Travel Packages to Darwin, Australia

Discover Darwin's Wonders

Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, is a vibrant tropical city known for its stunning waterfronts, rich cultural diversity, and proximity to some of the country's most iconic natural attractions. With a laid-back atmosphere and a year-round warm climate, Darwin offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and urban sophistication. Visitors can explore the bustling markets, historical sites, and art galleries, or venture into the nearby Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks for breathtaking landscapes and wildlife encounters. The city's multicultural community brings a dynamic culinary scene, featuring flavors from around the world, making Darwin a truly distinctive destination.

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Trips

Hotels

Activities

Transfers

Description

Darwin, built upon a low bluff overlooking Darwin Harbour, is the administrative capital of the Northern Territory and is called the capital of tropical Australia because it is lush and green, full of tropical plants and the perfume of Frangipanis. The cyclone season is from November to April, when there are stunning electrical storms and predictable afternoon rains. The city had to be virtually rebuilt after being devastated by cyclone Tracy in 1974. Before that, the city had been destroyed tree more times — yeah, tough luck. Darwin is also the most multicultural city in Australia, boasting over 75 nationalities, a large indigenous population (25 percent) and a diverse range of immigrants from Asia. The Stuart Highway — The Track — is the only road out of town and runs 2,800 kilometres south to Adelaide. Since 2004, Darwin has had a rail link to the great southern cities of Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. The Ghan passenger train service runs twice a week.

Useful information

Population:

139,902

Currency:

Australian Dollar (AUD) $1 = 100 cents

Emergency Info:

Police, Ambulance, Fire Brigade: 000

Opening Hours:

Most shops are open 7 days a week. Generally on weekdays they open 9am–5pm and on weekends 10am–3pm.

Do & See

Aquascene Fish Feeding Sanctuary & Cafe

Every day at high tide for the past 70 years a unique occurrence has taken place: hundreds of fish gather at the shallows by Doctors Gully Road in search of a meal, including milkfish, bream catfish and the barramundi. Aquascene gives visitors the chance to get up close and personal with the fish, splash around with them and hand-feed them.

Bicentennial Park

The beautiful Bicentennial Park runs along Darwin's central business district between the Esplanade and the waterfront, providing a much appreciated green space in the heart of the city. It is home to several memorials commemorating those deceased in war, it plays host to several festivals each year, and it is a popular location for weddings and events.

Brown's Mart Theatre

Brown's Mart is a beloved and iconic theatre and performance space, committed to providing opportunities for local artists to show their craft. Regular performances are held in a building which dates back to 1885 and has since filled many roles until becoming the cultural centre it is today.

Charles Darwin National Park

If you don't have the time to visit the larger (but much farther) Litchfield or Kakadu National Parks, Charles Darwin National Park is a convenient alternative. Located a short distance from the city centre, just south of the airport, the area is one of the country's most important wetlands. It showcases 36 mangrove species and holds significant Aboriginal and historical importance.

Crocodylus Park

Crocodylus Park offers a close-up look at one of the world's most feared predators, boasting five croc species, including the Philippine Crocodile, the rarest in the world. Croc feeding demonstrations take place daily, and there is also a small zoo displaying some Australian animals, like kangaroos and dingos, as well as lions, tigers, monkeys, and more.

Cullen Bay

Cullen Bay is the home of Darwin’s first Marina and is surrounded by trendy restaurants and cafes. It is the place to to go to catch a harbour cruise, book fishing charters or dive tours in search of marine life and wrecks. Superb sunsets, great fish and chips and a beautiful lawn to sit on. Pet friendly as well.

Darwin Entertainment Centre

The recently modernised Darwin Entertainment Centre in the heart of the city hosts world-class performances and cultural events. The Darwin Symphony Orchestra appears there regularly, and the centre also hosts major international artists and theatre performances.

Darwin Museum Underground WWII Oil Storage Tunnels

These fascinating tunnels were originally built during World War II in order to protect oil supplies from the Japanese bombings, though they were never used for that purpose. Today, two of the tunnels have been opened to the public and feature a collection of interesting photographs depicting life in Darwin during the war.

Dining

Hanuman

This attractive restaurant has a great local reputation for authentic Thai, Indian, and Malaysian food. The chef only uses freshly sourced ingredients and the restaurant has an excellent wine list. Enjoy your evening in a casual, open-plan dining room with high ceilings and wood carvings.

Hingston Chinese Restaurant

This busy eatery serves fresh and tasty Chinese food. It is praised as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Darwin, receiving a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. The menu has a wide selection of dishes such as beef with black bean sauce, Mongolian lamb on a hot plate and Peking duck.

