Darwin Cruises

Darwin cruises cover harbour sunsets, dinner and lunch sailings, jumping crocodile cruises on the Adelaide River, wetland cruises at Corroboree Billabong and gorge cruises at Nitmiluk. Pick a style below, or match a cruise to the time of day you have free. For more to do between sailings, see things to do in Darwin.

Darwin Harbour cruises

Darwin Harbour cruises leave from Stokes Hill Wharf or Cullen Bay Marina. The sunset cruise with a grazing platter is a popular choice: a 2-hour sailing with a gourmet platter, locally made mango ice cream and outdoor Sun Deck seating, back at the wharf at 8pm.

From Cullen Bay Marina, sunset sailing on the catamaran Kuru is a 2.5-hour trip with the engines off for most of the way, an antipasto platter, wine or beer, and dolphins, dugongs and seabirds to look out for.

Dinner and lunch cruises

Dining cruises from Darwin include the sunset buffet dinner cruise, a 2-hour seafood dinner leaving Stokes Hill Wharf at 6pm, and the 4-course dinner cruise on Cape Adieu, a 3-hour sailing from 5pm.

At midday, the 90-minute harbour cruise with lunch leaves at 12.30pm with a Territorian-style grazing platter.

Jumping crocodile cruises on the Adelaide River

Jumping crocodile cruises run on the Adelaide River. The AAT Kings jumping crocodile cruise departs Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 1.30pm and returns around 6.30pm, passing Fogg Dam Nature Reserve and the Marrakai Plains. The Autopia jumping crocodile tour and cruise is an earlier option, leaving at 7.30am with a 1-hour river cruise and return transfers.

Wetland cruises at Corroboree Billabong

Corroboree Billabong is about a 90-minute trip from Darwin, with saltwater crocodiles and birdlife on the water. Cruises run as a 90-minute wildlife cruise, a 2-hour sunset cruise or a full-day wetlands tour with lunch that adds hotel pick-ups and a stop at Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve. The full-day tours depart daily from May to October.

Katherine Gorge and Nitmiluk cruises

The NitNit Dreaming two gorge boat tour is a 2-hour guided cruise through the first two gorges, with a 400m walk between them. From Darwin, the Katherine Gorge cruise and Edith Falls tour is a 13-hour day that leaves at 6.30am.

After dark, the Nabilil Dreaming sunset tour and dinner cruise pairs a 3-course dinner with Jawoyn rock art, and the rock art cruise with breakfast runs at 7am.

Island and Kakadu cruise days

The Tiwi Islands full-day art and culture tour takes a ferry from Cullen Bay to Bathurst Island, with a welcome ceremony, the Tiwi Design Art Centre and a screen printing workshop. The Kakadu full-day tour with a Yellow Water cruise heads to Kakadu National Park.

Choosing a Darwin cruise by time of day

Mornings suit the Nitmiluk breakfast cruise or the Autopia crocodile tour. Lunch sits on the harbour or the billabong, afternoons suit the Adelaide River crocs, and sunset cruises and dinner sailings leave from about 4.30pm to 6pm. Gorge and island trips are full days, so keep them for days without other plans.

Frequently asked questions

What types of cruises run from Darwin?

Cruises from Darwin include Darwin Harbour sunset and lunch cruises, dinner cruises, jumping crocodile cruises on the Adelaide River, wetland cruises at Corroboree Billabong and gorge cruises in Nitmiluk National Park near Katherine.

Where do Darwin Harbour cruises depart from?

Darwin Harbour cruises depart from Dock 3 at Stokes Hill Wharf in the city or from Cullen Bay Marina for the sunset sailing cruises on the catamaran Kuru.

Can you see jumping crocodiles on a cruise from Darwin?

Yes. Jumping crocodile cruises on the Adelaide River run from Darwin as half-day trips, with the AAT Kings cruise leaving at 1.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and the Autopia tour leaving at 7.30am.

Are Darwin cruises suitable for children?

Yes. The Darwin Harbour cruises sell youth tickets for ages 4 to 17 and infant tickets for ages 0 to 3, and the full-day Corroboree Billabong wetlands tour has child tickets and a minimum age of 4 years.

Do any Darwin cruises include meals?

Yes. The sunset cruise includes a grazing platter, the buffet cruise a seafood dinner, the Cape Adieu cruise four courses, the 90-minute harbour cruise a lunch platter, and the Nitmiluk rock art cruise a breakfast.

Choose a Darwin cruise above, from a harbour sunset to a dinner in Nitmiluk Gorge, and book it online. Harbour cruises, crocodile cruises and dining cruises each have their own page if you want to narrow it down.