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Almost everyone who visits the Top End will start in Darwin, but most people choose to shoot straight through to the national parks (we don’t blame you, until recently we were the same!). On our second visit we took the time to discover that the city has so much to offer; from watching some of the most spectacular sunsets in Australia to eating the NT’s best food and learning about Darwin’s WWII and Indigenous history.
We were so glad we stayed longer to get to know the city better and would highly recommend spending at least a few days here.
Here are all the best things to do in Darwin, and the immediate surrounds.
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1: Sample the delights of Parap Market
2: Marvel at the Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
3: Learn about the unique Royal Flying Doctors
4: Try the Indigenous bush tucker at the Aboriginal Bush Traders Cafe
5: Walk in the clouds at Casuarina Beach
6: Wine & Dine on a sunset cruise
7: Soak up the jungle vibes at the Botanic Gardens
8: See Street Art that really comes to life!
9: Explore the WWII oil tunnels
10: Cool off at the Wave Lagoon
11: Go wallaby spotting at East Point Reserve
12: Catch a sunset from Nightcliff Jetty
13: Browe the stalls at Mindil Sunset Markets
14: Learn about the bombing of Darwin at the Military Museum
15: Have a BBQ at a 7,000 year old picnic site
16: Enjoy Darwin’s best coffee at the Laneway Cafe
17: Visit the 1934 Qantas Hangar
18: Sit back & relax at the Deckchair Cinema
19: Have a drink at the world famous Humpty Doo Hotel
20: Catch a sunrise at Fogg Dam
21: Hire a BBQ Boat on Corroboree Billabong
22: Soak in the blue waters of Berry Springs
23: Swim in the jaw dropping waterfalls at Litchfield National Park
24: See Australia’s best Aboriginal rock art at Kakadu National Park
25: Go croc spotting on Mary River
The 25 best things to do in Darwin
We’ve put together a list of the 24 best things to do in Darwin with something for everyone! There’s plenty of places to visit during the heat of the day, as well as many bucket list activities you can’t leave Darwin without doing!
1. Sample the delights of our favourite Aussie market - Parap Market
Parap Market is only open on Saturdays (8.30am-2pm) and if you’re lucky enough to be in Darwin for a weekend then a visit here is an absolute must.
If you’d have told me beforehand that I would say visiting a market was one of our favourite things to do in Darwin, I would have called you crazy. We’ll go to the odd market every now and again, but I’ve rarely found them to be must do’s.
That all changed when I visited Parap, it’s easily my fave food market in Australia!
There is a huge array of absolutely delicious food stalls (bring an appetite and stretchy pants), most of which are focused around Southeast Asian cuisine, but as well as your standard Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese, you’ll find Cambodian, Malay and more.
There are also great fresh juices, custard tarts (I wished I’d bought extras for later), Middle Eastern dishes and even a mussel stall. The atmosphere is buzzing and everything I tasted took me right back to Asia.
If you need further evidence it’s great, just check out the queue for Laksa at 10am!
As well as food, there are a few stands selling gift items and spectacular tropical flowers. It’s a locals market through and through, and if I lived in Darwin it would be a weekly trip! Just writing this makes me want to pop back in for a roti!
2. Marvel at the art and displays at our favourite Darwin museum - the MAGNT
No visit to Darwin is complete without a peek into this wonderful (and free!) museum. The exhibits are hugely varied so there will likely be something for everyone.
My personal favourite is all the wonderful Aboriginal art, and if you haven’t had the chance to see much Aboriginal art before it’s a great place to come, as you’ll see both the paintings and the stories behind them.
As well as art, there is a fascinating display on Cyclone Tracy including a sound booth which you can go in to and hear a genuine recording of what she sounded like as she ripped through Darwin in 1974. There are no lights in the booth so it’s an immersive experience.
I could go on and on about this museum, but to keep things from getting too long there are also very interesting exhibitions on Darwin and the Northern Territory’s history and what it was like to live there when settlers first arrived.
