Adelaide to Darwin road trip tips: Distance, time & best stops
The epic 3,030km drive across Australia from Adelaide to Darwin should be tackled as a two week Stuart Highway road trip. Stops to add to the itinerary include Coober Pedy, Alice Springs and Mataranka.
The drive from Adelaide to Darwin across the middle of Australia is one of Australia’s most epic drives. Crossing the continent from south to north is a journey for fans of desert scenery, wide open space and outback experiences.
Tackle this Adelaide to Darwin road trip up the Stuart Highway the right way, and it is an extraordinary adventure that you’ll remember forever.
Adelaide brings food tours of the fabulous Central Market, Torrens River cruises, swimming with dolphins and the chance to walk across the roof of the Adelaide Oval. To book Adelaide accommodation, step this way. For a full range of Adelaide tours and experiences, explore here.
Darwin, meanwhile, brings schooner cruises, airboat tours and cage-swimming with massive crocodiles. To search for the best Darwin accommodation deals, head here. To check out the full range of tours and experiences available, go here.
Adelaide to Darwin distance and driving time
By road, the distance from Adelaide to Darwin is 3,030km. That makes for a cross-country driving time of 31 hours. If you’re planning to travel via Uluru – as most tourists surely will be doing – then add another 500km and five hours to the score.
Pick your perfect Adelaide day trips
- Barossa Valley tours: 1. Wine-tasting with lunch 🍷. 2. Food and wine tour. 3. Small group wine tour with exclusive VIP tastings.
- Kangaroo Island in a day – including sea lions 🦭, koalas 🐨and national parks.
- Adelaide Hills tours: 1. Sights plus Murray River lunch cruise combo. 2. Small group cheese, chocolate & wine tour with Hahndorf German village.
- McLaren Vale tours: 1. Small group wine tour with lunch. 2. Hop-on hop-off wineries tour 🍷. 3. Food and wine indulgence tour, including the gloriously weird d’Arenberg Cube.
- Victor Harbor and southern highlights tour – including the Granite Island horse-drawn tram.
Obviously, it is not possible or desirable to do this drive in one stint. You will have to pick places to stay along the way, and break the journey down into sections.
7 great Darwin experiences to book before arriving
- Swim face to face with an enormous crocodile in the Cage of Death.
- Enjoy the romance of Darwin Harbour on a sunset dinner cruise aboard a traditional fishing ketch.
- Explore Darwin’s food and art scenes on a 3.5 hour walking tour – with lunch or dinner included.
- Flit between Darwin’s top attractions with a hop-on, hop-off bus tour.
- Combine a wildlife tour with the famous jumping crocodiles cruise.
- Get a history fix on a Bombing of Darwin WWII tour and harbour cruise.
- Get the adrenalin pumping on a high speed airboat or jetski tour.
Adelaide to Darwin road trip legs
Australia Travel Questions has more in-depth guides to the individual legs of an Adelaide to Darwin road trip. Click through if you want the detail rather than the overview.
- Adelaide to Port Augusta (309km)
- Port Augusta to Coober Pedy (540km)
- Coober Pedy to Uluru (756km)
- Uluru to Alice Springs (468km)
- Alice Springs to Tennant Creek (508km)
- Tennant Creek to Katherine (675km)
- Katherine to Darwin (317km)
Planning an Adelaide to Darwin road trip
A key factor in planning an Adelaide to Darwin road trip is working out where to stay. There is no absolutely perfect itinerary, and much will depend on how long you’ve budgeted for the journey.
A holiday up the middle of Australia can be done in a week, but you’ll have a much better time if you give it two to two-and-a-half weeks.
Australia Travel Questions recommends the following overnight stops on the Adelaide to Darwin drive: The Clare Valley, Coober Pedy, Yulara, Alice Springs, Wycliffe Well, Daly Waters and Katherine.
You may also wish to add in detours to the Flinders Ranges, Kings Canyon, the West MacDonnell Ranges and Kakadu National Park.
Click through for the first section: South Australia.