50 Things To Do in Darwin for Tourists and Locals
#39 – Things to do in Darwin – Ferris Wheel at Stokes Wharf
50 Amazing Things To Do In Darwin – Are you looking for some great things to do in Darwin during your stay? There is so much to do here it is easy to wonder where to start. I have compiled a list of things to do in Darwin that will help you get this sorted and organized in no time, so you can relax and enjoy your visit. This was my first visit to Darwin, after travelling through the Outback for six weeks which in itself was Amazing, Darwin was like an Oasis. A glittering jewel of fun, entertainment and a chance to get some retail therapy again, whilst having non stop places to go and things to do. So much so I had to organise it to make sure we didn’t miss out on anything. Although we didn’t get to do all fifty we will just have to visit again to finish the list. I would love to hear from you if you did all fifty during your visit. Darwin is a great adventure lots of things to do, beautiful swimming holes and springs, places to eat and bars to visit to have a drink while the sun goes down . Enjoy!
THINGS TO DO IN DARWIN
1. Aquascene Fish Feeding Sanctuary & Cafe– Daily wild fish feeding, check their website for tide times first to organise your visit as feeding is only at high tide. Location- 28 Doctors Gully Rd, Larrakeyah
2. Dudley Point BBQ at the point to watch the sun go down. BBQ in place and available to the public
3. Berry springs – Berry Springs is a definite must do to see. If your looking for things to do in Darwin a day out at Berry Springs is a definite must, take a pool noodle for each person and float your way around these beautiful springs. There are also BBQ’s in beautiful parklands there and cafe/kiosk as well. Take chairs and pack for a full day or combine it with a trip to Territory Wildlife Park.
4. George Brown Botanic Gardens– Gilruth Ave & Gardens Rd, The Gardens NT 0820
5. Casuarina Beach Reserve– no swimming here, as there may be crocs
6. Char restaurant steak / up market dining
7. Charlies of Darwin Gin Bar -for sunset drinks, hidden entry on Austin Lane Enter where the roller shutter is and on the left take the lift, Darwin City
8. Crocodylus park– As for things to do in Darwin this park was a great day out, with a large array of animals from exotic to native. It even has a Jumping Croc boat tour you can buy an extra ticket for $18. Go early to beat the heat, lots to see and do. Address- 815 Mcmillans Road.
#8 Things To Do In Darwin – Crocodylus Park
9. Darwin Casino– Mindil Beach Casino & Resort has more than 600 poker machines and gaming tables
10. Hanuman Restaurant Darwin– Indian/Sri Lankan food served in a beautiful themed restaurant. Delicious food. Address: 93 Mitchell St, Darwin City.
11. Darwin Mall– Darwin City- opposite the information center
12. Darwin museum, art gallery and café – History of Darwin with lots of information about Cyclone Tracy Which destroyed Darwin Christmas morning 1974. The café also has a fantastic view over the bay.
13. The Darwin Sailing Club– Great food and one of the best vantage points for Darwin’s spectacular sunsets – location- 5 Atkins Drive, Fannie Bay.
14. De la Plage café on the beach at Casuarina Surf Club- A fantastic view over The Timor Sea. A great spot for a morning coffee, very busy arrive early to grab a table in the shade.
15. The Deck Bar – Address: 22 Mitchell St, Darwin City
16. Mr Barra– Grab a feed of fresh prawns, oysters, mudcrab etc to take home or buy some beautiful fresh fish to take home to cook. Shop 20, Fishermans Wharf,
17. Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association– Check out what gigs are on. Address- 68 Frances Bay Dr, Darwin City
18. Dom’s bar and Lounge Nightcliff– try their famous Territory-tini so yum. Address: Shop 7/60 Aralia St, Nightcliff
19. Big Bus Tour Darwin Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour– this is a must do if you have never been to Darwin before as it gives you an idea of the lay of the land and you can get off and on all day. A two day ticket is also available. If you purchase a ticket online it can be picked up from any of its designated spots. But we found it easiest to grab a ticket from Darwin information centre and jump on right there.
20. Day tour to Litchfield National Park or do a self drive day trip to Litchfield– 90min drive from Darwin on a sealed road. Swimming spots are Florence Falls, Buley Rockhole, Wangi Falls, Walker Creek, Cascades, Tjaynera Falls and Surprise Creek Falls. But always check recent updates that swimming spots are safe to swim. If doing a day trip, stop at Batchelor to pop into Lil’ Ripper Cafe, Bar & Bistro for the best pub in the scrub.