There’s also a lot of really old boats from the Indo Pacific region. I feel like on paper that doesn’t sound particularly interesting but in reality it’s fab!
The museum also has great views of Fannie Bay, so don’t forget to walk across the grass from the car park and check out the beach before you leave (no swimming of course, this is the land of croc dundee after all!).
3. Learn about the unique services of the Royal Flying Doctors
If you only have time for one more museum in Darwin, make it this one. The Royal Flying Doctors museum is the most modern and interactive museum I have ever been to (and very different to the one in Alice Springs).
In fact, if you don’t want to, you wouldn’t have to read a single thing because so much of it is video and VR based.
It’s also the only museum I have ever been to where you get personalised service! Someone will show you everything that’s on offer and how it all works to make sure you get the most out of your visit.
You’ll learn all about the work of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and how they provide healthcare for Australians living in really remote areas. You can even go inside one of the planes which really brought it home to me what an incredible job they do in a tight space.
The VR displays show you real videos of the RFDS in action, from both pilots and nurses perspectives, and a longer feature shown in a small theatre room takes you through the service’s history from inception to today.
As well as all things RFDS, you’ll also have the chance to watch a video and an amazing VR on the bombing of Darwin. It was enough for me that I didn’t need to also visit the Military Museum, although Joe did.
Everything is done so well and the majority of it is not facts but stories, which I find so much more immersive.
It is an expensive museum ($28 at time of writing) and as we had already been to the RFDS museum in Alice Springs I wasn’t sure if it would be worth it, but it definitely was.
You can book your tickets in advance on Get your Guide here.
4. Try indigenous bush tucker at the Aboriginal Bush Traders Cafe
Pull up a chair by the historic stone cottage underneath the shade of the Frangipani tree and tuck into some good old fashioned bush tucker. Don’t worry, we’re not talking witchetty grubs or green ants, it’s much less divisive, with a focus on bush fruits and bush spices.
We went for brekkie and opted for croissants with bush jam and bush tea. The bush jam was great, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the wild rosella (bush) tea. I went for an iced version which I wouldn’t normally choose - or maybe I just needed to add sugar, who knows? Next time I’d go for a hot lemon myrtle instead.
They also have savoury options featuring things like Saltbush Dukkah and Pepperberry leaf.
We loved having the chance to try something new and the setting is also divine. It’s all outdoors though, so come early if it’s a really hot day. They also have a shop selling Aboriginal art and other handicrafts.
5. Walk in the clouds at Casuarina Beach
Casuarina Beach is a beauty, a long sweep of golden sand which feels like it goes on forever. With this being Darwin you can’t go for a swim, but you can go for a relaxing stroll.
We were visiting in November, so with scorching days we went towards sunset time.
Darwin is well known for its sunsets and we never missed a single one. I think that means we’ve done 8 in total! Casuarina Beach is easily one of our favourites.
Darwin has lots of beaches you can watch the sunset from, but what made this one special was the residual puddles in the sand which caused amazing reflections of the clouds. It gave the dreamy effect of walking through them, a magical feeling.
6. Wine and dine on a sunset cruise
Continuing with the sunset theme and something that almost every visitor to Darwin will do is head out on a sunset harbour cruise.
Watching the sun slowly drop into the ocean from the calm waters of the harbour was such a peaceful way to spend the evening. Our cruise (with Darwin Harbour Cruises) started with about half an hour of commentary on the city and then the music comes on and it’s time to sit back and relax.
Our boat had the option for dinner on the lower deck, or drinks and platters on the top deck. We went for drinks and platters and watched as the sky went from fiery to twilight to filled with stars.
If you’re visiting with family there’s a little dance floor on the lower deck which kept all the kids entertained for hours!
7. Soak up the jungle vibes at the George Brown Botanic Garden
This was the first thing we did in Darwin and it was a great start to the trip. Within minutes of setting foot in the gardens we were transported to a tropical paradise.
