Darwin Bird Tour
2024-2026 Tours
Let local birding guides show you Darwin’s bird hotspots on our small-group morning tour. See and photograph Darwin’s diverse bird fauna, while learning about its natural and cultural history. Your guides will plan your morning with consideration of seasonal, tidal and climatic conditions.
Be inspired in the cool of sunrise when birds are most active, in coastal wetlands, monsoon forests and woodlands, each with their unique bird species. Get photography tips from guides with decades of experience photographing wildlife in natural settings, and practise on birds in flight close by. Take home images you’ll cherish and memories you’ll never forget.
6.30 am – 1.30 pm.
Available every day unless booked out, except for the period 29 October till 31 March. Also available every day as a private charter, including for cruise ship passengers. We can adjust the start and finish time for private charter tours. We may vary the itinerary in accordance with guests’ interests, abilities and commitments, and any closures of areas or roads by authorities.
Tour Details
| Dates | 1 April – 28 October |
|---|---|
| Start Time | 6.30 am |
| Duration | 7 hours (approx.) |
| Pick Up / Departure |
Tours pick up from any Darwin accommodation. |
| Drop Off / Return |
Tours return to original departure point |
Pricing Options
| Adult | $296 |
|---|---|
| Child 12 and under | $148 |
| Private tour 1 – 4 people | $1496 |
| Private tour 5 – 8 people | $1996 |
Tour group size
-
Maximum 8, minimum 2.
Inclusions
- Small-group touring by air-conditioned tour vehicle; pickups from any Darwin accommodation; park entry fees; expert interpretation of the natural and cultural environment with a focus on birds; brunch and coffee or tea; cool bottled water.
What to bring
-
An enquiring mind; personal items; hat; light, loose clothing; footwear suitable for short walks on hardened paths in hot weather; binoculars and/or camera gear (optional—we can supply some birdwatching equipment).
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Verified
Anne O2022-11-26Beautiful day in Litchfield Every single part of the trip was my favourite - fromchatting about all things Litchfield on the way out there,to swimming in a pristine pool underneath a rushingwaterfall, having walked through stunning rainforest, toeating the freshest barramundi I've ever tasted with limeleaves off their tree…. Of all the time my friend and Ispent in the top end, this day with Tess and Greg wasour absolute highlight. I could not recommend them anymore highly.With much love from Anne and VivienneVerified
Caz M2022-11-22An unforgettable experience Wow! What a brilliant day. We learnt so much. Tess and Greg are absolutely lovely. We learnt so much. Some very funny stories were shared. I was moved to tears over the way aboriginal people were persecuted and very sad to hear that it still happens today. It was, however, wonderful to visit their land and that of Tess' family. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch, swam in the creek, visited Tonga Falls, Wangi falls, Victoria falls and Billabongs, saw many birds and a crocodile and Tess taught us much about the flora and fauna and how her people hunted and lived off the land. Thank you so much for sharing your culture and experiences with us. Highly recommend this tour. Worth every penny.Verified
Jason A2022-11-08Fantastic tour with tess We enjoyed the whole trip and the knowledge / experiences delivered by Tess will be looking at doing it again I highly recommend itVerified
Leroy2022-11-07SOUL ENRICHING - A day I will never forget The time we spent with Aunty Tess and Greg was honestly one of the most magical, soul and spirit enriching days of my entire life. As the ONLY Aboriginal owned tourism operation in the region the tour wasn't only magical in sense of the places you see but the cultural knowledge added so much meaning the stunning landscape and scenery. I choose to only spend my money on genuine experiences, that are Aboriginal owned and this did not disappoint. They were personable, friendly, knowledgable and so genuinely kind and human. When I tell you I travel constantly, running a national business but this was a moment I could stop, listen, learn and sit in culture and my spirit is enriched because of it. Deepest of gratitude to you, your people and your ancestors for allowing us the this experience, I will never forget it.Verified
FarAway5574302022-10-15Litchfield spectacular Yesterday was a special day on tour on country with Tess & Greg. Beautiful springs, gorges, wonderful lunch cooked on the open fire with wild caught barramundi and crocodile! Tess is the only aboriginal tour guide and her country is where Litchfield National Park is now. I feel so grateful to have experienced Litchfield through Tess’s eyes. Do yourself a big favour and book this must do tour whilst you’re in Darwin NT.Verified
Hajnalkatl2022-10-12A privilege to learn from them both. We had a fantastic day with Tess and Greg. It was such a privilege to learn from them both. Tess grew up in Litchfield park learning from her elders, both Tess and Greg have worked as park rangers in various parts of Australia and bring an abundance of knowledge about plants, animals, geology, land Care etc with them. We learnt about traditional uses of plants and animals- the dreaming stories that don’t make it into children picture books ?. They spoke openly and honestly about challenges and problems with the community and possible solutions. Tess is an amazingly intelligent, kind, articule and generous guide. We had a fantastic time swimming in a few different springs and had the nicest lunch cooked by them.Verified
boyci2022-10-11Indigenous Litchfield Spectacular- just amazing The information from Tess and Greg was brilliant, no question was unanswered. I would highly recommend you taking this tour with these two lovely people, it was an unforgettable trip with a small group, the tucker was superb and the sites were incredible,thank you.Verified
