How to visit Darwin in one day? An ideal base for exploring the national parks of the Northern Territory (Litchfield National Park, Nitmiluk Gorge, Kakadu National Park, etc.), the city of Darwin is often overlooked or neglected by tourists. And since I unfortunately didn't have enough time to visit the national parks, I decided to focus on this city, which surprised and charmed me. Here's how I visited Darwin in one day.

How to visit Darwin in 1 day?

Darwin isn't a city particularly rich in architectural heritage, but there are still some nice places to visit. The only problem is that these places are all quite spread out… The Darwin metropolitan area is very large. I quickly realized that it would be impossible to see everything on foot in one day . And since we only had one day to visit Darwin , we opted for the Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Darwin Tour . Its route and stops perfectly matched what I was looking for to make the most of my time in Darwin (the last stop on our 3-week trip to Australia ).

This way of discovering Darwin by tourist bus allowed us to see all the must-see sights in one day without necessarily stopping or visiting them all. Furthermore, we were able to visit at our own pace and eat wherever and whenever we wanted. There were no constraints since we could take the next bus as soon as we were finished.

Tourist bus to visit Darwin in 1 day

To buy tickets for the Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Darwin Tour , we went to stop number 7 at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. It was the closest stop to our hotel (a 10-minute walk), so we didn't need to take a taxi to the city center. We also got off at stop number 7 for the return trip (so convenient!).

Tourist bus route map

Stages of the route Tourist bus

Darwin in 1 day - Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory

It is stop n ° 7, our point of departure and arrival very close to our hotel. Of course, we took the opportunity to visit the exhibitions. Especially since the visit is free and AIR CONDITIONED !!! We discover all the animals and insects of the region stuffed there, collections on the culture of Oceania on maritime history, natural sciences, indigenous culture and contemporary art. One room is devoted entirely to Cyclone Tracy, which ravaged the region in 1974.

Darwin in 1 day - Smith Street

This is the bus departure point, stop number 1. In the heart of Darwin, this charming shopping street is the city's main thoroughfare! Very lively, its tourist appeal stems from the presence of lovely little shops selling traditional Aboriginal art. You'll also find fashion boutiques, souvenir shops, and a few bars and restaurants.

Darwin in 1 day - Graffiti district

Turning down a small dead-end street, we stumbled upon Darwin's graffiti district . What a pleasant surprise! We found ourselves wandering the streets, discovering magnificent murals, some of them gigantic. For your information, this open-air art gallery is located on Austin Lane.

Darwin in 1 day - Mindil Beach

You can't go to Darwin without going to Mindil Beach! This beautiful sandy beach gave us the urge to swim that we quickly gave up. Indeed, the signs in front of the beach are quite dissuasive ...

My favorites Darwin

Just 2 little addresses to let you know if you are looking for a good plan to eat peking duck (6 € the dish) and feast on big, good, high-calorie pastries:

Our hcheap hotel in Darwin

In Darwin , I had booked 2 nights in a comfortable and fairly well located hotel for its low price: the Paravista Motel Darwin (71 Euros per night).

Rooms are air conditioned and feature free Wi-Fi, a private balcony, fridge and tea and coffee making facilities. It is dated but very clean and quiet. In short, it was a good plan!

Its location turned out to be perfect because we were able to find everything we wanted nearby (restaurants, shops, etc.) and the famous stop n ° 7 of the tourist bus which we used as a taxi.

The value for money was unbeatable for Darwin: 71 Euros a night!

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