There are lots of different parts of the garden, but my favourite was easily the Tiwi Wet Forest which really felt like I’d just stepped into the jungle.
I kept looking at trees covered in lush tropical vines all the way from the bottom to the top and thinking that they look just like vertical gardens that we try to recreate in cities; but here it’s all natural.
As well as the beautiful gardens and a small waterfall you’ll see lots of birdlife. Orange Footed Scrubfowl were everywhere and it took a while to get used to them crashing through the trees. They sound so much bigger than they are!
The gardens are free of charge and open everyday between 7am and 7pm.
8. See Street Art that really comes to life!
Darwin has lots of incredible street art which really brighten up areas that would otherwise be pretty grey. The majority of art is concentrated around Austin Lane and West Lane which you can easily walk between.
I think they change each year, so what we saw might not necessarily be there on your visit but either way we didn’t see a single painting that was anything less than spectacular.
There is also a cool app that you can download which really brings the pictures to life. You open the app and point it at the pictures and they start moving.
I’ve actually never seen anything like this before and it just added another dimension to the whole experience.
9. Explore the WWII oil tunnels
The WWII oil tunnels were built as a secret place to store oil following the bombing of Darwin by the Japanse in February 1942.
They are now quite an unusual tourist attraction, you can walk through one of the main tunnels and there are a series of information boards along the walls that tell the stories of the oil tunnels, as well as general stories about the bombing of Darwin.
I’d already learnt a fair bit about the bombing of Darwin by this point, so I found that walking through the incredibly hot and humid tunnel was more fascinating for the feat of engineering that they were, and how hardy the people working on them must have been.
They have fans in the tunnel now and it still felt like a bit of an inferno! The water running through the tunnel also gave it a lot of atmosphere.
There is also a 250m walk each way (uphill) up to a viewpoint known as the Survivors Lookout just next door.
10. Cool off at the Wave Lagoon
Let’s face it, it’s always hot in Darwin and we all know that the inviting water at the beach is a definite no-no. Darwin has the perfect answer to this problem: the Wave Lagoon. It’s a huge outdoor swimming pool which has various different wave patterns which begin every 10 minutes.
It is the perfect place for families to come and escape the heat. I say families because we were going to go ourselves, but when we arrived we were the only ones without kids so it felt a bit weird, but hey if you ignore that it’s a lot of fun!
It’s open every day but Christmas day between 10am and 6pm.
11. Go wallaby spotting at East Point Reserve
East Point Reserve has another lovely beach which in quite unusual in that in one direction you can see the city, and in the other there are dense mangroves which feel a million miles away from the modern world.
We loved sitting and watching the local horse riders head out into the water, although it did leave me wondering about the whole Box Jellyfish situation….?!
If you are going to sit on the beach bring some strong repellant with you as we learnt the hard way that it has lots of sandflies! We’re still nursing the bites three weeks later!
Behind the beach is a flat, paved walkway which comes to life in the late afternoon when it’s cool enough to go for a stroll.
Lovely as all that was, we came to try and find the Agile Wallabies which love grazing on the lawns behind the walkway. They’re most active at dawn and dusk, and we found them out and about around an hour or so before sunset.
They are the smallest, most delicate looking wallabies we’ve ever seen and a delight to watch. That is until the local Masked Lapwings took offence to our intrusion on their territory and decided to start swooping us. Well I say us, but really it was just Joe.
As soon as I saw them going for him, I ran at top speed out of there!
12. Catch a sunset from Nightcliff Jetty
Nightcliff Jetty is another gorgeous spot to catch the sunset and it’s really popular with locals who fish from the old wooden jetty. We heard you can also spot Eagle Rays from here, but unfortunately the sea was quite churned up on our visit so we didn’t get lucky.
We headed there on a Saturday night when the jetty was quite busy, so instead we sat on the huge rocky area to the left which offered a fabulous view of the sunset.
There is so much space, so there’s no doubt you’ll be able to get a spot to yourself, to sit and enjoy another of Darwin’s spectacular free shows!