Joy D2022-10-11Absolutely blown away! This tour was recommended by a friend and although we thought it a little pricey for our budget we wanted to experience something authentic. We are only in Australia for a year so we are trying to do as much as possible in the time.Determined to get a taste of culture and insight into the indigenous history we booked this tour.I was absolutely fascinated from the get go. Tess and Greg were phenomenal hosts / guides and were happy to answer every single one of my questions, even the ones where my ignorance about the country's history was apparent.We swam in creeks, and put out heads under the Wangi Falls (despite my intrepid fear of snakes and crocs) I felt safe with Tess and Greg.The knowledge we gained was immense! Although I have to admit some of it was hard to hear and made me ashamed to be British, but the story of resilience and rectification which is a fight that Tess is still fighting daily is awe inspiring.If you want a basic day of swimming and viewing the beauty of the landscape of Litchfield National park, then book with a mainstream tour operator.If you want a genuine day of education from someone who has lived and breathed that very land and is connected to it through generations, if you want to hear the bad along with the good, and if you want an intimate personal experience where you are not just a number but an actual guest, then this is the tour for you.This has turned out to be one of our favourite days since we landed in Australia and it is chock full of memories that we will cherish and remember forever.And as for Tess's barramundi at lunch, that is a recipe I'm stealing! I'm not a huge lover of fish, but that is the best fish I have ever eaten!Highly recommended! Thank you Tess and Greg! We wish all the luck with this and all your future endeavours! From Joy and Kara.Verified
allison a2022-10-09Highlight of our trip to the top end It was an absolute privilege to be guided through Litchfield and Tess's country with Tess and Greg. Greg knows everything there is to know about the land, the flora and fauna, and Tess gave us a unique and honest cultural experience and perspective. Delicious lunch and wonderful swimming spots too! Tess and Greg are both fabulous guides and wonderful people, we really enjoyed and learned from our day with them and we will remember this highlight of our trip to Darwin always.Verified
Heidinewie2022-10-06Do this tour! So glad i booked this trip with Tess and Greg. She has the local history/indigenous persoective frim growing up here and Greg has a lifetime of knowledge of olants and animals. I wanted to support a local small business rather than do this ourselves. It was chilled out, fun and active. My young bits loved it too!
We recently used NT Indigenous tours for a private tour of Original Owner lands near Darwin. We were very happy to support this company as it is the only indigenous owned tour company in the whole of the Northern Territories. Our tour guides were the owners, “Tess” and “Greg.” Both were incredibly knowledgeable as to the topography and history of these beautiful lands. Having Tess, an indigenous woman of amazing knowledge and experience, explaining where we were and what the lands mean to the original peoples of this part of Australia was incredible. She is lovely, funny, and very patient in explaining what we were experiencing. Greg took us on rocky paths to beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes. He asked us how fast we wanted to trek. We said “fast” and he was off and moving quickly. With Greg who is quite athletic, be careful what you ask for! We loved it. Tess and Greg provided us with an incredible homemade lunch which included cold beverages, salad, grilled crocodile, and grilled kangaroo. All of it was delicious and an amazing display. I can’t recommend this tour company highly enough. Their tours are worth every cent.
Tess and Greg are awesome. We had a small group and covered a lot of ground but it was never rushed. Their collective knowledge is amazing and they are very easy to spend a day with. Highly recommended if you like a relaxed, informative and friendly day trip. We had 2 adults and 2 young kids and had a blast. Thanks Tess and Greg
My wife and i loved this tour. Tess and Greg showed us as much as they could in one day and did it smoothly and comfortably. No rushing, answered any questions honestly, comentated about lots of local aboriginal and aussie perspectives.They are great hosts.The lunch Tess cooked was fantastic.We swam, learned about bush tucker, traditional family stories good and bad.I feel we got a honest assessment of the indigenous and australian situation as they have local family who live in the south west of Darwin area, and bought up there own kids here.Tess is a locally born indigenous lady with a wealth of knowledge.This is there own business, so they do it all front office to tour guides. Such passion and hard work so we can enjoy our holiday.Thank you both and best wishes on future endeavour's.Bill and Christine
We had a wonderful day on this tour. Tess and Greg were great guides. Tess grew up on the country known as Litchfield National Park. She shared her knowledge and stories with dignity and honesty. Fabulous barbecue for lunch.
This review is long overdue given the remarkable day that We spent with Tess and Greg from Northern Territory Indigenous Tours. The tour was planned last minute but Tess and Greg were supper flexible and accommodating. It was a fun-filled day exploring Litchfield National Park. Tess and Greg’s personalities, sense of humor and intimate knowledge of the National Park specifically and the Darwin area more broadly made for memories that will last forever. Beautiful scenery, simply fantastic tour tailored lunch and breathtaking sunset with cool beverages made for an awesome experience. Highest of recommendations.