21. Darwin Military Museum– Address: 5434 Alec Fong Lim Dr, East Point- Really interesting for all those war buffs.
22 Finigans Gourmet Fish & Chips– Nightcliff -grab your take away and go watch the sun go down on the beach.- Great battered Barramundi
23. Hanky Panky Lounge Cocktail bar– Located behind the birds – shop 3/ 32 Mitchell street Darwin city. “LET’S GET OUT OF THESE WET CLOTHES AND INTO A DRY MARTINI”– MAE WEST
24. Darwin Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise– a fabulous night on the harbour, incomparable sunset. Great quality Prawns and Oysters, lovely crew to mix your cocktails too.
#24 Things To Do In Darwin – Sunset Dinner Cruise
25. Hot Tamales– The Mexican at waterfront precinct Located in: Darwin Waterfront Apartments Address: F2/19 Kitchener Dr.
26. Humpty Doo Hotel– The World Famous Humpty Doo Hotel sporting The World’s biggest set of water Buffalo Horns above the bar.-
27. Jumping Crocs Tour– A great tour to show you out and about and to see some jumping crocs in their natural habitat.
28. Lagoon at Waterfront Precinct – swim and lunch/drinks at restaurant
29. WW2 Oil Storage Tunnels– located opposite the waterfront dining in Kitchener Dr.
30. Mangrove Boardwalk– 51 Colivas Rd East Point,
31. Mindil markets – The fabulous night time markets are where it is at in Darwin. Grab some dinner from one of the many food trucks offering delicious fare…. If you can make a choice and head down to the beach to watch a spectacular sunset. Thursday and Sunday nights opening at 4.30pm
32. Deckchair cinema– Get there early as it is very popular- This a great night out, I would recommend this to everyone. Delicious food is also available for dinner.
Address: Jervois Rd, Darwin City get there at 5.45 for dinner before the movie at 7.00 be sure to grab a cushion too.
#32 Things To Do In Darwin – The Deckchair Cinema
33. Nightcliff foreshore café and food vans & pool– Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
34. Nirvana Restaurant– on Tuesday- thai, cocktails and open mic music
35. Parap markets– Saturday morning, grab a laksa from the infamous Mary’s Laksa
36. Pee Wee’s at the point– Beautiful outdoor restaurant set at East Point Nature Reserve – A’la Carte
37. Roadkill café– ant mindil markets
38. Sam Weston Mad Snake café – for great coffee and fascinating old stuff in a very relaxing atmosphere
39. Stokes Hill Wharf – Restaurants, Ferris Wheel & docks for sunset cruise – at night time watch the Batfish get fed from the wharf.
40. Sweetheart – a large male Saltwater (Estuarine) Crocodile, with a larger than life history just like most things here in Darwin. Sweetheart and the full story can be seen at the Darwin Museum & Art Gallery.
42. Territory wildlife park– zoo with walking paths & lots of creatures to check out. It also has a shuttle train in a park–like setting.
Address: Cox Peninsula Rd, Berry Springs Darwin NT 0838
43. The Cav Hotel
44. The Jetty Restaurant– Stokes hill seafood buffet restaurant balcony over the ocean.
45. Tiwi Is and Litchfield day tours
46. Urban Spice– Indian at the waterfront dining precinct
47. Wave Pool near Stokes Wharf
48. Yots Greek Taverna -Greek Restaurant at Cullen Bay is amazing
49. Zen bar– roof top with 360deg view- free snacks from 3.00pm a lovely spot for cocktails and drinks as the sun goes down, if your looking for things to do.
50. WW2 tour– land and water – amazing
We stayed at the Lee Point Village Resort at a powered site. A great park, nice and quiet with a lovely pool to cool off in. About 20-30 min from anywhere in Darwin. At a cost of $38/night.
No need to worry about fuel here, Darwin is like any other town, so take your pick from where you are going to fill up.
There are multiple shopping centres to choose from, Woolworths and Coles are everywhere. I did find the Coles at Night Cliff shops had amazing fresh Sushi you can pick up when you grab some groceries.
The road from Katherine to Darwin was a sealed road and at the time of writing was in great condition.
Darwin is serviced by a public and a private hospital and lots of medical centres and chemists,
We have really loved our trip to Darwin, so much so we have extended our stay twice, we can’t wait to return.
Louise Fulford ~ Author of 50 Amazing Thing To Do In Darwin
Links & FAQ’s
Here is a link to the Berry Springs fact sheet and map- Berry Springs fact sheet and map
Sunset Dinner Cruise link- https://www.spiritofdarwin.com.au/
Territory Wildlife Park- https://territorywildlifepark.com.au/
Darwin Military Museum- https://www.darwinmilitarymuseum.com.au/#/
Crocodylus Park- https://www.crocodyluspark.com.au/crocs
Stokes Hill Wharf and Waterfront Precinct- https://www.waterfront.nt.gov.au/stokes-hill-wharf