13. Browse the stalls at the Mindil sunset markets
Mindil Markets are much more well known amongst tourists than Parap, and whilst we prefer Parap, it’s well worth doing both.
On the most famous sunset beach in the city, you’ll find an array of bustling markets stall selling food from Greek to Bangladeshi and many places in between. There are also lots of handicraft stalls if you’re looking to pick up some gifts or souvenirs.
The market runs from 4pm to 9pm on Thursdays and Sundays in the dry season (April to sometime in October) so it’s easy to combine the market with yet another jaw dropping sunset and some dinner as well.
We visited the first time we were in Darwin but the second time it was sadly closed for the wet season.
14. Learn about the bombing of Darwin at the Military Museum
The Bombing of Darwin is one of the city’s most significant historical events, and if you want to do a deep dive into understanding more about how Australia was attacked during the Second World War, then the Military Museum is the place to go.
Set near one of the gun turrets that were built to defend Darwin, the museum is made up of a few buildings that take you through the history of Australia’s wars, from the Second World War through to the modern day wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The main highlight though is the exhibition about the Bombing of Darwin and re-creation of the day’s events. It puts into perspective how big a shock this was, not just to the residents of Darwin, but the whole of Australia, as it caught the country completely unaware.
There’s a short film to watch and a lot of exhibits to take in. As it is at East Point Reserve, you can tie it in with a sunset, or wallaby watching.
15. Have a BBQ at a 7000 year old picnic site at Charles Darwin National Park
Indigenous people have picnicked on shellfish in this area for over 7000 years and whilst things have changed in recent times, it’s still a great spot to head for a BBQ lunch. Just a few hundred metres from the car park you’ll find a lovely green space with BBQ’s and picnic benches.
There’s an interesting viewpoint where you can see Darwin in the distance with a dense swathe of wetlands just in front. It’s an interesting look at the old and the new.
There are signs up as you drive into the park about biting insects, we went during the day and didn’t experience this at all, but you might want to stay away at sunrise and sunset when they are probably out in force.
On the way into the park you’ll also find an old WWII bunker where ammunition was stored. It’s now a little (free) museum with a lot of interesting information about the bombing of Darwin and it’s well worth a quick stop.
16. Enjoy Darwin’s best coffee at the Laneway Cafe
Coffee lovers in need of a fix should head straight to Laneway Cafe. Not only is the coffee the best we tried in the Darwin, but the cafe itself is also fantastic.
With stylish modern decor and a whole lot of plants, it wouldn’t look out of place in the coolest neighbourhoods of Sydney and Melbourne.
As well as great coffee and food, the staff are really lovely and happy to give you loads of tips on the city. They definitely know their bars and eateries so it’s worth popping in for the latest on where to head in the evening.
17. The 1934 Qantas Hangar
This little known attraction is a labour of love for the Motor Vehicles Enthusiasts Club who have an incredible collection of vintage cars, steam engines, motorcycles and a whole lot more.
All stored within the old Qantas Hangar which was bombed during WWII - you can actually see the bullet holes as you wander around the building.
It’s a must for classic car lovers, which personally I’m not, but I still enjoyed a good poke around.
The museum is free of charge, although donations are appreciated.
You can find the museum at 22 MacDonald St in Parap, so it can easily be combined with a trip to the markets.
18. Sit back and relax at the Deckchair cinema
The Deckchair cinema is the only activity on this list which we haven’t done personally. We were literally in the car headed for the movie when we realised that we were heading on The Ghan the very next morning and were not organised in any way. We really wanted to try out the cinema because we’d heard such good things, but I guess it’s one to save for our next visit!
The movies are really affordable, particularly if you go for the later adults only screening which at time of writing was only $10. We’ve been to a few of the outdoor cinemas in Sydney before, but I think this one would be much better because it stays so warm into the evenings, each time I’ve done it in Sydney it has been absolutely freeeeezing which has definitely made it less enjoyable!
