Follow the trail and embark on a self-drive holiday that will create memories to last a lifetime.
You’ll experience some of the best Australian outback destinations against iconic NT backdrops, in this 14-day itinerary on sealed roads, with some optional four-wheel driving adventures.
Day 1: Arrive in Uluru
Flying into Uluru Airport, you’ll have spectacular views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. At only 3 to 4 hours from most capital cities, it’s closer than you think! Dine under the stars in the evening and listen as your hosts unlock the secrets of the stars. You can also peer through the telescope for a closer look at the night sky.
Day 2: Uluru
Make an early start to view the Field of Light art installation as the sun rises on Uluru. For an unforgettable experience, hop on a camel ride and enjoy spectacular views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta at sunset.
Day 3: Uluru to Kings Canyon (300km)
One of the great ways to explore Uluru is to cycle around the base and discover the desert landscape up close. When you’ve finished exploring the region, take the easy drive on sealed roads to Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park.
Day 4: Kings Canyon to Alice Springs (330km)
Conquer the 6km Kings Canyon Rim Walk in Watarrka National Park and be rewarded with stunning views of the desert surrounds and the surprise of a beautiful, lush waterhole. Head to Alice Springs via the scenic four-wheel drive route and explore the waterholes of the West MacDonnell Ranges.
Day 5: Alice Springs
There’s no better way to start the day in Alice Springs than with a hot air balloon ride at sunrise. That evening, join an expert guide on a nocturnal tour of Alice Springs Desert Park and spot amazing rare wildlife such as the mala and bilby.
Day 6: Alice Springs
Alice Springs is an ideal playground for all! You can pet a python at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre; learn about Australian pioneer history at Royal Flying Doctor Service and School of the Air and create memories that’ll last a lifetime with a camping trip under the stars.
Day 7: Alice Springs to Tennant Creek (500km)
Four and a half hours drive north of Alice Springs is Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles, gigantic boulders scattered across a wide valley. Travel 100km to Tennant Creek and relive the gold rush years on a mine tour at Battery Hill Mining Centre.
Day 8: Tennant Creek to Daly Waters (400km)
There’s a surprising amount to do in Tennant Creek. Saddle up for a bush tucker trail ride or learn about local Aboriginal culture at Nyinkka Nyunyu Art Centre. 4 hours north is the historic Daly Waters Pub, where you can play a game of bowls… in the main street!
Day 9: Daly Waters to Katherine (275km)
Just a 2-hour drive from Daly Waters are the crystal-clear thermal pools of Mataranka. The pandanus-lined pools show that the tropics aren’t far away. After an hour’s drive you’ll be in Katherine, in time for Marksie’s Stockman’s Camp Tucker Night for dinner.
Day 10: Katherine to Cooinda, Kakadu National Park (250km)
There are so many ways to enjoy Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge); by river cruise, canoe, bush walk or by helicopter. The kids will love the Aboriginal painting workshop at Top Didj, before a 3-hour drive to the next exciting destination, Cooinda in Kakadu.
Day 11: Kakadu National Park
Don’t miss a Yellow Water Billabong cruise to see spectacular wildlife and dramatic scenery. Learn about the local Aboriginal culture with a hands-on tour with local guides, or a free ranger-guided walk through the rock art galleries of Nourlangie or Ubirr.
Day 12: Cooinda, Kakadu to Darwin (300km)
Wave goodbye to Kakadu and hop back in the car towards Darwin, stopping for a wildlife cruise to see huge saltwater crocodiles jump for food on the Adelaide River.
Day 13 & 14: Darwin
The kids will love exploring the great Top End landscape, including the crystal clear waterholes and waterfalls of Litchfield National Park, only 1.5 hours south of Darwin. Time your visit to include a magical sunset at the Asian-inspired Mindil Beach Sunset Markets.
There are many ways to get up close to wildlife in Darwin with crocodile and wildlife attractions nearby. Discover why the Top End is renowned for its world-class fishing with an extended fishing charter, or a half-day Darwin Harbour fishing trip.
Day 1
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Sounds of Silence
Guided toursEntered into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, Sounds of Silence offers the best of the Red Centre distilled into four magical hours.
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UluruView 11 options
Day 2
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Field of Light Tours
TourThe largest Field of Light installation to date, with more than 50,000 stems crowned with frosted-glass spheres will bloom.
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Camel riding
TourSee the Red Centre the way the 19th century cameleers did. Choose from short, sunrise and sunset rides at Uluru, or explore Kings Creek Station.
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UluruView 11 options
Day 3
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Outback Cycling Uluru
Hire & transportExperience Uluru by cycling around the entire base in your own time.
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Discovery Resorts - Kings CanyonView details
Day 4
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Alice SpringsView 42 options
Day 5
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Hot air ballooning
TourFor a unique Red Centre experience, wake before dawn and rise quietly into the fresh morning air in a hot air balloon. You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the majestic landscapes and wildlife.
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Alice Springs Desert Park
See & doAlice Springs Desert Park is where the desert comes alive!
