• Amazing luxury four wheel drive tour from Cains to Darwin  - Savannah Way Tour
• Small Group luxury 4WD tour maximum 6 guest per vehicle
• Incredible, amazing scenery and historical sights to be experienced

Book your seat early on our Cairns to Darwin 10 day Outback Queensland four wheel drive tour where we follow the Savannah Way trails thru country towns, rugged countryside and meet fabulous Aussie characters along the way.

2024 Cairns to Darwin - Sold Out

This tour also departs from Darwin to finish in Cairns: departs Darwin 24/08/24 arrives Cairns 02/09/24 ***6 seats left (23/07/2024)***

With our Cairns to Darwin four wheel drive outback Queensland tours, we find no two trips are ever the same, due to the changing seasons re-shaping the land, the wildlife movements, the characters we meet along the way and the group of guests that have booked our Savannah Way tour add to the excitement.

With only your outback 4WD guide and up to 6 guests per vehicle our Cairns to Darwin tours are legendary.

If you enjoy it immensely you can come back on our reverse 9 day Darwin to Cairns tour also.

We specialise only in small, luxury experience four wheel drive tours to exclusive breathtaking locations, showing our guests places others can only dream about.

Our outback Savannah Way tour guides are passionate and very experienced, utilizing their bush skills and wealth of local knowledge to ensure your 4WD trip runs smoothly.

As well as being fun and informative, our guides will introduce you to the wonders of the Indigenous Aboriginal culture, flora and fauna, botany, geology and history of our totally amazing continent.

As we are flexible, we can personalize our outback Cairns to Darwin tours to the special interests and individual needs of our passengers on request.

Small group up to 6 guests on our four wheel drive Cairns to Darwin Savannah Way outback tour.

This Top End Explorer overland four wheel drive tour is a fantastic way to experience a memorable journey along the "Savannah Way" between Cairns and Darwin.

This small group personalised 4WD tour is fully accommodated and you will travel in a group of no more than 6 people.

Enjoy the vibrant colours and scenery of the true outback of Queensland and the Northern Territory along the way.

What a wonderful way to explore outback Australia with a group of friends with your very own personal tour guide and driver showing you all the highlights of the outback towns and places of interest.

See things and places not too many other people have seen.

This is a real genuine Australian bucket list tour where you will learn so much, experience so much and enjoy the outback folks of this big red country.

Itinerary

Day 1: Cairns to Undara/Bedrock via the Atherton Tablelands

Inclusions: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Bedrock. (ensuite)

Departing your Cairns accommodation, we start our journey by heading south and ascending the Gillies Range. Venturing on to the Atherton Tablelands, we wind through dairy country to visit Lake Barrine & Millstream Falls, stopping in Ravenshoe township for lunch. Continuing West to Mount Garnet sees us traverse cattle and outback countryside on our way to the infamous Undara Lava Tubes for an afternoon guided tour of these spectacular tubes. Then heading onto Mount Surprise where we overnight at Bedrock.

Day 2: Undara to Karumba

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Karumba. (ensuite)

After breakfast we travel across the outback and onto Georgetown. After an optional stop to view the mineral museum, we continue west to Croydon and enjoy lunch at Lake Belmore, Croydon’s water supply. Our next destination is Normanton on the Norman River. Normanton is home to crocodile statue Krys - Krys was the largest crocodile ever shot in Australia at 8.63m. We take an afternoon drive out to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria, famous for its fishing and industry ports for cattle and zinc mining. We finish the day at Karumba and watch the beautiful sunset.

Day 3: Karumba to Burketown

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Savannah Lodge. (ensuite)

After a morning look around the old train station, we keep heading west through the huge cattle stations of the Gulf Savannah region and cross the Leichardt River into Burketown. A tiny battler’s town, Burketown had a population of 238 in the 2016 census! The town is situated 30km inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria and named after explorer Robert O’Hara Burke of ‘Burke and Wills’ fame.
Enjoy the Gambumanda Sunset Cruise, you can experience the magic of the vivid crimson shades of an outback sunset as you cruise the calm and pristine waters of the Gambumanda (Albert River) aboard our custom vessel. Along with the Dreamtime stories of the Gangalidda people, your guide will share their traditional knowledge and unique insights into the local river system and its diverse range of animals and birdlife.
Optional stargazing and/or Indigenous Hot Air Balloon ride (own cost – organised by guide on tour).

Day 4: Burketown to Hells Gate

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hells Gate Roadhouse. (ensuite)

Enjoy a relaxed late start as we continue following the Savannah Highway, heading through cattle stations, two of the biggest in the Gulf Country. A day of fun exploring with river crossings, ample wildlife and amazing scenery as we make our way into Hells Gate for the night.
Optional scenic helicopter flight (own cost – organised by guide on tour).

Day 5: Hells gate to Borroloola

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Borroloola. (ensuite)

We leave Queensland and cross the border into the Northern Territory. Visiting parts of the Western Gulf including King Ash Bay which is the mining port. You’ll appreciate the vastness of the area as we stop ‘somewhere in the unknown’ for lunch before journeying to Borroloola. A small mining and fishing township on the McArthur River, 50km from the Gulf of Carpentaria is our stay for the night.

Day 6: Borroloola to Mataranka

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Mataranka. (ensuite)

It’s luxury this morning with ten minutes of sealed road before leaving the bitumen to enter Limmen National Park where we visit the phenomenal rock formations of the Southern Lost City. The erosion of the sandstone escarpment has led to the formation of numerous, large sandstone spires and rounded domes giving it the name ‘lost city’. We cross the Limmen Bight, Cox and Towns Rivers and other numerous wet and dry riverbeds before arriving to the Roper River. We continue through to the old Roper Bar Police Station and Lock Up; this was once where the only crossing was found ‘the Bar’. We head west from this point toward the Stuart Highway and to Mataranka where we overnight. You can rejuvenate yourself in the thermal rock pools found here.

