• 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.

Cairns to Darwin 10-Day Outback 4WD Tour – Small Group Adventure Along the Savannah Way

What to Expect

Join an unforgettable 10-day overland journey from Cairns to Darwin, following the legendary Savannah Way through remote Queensland and the Northern Territory. This small group outback tour is fully accommodated and designed for those seeking rugged landscapes, true Australian characters, and experiences far off the tourist trail.

With a maximum of six guests per 4WD vehicle and an expert driver-guide, every departure is a personalised journey shaped by the changing seasons, unique wildlife encounters, and the people we meet along the way. From lava tubes and ancient rock formations to Aboriginal culture, tropical wetlands, and classic outback towns, this tour offers access to places that few ever see.

We welcome guests who appreciate authentic, small-scale adventure with a touch of comfort. No two tours are ever the same.

Features and Highlights

• Small group 4WD touring with a maximum of 6 guests per vehicle
• Fully accommodated with ensuite stays wherever possible
• Expert guides with deep local knowledge, bush skills, and storytelling
• Aboriginal cultural insights, geological wonders, native wildlife encounters
• Visit iconic locations: Undara Lava Tubes, Karumba, Burketown, Limmen National Park, Nitmiluk Gorge, Kakadu National Park
• Optional scenic flights, hot air ballooning, and stargazing experiences
• Flexible and personalised itinerary adjustments based on seasonal conditions
• Reverse route also available (Darwin to Cairns, 9 days)

Detailed 10-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Cairns – Atherton Tablelands – Undara Lava Tubes – Mount Surprise

• Start your journey from Cairns by ascending the Gillies Range into the Atherton Tablelands. Explore Lake Barrine, stop at Millstream Falls, and lunch in Ravenshoe before travelling west through cattle country. Take a guided walk through the Undara Lava Tubes before continuing to your overnight stay in Mount Surprise.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Bedrock, ensuite

Day 2: Mount Surprise – Georgetown – Normanton – Karumba

• Cross the remote Gulf Savannah to Georgetown, Croydon, and Normanton. Spot the legendary Krys crocodile statue before arriving in Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria, where you’ll relax with a sunset over the water.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Karumba, ensuite

Day 3: Karumba – Leichhardt River – Burketown

• Tour Karumba’s heritage railway precinct before travelling through vast cattle stations to Burketown. That evening, cruise the Gambumanda (Albert River) while hearing Dreamtime stories from the Gangalidda people under the painted outback sky.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Savannah Lodge, ensuite
Optional: Indigenous hot air balloon flight, guided stargazing

Day 4: Burketown – Hells Gate

• Travel deeper into the Gulf Country via the Savannah Highway, past remote cattle stations and wildlife-rich rivers. Cross creeks and outback trails en route to Hells Gate.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Hells Gate Roadhouse, ensuite
Optional: Scenic helicopter flight over the Gulf region

Day 5: Hells Gate – NT Border – Borroloola

• Today you enter the Northern Territory. Stop at King Ash Bay near the mining port before heading through remote country to Borroloola on the McArthur River, your base for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Borroloola, ensuite

Day 6: Borroloola – Limmen National Park – Mataranka

• Leave the bitumen behind and venture into Limmen National Park to see the dramatic sandstone towers of the Southern Lost City. After a series of river crossings and historic sites, including the Roper Bar Police Lockup, you’ll arrive in Mataranka to relax in its natural thermal springs.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Mataranka, ensuite

Day 7: Mataranka – Nitmiluk Gorge – Edith Falls – Kakadu National Park

• Stop at Nitmiluk Gorge (Katherine Gorge) for a cruise through towering cliffs carved by the Katherine River. Swim at Edith Falls before heading into Kakadu via Pine Creek and the Kakadu Highway.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Kakadu, ensuite

Day 8: Kakadu National Park – Yellow Waters – Ubirr – Jim Jim Falls

• Start with a sunrise cruise on Yellow Waters, home to saltwater crocodiles and rich birdlife. Hike to Jim Jim Falls and later, climb Ubirr Rock for panoramic views across Arnhem Land.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Kakadu, ensuite
Optional: Sunset scenic flight over Kakadu

Day 9: Kakadu – Corroboree – Batchelor

• Cross the floodplains of the South Alligator River and pass through remote villages like Corroboree and Annaburroo. Travel off-road through Marrakai before arriving in Batchelor.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Batchelor, ensuite

Day 10: Batchelor – Litchfield National Park – Darwin

• Visit Tolmer, Florence, and Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park. Enjoy a final lunch at Berry Springs before returning to Darwin via Tumbling Waters and Palmerston.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Important Information

• Tour duration: 10 days / 9 nights
• Group size: Maximum 6 guests per vehicle
• Accommodation: Ensuite wherever available
• Meals: All meals included except dinner on the final day
• Optional activities at guest’s own cost, booked during the tour
• Single travellers must book a single supplement (no room sharing)
• Not suitable for infants

Note: Sample Itinerary may vary due to seasonal weather or road conditions. Please review full terms and conditions when booking.

View all Australian Outback tours from Cairns - Here

Read The Tour Specialists Blog for all the things you need to know before you go

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.

Destinations

• Atherton Tablelands
• Darwin
• 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

*2025 Departure Dates*
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.