Kakadu, Katherine & Litchfield Family Adventure
Kakadu, Katherine & Litchfield Family Adventure
Kakadu, Katherine & Litchfield Family Adventure
4 Days Starting and ending in Darwin
Visiting: Darwin / Litchfield National Park / Mary River, Kakadu National Park, Kakadu National Park / Nitmiluk National Park / Katherine, Nitmiluk National Park / Katherine / Darwin
Tour operator:
Tour code:
PZFK
Specialist Group:
Family/Kids
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 16
Age range:
5-99 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
Gather the family and journey into the Northern Territory's rugged Top End on this short but sweet four-day adventure. The kids will love spending time with the Traditional Owners of Wulna Country to learn about their culture, chasing waterfalls in the Litchfield National Park and seeing traditional rock art in Ubirr. Climb high to look down on the Nardab Floodplain, cool off in the refreshing swimming holes of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park and discover the towering rock walls of Katherine Gorge. From fascinating wildlife to legendary landscapes, this family holiday will be hard to top!
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Darwin / Litchfield National Park / Mary River
Location: Darwin / Litchfield National Park / Mary River
Accommodation: Semi-permanent tents with shared facilities
Meals Included: lunch, dinner
Welcome to the Northern Territory! Your family adventure begins early this morning in the tropical city of Darwin (Gulumerrdgen in the language of the local Larrakia people, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Darwin is now located). Set off from Darwin and head south to Litchfield National Park, a huge sandstone plateau with dozens of waterfalls. Explore the stunning Florence Falls and cool off with a swim in the picturesque plunge pool. After a picnic lunch you'll have time to explore the incredible Magnetic Termite Mounds before we hitting the road to Wulna Country, where your Limilngan-Wulna hosts – the land’s Traditional Owners – will greet you with a Cul Cul or ‘Welcome to Country’. You and the kids will learn about their culture during bush tucker talks and didgeridoo and basket weaving demonstrations. Enjoy an authentic Aussie BBQ dinner before climbing into bed at a private campsite in the Mary River region.
Included Activities:
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Day 2: Kakadu National Park
Location: Kakadu National Park
Accommodation: Semi-permanent tents with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
After breakfast this morning, head into Kakadu National Park and discover ancient Aboriginal rock art in Ubirr. Your leader will guide you on an interpretive cultural walk through the numerous rock galleries, before you climb to the top of a lookout for views over the Nardab floodplain. Time permitting you will stop off to discover another rock art site at Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) before making your way to the campsite where the kids will have fun swimming in the campground pool and everyone will enjoy a delicious camp dinner. This evening you may like to go on the renowned Yellow Water River Cruise at sunset for a chance to spot an abundance of wildlife or simply relax at the campsite, the choice is yours.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 3: Kakadu National Park / Nitmiluk National Park / Katherine
Location: Kakadu National Park / Nitmiluk National Park / Katherine
Accommodation: Safari Tents with shared facilities
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
This morning head to the Warradjan Cultural Centre which was developed by the traditional owners of Kakadu as an interactive and educational experience, sharing the stories and culture of the Bininj/Mungguy people. You may see local artists painting or teaching the art of traditional weaving to visitors and you can even purchase their handicrafts in the gallery shop if you would like. Then it's time to make your way down to Leliyn (Edith Falls) for a picnic lunch and refreshing swim before arriving to your private campsite for this evening in Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge). Enjoy freshly baked pizzas as you sit back and watch the sun set on another magnificant day in the Top End.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Nitmiluk National Park / Katherine / Darwin
Location: Nitmiluk National Park / Katherine / Darwin
Meals Included: breaksfast
Depending on the season, head out on an early morning cruise along the inky waters of Katherine Gorge, or canoe between red rock walls that are up to 70 metres high (both of these activities are optional and at your own expense). This 23 million-year-old landscape was formed by the Katherine River, which flows from Arnhem Land out to the Timor Sea. Then it's time to head into Katherine where you will have the opportunity to pick up some lunch and enjoy a quick dip in the Hot Springs before the final drive back to Darwin, where your adventure comes to an end on arrival.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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What's Included
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Accommodation
Semi-permanent tents with shared facilities (2 nights), Safari Tents with shared facilities (1 night) -
Pudakul Cultural Experience
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Litchfield National Park - Highlights, including Florence Falls, Wangi Falls & Buley Rockholes
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Kakadu National Park - Ubirr Rock Art Cultural Walk
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Kakadu National Park - Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) rock art site
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Nitmiluk National Park - Leliyn (Edith Falls) Upper Circuit Walk & Swim
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Kakadu National Park - Warradjan Cultural Centre
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Katherine - Hot Springs
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Meals
3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
What's Not Included
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Insurance
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International Travel
Transport
- DRIVING DISTANCES IN AUSTRALIA
- Australia is a BIG country! In fact, the whole of Europe fits into Australia with plenty of room to spare. Australians are accustomed to driving long distances on holiday, but you may not be. Perth to Broome is roughly the length of Portugal. Driving from Alice Springs to Darwin is about the length of the UK, and Perth to Adelaide is about the same distance from Spain to Poland. However, that's why we think seeing Australia from the ground is better. We live in a country that has it all; stunning coastline and beaches, the outback, tropical rainforests, and some seriously amazing landscapes and wildlife. Please read the itinerary carefully for travel time estimates.
