Katherine Gorge Cruise & Edith Falls Day Trip from Darwin
Description
A must-do day trip when visiting the Top End! We travel south along the famous Stuart Highway through the townships of Adelaide River and Pine Creek towards Katherine and Nitmiluk National Park. Explore this wonderful region in the Northern Territory and relax as your guide provides historical and cultural commentary throughout your journey. A must-see inclusion is the NitNit Dreaming two-hour Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) boat cruise where you will journey through the middle of cliff faces 70m high with the sun’s natural lighting providing ever-changing colours throughout the landscape and rock formations. Soak in the stories of the traditional owners of the land, the Jawoyn people of Katherine as you are guided through this spectacular area before we head to the picturesque Edith Falls (Leliyn).*subject to boat cruise timing, Edith Falls (Leliyn) will be visited either prior to or after the Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) boat cruise. Then it's time to meander our way back to Darwin.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We depart Darwin's inner-city early, so we can make the most of our time exploring the Nitmiluk National Park and surrounding areas onboard our Katherine Gorge & Edith Falls day trip.
After leaving Darwin in the morning, we travel south along the famous Stuart Highway through Adelaide River and Pine Creek towards Katherine.
Discover the endemic flora and fauna of this fascinating region of the Northern Territory with your guide's historical and cultural commentary as we journey through Nitmiluk National Park. The Katherine River and Edith Falls are two of the most famous attractions in this region
There is no better way to experience Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) than with the NitNit Dreaming boat cruise. On the NitNit Dreaming cruise, you will travel through the middle of cliff faces 70m high as the sun's natural lighting changes the colours of the landscape and rock formations as you travel through the gorge.
Edith Falls (Leliyn), with its huge natural plunge pool, is a great place to take a refreshing dip or simply relax and enjoy your surroundings. (*swimming is subject to seasonality) Views over the escapement can be seen from several lookout points along the walk
If time permits we stop here for travellers to have a stretch their legs and have a rest stop.
After enjoying an action-packed day of natural beauty, we slowly make our way back to Darwin arriving sometime between 7:30pm and 8:00pm.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- A minimum moderate level of fitness is required to complete the walks.
- Child policy 6 years old and over, not suitable for children 5 years old and under.
- This itinerary may vary to adapt to seasonal changes and occasionally spots in the parks close or do not allow swimming. As safety is our top priority we plan accordingly to ensure our guests have the most fun and best experience possible while on tour.
- Please ensure you have checked the average temperatures for the time of year you are travelling and have packed adequate clothing.
- Prior to booking, we strongly recommend guests purchase travel insurance.
Reviews(192)
Tim, our guide, was excellent. Even though it’s a long drive there and back. Tim kept us engaged by sharing his vast knowledge of the area, the flower and fauna, and everything else as well. Edith Falls - two options. Lower pool or upper pool. There is a little 25 min steep -ish walk up and a good clamber over rocks to get to it but it was worth is. Had about 90 min stop here so if you do the upper pool, you get about 20 mins to swim. More if you chose the lower pool. Changing room, shower and toilet facility on site. So no need to sit around in wet clothes. There was also a small cafe but apparently it’s not open all the time . Katherine gorge - so beautiful. We did two gorges. So you go up one and then get off the boat and walk about 750 metres past some rock art, to another boat. All organised so professionally and again the guide in the gorge was excellent. I thought the day was broken up well and the most we drove for was around 90 mins before a stop so that made the day easy. There was one stop on way out to get food supplies. It was a petrol station that had a convenience store. Some sandwiches on white bread and some hot food like egg and back rolls or sausage rolls or chicken tenders, that type of thing. plus usual food found in that type of store. So if you are vegan or GF or DF maybe consider taking food with you. They have an esky on the bus to our food on to keep it cool plus lots of water for tops ups. Had a fabulous day out. Very well organised. Very profession guides.
