INCLUSIONS

ACCOMMODATION & MEALS

• 6 nights superior accommodation
• Daily breakfast
• 5 dinners including Stockman’s Bush Dinner under the stars

SIGHTSEEING & GUIDES

• Group driver-guide
• Sightseeing as specified by the itinerary
• English-speaking locally based guides as specified by the itinerary

TRAVEL

• Private group air conditioned coach travel
• Katherine Gorge cruise
• Yellow Water Billabong cruise
• ‘Jumping Crocodile’ boat cruise

Travel insurance is a mandatory requirement for joining this tour and is in addition to the package price.

Not included:  

• Airfares to/from Darwin (unless requested)
• Airport transfers unless specified
• Travel insurance
• Excess baggage
• Visa fees if applicable
• Any tips or porterage at airports, hotels, drivers & local staff
• Meals and beverages not specified on itinerary
• Items of a personal nature such as laundry & medical expenses
• Incidental expenses such as taxi fares, telecommunications

Itinerary

ACCOMMODATION

NORTHERN TERRITORY HOTELS

Hotels may be subject to change, due to circumstances outside of our control. Should this occur, a hotel of a similar standard will be provided.

Standard guest room, Travelodge Resort Darwin

Standard Queen room, Mercure Kakadu Crocodile

GETTING THERE

Starts In: Darwin, Northern Territory
Ends In:  Darwin, Northern Territory 

Start and end destinations are the travel points to arrive to and depart from to join your holiday.

First Day Information
Commences in the afternoon with a city sights tour.  As a guide book flights that arrive to Darwin prior to 12:30PM to join afternoon touring that commences 2:15PM.

Final Day Information
Day 7 concludes after breakfast at hotel check out.

We suggest arriving to Darwin the night prior to day 1 of the tour (commencement); enjoy a leisurely morning prior to the tour commencing later that day with the city sights tour.

Consider the hotel check in time on arrival and the hotel check out time on departure. If you arrive prior to the check in time, the hotel will store your luggage until the check in time and can also store your luggage until you are ready to depart for your onward journey.  

AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Arrival to group hotel and departure from the hotel, Darwin is by your own arrangement. See MORE INFO section below for Darwin Airport information

CONNECTING WITH RED CENTRE DISCOVERY
We’ve made arrangements so that on completion of this Top End tour in Darwin, there is the option to connect with Red Centre Discovery Tour that commences from Alice Springs.

If doing back to back tours this is the information you need to know:

• There is a 1 day buffer between last day of The Top End tour and the start of Red Centre Discovery tour.
  
  Option 1: Therefore, either stay an extra night in Darwin and fly the next day Darwin to Alice Springs
  OR
  Option 2: Depart Darwin on the final day (day 7) of the Top End tour and book a pre tour night of stay in Alice Springs (prior to Red Centre Discovery tour day 1).
  
  Costs for additional nights of stay apply.
• There is a daily QANTAS flight early morning Darwin to Alice Springs that needs to be booked and not included in tour packages.  

FLIGHT INFORMATION

FLIGHT ASSISTANCE
We are able to provide flight advice and booking services. A small service fee applies, due in advance. 

COVID-19 ENTRY

Travellers must check these requirements prior to their departure from home. As a general guide, we recommend doing this at least 7 days prior to travel and again at 3 days prior to travel. It is also prudent to check on the day of travel. Regulations can change without notice. 

VISA/ENTRY INFORMATION
Travellers arriving from outside Australia must check Australian government regulations for entering Australia. It is the responsibility of travellers to make sure they have the correct travel documentation to visit Australia. 

PASSPORTS
If travelling/joining from outside your home country, most countries require visitors to hold a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity from your return date to your home country. Ensure you have at least two blank pages in your passport.

Always check your destination country for their Customs policies for prohibited or restricted items. Products or legal medications in your country may not always be permitted in other countries.

DETAILS

Read on for other key trip information that you should know before you decide on joining the group.

TRIP AVAILABILITY
If this trip seems right for you then we encourage you to book early and secure your place with a deposit.  Tour space is limited. Also, many services on this tour must be booked well in advance. To ensure your place, please check trip availability at your earliest convenience.

FELLOW TRAVELLERS  ‘SOLOS ONLY’
You will enjoy this small  group experience with a maximum group size of 22 travellers. This tour is exclusively for single-solo travellers.

THE PACE  [2 out of 5]
A leisurely to moderately paced tour. You will see a lot on this tour and cover a lot of ground. There are some walks on this tour that are easy paced. Travellers of 75 years or over will be required to return a Fit to Travel form that is completed by their doctor. 

Touring is always most enjoyed when you have a good level of fitness. A minimum average level of fitness is recommended for this tour.  If you are joining the tour we recommend that on the months leading up to the tour, that you exercise regularly, at least a few times a week, such as taking brisk walks for at least 40 minutes at a time.

See MORE INFO > General Information for more about fitness.

ABOUT THE MEALS   
A daily full breakfast is included at each hotel of stay.

Lunches and Dinners
It is regular for most of our trips that we include welcome and farewell dinners for our groups. In addition, we include other group dining experiences to ensure that everyone can enjoy the benefit of travelling and dining as a group.  There’s nothing better than to share a meal with new friends and discuss the day’s adventures.  The dinners included will be set courses or buffets. The lunches included are Ploughman lunches (or the equivalent).

COACH CAPTAIN/DRIVER-GUIDE
This is a private group tour with one driver-guide, leading the group. The trip suits an independent style traveller, content with travelling without the additional services of a tour escort.
Your driver-guide will give direction on daily meeting times.

TRANSPORT
Private, air-conditioned transport for our group on a coach. The coach size will be determined by the final group number.  Groups of 10 or under will be in a small coaster/coach vehicle; 21 seater.

LUGGAGE INFORMATION AND RESTRICTIONS 
Vehicle Luggage Allowance
This is restricted to one medium size suitcase per person not exceeding 23kg (50lbs) in weight and 76x46x25 cm (28 .5x19.5x10”) in dimension. 

Please note: these allowances are for coach travel only and may differ from your airline luggage allowances. Please check with the airlines for weight and size restrictions on your luggage.

Hand Luggage Allowance
Hand luggage should be one piece per person and small and light enough to fit under your coach seat or in the small overhead compartment. If luggage does not fit comfortably in the overhead luggage racks, it will be stored in the coach luggage compartment whilst in transit. Please note that luggage with adjustable handle and wheels will not fit in the overhead compartments and cannot be accepted as hand luggage. 

MORE INFORMATION

TRAVELLER REVIEWS

'I would highly recommend a holiday with Encounter Travel. My trip was well organised and the co-ordinator was fun and helpful and full of energy. I met some great people of all walks of life. There is a good mix of organised activities and free time. I had a blast.'

Linda, Victoria

'Thank you for your organisation of a great holiday. As a first time traveller with Encounter, I didn't know what to expect. The Red Centre is indescribably beautiful and should be on every Australians' bucket list. We saw every sensational attraction in just the right order - each new experience was more incredible than the last. Thank you for recruiting such a great group of people for my travelling companions. The hotels were clean and very comfortable and it was a pleasure to be transported across such an amazing landscape so comfortably. I learnt so much about our wonderful country and wished I had done such a trip years earlier.'

Sarah, 52 years, Sydney, Australia

'Did a Red Centre solo 7 day tour absolutely fantastic, Uluru and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Kings Canyon, Palm Valley you have to see it and experience it. The coach drivers were professional, excellent knowledge and with a great sense of humor.'

David, Eschol Park, Sydne, New South Wales

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