The Ultimate Cairns to Darwin Road Trip Itinerary

A Cairns to Darwin road trip isn’t for the inexperienced traveler, but if you are looking to see real Outback Australia and the vast emptiness of the Top End, then this is the adventure you need.

From the tropical, touristy, sunny Cairns, you’ll be heading west into the interior, where long stretches of seemingly endless road are punctuated by quirky small towns with resident populations that barely break out of the hundreds, where there are more kangaroos than people, and where life is truly a world away from the big cities of the east coast.

Roads will turn red with dust as you drive from Queensland into the Northern Territory, but despite the distances involved and time it takes to get between destinations, you’ll be seeing a part of Australia that few ever venture into, with stunning landscapes, unique rock formations, deep canyons, and remote national parks.

To help you to plan your Outback experience, here’s our guide to road tripping from Cairns to Darwin!

Recommendation: If you are renting a car for this Cairns to Darwin road trip, make sure to check out Rentalcars.com, an aggregation site that searches and displays prices and availability from hundreds of car rental companies so that you can be sure of getting the best possible car for your budget

Best Time to Road Trip From Cairns to Darwin

Compared to other road trips in Australia, you only have a small window of time each year to make the journey from Cairns to Darwin. The weather in the Top End can be extreme, with the year divided into wet and dry seasons.

The wet season runs from November to April, and you’ll want to avoid this time of year completely. Cyclones are a regular occurrence, and heavy rains can flood roads and isolate Outback towns for weeks on end.

The best time of year to travel is the dry season, with the optimum period being from June to early September, when there’s no risk of rainfall. The weather is cooler during the dry season too which will make the trip much more enjoyable.

Things to Know About Driving From Cairns to Darwin

This isn’t a road trip for first-time travelers to Australia. The distances involved on a journey from Cairns to Darwin are vast, and you’ll need to be comfortable driving for long periods of time with few breaks to the monotony.

Our itinerary takes you along sealed roads, meaning that you can rent cars and campervans to complete the journey without worrying about your rental company’s off-road policy. However, make sure you have adequate insurance and roadside assistance which covers remote locations.

For travel insurance we recommend SafetyWing. Its cheap price of only $40/month really makes it a no-brainer. You can get a quick quote below.

If you have a four by four you have more options to explore along the way and to take more remote detours.

With big distances between towns, make sure you carry extra water and petrol, and while you can mostly stay in hotels or roadhouses along the way, if you are willing to camp you’ll have a lot more flexibility.

Wildlife can be a danger this far north too, so avoid driving at night if you don’t want a run-in with a kangaroo or a herd of cattle or camel on the road. Only swim at safe swimming spots, and be careful around waterways and rivers, as Australia’s biggest saltwater crocodiles are found in the Top End.

The Ultimate Cairns to Darwin Road Trip Itinerary

The drive from Cairns to Darwin is a long one. There’s no denying that fact, but it’s still easy to underestimate the kilometers involved. The route may look simple on the map, but you’ll need to factor in which roads are sealed and unsealed, which are four by four only, and which have supply stops along the way.

The quickest route, in terms of the shortest number of kilometers covered, takes you right along the Top End from Cairns to Darwin, but halfway across Outback Queensland the road turns from bitumen to gravel, and unless you have a four by four, you’ll need to follow the sealed road to the south, adding many more kilometers to your journey.

Our itinerary will take you along sealed roads only, making this a more accessible trip for those who don’t have four by four access or aren’t ready to get really remote. From Cairns to Darwin, our suggested route covers a minimum of 2800 kilometers.

The distance from Cairns to Darwin is long and you’ll want to ensure that you’ve got plenty of time on your hands, otherwise, you’ll be driving endlessly and will have no time to stop off and enjoy the sights along the route. Our minimum recommended time for this itinerary is 10 days, but you may want to add a few extra days to spend in Cairns and Darwin.

Cairns

Your road trip from Cairns to Darwin starts in Far North Queensland, at the tourist hub renowned as the access point to the Great Barrier Reef.

After snorkeling or diving the coral reefs, exploring white sandy beaches, and enjoying the tropical weather, it’s time to begin the journey inland.

Best Places to Stay in Cairns
Cairns City Palms • Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside • Southern Cross Atrium Apartments

Atherton Tablelands

Before you reach the Outback you’ll drive west into the Atherton Tablelands, where you’ll find a cooler climate and a welcome break from the humidity of the coast.

A winding road leads from Cairns to the top of the plateau, where you’ll find charming farms, quaint villages, and volcanic crater lakes. Spend the night in Atherton, before preparing yourself to travel inland.

