Kakadu and Litchfield Hiking Adventure

Depart Darwin and travel to where your Litchfield exploration begins, Berry Springs’ thermal pools, where warm water flows through a tropical oasis shaded by pandanus and paperbarks. These unique springs maintain their temperature year-round, creating perfect swimming conditions. Continue to Wangi Falls where twin cascades plunge into a large sandy-bottomed waterhole. Walk the 1.6-kilometre circuit around the top of the falls for elevated views of the monsoon rainforest. At Tolmer Falls, view the single-drop waterfall from platforms above. The pool below sits surrounded by caves weathered into sandstone walls, with long views across the national park. Buley Rockhole features a series of cascades that feed multiple plunge pools; this natural spa invites you to sit in the flowing water between swimming sessions. Finish at Florence Falls, descending one kilometre through rainforest to the base where twin falls create a deep plunge pool. Swim right up to and beneath the cascades before climbing stairs to the upper viewing platform, overnight near Litchfield.

Travel 3.5 hours along the Old Jim Jim Road into Kakadu National Park, crossing from Litchfield's sandstone country into Kakadu's vast wetland and escarpment systems. Your guide provides comprehensive commentary on the changing landscapes, geology and ecology visible from the vehicle. After reaching the South Alligator River, embark on a two-kilometre return hike to Maguk (Barramundi Falls). The grade-three walk follows sandy and rocky Barramundi Creek through dense monsoon forest where tropical palms and pandanus thrive. Emerge at a pristine waterfall tumbling into a plunge pool surrounded by steep gorge walls, a lush tropical oasis where birdlife congregates in the canopy. The crystal-clear water invites you to swim after your hike through the humid forest. Return to your vehicle and continue to Cooinda, where you’ll stay in safari-style glamping tents for two nights, with time to relax by the pool after your long day of travel and hiking.

Rise before dawn for the 6:45am Yellow Water Billabong cruise, when the wetland's wildlife is most active. Saltwater crocodiles bask on banks catching early sun while azure kingfishers and rainbow bee-eaters hunt from branches above the water. Magpie geese, green pygmy-geese and egrets feed in the shallows. Jabirus and brolgas work the mudflats. Your guide identifies species and explains the billabong's ecological significance within Kakadu's flood-pulse system. Return for breakfast before driving to Nanguluwurr Rock Art Gallery, a significant Aboriginal camping site featuring diverse painting styles across thousands of years. Examine hand stencils, food species like fish and turtles, and remarkable contact art, including a two-masted sailing ship mysteriously painted far inland. Learn about Algaihgo, the female spirit connected to this site. After visiting Anbangbang Billabong—home to comb-crested jacanas, corellas and red-tailed black cockatoos—walk the 1.5-kilometre loop at Burrungkuy (Nourlangie). These World Heritage paintings document life from 20,000 years ago through first European contact. Finish with the short climb to Nawurlandja lookout, where world-class views extend across savannah woodlands to the Arnhem Land escarpment’s sheer cliff face, perfect for watching golden hour light settle across the landscape.

After breakfast, drive to Ubirr Rock Art Gallery, where some of the world’s finest Aboriginal rock art includes exceptional x-ray paintings showing internal bone and organ structures of animals. Contact art depicts the period when Indigenous people first encountered Europeans. The 1.5-kilometre loop walk passes multiple art sites before climbing to Ubirr's summit lookout. From here, view the Nadab floodplains, savannah woodlands and dark ribbons of rainforest stretching to the horizon. Descend and continue to Cahills Crossing, the notorious river causeway forming the gateway into Arnhem Land. This tidal crossing is one of the Top End's best locations for observing saltwater crocodiles as they congregate around the causeway waiting for fish and other prey swept through by tidal flows. The unique road floods regularly, depending on the tide and season. After experiencing this remarkable location, begin the 3.5-hour return drive to Darwin, crossing back through Kakadu's diverse landscapes before arriving in the city.