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Darwin To Top End Hot Springs Weekend Road Trip + FREE Map

Chris and BecByChris and Bec Updated on
Two people float on pool noodles in the clear blue water of Bitter Springs beside a set of entry steps. Palms surround the natural swimming hole and show how secluded the spring feels.
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The Top End has some of the BEST hot springs in Australia, and you can easily turn them into a weekend road trip from Darwin.

Mataranka Thermal Pool, Bitter Springs and Katherine Hot Springs are the big three, and honestly, they’ll blow you away!

We spent a couple of days around each and still wished we had longer. They’re the perfect escape if you need to recharge your batteries and disconnect from the city.

Plus, they’re all a short drive from each other, so you won’t spend the whole trip driving. It’s also a really budget-friendly trip from Darwin, and everything is on sealed roads so no 4WD needed.

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

Screenshot of a map with coloured pins and a route showing all the different things to do on a road trip from darwin to the top end hot springs mataranka hot springs, bitter springs, and katherine hot springs, in the northern territory
Click to open the full interactive map in Google Maps

Road trip snapshot

  • Distance: ~850 km return from Darwin
  • Drive time: ~9 hrs total across the weekend
  • Areas covered: Mataranka Hot Springs, Bitter Springs, Katherine Hot Springs. Optional: Nitmiluk National Park, Edith Falls (Leliyn)
  • Best time: April to October (dry season). Most attractions might be closed due to floods or croc sightings
  • Vehicle: 2WD, every road on this route is sealed
  • Pet-friendly: No, most of the swim spots sit inside national parks where pets aren’t allowed
  • Good for: Road-tripping newbies, anyone wanting a relaxing weekend in nature without touching their annual leave
  • A person floats in the vivid turquoise water of Bitter Springs surrounded by dense palms and tropical vegetation. An aerial view shows the narrow thermal spring winding through the forest.
    Bitter Springs
  • A woman relaxes in the crystal-clear waters of Mataranka Springs, surrounded by lush palms—a tranquil stop on Northern Territory road trips in Australia.
    Mataranka Hot Springs

Day 1: Darwin > Mataranka (Friday)

  • Distance: ~430km
  • Drive time: ~4 hrs 15 min

This first leg is a bit long, so today focus on getting into your accommodation in Mataranka and settling in. The fun starts tomorrow!

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Keep in mind markets and general stores on the way close at 7 PM at the latest. We’d recommend at least bringing dinner from Darwin.

You can break the trip at Adelaide River, Pine Creek, and Katherine.

  • Two people float on pool noodles in the clear blue water of Bitter Springs beside a set of entry steps. Palms surround the natural swimming hole and show how secluded the spring feels.
    Bitter Springs
  • A woman stands waist deep in the clear turquoise water at Mataranka Hot Springs. Tall palms tower above the tropical swimming spot in Elsey National Park.
    Mataranka Hot Springs

Where to stay in Mataranka?

We’d book in Bitter Springs Cabins and Camping. It’s within walking distance to Bitter Springs (our fave hot spring) in a quiet area. It’s great value for money, and it’s pet-friendly.

There’s also Mataranka Homestead, which is within walking distance to Mataranka Hot Springs. It’s a bit more popular than the previous one, with a restaurant, bar, and live music.

If you’d rather stay in Mataranka town itself, we’d look at Territory Manor Motel & Caravan Park, it’s close to everything you might need in town.

The Northern Territory guide

The Northern Territory guide

Red Centre to the Top End

Uluru, Kakadu, and every waterhole worth the detour, mapped so you can just point the bus north and drive.

  • 180+ pins with campsites, waterholes, hikes, and more
  • 12+ done-for-you itineraries (2WD and 4WD)
  • All your trip in one place and available offline
Get the guide

Day 2: Mataranka Hot Springs & Bitter Springs (Saturday)

  • Distance: ~25km
  • Drive time: ~15 to 20 min, all local

Today’s the whole reason you drove down here, so leave the car parked as much as you can and just swim, float, and swim again!