The independent cinema is set in a gorgeous tropical garden and you can buy food and alcohol or BYO picnic (but no alcohol) whilst you kick back and relax under the stars!
Further afield
19. Have a drink at the world famous Humpty Doo Hotel
Just over a half an hour drive from Darwin you’ll find the world famous Humpty Doo Hotel and who can resist a name like that?!
Famous might be pushing it, but there have been songs written about this atmospheric outback pub. You’ll find a good mix of travellers and locals alike and a trip here feels like turning back the clock. There’s buffalo horns over the bar, old tunes on the sound system and a lot of beers at the tables.
If you haven’t tried outback fare yet you can give a croc or buffalo burger a go, but personally we just popped in for what turned out to be the world’s biggest G&T.
The Humpty Doo Hotel is located on the road that leads to both Kakadu and Litchfield, so you don’t need to make a special trip from the city unless you’re not planning to visit the parks.
20. Catch a sunrise at Fogg Dam
If you’re a nature lover you can’t go past catching a sunrise over Fogg Dam. This beautiful spot just under an hour from Darwin is a magical place to be as the sun comes up.
The bird life is incredible and the sounds of the Whistling kites overhead, coupled with the cool air you only really get at that time of day, is an experience not to miss. It is at its most spectacular during the wet, but even when we visited in November there was still some water around and lots of pink lilies in bloom.
In the wet you may also see crocs and buffalo, as well as hundreds and hundreds of birds.
There are two main viewpoints, the best for sunrise is the one at the end of the dam wall which has a full view straight on to where the sun rises.
After checking out the viewpoints there are a couple of walking tracks you can do. We did the Woodlands to Waterlilies Walk which was 1.2km each way, and even though it was dry, the Paperbark forest and boardwalks over the plains were magnificent.
21. Hire a BBQ boat on Corroboree Billabong
I was in Darwin for my birthday and wanted to do something a little different so we decided to hire a little BBQ tinny and head off on our own wildlife watching extravaganza on Corroboree Billabong.
It’s an absolutely stunning billabong, and there’s always something about spotting wildlife on your own, rather than with a tour guide who does all the work for you.
One of the houseboats you can hire
The boat was really easy to drive and we spotted so much birdlife as we cruised along the waterway. My faves were the Brolgas, Jabirus and Jacanas and I was also thrilled to spot a Saltwater croc too!
We hired the boat for three hours and I wished we’d opted for longer as it was such a fun way to spend the day, next time we want to do one of the overnight houseboats and sleep out under the stars.
If you’re into fishing, we saw lots of people on the hunt for Barramundi which you can then cook up on the barbie.
Corroboree Billabong is a 1 hour 20 minute drive from Darwin, the last 5km or so is on dirt road. it’s quite corrugated but we managed in a tiny car. We hired our boat with Corroboree Houseboats, if you are coming in a small car it might be worth asking ahead of time about the road condition just in case.
If you’d prefer to do a tour instead, this one through Get Your Guide is very well rated.
Corroboree Billabong is inaccessible during the wet as the access road is closed, it varies each year so if you’re coming close to wet season give them a call in advance and see how it’s going weatherwise.
22. Soak in the electric blue waters of Berry Springs
Ah Berry Springs, possibly my favourite place to take a dip in all of Australia. The idyllic electric blue water is something you really need to see with your own eyes.
The water is warm and soothing and you’re surrounded by lush tropical jungle and colourful Rainbow bee-eaters flitting between the trees and the water in search of insects. We came first thing in the morning, which is best because not only is it quieter, but then warm water is really relaxing, later in the day as the temperature heats up you’d probably be craving a cool dip instead.
It’s just a five minute walk between the car park and the pools, along a spectacular forested path. There are upper and lower pools, and all are stunning.
Note that Berry Springs sadly closes during the wet when Saltwater crocodiles move in undetected. Dates may vary but they are usually off limits between late October and May.
There is also a short walking trail here but it’s not really worth it in our opinion. The ice cream stall on the other hand definitely is!
