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Map of Hike in Kakadu National Park including Australia

Surround yourself with natural wonders in the Northern Territory.

Take a drive along Nature’s Way in the Northern Territory, a round trip which takes in the best of the Top End. You’ll travel through the spectacular landscape of Kakadu National Park, followed by a few days in Katherine and a day at Litchfield National Park, with plenty of spectacular hikes along the way. View some of the world’s most impressive rock art sites, see thundering waterfalls, and go swimming in natural waterholes. This six-day small group tour combines moderate walks, comfortable accommodation, and a knowledgeable leader with some of Australia’s most spectacular scenery.

Start
Darwin, Australia
Finish
Darwin, Australia
Destination
Australia
Style
Original
Theme
Walking & Trekking
Code
PIXK
Physical rating
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 4, Max 14

Why you'll love this trip

  • Explore the many wonders of Kakadu National Park on foot, from rock art sites to the amazing lookouts and walking trails.

  • Experience the hospitality of the First Nations custodians of the land at a resort owned and operated by the Djabulukgu Association.

  • Visit the Bowali Visitor Centre which contains a wealth of information about Kakadu National Park, it’s history, people, and wildlife.

  • Cool off in some of the Northern Territory’s most beautiful waterholes, rivers and natural pools as you go swimming in the National Parks.

  • Enjoy several included picnic lunches in the best secret spots, known only to a handful of people including our experienced tour leaders.

Is this trip right for you?

  • This is a walking trip so you need to have good physical fitness to fully enjoy it. The walks may not look like much, but due to the Northern Territory heat they are more challenging than you might think. On most days there will be a mix of walking and driving as we plan to visit several walking trails on any given day.

Hiker relaxing at the pools Kakadu National Park, NT, Australia
Rainbow Bee Eater in Fogg Dam, Kakadu National Park, NT, Australia
Unique Rock formations at sunset, Kakadu National Park, NT, Australia
Hiker in Kakadu National Park, NT, Australia
Natural infinity pools, Gunlom Upper pools, Kakadu National Park, NT, Australia
NitNit Dreaming Two George Tour, Kakadu National Park, NT, Australia
Ubirr Rock Art, Kakadu National Park, NT, Australia

Itinerary
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Welcome to Darwin! You won’t need to venture far to find plenty of things to keep you entertained before your tour starts. Go shopping for First Nations art, check out the (free) Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory or discover Australia’s war history at World War II oil storage tunnels along the waterfront. Your tour begins with a 6pm Welcome Meeting in the lobby of the Travelodge Resort Darwin where you will meet your leader and the rest of your group. You may like to have dinner at a local restaurant to get to know each other and celebrate the start of your adventure.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting this afternoon as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Set off after breakfast for the drive to Fogg Dam where spectacular wetlands can be seen throughout the year, along with water pythons, birds, crocodiles, turtles and other wildlife. From here, we’ll drive to Kakadu National Park with a photo stop at the entrance of the park and a picnic lunch before we reach Ubirr which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most outstanding rock art sites. After you have viewed the paintings, which include depictions of some of the first interactions with non-Aboriginal people, we’ll check into our comfortable motel with shared bathroom facilities which is owned and operated by the Djabulukgu Association which represents the Traditional Owners of Northern Kakadu and parts of Western Arnhem Land.
Accommodation
  • Motel (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kakadu National Park – Ubirr walk
  • Kakadu National Park - Fogg Dam & Bird Watching Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s driving time is approximately 4.5 hours. Today’s walking distance is 1 kilometre (0.5 miles) with limited elevation gain.

Kakadu National Park has one of the world’s highest concentrated areas of rock art. After breakfast we’ll take a short drive to Nourlangie to see the famous painting of Namarrgon, the lightning man, who is said to control the spectacular wet season lightning storms, and view the rest of the site which is reminiscent of a traditional art gallery with multiple rooms (caves) featuring different styles of art. Climb to the top of the Kunwarddewardde Lookout and see the sun hitting the distant rocks of the Arnhem Land escarpment and turning it bright red. We’ll also stroll around Anbangbang Billabong, a peaceful billabong surrounded by bird life, and enjoy the view from the Nawurlandja Lookout and visit the Bowali Visitor Centre to learn more about Kakadu.
Accommodation
  • Motel (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kakadu National Park - Kunwarddewardde Lookout Hike
  • Kakadu National Park - Nourlangie Rock Art Site Hike
  • Kakadu National Park - Anbangbang Billabong Hike
  • Kakadu National Park - Bowali Visitor Centre Visit
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is one hour. Today’s total walking distance is 4 kms (2.5 miles) with minimal elevation gain.
We recognize that scenic flights over Kakadu NP are a popular option, however at this time we are still assessing the safety of the activity and thus cannot recommend a provider/pre-book it for you. Should you wish to participate you will need to pre-book this activity yourself.

