50 Free Things to Do in the Northern Territory
The best NT experiences don't cost a cent — national parks, swimming holes, markets, wildlife, and sunsets
NT Explorer Team
9 April 2026
50 Free Things to Do in the NT
The Northern Territory's biggest secret isn't a hidden waterhole — it's that the best experiences are completely free. National parks don't charge entry, swimming holes are open to everyone, and the wildlife shows up every evening.
Darwin (15 Free Activities)
1. Mindil Beach sunset — iconic NT sunset (markets cost nothing to enter)
2. East Point wallabies at dusk — 50+ wild wallabies on open lawns
3. Museum & Art Gallery of NT — Cyclone Tracy exhibit, Aboriginal art
4. George Brown Botanic Gardens — 42 hectares of tropical plants
5. Darwin Waterfront Recreation Lagoon — free saltwater swimming
6. Bicentennial Park coastal walk — Esplanade to Doctors Gully
7. Charles Darwin National Park — WWII bunkers in mangrove forest
8. Nightcliff foreshore walk — dramatic rock shelves at low tide
9. Rapid Creek Markets — free entry, incredible people-watching
10. Parap Markets — browse the tropical fruits and art
11. Stokes Hill Wharf walk — harbour views and fishing watching
12. East Point Military Museum grounds — free outdoor displays
13. Lake Alexander swimming — fenced, croc-free lagoon
14. Leanyer Recreation Park — FREE water playground for kids
15. Darwin Harbour sunset from any waterfront viewpoint
Top End (12 Free Activities)
16. Kakadu National Park — entire park is FREE entry
17. Litchfield National Park — entire park is FREE entry
18. Florence Falls swimming — plunge pool in monsoon forest
19. Buley Rockhole — cascading natural spa pools
20. Wangi Falls swimming — double waterfall plunge pool
21. Berry Springs Nature Park — crystal-clear spring-fed pools
22. Ubirr Rock Art (Kakadu) — 40,000-year-old galleries
23. Nourlangie Rock Art (Kakadu) — stunning Aboriginal art
24. Magnetic Termite Mounds (Litchfield) — bizarre aligned structures
25. Fogg Dam dawn birdwatching — extraordinary waterbird concentration
26. Edith Falls swimming — pandanus-fringed waterhole
27. Window on the Wetlands — wetland lookout near Kakadu
Katherine Region (6 Free Activities)
28. Katherine Hot Springs — in-town 32°C thermal pools
29. Bitter Springs float — 34°C lazy river through paperbark forest
30. Mataranka Hot Springs — palm-fringed thermal pool
31. Cutta Cutta Caves lookout — limestone formation views
32. Katherine River walk — riverside walking trail in town
33. Nitmiluk National Park walks — multiple free gorge-rim trails
Red Centre (12 Free Activities)
34. Simpsons Gap — dramatic range gap with rock wallabies
35. Standley Chasm lookout — free to view from outside ($12 to enter)
36. Ellery Creek Big Hole — spectacular red-rock waterhole
37. Ormiston Gorge swimming — ancient rock amphitheatre pool
38. Glen Helen Gorge — where the Finke River cuts through
39. Serpentine Gorge walk — narrow slot gorge with pool
40. Anzac Hill sunset (Alice Springs) — 360° views for free
41. Todd Mall gallery browsing — free to admire world-class art
42. Alice Springs Telegraph Station — free historic reserve
43. Olive Pink Botanic Garden — 16 hectares of desert plants
44. Kings Canyon walks — Kings Creek Walk is free
45. West MacDonnell Ranges scenic drive — stunning sealed road
Barkly & Remote (5 Free Activities)
46. Devils Marbles viewing — sacred granite boulders (camping $6.60)
47. Tennant Creek heritage walk — gold rush town history
48. Daly Waters Pub atmosphere — free to wander and photograph
49. Stuart Highway rest area stargazing — zero light pollution
50. Aileron warrior sculpture — giant roadside art
The Bottom Line
You could spend 2 weeks in the NT doing nothing but free activities and have one of the best trips of your life. The landscapes, swimming holes, wildlife, and cultural sites that define the Territory don't have ticket booths — they're just there, waiting.