Great day.. our driver Dylan was awesome . Great playlist on return trip..well worth the long day. Awesome
It was great having a bus tour for the long trip to Katherine Gorge and Edith Falls. Comfortable bus. A stop in both directions was well timed. The boat trip through Katherine gorge was excellent with informative commentary on the gorge, Jawyon people, their culture and history, the geology and the wet and dry seasons in the gorge. I appreciated the opportunity to look at the rock paintings. The boat had good seating and fresh water which I needed. Edith Falls was a good stop with good facilities and I enjoyed the small cultural centre focused on Jawyon and Country. Learning about the return of the land to Jawyon and the lease back to government of the National Park was excellent. The driver's commentary gave lots of information on trees, birds, termites and other creatures. He spent a bit of time on crocodiles and attacks on people. Some of his comments on other drivers and people could have been more respectful. I am glad to have done the tour and seen this beautiful part of the Top End. Thank you.
Excellent on all points, guide Dylan was brilliant, informative and funny! Made a long day easy Congrats to Dylan
We had an amazing day exploring Katherine Gorge and Edith Falls! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and the gorge cruise was definitely the highlight of the trip. Our guides, Tim & Rob, were friendly, knowledgeable and made the whole experience enjoyable. It was a long day from Darwin, but completely worth it. We loved every moment and would highly recommend this tour!
Lee was our guide for the day. He did a fantastic job thanks for a great , he is very knowledgeable about the area. Yes it is a long day but you were made aware of this at time of booking. Edith falls was a very relaxing spot , water a bit fresh. At Katherine Gorge we had a local guide Russell he was very good .Katherine Gorge was just stunning. Would recommend this tour by Autopia Tours to anyone.
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback! It’s wonderful to hear that Lee did a fantastic job and that his knowledge of the area enhanced your experience. We're glad you appreciated the transparency about the long day and enjoyed relaxing at Edith Falls, despite the refreshing water. It’s great that Russell provided a excellent guide at Katherine Gorge and that you found the scenery stunning. We truly appreciate your recommendation of the tour by Autopia Tours. Hope to host you again for more memorable adventures!
a lot of hours spent travelling to & from was a bit frustrating.. but the sites were good, our driver Leigh was great, he was entertaining, well read, very informative with historic elements related to the area.. and beyond.. during the drive he kept us entertianed with local stories and very patient considering his 17hr day.. The boat trip was a bit disappointing due to being cut short because of a broken access up stream... but great views..
Thank you for sharing your feedback. It’s understandable that the long hours traveling to and from the sites can be tiring, but it’s great to hear that the sights themselves were worth it. Leigh sounds like a fantastic driver - entertaining, well-informed, and patient despite his long 17-hour day. It’s wonderful that he kept everyone engaged with stories and historical insights. Although the boat trip was cut short, it’s good to know you still enjoyed the views. We appreciate your honesty and hope that, despite the frustrations, the trip provided you with memorable moments. Thanks again for your review!
Leigh was a wonderful guide and human, could not fault this experience, simply spectacular, everyone must see!
Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt review! We're thrilled that Leigh provided a wonderful experience and that you found the entire journey to be spectacular. Your words truly capture the essence of what we aim to offer. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to host you again soon for more unforgettable adventures!
Boogie was a great guide. Comfortable bus, many rest stops. Lots of great information about Katherine and Darwin.
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're happy to hear that Boogie provided a comfortable and informative experience, with plenty of rest stops and great insights about Katherine and Darwin. 😊 We look forward to helping you with more adventures in the future!
A big day, but a great day. Our guide Dylan was very entertaining, fun with great stories and information being a local Darwin boy. We enjoy the falls and the gorge was spectacular. J n J.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, J & J! We’re glad you had a great day exploring Katherine Gorge and Edith Falls. It’s awesome to hear Dylan’s stories, local knowledge, and fun personality made the journey even better. We’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to him. Hope to see you again soon!
