Northern Territory Tours & Holidays

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Learn more about Intrepid’s COVID-19 policy

There are a number of ways to get to the Northern Territory depending on where in Australia you're travelling from including flying, self-driving, and catching public transport. The Northern Territory has several airports you can fly into from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, and Adelaide, such as Darwin International Airport and Alice Springs Airport. Self-driving only really makes sense if you're travelling from a neighbouring state but you can catch public transport in the form of a coach from all major capital cities. 

The best way to travel from Melbourne to the Northern Territory is by plane. You can fly from Melbourne International Airport (MEL) into Darwin International Airport (DRW) in just under 4 and a half hours and the tickets will set you back roughly $300 depending on which airline you fly with and how far in advance you book. This form of transportation may not be the cheapest way to travel between the two destinations but it is the quickest. 

Read more about the best way to travel from Melbourne to the Northern Territory

The climate in the Northern Territory is different depending on which part of the region you're travelling to. The Southern part of the territory experiences a desert climate with very dry, hot summers and warm winters. Alternately, the northern part of the state enjoys more of a tropical climate with two distinct seasons, a dry one from May to October and a wet one from November to April. Regardless of which part you're travelling to, you can expect the average temperature to be in the high 20°s to low 30°s during every season. 

The best time to visit the Northern Territory would be during the winter months of June, July, and August as temperatures are still high without being extreme and there's less expected rainfall than in the summer months. Due to this, the humidity levels are also quite low making it easier to spend lengthy periods of time outside. You generally want to avoid travelling to NT from November to April, especially if you're destination is the top end, due to potential cyclones. 

Read more about the best time to travel to the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is blessed to have an abundance of beautiful landscapes to explore so there's no better way to spend your holiday than to trek through them. From centuries-old rock formations to tumbling waterfalls, these are the best national parks in the Northern Territory to visit: 

• Kakadu National Park 
• Litchfield National Park 
• Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 
• Finke Gorge National Park 
• Nitmiluk National Park 

Read more about Northern Territory's national parks here. 

The Northern Territory has many art, culture and music festivals in its events calendar. Some of our favourite events include:

Alice Springs Beanie Festival 

Celebrate the very best of Aboriginal talent, creativity, and skill at the Alice Springs Beanie Festival. Bursting with silly and colourful handmade beanies, this festival aims to encourage and appreciate the work of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with various textile workshops and demonstrations on sight to help you understand and learn how to make local arts and crafts. 

Barunga Festival

Barunga is a closed community in the Northern Territory that you usually need a permit to enter, but for three days they open up to the world to celebrate life in Katherine's remote Indigenous communities. With a jam-packed program featuring storytelling circles, art and bush medicine workshops, and some of Australia's best First Nations musicians, Barunga Festival is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the vibrant community.

The short answer is yes, you can! However, weather conditions in the Northern Territory can make it hard to swim in natural watering holes all year-round. The best time to swim in Kakadu is during our winter season (from June to August) but you still need to remain aware of changing weather conditions and crocodile warning signs. 

Learn more about swimming in Kakadu National Park

Intrepid is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, regardless of any physical or mental limitations they might have. However, we’re always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them towards the most suitable itinerary for their needs and where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.

Learn more about Accessible Travel with Intrepid