Berry Springs is a 40 minute drive from Darwin.
23. Swim in jaw dropping waterfalls at Litchfield National Park
We normally talk a lot about the walking trails but at Litchfield it’s the incredible waterfalls you can swim in that we can’t go past. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to where to take a dip, but our favourites are Wangi Falls, Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls.
If you’re visiting in the dry you might want to try going early or late to avoid the crowds. Wangi does have freshwater crocs but it is very rare that they will ever go for you unless seriously provoked, the other two are croc free. I tend to just swim, but most people seem to bring noodles to relax with. Not sure where they get them from but I was literally the only person without one!
It’s also well worth stopping at the huge magnetic termite mounds and heading along the short walk to Tolmer Falls for sunset.
You can read our full guide to Litchfield National Park here.
Litchfield is very easy to do independently but if you would prefer to take a tour, this day trip from Darwin is very well rated.
24. See some of Australia’s best Aboriginal rock art at Kakadu National Park
Kakadu is one of our favourite national parks in Australia and an absolute must do. We won’t go into too much detail here, because we have a full guide to Kakadu already.
There really is something for everyone in Kakadu and despite already spending six days there, we dream of going back.
We recommend visiting the utterly spectacular rock art galleries at Ubirr, Nourlangie and Nanguluwur, as well as taking a Yellow Water cruise (we did sunrise and sunset and loved both, second trip is discounted to $25), hitting some of the amazing waterfalls and swimming holes, and of course all the sunsets you can fit in.
Some sites do become inaccessible in the wet, so do check what’s open for your intended dates if travelling in the wet.
Kakadu is around a 2 hour drive from Darwin.
25. Go croc spotting on Mary River
Whilst most people flock to the Adelaide River for a jumping croc tour, we opted to hire our own boat on the Mary River, which has one of the densest crocodile populations in Australia.
Although the jumping croc tours look fascinating, and jumping is their natural behaviour, we don’t really agree with feeding wild crocodiles and encouraging them to associate humans with food.
Besides that we also love doing our own thing and absolutely loved going croc spotting independently. We saw lots of Saltwater and Freshwater crocs, some in the water and some sunning themselves on the river banks.
There’s nothing like casually cruising up river and then coming face to face with a giant Saltie, it really is a one in a kind experience.
The boat was really easy to use, and we felt perfectly safe, we hired it from the Mary River Wilderness Retreat where we were staying at the time (they also operate the BBQ boats). We hired ours in the late afternoon for two hours and this was enough time to see countless crocs and catch another spectacular NT sunset.
Mary River is a 2 hour drive from Darwin.
Frequently Asked Questions about Darwin
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Yes! Until recently, we always saw Darwin as a gateway to the Top End, but after our most recent visit we have a whole new appreciation for the city. It’s a place of culture, diverse markets, incredible landscapes and abundant wildlife to make it worth spending a few days visiting.
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Darwin is a safe place to visit. As a tourist, you are very unlikely to encounter anything other than a warm welcome wherever you go.
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Despite what you might hear from the locals, Darwin is hot year round. That doesn’t make a visit here outside of winter impossible by any means but you might want to plan in some of those air conditioned galleries and museums in the hottest part of the day.
We’ve written a guide to the best time to visit Darwin, Litchfield and Kakadu here.
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Darwin has the unique ability to feel hotter than anywhere else you’ll have ever visited! The mixture of humidity and intense sun means that Darwin never really gets a “cool season” (even though the locals like to claim there is). This is why it’s best to do the outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon, and explore the museums in the middle of the day.
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There are a lot of things you can do in Darwin for free! You can visit the Botanic Gardens, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, check out the beaches, explore Charles Darwin National Park and peruse the markets for free.
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You can swim in Darwin in designated areas. Rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t swim at the beaches and most swimming holes are either closed or not safe during the rainy season (however some of the swimming spots in Litchfield remain accessible year round).
Always check with the national parks website before you go.
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