Hot Tamale

Hot Tamale is a Mexican restaurant that bursts with bold and complex flavours. The restaurant has a fresh, intense and vibrant ambiance, and offers authentic Mexican specialities and beverages, including imported beers and tequila.

Il Piatto

Contemporary Italian-inspired food is served at il Piatto, a restaurant located at the Mindil Beach Casino Resort. The à la carte menu has mouth-watering options like stuffed chicken breast, grilled jumbo prawns and fresh tortelli. It has a beautiful location overlooking the Arafura Sea and the restaurant has an outside terrace where you can gaze at the sunset.

Moorish Cafe

Moorish Cafe was established in 2002 and quickly became known as a food lover’s haven. The menu is inspired by the flavours of Spain, the Mediterranean and Northern Africa, with starters like tapas and main dishes like Portuguese seafood and roasted duck leg.

Pee Wee’s at The Point

Pee Wee’s is considered one of Darwin’s best restaurants and offers fine dining beside the ocean with views of Fannie Bay and the Darwin skyline. They serve mainly modern Australian cuisine with buffet, table d'hôte and à la carte menu.

Saffrron

The menu features delights from north and south India as well as delicacies from a tandoori oven. They are deeply committed to conservationist efforts, and thus use only sustainable seafood, seasonal ingredients and plenty of locally-grown spices and herbs.

Stokes Hill Wharf

Watch the sunset and look for dolphins at one of Darwin’s most popular eating venues with more than a dozen independent restaurants (take-away style) sharing common seating on a jetty in Darwin harbour. Food choices include Thai, Chinese, local seafood, crocodile, and simple fish and chips. There is also a bottle shop that sells beer and wine.

Cafes

Cafe 21 Smith

Cafe 21 has a central Darwin location for al fresco dining away from traffic. It is a popular morning coffee and lunchtime venue, with great breakfasts and snack foods. The displays are lined with hot and cold food, including fresh sandwiches, wraps, and baguettes, as well as large salads, cakes, and gluten free sweets.

Eva's Cafe at the Botanical Gardens

Boasting a location like no other in the city, in the Wesleyan Church at the Darwin Botanical Gardens, Eva's Cafe offers a truly unique cafe experience, with fantastic coffee (expertly prepared by great baristas), full breakfasts and a complete lunch menu.

Four Birds

It's hard to think of a better setting for breakfast than the quaint courtyard at Four Birds, under cover of frangipani trees. Sandwiches, bagels, panini, smashed avocado on sourdough bread, as well as sweets like muffins, make lazy late afternoon brunches the house speciality.

Karma Cafe & Fitness

Karma Cafe is all about healthy living, catering to fitness enthusiasts and anyone who likes to take care of themselves. Healthy and tasty meals are served, along with fresh fruit juices and smoothies, salads and raw cakes, all of them made fresh with the best ingredients.

Laneway Coffee

Laneway is a sleek, modern, open-concept cafe that focuses on specialty coffee, simple fresh food and family friendly service. They offer vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as organic sourdough and fresh sweets, pastries and desserts baked daily.

Roma Bar

This cafe opened its doors in 1973 and has managed to stay relevant with a funky and modern style. Roma Bar is popular for its great Aussie brekkies and genuine espresso coffee.

Salvatores Cafe

This is a small cafe with a big Italian menu — pizza, pasta, salad, quiche, and burgers — and its own pastry chef creates a wonderful selection of cakes, tarts, and pastries. The buffalo wings are wildly popular and come highly recommended.

Bars & Nightlife

Atrium Bar & Garden

Located in the Novotel Darwin Hotel, Atrium is a tropical cocktail bar set among palm trees, flowers and flowing water. It is a good alternative from the Mitchell Street pubs for a quiet and sophisticated evening drink, especially during the daily happy hour from 5:30pm–6:30pm.

Darwin Sailing Club

The Darwin Sailing Club is not your average upmarket yachting club, but it is one of the best places to sip a drink and watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean. The lovely waterfront bistro is also a popular al fresco dining option.

Lizards Bar & Restaurant

Lizards is a huge venue with dining and bar areas, as well as sports events on large screens. The menu includes a great mix of pub food and modern dishes, ranging from salads and light snacks to heartier options like steak, pizza, and many more.

Mindil Beach Casino Resort

This hotel/resort has a beautiful beachside location with several restaurants and bars, ranging from fine dining to more affordable eating options, and it has the only full casino in the Northern Territory.

Monsoons

Monsoons aka Monnies has a perfect location on the vibrant Mitchell Street. It used to be a cinema but has been renovated into a dining and drinking venue with a cool and relaxed style. The menu has a wide selection of dishes such as pizza, burgers, wraps, pasta and steak.