- HOT WEATHER
- From October to March it is likely that you will experience temperatures over 35C/95F. These extreme temperatures place stress on the air-conditioning units within our vehicles which can make travelling uncomfortable. Your leader will assist with regular breaks and information to assist keeping cool and hydrated.
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
- GENERAL ROOMING CONFIGURATIONS:
- Family of two: All family groupings of two will be accommodated in a twin room.
- Family of three: Wherever possible we will put you in a triple room. Please be aware that in some places triple rooms are in short supply. This means that a triple room will often be a twin room with a rollaway bed or mattress on the floor. Where triple rooms aren’t available it will be at your discretion which of your family takes the single room.
- Family of four or more: You will most likely be accommodated in two twin rooms. Where possible, we will accommodate your family in a quadruple room.
- While we do our very best to ensure that family groups are roomed close together (in some cases, we can arrange adjoining rooms), we can’t guarantee this. Most family holidays occur during peak season and we sometimes have little to no control over the exact placement of rooms within a hotel. Please be understanding if we are unable to room your family in immediate proximity of one another.
- PARTICIPATORY CAMPING
- Our camping trips in Australia stay in a variety of campsites, from powered sites with permanent tents and shared bathroom facilities, to bush camping in remote locations. Check your daily itinerary for more details. On all camping trips you will be expected to lend a hand to ensure your experience is a comfortable one for everyone, whether it is helping to bring equipment from the bus, gathering firewood, making your beds up in a tent, putting together your picnic lunch or helping to wash up. Your leader will let you know how you can contribute as well as ensure that we leave all our campsites ready for the next visitors when we depart.
Important Information
- START & END TIMES
- The tour commences in Darwin on Day 1 at 7am am and finishes back in Darwin on the final day (Day 4) at approximately 6pm. We recommend you arrive a day earlier, and onward travel should be booked for the following day.
- LUGGAGE LIMIT
- A strict luggage limit of 10kg applies on this trip. Excess luggage should be stored at your accommodation in Darwin.
- ROOMING
- A Single Tent Supplement can be booked if you prefer not to share a tent on this trip, subject to availability. A triple rooming configuration is available upon request, and consists of the two single beds in the tent, plus an additional mattress placed on the floor. No double beds are available. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
- MINIMUM AGE
- Minimum age for children on this trip is 5 years old. However, please read the trip notes carefully to decide whether the strenuous nature of this trip is suitable for your family.
- FAMILY TRIPS
- Please note that these trips are for adults and children travelling together and there must be at least one child under 18 with you.
- DISCOUNT
- A discount of 10% applies on this trip to children under 17 years of age at time of travel.
- LONG TRAVELLING DAYS
- This trip involves long travelling days. Please see the daily itinerary for more information. Take into consideration the weather when you are thinking of travelling and ensure you and your family are well hydrated in the tropical heat.
Mode of Transport
- DRIVING DISTANCES IN AUSTRALIA
- Australia is a BIG country! In fact, the whole of Europe fits into Australia with plenty of room to spare. Australians are accustomed to driving long distances on holiday, but you may not be. Perth to Broome is roughly the length of Portugal. Driving from Alice Springs to Darwin is about the length of the UK, and Perth to Adelaide is about the same distance from Spain to Poland. However, that's why we think seeing Australia from the ground is better. We live in a country that has it all; stunning coastline and beaches, the outback, tropical rainforests, and some seriously amazing landscapes and wildlife. Please read the itinerary carefully for travel time estimates.
- HOT WEATHER
- From October to March it is likely that you will experience temperatures over 35C/95F. These extreme temperatures place stress on the air-conditioning units within our vehicles which can make travelling uncomfortable. Your leader will assist with regular breaks and information to assist keeping cool and hydrated.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
Your accommodation on this trip is at private semi-permanent tented campsites. However, this isn't the most basic camping experience, as you'll have stretcher beds to sleep on. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Alternatively you can hire a sleeping bag at an additional cost. Please ask your booking agent to request a sleeping bag for you if you like to take advantage of this option. Please note that facilities are shared with other nearby campsites, including toilets and shower blocks, which are a short walk from where we camp.
The sites we use are unpowered meaning that there is no electricity within your tent. The ablution blocks will have outlets to charge items if needed. We also have the ability to charge cameras/phones/ipads/kindles in the vehicle. However, we can only charge two or three at a time. Please bring your own USB charging cables.
On some days of the trip, you’ll spend many hours driving through very sparse areas of Australia. Sit back and enjoy landscapes that you would miss in any other form of travel. Think of it as a great way to get to know your fellow travellers. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie.
This trip requires a moderate level of fitness as it involves a lot of walking, allowing you to truly enjoy the surrounding nature. Some hikes are longer and more challenging than others. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes and comfortable clothing.
Our leaders are the classic do-it-all Aussie – they know the best spots to watch the sunset, can drive you to your next destination, take you on a guided hike or even whip up dinner for the group on some trips. While they won’t always do all these jobs on every trip, be aware they will be juggling many things on your tour and may have less time to spend with you. They will always be working hard to ensure you and your group have a fantastic time exploring Australia.
Temperatures in the Top End can be extreme. During the day the weather can be hot (and the Australian sun is strong) so please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection and drink plenty of water. In the evenings temperatures really drop, so ensure you have base layers and warm clothing. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Saturday - Tuesday
Sep 28, 2024 - Oct 01, 2024Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions