13-Nights Explorers Way Road Trip: Adelaide to Darwin - Road Trips

Get out there on one of the world’s most remote, yet rewarding roads for a true outback experience. This 16 day road trip between Adelaide and Darwin takes you to the Coober Pedy, Uluru, Katherine Gorge and Kakadu National park.

Spectacular Wilpena Pound is a highlight of Flinders Ranges National Park. You’ll have a full day at leisure here, during which you might enjoy a scenic flight over the rugged peaks of this area. Follow the famous Oodnadatta Track, with stops in the tiny communities of Parachilna and William Creek (populations 7 and 6, respectively). To get a different taste of the outback, try some kangaroo or emu at Prairie Hotel’s famous dining room. Visit Coober Pedy, the ‘Opal Capital of the World’ with a full day to explore. Take a tour of one of the hundreds of operating mines, and visit an underground Serbian Orthodox Church, bored out of solid rock.

Cross into the Northern Territory and spend two days in the shadow of Uluru, Australia’s most iconic monolith. Visit the 36 domes of Kata Tjuta (also known as the Olgas), and consider a walking tour with an Aboriginal guide, to gain an understanding of the traditional, sacred significance of these sites.

Deep in Australia’s Red Centre, there’s no other “Town like Alice”. Consider arriving a day or two early to explore it, before an early morning departure to Tennant Creek. This is one of the most remote towns in Australia, though it lies within easy reach of the Devils Marbles, precariously balanced boulders created by gradual erosion of the surrounding rock.

Continue north to Katherine, your gateway to the Top End. Visit breathtaking Katherine Gorge, then journey into Kakadu National Park and Yellow Water Billabong. This picturesque waterway is teeming with bird and animal life, including saltwater crocodiles. Consider a jumping Crocodile cruise on the Adelaide River, where you’ll see these fearsome creatures leap up to 2 meters out of the water. Return your rental vehicle in Darwin.

• Journey from Adelaide through rolling vineyards and rugged outback plains to Port Augusta’s coastal gateway.
• Discover Coober Pedy’s underground world of opal mines, cave dwellings and moonlike desert landscapes.
• Witness Uluru and Kata Tjuta glowing under desert skies and dine beneath a canopy of stars.
• Cruise through the towering cliffs of Katherine Gorge and unwind in natural thermal springs.
• Explore ancient rock art and wetlands in Kakadu National Park before ending in tropical Darwin.

• Car Rental for 14 days based on an Intermediate 4 Door SUV with Automatic Transmission and Air Conditioning
• 1 night premium accommodation in Port August
• 1 night moderate accommodation in Coober Pedy
• 1 night moderate accommodation in Marla
• 2 nights moderate accommodation in Uluru/Ayers Rock
• 1 night moderate accommodation at Kings Canyon
• 2 nights premium accommodation in Alice Springs
• 1 night moderate accommodation in Tennant Creek
• 2 nights moderate accommodation in Katherine
• 2 nights moderate accommodation in Kakadu National Park
   

• Suggested sightseeing described in the itinerary is not included
• Travel insurance
• International and domestic airfare & airfare taxes
• Meals and beverages not explicitly listed as included
• Gratuities
• Optional excursions
• Items of a personal nature
• Passport & Visa fees, if applicable