Alice Springs sits almost exactly in the middle of Australia. Which means heading north from here is committing to one of the country's great overland journeys. Alice Springs to Darwin tours cover roughly 1,500 kilometres of the Northern Territory, and the landscape shifts in ways that genuinely catch people off guard.
Red gorge country gives way to termite mounds that stand 6 metres tall. Then the landscape opens into the vast floodplains and ancient Aboriginal rock art sites of Kakadu National Park. Then Darwin: seafront sunsets, markets that go harder than you'd expect for a city of 150,000, and cold beers that taste significantly better after two weeks in the desert.
What's covered on an Alice Springs to Darwin tour?
Most tours take in the Red Centre's key stops before heading north. Expect time at Uluru, Kings Canyon, or both. From there you're typically passing through Tennant Creek and Katherine, with Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) featuring on most routes. Many tours include a stop at Mataranka's thermal pools, where the water is a permanent 34°C and floating in it is as good as it sounds.
Kakadu features on many routes and is the standout for most people. The boat cruise on Yellow Water Billabong at dawn, with saltwater crocs on every bank and thousands of waterbirds overhead, is the kind of thing that ends up in the story you tell for years. Don't skip it if it's on your tour.
Once you reach Darwin, there's more to explore. Darwin tours and activities cover the city and surrounds, and Darwin to Uluru and beyond exists if you want to continue south rather than backtrack.
Want to add time in Alice before you head off? Alice Springs tours and activities are worth a day or two. Going south instead of north? The Alice Springs to Adelaide route covers Coober Pedy and the Flinders Ranges. Browse the full Uluru and Red Centre range if you're still mapping your route, or chat with our team to find the right tour or build a longer itinerary around it.
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