Katherine Gorge & Edith Falls with AAT Kings

About this experience

Be clear about the shape of the day before you book. It runs about 14 hours door to door, and roughly 8 of them are on the Stuart Highway: Katherine Gorge sits about 320 km south of Darwin. The reward is the standard 2-hour Nitmiluk Tours cruise, which covers gorges 1 and 2 of the 13, with a walk of about 400 m over the rock bar to the second boat. No cruise goes beyond gorge 3, so if you came for the whole gorge system, you need a helicopter.

What AAT Kings adds is structure. You stop at the Adelaide River War Cemetery on the way down, swim at Edith Falls (Leliyn) when the pool is open, and get a buffet lunch, eaten on the cruise boat from May to September. On the way back there's a short drive through Katherine, a stop at Pine Creek and an evening stop where dinner is at your own expense. One guest in July 2026 reported that dinner can be pre-ordered on the way down for AUD 22. You're back in Darwin around 8:30 pm.

The park pass is not included for trips up to 31 March 2027: buy an NT parks pass online before you go (A$10 per adult per day). From 1 April 2027 AAT Kings says the pass is in the price. If you can spend a night in Katherine instead, do: the cruise booked direct with Nitmiluk Tours starts from A$139 and isn't sold on GetYourGuide, and you skip 8 hours of highway in one go.

• 2-hour cruise through gorges 1 and 2 with a Jawoyn-country commentary
• Buffet lunch included, on the boat from May to September
• Swim stop at Edith Falls (Leliyn) when the pool is open
• Adelaide River War Cemetery and Pine Creek on the way
• Takes children of any age, unlike the smaller day tours

How the day runs

1. About 6:30 amLeave Darwin

   Meet at the Darwin Transit Centre on Mitchell Street (hotel pickup on request) and head south on the Stuart Highway.

2. Mid-morningAdelaide River War Cemetery

   A short stop at the cemetery for those killed in the 1940s air raids on Darwin, then on toward Katherine.

3. Late morningEdith Falls (Leliyn)

   Time at the lower pool below the falls. Swimming depends on the season and ranger crocodile checks.

4. MiddayLunch and the 2-hour cruise

   Buffet lunch, then the cruise through gorges 1 and 2, with the walk between boats. Freshwater crocodiles often sun on the banks.

5. AfternoonKatherine and Pine Creek

   A quick look at Katherine town, then north through the old mining town of Pine Creek.

6. About 8:30 pmEvening stop, back in Darwin

   Dinner at your own expense at the evening stop on the Adelaide River, then the last leg to Darwin.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Buy the NT parks pass online before the day. It is sold only online, and the tour does not include it until April 2027.
• Pack swimmers and a towel for Edith Falls, but don't count on a swim: the pool opens only in the dry season after rangers check for saltwater crocodiles. Be Crocwise lists the current status.
• Take the walk between the boats seriously: about 400 m each way over steps and uneven rock. Guests who'd rather not can wait at the transfer point.
• Bring a hat, sunscreen and a refillable bottle: the cruise boats are open, and October is the hottest month in Katherine.
• From November to April a high river can swap the 2-gorge cruise for the shorter one-gorge tour. Dry-season dates are the safer bet.

Read next:

• Day trips from Darwin
• Cruises compared
• Is it worth it?

Frequently asked questions

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