Summary
- Australia's Northern Territory offers a lifetime of adventures, from rich culture to unique scenery, exciting adventures, and history.
- Alice Springs is a stunning desert town with a rich Aboriginal culture, freshwater swimming holes, and gorgeous scenery like Kings Canyon.
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is home to two impressive natural wonders, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, offering spiritually significant rock formations and mesmerizing red rock scenery.
Australia’s Northern Territory is an interesting destination in Australia that packs so many adventures that one could spend a lifetime exploring it all. It’s easy to convince anyone to visit this destination because there is so much to enjoy here from an incredibly rich culture to unique scenery, exciting adventures, and rich history.
Australia’s Northern Territory is considered the real Australia as it is home to indigenous populations and the country’s most historic attractions like Uluru and Kakadu National Park. Leave Sydney, Melbourne, and other popular Australian cities for some time and head over to these destinations in Australia’s Northern Territory for a unique and unforgettable experience.
10 Alice Springs
Alice Springs is a gorgeous desert town in Australia’s Northern Territory where visitors will enjoy a unique vacation. The scenery is the first thing that will stun visitors here as it is characterized by surrounding rocks and a desert landscape carpeted with grasses.
The town has a rich Aboriginal culture, as well as lots of attractions like freshwater swimming holes, the gorgeous Kings Canyon, and parks where incredible fauna and flora can be witnessed.
Alice Springs is also known as the headquarters of Australia’s outback and a vacation here is the best way to get more intimate with the rich culture and history of this vast country.
- Top attractions in Alice Springs: Alice Springs Telegraph Station, Flynn Grave, Simpsons Gap
9 Dundee Beach
Dundee Beach is one of the most beautiful towns in Australia's Northern Territory. The town is a popular place for fishing and visitors can also enjoy boating on the waters. The beach in town is great for walking and watching the sunset and visitors here will also enjoy incredible birdwatching.
- Location: About 57 km (37 miles) Southwest of Darwin
8 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is the combination of two of Australia’s most impressive natural wonders: Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Uluru is a magnificent sandstone formation that rises to an elevation of 863 m and features a mesmerizing red color scenery that is magnified at sunrise or sunset.
The rock is also known as Ayers Rock and it is sacred to the aboriginal people of the area who are known as Anangu.
On another part of the park is Kata Tjuta, a group of large rock formations that cover a length of over 20 km and feature interesting fauna and flora.
Together these spiritually significant rock formations and the numerous natural endowments that surround them make this park incredibly exciting to visit. Not to be superstitious or anything but the scenery that can be witnessed here, especially at sunrise or sunset evokes a kind of unique feeling.
- Entry: $38 for 3 days, $50 for a year
7 Mataranka Thermal Springs
Mataranka Thermal Springs are a group of hot springs located in the town of Mataranka. These hot springs are great for swimming all year round and their turquoise color also makes them incredibly beautiful.
In addition to swimming, activities like camping and hiking can be done around the springs and there are even beautiful waterfalls to see along some of the trails.
- Aattractions to visit in and around Mataranka Esley National Park, Never Never Museum, Mataranka War Memorial
6 Kings Canyon
King’s Canyon is a massive canyon in Australia’s Northern Territory that covers an area of 710 square km (274 square miles) and features an abundance of plants and rich aboriginal culture. The red rock scenery of the canyon is spectacular and visitors here will marvel at the 100-meter-high high canyon walls which look handcrafted.
Hiking is a great way to see the red rock landscape up close and one can also engage in other activities here like helicopter tours and scenic drives.
- Entry: Free
- Things to do around: Bird watching, road trips, shopping
5 Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is famous all over the world for its abundance of historic and natural attractions. The park is the largest in Australia, and it is home to rich wildlife, impressive waterfalls, thousands of Aboriginal rock art sites, and endless rugged beauty. The list is endless and some of the popular things to do in this park include:
- Visiting Ubirr to see some of the best Aboriginal rock art
- Birdwatching at Mamukala Wetlands
- Walking through the ancient shelters at Nourlangie
Tickets to Kakadu National Park
- Dry Season (May 15 - October 31): $40 for adults over 16 years, $20 for children aged 5 - 15 years
- Tropical Summer (November 1 - May 14): $25 for adults above 16 years, $12.50 for children aged 5 - 15 years
4 Litchfield National Park
Litchfield National Park is an area about 100 km south of Darwin which features several beautiful freshwater springs, and waterfalls. It is a great place to enjoy a refreshing swim or shower under a waterfall while taking in gorgeous natural scenery.
The park also offers opportunities for hiking and picnicking and although it is 90 minutes drive from the capital, there are campsites near the park in case visitors want more time to explore the area.
- Entry: Free
- Top attractions in Litchfield National Park: Wangi Falls, Buley Rockhole, Florence Falls
3 Darwin
Darwin is the capital of Australia’s Northwest Territory and the first destination visitors to the area will get to see. Be sure to set aside a few days for this city because there’s so much to see and do.
Begin the adventure by munching on some delicious Asian-inspired food and then proceed to visit some of the city’s popular attractions like the impressive Christ Church Cathedral and the historic Bicentennial Park.
Next, go on a crocodile cruise to see the city’s stunning crocodiles up close, and then spend a day at Darwin’s waterfront which is lined up with restaurants, and bustling with events and adventures.
Darwin is also close to some of the most popular national parks and attractions in Australia’s Northern Territory so be sure to take some of those exciting day trips.
- Top attractions in Darwin: Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin Waterfront, Adelaide River
2 Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park
Also known as Tjoritja, West MacDonnell National Park is one more park set aside to preserve some of the natural wonders of Australia’s Northern Territories. This park comprises several stunning gorges, swimming holes, and a wide range of plants and animals.
The park also has campgrounds, hiking trails, and several picnic spots proving there’s so much to see and do here.
- Entry price: From $10
1 Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land is perhaps the most remote destination in Australia’s Northern Territory. The region is historic, spiritual, scenic, wild, and full of aboriginal people known as the Yolngu people. A visit to this off-the-beaten-path destination is sure to be unique and exciting not just because of its rich culture and otherworldly feel but also because of the numerous activities one can enjoy here.
Arnhem Land is a hot spot for fishing, camping in nature, watching wildlife, and hiking. The region also has beautiful beaches, and magnificent landscapes which are picture-perfect, so nature photographers are welcome.
- Top attractions in Arnhem Land: Injalak Hill, Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Center, Garig Gunak Barlu National Park