Easily accessible from Darwin (just a one and a half hour/85 mile drive), Litchfield National Park is perhaps the favourite day trip from Darwin.

It is perhaps worth bearing in mind that it is a popular weekend day trip for Darwin residents too, so it is perhaps best to plan your trip for a weekday and so avoid the crowds.

There are two entry points into the nearly 250 square miles of the Litchfield National Park - either via the Explorer’s Way tourist drive via Batchelor, or on the unsealed Cox Peninsula Road (in which case 4WD vehicles are necessary).

The park itself comprises several different Top End environments, including lush monsoon forest, waterfalls, plunge pools, termite mounds and unusual rock formations. It is perfectly possible to enjoy the main sights of Litchfield National Park in a day trip from Darwin, but for the more adventurous, why not stay overnight and get a true flavour of the place?

Batchelor is the gateway town to Litchfield National Park – if you want a full day in the park but do not want to stay overnight there, then there are a few accommodation options in Batchelor. The town is also home to the Butterfly and Bird Farm and the Coomalie Cultural Centre.

The main attractions are the four waterfalls that crash from the edge of the wide sandstone plateau that forms the Tabletop Range – the waterfalls are at their most spectacular during the monsoon season (October to May), and are slower flowing during other months – less dramatic a view, but the reduction in water volume means that the waterholes are better for swimming at this time.

The most visited spots in the park are the permanent spring-fed waterfalls – Florence, Tolmer and Wangi, the magnetic termite mounds throughout the park, the Buley Rockhole cascades and a wildlife cruise along the Reynolds River, from which it is possible to view many native species of flora and fauna. All these major sights are linked by sealed roads making it easy to drive yourself around the park, if you are not part of an organised tour. Of these, Wangi Falls is perhaps the best spot, with camping facilities close by the thundering waterfall.

Camping is also available at Walker Creek, Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls, with more basic amenities only accessible by 4WD vehicle are also on offer at Tjaynera (Sandy Creek) Falls, Surprise Creek Falls and further downstream from Florence Falls out of the monsoon season.

Bushwalking is of course a major attraction in Litchfield National Park and there is a range of tracks across the park. Make sure that you call into the Park Headquarters in Batchelor before you set off on a walk, to obtain maps and permit information. There are walking tracks departing from most of the major sights including Walker Creek and Florence Falls.

Other major sights in Litchfield National Park are the magnetic termite mounds. Roughly 10 miles from the eastern extremity of the park you will come across the first batch of them – these are stunning structures, which incorporate such architectural features such as arches, tunnels, chimneys, insulation and even nursery chambers!!! And the termites constructed them aligned from north to south to ensure minimal exposure to the sun!

Most day tours to Litchfield National Park from Darwin will include pick up from your hotel, guided tour of the main sights of the park, a stop for swimming in a waterhole, lunch and a billabong cruise. A wide variety of tour operators offer tours such as this.