Day 7: Mataranka to Kakadu

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Kakadu. (ensuite)

After an early start, we continue north with our first stop being Nitmiluk National Park where we take a cruise down the beautiful and rocky, Nitmiluk Gorge (Katherine Gorge). Nitmiluk is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘cicada dreaming’. From here it’s onto Edith Falls and time for a swim after lunch. The afternoon’s drive takes us through Pine Creek before we head to Kakadu National Park via the Kakadu Highway for our next two nights. This area is filled with spectacular scenery, pristine wetlands, billabongs, birdlife and wildlife. Our two nights stay in Kakadu allows us to visit a variety of significant areas of the National Park.

Day 8: Kakadu

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Kakadu. (ensuite)

Today you enjoy an early morning cruise on the famous Yellow Waters, abundant with many species of birds and the mighty saltwater crocodile, followed by a well-deserved breakfast. View the iconic Waterfalls of Kakadu National Park and visit Jim Jim Falls. There is a bushwalk to access the falls is rewarded with a close up viewing of the Spectacular Cascading Waterfalls. Northern Section of the National Park - Ubirr Rock & Cahills Crossing. The Rock is on the edge of Arnhem Land. A climb to the top is rewarded with staggering 360º views over the Nardab floodplains and into Arnhem land.
Optional 60 Minute Sunset Scenic Flight (own cost – organised by guide on tour).

Day 9: Kakadu to Batchelor

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Batchelor. (ensuite)

Today we travel across the floodplains of the South Alligator River and further through Kakadu National Park to Bark Hut at Annaburroo, where we take a short break. From here we head off to the small village of Corroboree before heading off the main road and travel through the Marrakai region crossing the Alligator River and on our way to Batchelor.

Day 10: Batchelor to Darwin

Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch

Visit Tolmer and Florence Falls for morning tea. Travelling further into the park, we head to Wangi Falls where we have lunch. The afternoon sees us tour through Tumbling Waters (named after the rapids where gold was discovered) and on to Berry Springs (crystal clear warm springs) before re-joining the highway. We pass through the towns of Noonamah and Palmerston before arriving into Darwin city late afternoon – this concludes our memorable tour across two states and over 4000 kilometres.

Important Information

Seasonal weather conditions and operational requirements may cause a variation in the tour itinerary. The operator reserves the right to substitute or modify if required. Departure and Return times are approximate.

We endeavor to room guests with ensuite facilities where available.

Please note this tour is not suitable for infants.

Please note that Single Travelers must purchase the optional extra "single supplement" as we don’t offer shared rooms with other single travelers.

Please read our terms and conditions carefully.

Tour Languages Offered

• English

Departs From

Cairns

Departure Time

7:00am approx.

Pickup Locations

Cairns

Destinations

• Atherton Tablelands
• Darwin City
• Atherton Tablelands
• Mount Garnet
• Undara Lava Tubes
• Mount Surprise
• Georgetown
• Croydon
• Karumba
• Normanton
• Leichardt River
• Burketown
• Gregory Downs
• Lawn Hill National Park
• Hells Gate
• Borroloola
• Limmen National Park
• Southern Lost City
• Roper River
• Mataranka Springs
• Kakauda National Park, including Nourlangie Rock
• Yellow Waters Wildlife Cruise
• Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge & National Park
• Batchelor
• Litchfield National Park

Months of Operation

June - August

Last departure 2024 Start Cairns 12/08/24 - Arrives Darwin 21/08/24
*2025 Departure Dates*
Cairns to Darwin - Start 23/06/2025 Finish 02/07/2025
Darwin to Cairns - Start 04/07/2025 Finish 13/07/2025
Cairns to Darwin - Start 18/07/2025 Finish 27/07/2025
Darwin to Cairns - Start 29/07/2025 Finish 07/08/2025
Cairns to Darwin - Start 11/08/2025 Finish 20/08/2025
Darwin to Cairns - Start 22/08/2025 Finish 31/08/2025

Duration

10 Days & 9 Nights

Available for Purchase / Hire

• Souvenirs
• Personal items

Fitness Level Required

Medium

Restrictions

• Our tours have been designed to suit a reasonable level of fitness; the ability to be able to do some walking along nature trails and cope with remoteness is essential. People suffering from lack of tolerance or not of general good health should consult their GP before taking part on these tours.
• Please Note: Passengers accept that it is their responsibility to ensure that their health is in a state which will allow them to enjoy the tour and successfully complete the activities that the tour offers.
• If you are unsure, we highly recommend seeking advice from your GP

Additional Information

Please ask for full terms & conditions

• Each passenger is entitled to take one bag (soft sided), 80cm x 30cm x 30cm. (no more than 10kgs as space is very limited) and no suitcases You may also have a small day bag or pack weighing no more than 4kg, however most guests tend to carry a bottle of water and their cameras only. Baggage over the prescribed limit cannot be carried without prior arrangement.
• Clothing and footwear should be casual, comfortable and suited to tropical conditions.
• Clothing - shorts, trousers, shirts, swimwear, hat, sunglasses, a jacket and a change of warm clothes in case of inclement weather are advisable.
• Footwear – some form of fast-drying wet-shoe would prove useful.
• Personal - sun protection, insect repellant, medications, toiletries, (overseas travelers should bring a suitable adapter).
• Don't forget to bring your video or camera along with plenty of film & spare batteries (recharge facilities are available). Money and/or credit card for personal expenses such as drinks, souvenirs and optional extras.

• Child price applies to children age 4 to 14
• Please note this tour is not suitable for infants.