Darwin City Guide

Darwin is the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities. Visiting Darwin is like having a ticket to the tropics - palm trees, heat, rotating fans above verandas and locals who live life at a slow pace. After a cyclone destroyed the city in 1974, Darwin was completely rebuilt. This is why the city exudes a very modern and open atmosphere. Everywhere you look you'll see travellers of every nationality as well as many Aboriginals and Asians. There are plenty of good places to have a drink or a bite to eat after a long day of driving (for instance after visiting the famous parks of Kakadu or Litchfield or even after a drive from Alice Springs).

City, beaches and seasons

Despite the destruction of the cyclone, there are still quite a few colonial buildings still around today that you can visit. If you're looking for affordable Asian restaurants, have a look around the Smith Street shopping mall and you'll find plenty. Bicentennial Park, which is locate along the coast and filled with tropical trees (that even seem to flourish during dry spells), is a great place for a long, leisurely picnic.

Darwin isn't the best beach destination due to the crocodiles in the area; you're better off going for a swim in your hotel swimming pool here. There are however a few beaches nearby that are safe to visit, Mindil or Mandorah (10km by boat to the other side of the bay). Keep in mind though that it's not even safe to swim here due to the poisonous box-jellyfish swimming around. The rainy season here lasts from the end of November or early December until mid to late April (this also applies to the area between Broome, Cairns and Townsville). The most rain falls from January through March.

Transfers and transport

Once you arrive at Darwin Airport (centrally located only 6km from the city) you'll see plenty of taxi cabs waiting outside. If you're travelling with 3 - 4 people, this is the most affordable means of travelling around town. If there are only one or two of you, you may want to consider taking the shuttle bus. Several different companies offer affordable transport to hotels and nearly every hotel lies on the route taken by the shuttle buses.

You won't need a car or taxi to get around the city centre of Darwin; you can do this on foot. If you do have a hire car, there is plenty of parking spaces for you to park your car at in the city. If you decide to hire a car, it's best to pick up your hire car at the airport since the city offices tend to open up late and close early. The city is quite flat, so you may want to hire a bicycle for a day and explore the city by bike.

Tips & Trips

Darwin is the starting point for all trips through the Northern Territories. Visit the swamps at Kakadu National Park ('Gagudja' in the Aboriginal language), go swimming or go for a canoe ride in Lichtfield, visit the 13km long Katherine Gorge or go on an off-road adventure through the Kimberleys and to the remote Bungle Bungles National Park.

You can either travel independently or take this trip in a small international group. The advantage of a small group organised tour is that you'll see a lot in a relatively short period of time, you'll receive plenty of background information from your guide and you'll travel in an international group of people, which may make the long distances on the road more pleasant. If you would prefer to travel independently, you can explore the Northern Territories by hire car or (4x4) campervan.

If you are interested in visiting the Darwin area, take a look at our Kakadu National Park tour.