You’ll spend the day between Mataranka Hot Springs and Bitter Springs. Both are in Elsey National Park, so you’ll need a park pass if you’re not an NT resident.

  • A woman bends backwards underwater in the exceptionally clear water at Mataranka Hot Springs. Sunlight creates rippling patterns across the sandy bottom and shows just how clear the thermal pool is.
    Mataranka’s crazy clear water
  • A woman relaxes in the clear water at Mataranka Hot Springs with tall palms lining the bank behind her. The tropical setting surrounds the natural thermal pool.
    Mataranka Hot Springs

Both springs have incredibly clear water, snorkelling feels like looking through glass!

The main difference is that Mataranka feels a bit more like a proper pool than Bitter Springs, with steps and concrete edges.

We preferred Bitter Springs because it felt more natural. It also has a section up top with little caves, we saw long-necked turtles inside!

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Then you can drift downstream on a floatie and let the soft current carry you to the other end of the swimming hole. It’s a long relaxing drift, highly recommend.

  • Two people drift downstream on pool noodles through the turquoise water of Bitter Springs. Palm trees and native vegetation line the narrow spring and make the float feel surrounded by nature.
    Drifting downstream – Bitter Springs
  • A woman snorkels underwater among submerged branches at Bitter Springs. The exceptionally clear water reveals the rocky bottom and vegetation beneath the thermal spring
    Like looking through glass

Just know that you might see flying foxes in both springs.

They are completely harmless and we loved seeing them, but they can give off quite a strong odour, especially between January and March which is when they breed.

If you want something else to do today, why not check out the Never Never Museum? It’s a quick stop in Mataranka township covering the Never Never history and the Elsey homestead story.

If you like this itinerary, you’ll love this weekend road trip to Litchfield!

Day 3: Mataranka > Katherine Hot Springs > Darwin (Sunday)

  • Distance: ~435km, including the drive home to Darwin
  • Drive time: ~4.5 hrs

One last float before you leave Mataranka, then it’s an easy drive up to Katherine for a final swim before driving back to Darwin.

Katherine Hot Springs

Drive: ~120km (~1hr) from Mataranka

The third hot spring of this road trip, Katherine Hot Springs is actually a series of natural thermal pools surrounded by tropical forest, right in the middle of town!

  • Aerial view of a person floating in the bright turquoise waters of the secluded Katherine Hot Springs, encircled by lush greenery, a tropical highlight of the Melbourne to Darwin road trip.
    Katherine Hot Springs
  • Clear water fills one of the natural pools at Katherine Hot Springs with metal steps leading down from the shaded riverbank. Large trees surround the swimming area in the middle of Katherine.
    Entry to the hot springs

Plus, it’s free to visit and you can easily spend the whole day here – there are picnic areas, BBQs, toilets, and a playground.

We even packed some lunch so we could pop in and out, 100% recommend! Definitely try to spend as much as possible there before driving back to Darwin.

Bonus: Nitmiluk National Park > Edith Falls (Leliyn)

  • Distance: ~380km
  • Drive time: ~4 hrs

Got an extra day up your sleeve? Swap the long Sunday drive for one more night in Katherine, then explore Nitmiluk NP and/or Edith Falls before heading back to Darwin!

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You’ll need a park pass for both if you’re not an NT resident.

Nitmiluk National Park

Nitmiluk Gorge is the main reason to visit Katherine in our opinion. It’s a huge gorge system that we recommend exploring with a half-day canoe tour.

  • A woman paddles a canoe toward a dramatic hollow in the towering red cliffs of Katherine Gorge. The close cliffs show the scale of Nitmiluk from water level.
    Canoeing through Katherine Gorge
  • A woman stands on huge rounded rocks beside flowing water in Nitmiluk National Park. Rugged red cliffs rise behind the rocky section of Katherine Gorge.
    Photos can’t do it justice

We did it and absolutely loved it, it’s the best way to take in how massive the gorges are. It’s something everyone should experience at least once!

