Darwin to Katherine Weekend Road Trip + FREE Map

Katherine is one of the BEST weekend road trips you can do from Darwin. We spent almost a week there, but you can see the main highlights in 2-3 days!

Most people know it for the iconic hot springs, but Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park is the real reason we’d make the trip.

Kayaking through it was one of the best things we did there, bucket-list worthy for sure.

Plus, everything is on sealed roads so no 4WD needed. And, if you can add an extra day, Mataranka Thermal Pool and Bitter Springs are worth the drive south.

If we only had a weekend, this is the itinerary we’d do, plus a bonus Monday if you can take the extra day off!

Road trip snapshot

• Distance: ~700km return from Darwin
• Drive time: ~8 hours total across the weekend
• Areas covered: Katherine, Nitmiluk National Park, Leliyn (Edith Falls), Adelaide River. Optional: Mataranka and Bitter Springs, Cutta Cutta Caves.
• Best time: April to October (dry season). Most attractions might be closed due to flooding.
• Vehicle: 2WD, every road on this route is sealed
• Pet-friendly: No, most of the activities in this itinerary are in National Parks where pets aren’t allowed.
• Good for: Road-tripping newbies, and anyone wanting a 2WD-only nature fix with epic swimming holes and a touch of adventure.

Day 1: Darwin > Katherine (Friday)

• Distance: ~320km
• Drive time: ~3.5 hrs

This first leg is a bit long, so today focus on getting into Katherine and settling in, proper exploring starts on Saturday!

If you get there early enough, we recommend heading straight to Katherine Hot Springs for a quick dip! If not, no worries, you’ll have plenty of time to do so over the weekend.

Where to stay in Katherine?

We stayed at Discovery Parks Katherine and 100% recommend it. It’s a bit outside of town, a short drive from Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge.

Another solid option is the local BIG4 Breeze Holiday Parks, best if you’d rather stay within walking distance of Katherine Hot Springs.

Here are other alternatives:

• Pine Tree Motel if you prefer a typical hotel with good prices.
• Cicada Lodge if you want a fancy stay inside Nitmiluk National Park.
• Leliyn /Edith Falls campsite if you really want to disconnect.

Day 2: Nitmiluk National Park (Saturday)

• Distance: ~60km round trip
• Drive time: ~1 hr round trip

Today is all about Nitmiluk National Park, which, honestly, is the main reason for this weekend road trip! If you’re not an NT resident, make sure to have your park pass.

The park is known for Nitmiluk / Katherine Gorge, a huge gorge system made up of multiple sections that cut through the sandstone cliffs.

We didn’t realise before visiting how MASSIVE the gorges actually are! It’s really hard to explain, it’s something you have to experience, and we think the best way to do it is with a canoe tour.

There are half-day, full-day, and overnight tours available. We did the afternoon canoe tour, which left around 1pm and got back at about 5:30pm.

We loved doing the afternoon session because the sun was much lower on the paddle back and the light through the gorge was epic! Great for pictures.

However, if we did it again, we’d definitely book the overnight tour (this one). You can paddle as far as the ninth gorge, then camp and sleep under the stars. It would be magic!

If you book the half-day tour, you’ve got the whole morning/arvo free, so we’d spend it either hiking in the park or swimming at Katherine Hot Springs.

Things to do in Nitmiluk National Park

Apart from the canoe tour, here are some cool things to do while you’re there if time allows:

• Baruwei Lookout: It has some of the best views over Katherine Gorge. If you can’t do a canoe tour along the river, at least check out this spot! The views are incredible.
• Baruwei Loop Walk: 5km loop, ~2 hours, moderate. Goes past the lookout, then continues along the escarpment back to the Visitor Centre. Excellent to check out the area without too much effort.
• Mountain bike trails: With options for different experience levels. They’re shared with walkers, so keep an eye out for people on the track.

Keen for more epic swimming spots? Check out our guide to the best swimming spots in the NT

Day 3: Leliyn (Edith Falls) > Darwin (Sunday)

• Distance: ~360 km, including the drive home to Darwin
• Drive time: ~4 hrs

Wake up early today to head north up the Stuart Highway to Leliyn (Edith Falls) for a final swim before heading back into Katherine for the night!

Leliyn (Edith Falls)

This is a beautiful area with waterfalls and a couple of natural pools connected by a hiking trail. It’s in the northern area of Nitmiluk NP, so you also need a Park Pass for this one!

There’s a lower pool near the carpark. It’s quite big but can get crowded at peak season.

There’s also a couple of smaller upper pools that are much quieter and have better views. We prefer those, but you’ll have to do the 2.6km Leliyn Loop to get there. The walk is 100% worth it but bring good shoes!

We recommend spending the whole day there before driving back to Darwin.

Keen on more weekend road trips from Darwin? Here’s an itinerary to Litchfield and another to Kakadu!

Bonus: Elsey National Park (Mataranka) > Cutta Cutta Caves

• Distance: ~181km
• Drive time: ~2 hrs 5 min

Elsey National Park is home to some of the best hot springs in the Top End:

• Mataranka Hot Springs: A crystal-clear, 34 degree spring-fed pool set in a striking palm forest, one of the most photogenic spots in the NT and warm enough to enjoy year-round.
• Bitter Springs: A quieter thermal spring nearby (and our fave), where you can drift gently downstream through paperbark forest. It’s usually less crowded than Mataranka.

They’re a 1-hour drive south of Katherine though, so you might want to spend the previous night at Bitter Springs Cabins and Camping, that way you can just wake up and walk to the hot springs.

Then on your way back to Darwin, consider stopping by Cutta Cutta Caves, one of the only tropical cave systems in Australia! The rock formations are gorgeous and there are several bat species, including ghost bats and rare orange horseshoe bats.

Planning your weekend road trip

Best time to go

Dry season, roughly April to October, is pretty much the only time to do this road trip.

Katherine Hot Springs is usually closed from November to April when water levels rise. There might be closures in Nitmiluk / Katherine Gorge due to flooding as well.

Staying safe in Katherine

We didn’t have any problems but we didn’t stay in town per se, we stayed at Discovery Parks Katherine which is on the outskirts.

If you’re staying in town, just exercise common sense. Petty theft is common so don’t walk alone at night, and don’t leave valuables visible in your vehicle.

What to pack

• Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat for the gorge walks
• Swimmers under your clothes, you’ll want them at every stop
• Reusable water bottle, it’s hot and dry most of the year
• A dry bag if you’re doing the kayaking tour
• Sturdy shoes for the escarpment and upper pool walks

Top tips

Book the Nitmiluk Kayaking Tour before you leave home, it sells out most weekends in the dry season.

Check the Katherine Hot Springs and Cutta Cutta Caves opening status before you commit, both are seasonal and change with rainfall.

FAQs