Best Places to Stay in Atherton
Lilly Pilly House • Atherton Hotel • Bike And Bird

Georgetown

Get an early start, as the next leg is a long one. You will be driving 300 kilometers from Atherton to Georgetown and entering the heart of cattle country. Georgetown is located on the wide banks of the Etheridge River, and with a population of just 250 people, this is a small town in Australia.

In Georgetown, you can visit the excellent TerrEstrial Centre, a museum dedicated to the geological history of Australia, where you can find one of the largest collections of rocks and minerals in the country, and enough stories and information to keep even the least scientifically inclined of travelers mesmerized.

Normanton

From Georgetown, carry along Highway 1 for another 300 kilometers until you reach Normanton, the last stop on the sealed northern road before it turns to gravel. With a population of over 1000 residents, Normanton is a real hub in the Outback, and this is where the landscapes turn from green to red.

As well as being a good place to stock up on any supplies you might need, Normanton has a curious collection of quirky giant statues. Check out the 8-meter long saltwater crocodile replica, which is a monument dedicated to Krys, one of the largest crocs ever captured in Australia. After that, you can pop into the Purple Pub, a classic Outback tavern, before checking out the giant Salmon statue which is also in the town.

Cloncurry and Mount Isa

The is where the sealed road heading west ends, and instead our itinerary has you traveling south along the paved road for 400 kilometers to Cloncurry.

This is mining country, and you can visit the remnants of an abandoned copper mine on the edge of town or take tours of working mines in the area. This is also the home of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The famous Outback service began in Cloncurry, and you can learn more at the John Flynn Place Museum in town.

From Cloncurry, carry on up the road for another 100 kilometers to Mount Isa. Mount Isa is an Outback crossroad where, if you aren’t already sick of mines from Cloncurry, you can check out the Hard Times Mine exhibition.

Stock up on supplies in Mount Isa, because with a population of 20,000, this is the largest town you’ll be visiting for a while.

Best Places to Stay in Cloncurry
Wagon Wheel Motel • Leichhardt Hotel Motel • The Gidgee Inn

Tennant Creek

Now you’re starting to get really remote, and the next real stop is almost 700 kilometers away across the border in The Northern Territory, at the small town of Tennant Creek.

You can spend a long day driving, or you can break the journey up by overnighting at a roadhouse, the Barkly Homestead, before finishing the last 200 kilometers the following day.

Tennant Creek is best known for the Devil’s Marbles, an unusual rock formation, but you’ll have to drive 100 kilometers south and then another 100 kilometers back again to see them. Considering the distance you’ve just traveled, it’s really just down the road!

Best Places to Stay in Tennant Creek:
Goldfields Hotel Motel

Daly Waters

The next stop in the Northern Territory is 400 kilometers north along the highway to Daly Waters. This is really just a refreshment stop, as Daly Waters is famous for its roadhouse, the Daly Waters Pub.

This quirky Outback pub has cold drinks and roadhouse food, and for years, travelers passing through have been leaving behind mementoes from their journeys, filling the establishment with a ramshackle collection of bizarre souvenirs from across the world.

Katherine

Now you’re getting closer to Darwin than Cairns. The large town of Katherine, 300 kilometers north, is the next port of call. Along the way, call in at the beautiful Mataranka Hot Springs to relax in natural, thermal waters.

Katherine is known for its spectacular canyon, the Nitmiluk Gorge, which is found in the nearby national park. You’ll want a whole day to explore the gorge, and you can take out kayaks, join boat tours, or hike through the national park.

Best Places to Stay in Katherine:
Pine Tree Motel • Beagle Motor Inn • Knotts Crossing Resort

Litchfield National Park

Carry on north for another 300 kilometers to reach Litchfield National Park, a beautiful area of lush rainforest and stunning waterfalls which stand in stark contrast to the dusty red landscapes you’re leaving behind.

You can hike to natural swimming pools, camp out under the stars, and see the unusual, giant termite mounds.

Darwin

The final leg of your journey will see you traveling for just over an hour to Darwin, where you can relax in comparative comfort in the big city. Darwin is Australia’s smallest state capital, but compared to the stops on the way from Cairns, Darwin will seem like a veritable metropolis.

You can visit the local museums, take sunset cruises out into the harbor, and if you have a few days to spare, head out into nearby Kakadu National Park to experience more of the Northern Territory’s stunning natural scenery.

Best Places to Stay in Darwin:
Argus Hotel Darwin • Oaks Elan Darwin • Ramada Suites Darwin

And there you have it – the ultimate road trip itinerary. It’s a beautiful drive from Cairns to Darwin by car and we are confident you will love it as much as we did.

Note: This itinerary is part of a much longer Melbourne to Darwin road trip. If you intend to road trip more of Australia’s east coast, make sure to also check out our other itineraries: Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Brisbane, Brisbane to Cairns, and Cairns to Darwin.