If you don’t have the time or energy for the canoe tour, head at least to Baruwei Lookout for epic views of the gorges.

Edith Falls (Leliyn)

If time allows, consider taking a quick detour for a nice swim in this beautiful area! It has a couple of waterfalls and natural pools connected by a hiking trail.

  • A woman dives into the natural pool beneath a waterfall at Leliyn Edith Falls. Red rocky cliffs frame the swimming spot visited on the return leg of the Darwin to Katherine weekend road trip.
  • Two people swim beneath a rocky waterfall at Edith Falls in Nitmiluk National Park. Water cascades down the dark rock face behind them beneath a bright blue sky.

You might only be able to check the lower pools, there are a few on the upper side but there’s a bit of a hike to get there, so we recommend leaving them for a future road trip to Katherine.

Keen on more road trips from Darwin? Here’s weekend road trip to Kakadu we love!

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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.

Mataranka, Bitter Springs, and Katherine Hot Springs might close due to floods or croc sightings in the wet.

June and July are the absolute best time to go, but they’re also the busiest months. While September and October might be hotter, but with fewer people.

What to pack

  • Reef safe sunscreen, you’ll be swimming most of the weekend
  • Snorkelling equipment
  • Aqua shoes for the rockier bits of Bitter Springs and Katherine Hot Springs
  • A pool noodle if you’ve got one
  • A dry bag for phones and keys while you’re floating
  • Insect repellent

FREE Map of this Top End hot springs weekend trip

Grab the free map here

Top tips

Book Bitter Springs Cabins and Camping ahead of time in dry season, it fills up fast on weekends.

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Always check current safety signage before swimming anywhere in the NT, and have a read of where you’re likely to find crocodiles in Australia before you go anywhere near open river water.

Mataranka Thermal Pool gets busy with tour buses by mid-morning, so you might want to visit earlier or later in the day.

FAQs

Can you do Mataranka and Katherine Hot Springs in one weekend from Darwin?

Yes, it’s a very doable weekend. You’re looking at around 9 hours of total driving across the three days.

Is Katherine Hot Springs open all year?

No, Katherine Hot Springs is usually only accessible during the dry season from May to October.

Do you need a 4WD for this hot springs loop?

No, every road on this loop is sealed and fine in a standard 2WD car. There’s no off-road driving required at any point in the itinerary.

Is Bitter Springs or Mataranka Thermal Pool better?

They’re both fed by the same warm groundwater, but we prefer Bitter Springs because it’s generally quieter and feels more natural.

Mataranka Thermal Pool is beautiful too but a bit more developed, but it’s easier to access. So it comes down to preference.

Ready for an epic trip to the best hot springs in the Top End? Grab this first!

Any trip is easier to do when someone else has done the planning for you!

So we built our Northern Territory Guide to make travelling around the Top End (and the whole NT) stupid easy:

  • 12+ done-for-you itineraries
  • 180+ places pinned across the state
  • Filters like “dog-friendly”, “crocs”, “free camping” and more!
  • Offline access available, a must if you’re road tripping NT

This is how the guide looks:

Screenshots of Northern territory guide. The top left corner shows the basic information of the guide and locations included. The top right screenshot shows a map of the Northern Territory with all the pins of activities, campsites, food sites, etc included in the guide. The bottom screenshot is a horizontal view of one of the many done-for-you itineraries included in the Northern Territory guide.
Top: Mobile views of guide and interactive map | Bottom: Desktop view of one of the itineraries included
Grab our NT guide and explore it with confidence

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Hi! We’re Chris and Bec, the two adventure-lovers behind Salt and Charcoal. We quit our jobs in 2020, to pursue the lifestyle of travelling and working remotely. We chose to dive into the unknown and prioritise experiences over material things… and it was the best decision we ever made! Now, we support others to road trip Australia and get the most out of their bucket list trips. Come say hi on our socials :)

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