Australia's Top End and the Kimberley region plays host to some of its most intriguing wildlife and Aboriginal heritage.
Darwin is a vibrant, hot city whose surrounding countryside of monsoon rainforest, Outback escarpments and remote billabongs shelter a variety of wildlife from crocodiles and kangaroos to sea eagles and Jesus birds.
You can glimpse the natural world through day visits, but we'd recommend taking longer trips to explore this vast wilderness, such as Kakadu, Lichfield National Park, the Tiwi Islands, Arnhem Land and the Coburg Peninsula with its Seven Spirit Bay.
We offer small-group tours that visit Aboriginal communities and experience Outback farming life with visits to remote stations.
Start planning your trip to Top End & the Kimberley region
Aboriginal Australia: Darwin to Adelaide
Our Top End & the Kimberley highlights
Day trip to the Tiwi Islands
A day trip to the Tiwi Islands provides an insight into the traditional Aboriginal lifestyle. This is a great opportunity to purchase arts and crafts and join the Tiwi ladies for billy tea and damper (traditional refreshments).
Visit the Kakadu National Park
Visit Kakadu National Park during the dry season between May and October for beautiful escarpment scenery, native wildlife and ancient Aboriginal rock art sites.
Cruise along the Katherine Gorge
Take a cruise on the tranquil waters of the Katherine River as it winds 7 miles (12km) through Katherine Gorge. Spectacular helicopter flights are also available.
Experience Outback life at Bullo River Station
Bullo River Station provides the quintessential Australian Outback experience. Try your hand at cattle mustering, horse riding or world-class barramundi fishing.
Take a helicopter ride over the Bungle Bungle Ranges
Complete your visit to the Kimberley with a helicopter ride over the remote beehive domes of the Bungle Bungle Ranges. This is the best way to see the striking orange and black stripes of the rock.
Self-drive along the Gibb River Road
Travel through the heart of the Kimberley on the Gibb River Road on a 4WD camping safari or a self-drive. Highlights include Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek and the Mitchell Falls.
Visit Cape Léveque
Take a break from the beach at Broome and travel north through the rugged Dampier Peninsula to Cape Léveque. You will be rewarded with stunning sunsets and deserted white sand beaches.
Spend time on the beach in Broome
A few days on the beach in Broome is a great way to relax after travelling through the Kimberley. The town also has a fascinating pearling history to explore.
Some of our favourite places in the Top End & the Kimberley
Darwin
Darwin offers little more than an access point for visitors heading out to explore the national parks of Australia’s Top End. But, even if you only stay 24 hours, it has a handful of noteworthy experiences, from markets to museums.
Kakadu National Park
The Kakadu National Park is made up of rugged stony plateaux, red escarpments riven by waterfalls, twisting rivers and wetlands festooned with flowers and birds: add in Aboriginal rock art sites and it's easy to see why this is one of the most important UNESCO World-Heritage areas.
Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land is an immense, undisturbed swathe of land blessed with wild coastlines, monsoon rainforests and soaring escarpments, bound by Kakadu National Park, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Great places to stay in the Top End & the Kimberley
Bamurru Plains Lodge
Overlooking the flood plains of the Swan Creek River, Bamurru Plains Lodge is a unique bush camp that brings a touch of style to a remote and beautiful part of Australia.
Bullo River Station
The Bullo River Station combines remote, stunning wilderness with comfort, style and a fascinating insight into the colourful lifestyle of a true Australian.
Cable Beach Club Resort
Cable Beach Club Resort lies on 15 miles of turquoise Indian Ocean and dazzling white sands, on the edge of the vast Kimberley outback and close to the colourful pearling resort of Broome.
Emma Gorge Resort
The Emma Gorge resort is hidden in the fiery red of El Questro's Cockburn Ranges and it's just a short stroll to the base of the gorge, past butterfly filled trees and a huge turquoise water hole.
Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel
Truly one of a kind, this crocodile-shaped hotel has a great location for discovering Kakadu National Park and Yellow River.
Cooinda Lodge Kakadu
Cooinda Lodge Kakadu spreads beneath a canopy of trees adjacent to the Yellow Water Billabong and is a great base from which to explore the Kakadu National Park.
Mantra Pandanas
Combining sophisticated city chic with a tranquil tropical edge, the Mantra Pandanas offers spacious apartment style accommodation with luxurious hotel facilities.
Home Valley Station
Covering over 3.5 million acres, Home Valley Station is much more than just accommodation, with its surrounding landscapes including towering gorges, waterholes, rivers and untouched beaches.
Mantra on the Esplanade
Situated on the esplanade, overlooking Darwin Harbour and within walking distance of the city centre, this stylish hotel has a reputation for personalised service and is one of the top properties in Darwin.