After breakfast, sit back and relax on the drive from Jabiru to Gunlom Falls where we will hike to the top of the falls and enjoy the view with plenty of time to swim in the pristine swimming hole. From here, it’s a 2.5 hour drive to the town of Katherine where we’ll check into our tropical resort. Since we’re in the Northern Territory, it should definitely be warm enough for you to enjoy an evening swim in the pool.
Accommodation
  • Resort (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kakadu National Park – Gunlom Upper Pools Hike & Swim
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s driving time is approximately 5 hours. Today’s walking distance is approximately 2 kms (1.25 miles).
Please note, the site of Gunlom Falls is closed for tourism due to an ongoing dispute between the Traditional Owners and Parks Australia and we may need to introduce an alternative itinerary on this day.
Instead of Gunlom Falls, we will do a walk around Leliyn (Edith Falls), which is in the northern part of Nitmiluk National Park. After an early drive from Jabiru (approx. 3hrs), we will embark on a walk (6-10km depending on group willingness and conditions on the day) and we will finish off with a swim at one of many beautiful swimming spots in the area.

This morning we’ll take a two hour cruise through Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge where the Katherine River carved its way through ancient sandstone cliffs more than 20 million years ago and natural horizontal bands define the surrounding cliffs created by layer upon layer of sediments. Stop at the first gorge to view a rock art site before motoring to the second gorge where the Jawoyn people believe the rainbow serpent ‘Bolung’ lives in the deep green pools. You’ll also have time to walk to the Baruwei Lookout and/or do the Baruwei Loop Walk before the drive back to Katherine for a relaxing evening at the resort.
Accommodation
  • Resort (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Nitmiluk National Park - NitNit Dreaming Two Gorge Cruise
  • Nitmiluk National Park - Baruwei Loop Walk & Lookout
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s walking distance is approximately 5 miles (8 kilometres) with minimal elevation gain.

After breakfast, drive to Litchfield National Park where waterfalls cascade from escarpments into plunge pools and there are deep prehistoric-looking forests and thousands of six-foot-high termite mounds. During the wet season, four major waterfalls thunder from the cliffs into rock pools. During the dry season, the waterfalls flow more gently, making the waterholes perfect spots for swimming. We’ll take a walk around the Magnetic Termite Mounds then drive to the start of the Greenant Creek Walk where we’ll enjoy a swim at the Tjaetaba Falls plunge pool before driving onwards to Wangi Falls for another dip. From here, we’ll drive to Darwin where your tour ends at approximately 6pm. No accommodation is provided tonight but if you would like to spend more time here, we can book additional accommodation for you (pending availability).
Included Activities
  • Litchfield National Park - Wangi Falls Loop Walk & Swim
  • Litchfield National Park – Greenant Walk & Swim
  • Litchfield National Park - Magnetic Termite Mounds Hike
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 5 hours. Today’s total walking distance is approximately 5 kms (3 miles) with minimal elevation gain.
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

5 breakfasts, 5 lunches

Transport

walking, Private vehicle

Accommodation

Motel (with shared facilities) (2 nights), Hotel (1 night), Resort (2 nights)

Included activities

  • Kakadu National Park – Ubirr walk
  • Kakadu National Park - Fogg Dam & Bird Watching Walk
  • Kakadu National Park - Kunwarddewardde Lookout Hike
  • Kakadu National Park - Nourlangie Rock Art Site Hike
  • Kakadu National Park - Anbangbang Billabong Hike
  • Kakadu National Park - Bowali Visitor Centre Visit
  • Kakadu National Park – Gunlom Upper Pools Hike & Swim
  • Nitmiluk National Park - NitNit Dreaming Two Gorge Cruise
  • Nitmiluk National Park - Baruwei Loop Walk & Lookout
  • Litchfield National Park - Wangi Falls Loop Walk & Swim
  • Litchfield National Park – Greenant Walk & Swim
  • Litchfield National Park - Magnetic Termite Mounds Hike

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Hike in Kakadu National Park trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

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Important notes

Travellers on Intrepid trips are required to produce proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. Read details here.

START & END TIME
Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1 in Darwin and you are expected to arrive back into Darwin around 6pm on the last day. Please take this into consideration when booking onward travel.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
A single supplement is available for this trip but must be requested at the time of booking.

Essential trip information

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