Shenannigans

This is a classic Irish theme pub serving Guinness and Kilkenny on tap with an air-conditioned interior and a large street-side veranda. Shenanigans serves a filling Irish stew from their award-winning restaurant and features regular live music, karaoke nights and quizzes.

Shopping

Casuarina Square

If you want to go shopping in Darwin, the Casuarina Shopping Mall is a safe bet as the largest shopping centre in the Northern Territory, with over 180 businesses, supermarkets, department stores and a cinema. It is a major weekend gathering point for shopping and eating.

Cotton On

This fashion chain is, like Sportsgirl, another well-known brand in Australia. Cotton On was born in 1991 and offers a wide range of cool fashion clothing and accessories for women, men and children.

Mitchell Centre

The centrally located Mitchell Centre mall offers a good range of shopping options, including shops for health and beauty items, fashion and accessories, electronics and gifts, and more. It also houses numerous restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlours.

Mitchell Street

Mitchell Street offers mainly tour agencies, cafes, bars, aboriginal art galleries and a few other miscellaneous shops. There is also the air-conditioned Mitchell Centre with stores selling jewellery, mobile phones, clothes, photographic equipment and toys, along with Coles 24-hour supermarket.

Off Ya Tree

Off Ya Tree is an alternative fashion store, full of unique items, accessories and beauty products that push the boundaries and look like nothing else out there on the market. They also carry jewellery, do body piercings and have a tattoo studio in the store.

Smith Street

The Smith Street pedestrian precinct is a more relaxing retail environment with fountains, outdoor cafes, bookshops, shoe shops and tourist stores. Unique local specialty buys include the rare pink diamonds from the Argyle Diamond mine at Creative Jewellers and south sea pearls from Paspaley Pearls. Stop by The Bookshop Darwin for your next summer read.

Sportsgirl

Sportsgirl is a young, trendy store that can be found throughout the whole country. To all fashionistas, this is the place to go for clothes, accessories, shoes and much more. Their location in Darwin can be found at Casuarina Square.

Surf Dive n Ski

With a branch in the heart of the city, this well-known surf store chain is a must-visit if you ever come to this wonderful part of the country. Come to Surf Dive n Ski to buy a new surfing gear, and take to the waves, or get that effortless, cool beach look.

Tourist Information

Darwin International Airport (DRW)

Darwin International Airport is located 13 kilometres from the city centre, around a 15-minute drive. The city-wide airport shuttle bus serves all Darwin hotels, and tickets can be purchased at the airport or at Darwin’s transit centre. It departs in front of the Terminal and meets all flights. Arrange airport transfers by telephone or from the hotel reception. There is also a taxi rank located in front of the terminal.

Public Transport

Darwinbus is the main public transport network in Darwin, incorporating bus and ferry transport. Bus interchanges are located at Harry Chan Place in Darwin, Bradshaw Drive at Casuarina Shopping Square in Casuarina, and the corner of Temple Terrace and Roystone Avenue in Palmerston. Tickets can be bought when boarding the bus. Drivers carry limited change, so try to prepare the exact fare. You can also buy your ticket at any of the Interchanges in Darwin, Casuarina or Palmerston.

Taxi

You will find taxi ranks at the Knuckey Street end of Smith Street Mall, outside Skycity Casino and outside the Darwin Cinemas on Mitchell Street at night and on weekends. One of the best ways to catch a taxi is to call direct or ask for help to book a taxi at your hotel reception. Darwin Radio Taxis 131 008 www.darwinradiotaxis.com.au Metro Mini-Bus Service +61 8 8983 0577 metrominibus.com.au Uber and Ola are available in Darwin.

Electricity

Australia operates on a 230/240V supply voltage and 50Hz frequency. The country uses Type I power plugs, which feature two flat pins forming a 'V' shape, along with a grounding pin. This standard is also commonly used in New Zealand, Argentina, China, and several Pacific island nations. Remember to pack a universal adapter if your devices use a different plug type to ensure hassle-free charging.

Pharmacy

In Darwin, and Australia more broadly, there are several major pharmacy chains where you can pick up over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, personal care items, and more. The major pharmacy chains are Chemist Warehouse, TerryWhite Chemmart, Priceline Pharmacy, Amcal and Blooms The Chemist. It's always worth checking the opening hours as these can vary, especially on weekends and public holidays. Amcal Pharmacy Darwin — Bardens Cavanagh Street:

Post

Darwin's General Post Office is located on Cavenagh Street, a block away from Frog Hollow Park.

Safety

Do not swim in Darwin waters between October and May because of the deadly Box Jellyfish. Also, always beware of saltwater crocodiles. Remember to stay hydrated and use sun cream.

Telephone

Country code: + 61 Area code: (0)8

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