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Alice Springs Desert Park – Nocturnal Tour
TourAlice Springs Desert Park is where the desert comes alive.
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Alice SpringsView 42 options
Day 6
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Alice Springs Reptile Centre
See & doAlice Springs Reptile Centre specialises in things that hiss and slither, which are rare, impossible, or undesirable to come across in the wild.
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Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility & Museum
See & doSee, experience and learn through the wonder of technology as history is brought to life.
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Alice Springs School of the Air Experience
See & doAlice Springs School of the Air was established in 1951, pioneering HF radio as a way of delivering education to some of Australia’s most remote students.
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Alice SpringsView 42 options
Day 7
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Battery Hill Gold Mining & Heritage Centre
See & doDiscover the history, science and thrill of gold mining in Tennant Creek and the Barkly.
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Tennant Creek accommodationView 7 options
Day 8
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Tennant Creek accommodationView 7 options
Day 9
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Mataranka
DestinationsVisit the small pastoral town of Mataranka, made famous by the novel We of the Never Never and renowned for its sandy-bottomed thermal pool.
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Katherine accommodationView 40 options
Day 10
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Katherine scenic flights
See & doSoar above great tracts of spectacular scenery in a light aircraft or witness the magnificent Katherine Gorge from the cockpit of a helicopter.
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Canoeing & kayaking
TourPush off from the river bank, fasten your lifejacket, and get your paddles going for an unforgettable journey through stunning landscapes.
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River cruising
TourTrawl along Katherine River through Nitmiluk National Park and take in the dramatic scenery as you move deeper into the stunning Katherine Gorge.
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Walking and hiking
See & doThe Katherine region is a bushwalker’s paradise. It’s also where you’ll find the famous Jatbula Trail.
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Cooinda Lodge KakaduView details
Day 11
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Yellow Water Cruises
TourYellow Water Billabong, Kakadu's most famous wetland, is located at the end of Jim Jim Creek, a tributary of the South Alligator River.
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Cooinda Lodge KakaduView details
Day 12
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Jumping crocodile cruise
TourJoin a cruise on the scenic Adelaide River and see powerful saltwater crocodiles propel themselves high out of the water to snatch their prey.
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DarwinView 132 options
Day 13
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Mindil Beach Sunset Market
EventThe Mindil Beach Sunset Market is the heart of Darwin's cultural melting pot and truly epitomises the word 'multicultural'.
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DarwinView 132 options
Day 14
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Crocosaurus Cove
See & doLocated in the heart of Darwin City, Crocosaurus Cove is home to the world’s largest display of Australian reptiles, including the iconic saltwater crocodile.
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Fishing around Darwin
TourFrom sparkling Darwin Harbour and the Mary River wetlands to the Tiwi Islands and the Dundee Coast, the Darwin region is an angler’s paradise.
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Book it yourself
Sounds of Silence
Day 1
2 nights’ stay in Uluru
Check-in: Day 1
Check-out: Day 3Field of Light Tours
Day 2
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Camel riding
See the Red Centre the way the 19th century cameleers did. Choose from short, sunrise and sunset rides at Uluru, or explore Kings Creek Station.
Outback Cycling Uluru
Day 3
1 nights’ stay at Discovery Resorts - Kings Canyon
Check-in: Day 3
Check-out: Day 43 nights’ stay in Alice Springs
Check-in: Day 4
Check-out: Day 7-
Hot air ballooning
For a unique Red Centre experience, wake before dawn and rise quietly into the fresh morning air in a hot air balloon. You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the majestic landscapes and wildlife.
Alice Springs Reptile Centre
Day 6
Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility & Museum
Day 6
Alice Springs School of the Air Experience
Day 6
Battery Hill Gold Mining & Heritage Centre
Day 7
3 nights’ stay in Tennant Creek accommodation
Check-in: Day 7
Check-out: Day 101 nights’ stay in Katherine accommodation
Check-in: Day 9
Check-out: Day 10-
Katherine scenic flights
Soar above great tracts of spectacular scenery in a light aircraft or witness the magnificent Katherine Gorge from the cockpit of a helicopter.
-
Canoeing & kayaking
Push off from the river bank, fasten your lifejacket, and get your paddles going for an unforgettable journey through stunning landscapes.
-
River cruising
Trawl along Katherine River through Nitmiluk National Park and take in the dramatic scenery as you move deeper into the stunning Katherine Gorge.
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Walking and hiking
The Katherine region is a bushwalker’s paradise. It’s also where you’ll find the famous Jatbula Trail.
2 nights’ stay at Cooinda Lodge Kakadu
Check-in: Day 10
Check-out: Day 12Yellow Water Cruises
Day 11
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Jumping crocodile cruise
Join a cruise on the scenic Adelaide River and see powerful saltwater crocodiles propel themselves high out of the water to snatch their prey.
2 nights’ stay in Darwin
Check-in: Day 12
Check-out: Day 14Crocosaurus Cove
Day 14
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Fishing around Darwin
From sparkling Darwin Harbour and the Mary River wetlands to the Tiwi Islands and the Dundee Coast, the Darwin region is an angler’s paradise.
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