge

After travelling from Darwin to Katharine, you’ll head deeper into the Top End. The region’s main attraction is its stunning Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge, which carves the countryside in spectacular form. This awe-inspiring natural wonder features a series of gorges sculpted from ancient sandstone, offering breathtaking views and unique geological formations. Sit back and enjoy a cruise through this ancient landscape, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, home to the Jawoyn people, where you’ll have the opportunity to learn about their rich cultural heritage and traditions. The cruise not only provides a visual feast but also enriches your understanding of the deep spiritual connection the Jawoyn people have with the land. In the afternoon, join Tom Curtain's award-winning Katherine Outback Experience to delve into the Northern Territory's unique pastoral history and culture.

☪️ Accommodation: Contour Hotel Katherine

Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 4: Katherine - Kakadu

Katherine - Kakadu

Today is your chance to reset your body’s natural rhythms with a morning dip in Katherine Hot Springs – because days are better when you begin them in thermal waters. These hot springs will have you relaxed in no time. Before venturing deep into Kakadu, you’re poised for refreshments with a short stopover in the film-set-like town of Pine Creek, where buildings date to the heady gold rush days. In Kakadu, you’ll take a guided walk to view ancient Aboriginal rock art at Burrungkuy (Nourlangie).

☪️ Accommodation: Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel

Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 5: Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park

If you want a different perspective, sign up for a scenic flight over the national park, revealing just how wide, wild and wonderful this part of the world really is (own expense). Australia is home to some of the oldest art in the world, and much of it decorates rock walls at Ubirr – this jaw-dropping site protects Aboriginal rock paintings and carvings dating back more than 20,000 years. If you thought that was impressive, wait till you see the view over Kakadu from the top of the escarpment. This afternoon, there’s nothing between you and nature, the dramatic escarpments, waterholes and abundant wildlife of Kakadu looming large. Speaking of large, there are saltwater crocs to spot while you drift away on a Yellow Water Billabong cruise. Your local cruise guide will share the secrets of these ancient waterways. Top off your holiday sharing a Farewell Dinner with your Travel Director and travel mates.

☪️ Accommodation: Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel

Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner

Optional Experience: Kakadu Air Scenic Flights 

One of the best ways to experience Kakadu is on a 30-minute scenic flight in a fixed-wing aircraft, which allows you to see the amazing escarpments, waterways and wetlands. You will be amazed by the vastness and varied landscape that can be best experienced from the air. An experience not to be missed. 

Adult: AU$159 | Child: AU$130

Subject to availability. Book through your Travel Director while on tour.

Day 6: Farewell from Darwin

Farewell from Darwin

Following your Kakadu tour, you may also spot enormous ‘salties’ lurking in river crossings you pass by. Plus you may also see them at Fogg Dam. But here you will definitely witness a cacophony of birds. This really is a twitcher's paradise. A fitting end to this epic wilderness journey and Top End tour.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Optional Experience (Post Tour Only): Darwin Harbour Cruises: Charles Darwin Sunset Buffet Dinner Cruise

The Dinner Cruise aboard the 'Charles Darwin' is a great way to get a bird's eye view of the famous Darwin sunset while enjoying a delicious Territory Style Buffet with Australian seafood and local produce all in air conditioned comfort. This two hour cruise on the 'Charles Darwin's' Captains Deck (main deck) also includes great commentary and offers the best value for money dinner cruise on Darwin harbour. This sunset cruise is the perfect way to end your Darwin experience. (Return transfers can be organised at extra cost).

To partake in this experience you will require an additional post tour night accommodation or a flight that departs after 8pm on the day of the tour.

Adult: AU$145 | Child: AU$84

Subject to availability. Book through your Travel Director while on tour.

Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.

Prices above may vary according to your departure date.

Important Notes:

• Special assistance, medical conditions or dietary requirements must be advised at time of booking
• Please notify AAT Kings of any disability requiring special assistance prior to travelling
• A companion should always accompany those guests who require individual assistance to walk, get on and off the motorcoach and other vehicles and for personal needs such as dining, dressing etc
• If you have any concerns regarding your health or fitness levels, please contact us before booking
• Prices above may vary according to your departure date