Here’s when to visit the Top End without going to the top of your budget.
A truly bucket-list experience, an adventure in the Top End doesn’t usually come cheap. But, going during the wet season can save you big. We’re talking up to 35% off flights big.
TL;DR: Cheapest time to go to Darwin
The absolute cheapest time: Summer (except for school holiday periods). (Read more to see why)
The best-value time: Spring and Autumn. (Read more to see why)
When is the cheapest time to travel to Darwin
The summer months, when it’s incredibly hot and humid, are the cheapest times to fly to Darwin. That means prices will be the lowest from about December to February. (Although they’re likely to increase a bit over Christmas and New Year’s.)
According to Kayak, February is the cheapest time to fly to the Top End city, with it averaging out to 12% less than other months – but much cheaper than peak season.
Unfortunately this is very much a case of the cheapest time isn’t necessarily the best time. But, we certainly wouldn’t advise against going at this time of year. We’ve actually done it twice! (Read about our cheap flight to Darwin below.)
How much will it cost to travel to Darwin at the time?
Prices vary depending on where you’re coming from, but, on average, you’ll be paying 35% less to fly to Darwin in February than in peak season (June).
How did we calculate this? We looked at monthly flight data for the five largest cities on Kayak to see the average price of flights in June and the average price of flights in February.
We also searched for flights from major Australian cities. We looked at Jetstar and Virgin (if available), as they have the lowest prices.
Here’s what we found. (We’ve also compared them to peak-season prices to give you an idea of how much cheaper it is in February.)
Price of flights from Perth
- Virgin Australia: $305-$355 each way
- Jetstar: $346-$368 each way
Price of flights from Adelaide
- Jetstar: $161-$326 each way
- Virgin Australia: $359-$419 each way
Price of flights from Melbourne
- Jetstar: $194-$258 each way
- Virgin Australia: $269 each way
Price of flights from Sydney
- Jetstar: $187-$329 each way
- Virgin Australia: $259-$359 each way
Price of flights from Brisbane
- Jetstar: $153-$331 each way
- Virgin Australia: $245 each way
Search for your flight to Darwin
Accommodation in Darwin during the off-season
It’s not only flights that will be much cheaper during the wet season.
Off-season hotel prices are about half the price of peak-season rates.
We checked a few well-reviewed mid-range hotels to see just how much accommodation prices differed from February to June. And the difference is huge.
| Hotel | February Price | June Price |
|---|---|---|
| Travelodge Darwin Resort | $108 | $210-$267 |
| Ramada Suites | $147 | $301-$310 |
| Oaks Darwin Elan Hotel | $179 | $314 |
But… is this going to be the worst time to go?
Look, we’ll be honest; it’s not the best. But, we haven’t avoided visiting this time of year if there’s a good deal going.
Temperatures in the Top End are actually pretty similar year-round, it’s the humidity that gets much higher during the wet season. Some of the local swimming holes also close due to heavy rains that can cause flooding, fast currents and easier access for crocodiles to get into swim spots.
So, if less humidity and being more likely to swim everywhere, then the additional 35% cost of airfare, plus the extra price of peak-season accommodation may be worth it.
But, don’t rule it out visiting in the off-season completely.
According to Tourism Northern Territory website though, “many locals and experienced travellers believe the Wet is the best time to visit because it’s when the land truly comes alive.”
Local Darwin bloggers We Are Locals note the wet season brings great photography opportunities, beautiful tropical plants, incredible waterfalls and some pretty incredible natural light shows in the sky when a storm passes through.
On our trips, we’ve spent most of the time out of the city and in the nearby national parks. We’ve found the walking tracks to be lush with greenery and still found places that were open for swimming including Florence Falls, Buley Rockhole and the peaceful Upper Cascades in Litchfield National Park.
While it did rain, it was mostly in the evening and overnight, so we were able to enjoy the parks without walking in the rain.
When is the best-value time to visit the Top End?
If you book a trip during the shoulder seasons, you’ll be able to take advantage of decent weather and fair prices.
For example, let’s refer back to the data from Kayak. This chart is for flights from Brisbane. February and March are the absolute cheapest, but you can see there’s a nice middle-ground price available in April, May, September and October (which is definitely the cheapest of the four months).
We say it’s the best value because it’s also when the weather is in between the wet and dry seasons. You’ll be less likely to get as much rain and humidity as you would during the summer months, but you’ll also not have to pay the peak-season premiums.
When have we been to Darwin?
We’ve actually only been during the summer months! We first visited in December, and another time in February.
Sure, it was hot and humid but the tourists were pretty much nowhere to be found. (But the travel deals certainly were.)
While these deals don’t pop up every day, in 2023 we managed to get to Darwin for an incredible $18 each way from Sydney with Jetstar. (That worked out to $72 return for two passengers, return!) Now that was a cheap trip.
