Especially in the Northern Territory where there’s so much to do – Uluru, Kakadu National Park, Kata Tjuta, Nitmiluk National Park, Darwin, Alice Springs and so much more.
Fortunately for you, this lot come recommended by fellow backpackers.
Meet the finalists for ‘Northern Territory: Best Tour/Activity’ at this year’s Golden Backpack Awards…
Contiki
Travelling with Contiki isn’t about ticking the boxes, but those eye-opening moments in time that stay with you for life. Its tour managers are travellers; they live and breathe Australia, so they have tons of tips to share for amazing local experiences. They’re right there with you when you need them; and when you don’t, they’re taking care of all the gritty details – getting you checked-in to your hotels, arranging meals and sightseeing – giving you plenty of space to make it what you want. Contiki offers lots of exclusive experiences – look out for the ‘Only Contiki’ symbol on each itinerary.
Crocasauras Cove
Crocosaurus Cove, located in the heart of Darwin city, allows visitors a unique, up close and personal view of Australia’s iconic saltwater crocodiles. Bringing together some of the largest saltwater crocodiles in Australia and boasting the world’s largest display of Australian reptiles, Crocosaurus Cove is a mus- see attraction when visiting Darwin and the Top End. If you have balls of steel, Crocosaurus Cove is home to the famous ‘Cage of Death’: the only cage in the world that brings you face to face with some of the largest saltwater crocodiles in captivity.
Emu Run Tours
Based in Alice Springs, Emu Run Tours specialises in Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Central Australia Tours. Its professional tour guides love the Outback and have a great sense of humour to give you a relaxed yet exciting touring experience of the amazing Red Centre of Australia. Tours include all park entry fees, healthy food and drink, and a sunset barbecue with champagne for all trips to Uluru.
G Adventures
G Adventures has grown from a one-man show nearly 25 years ago to a company of more than 1,350 staff worldwide, and from offering a handful of trips in Latin America to hundreds of adventures spanning the globe. What hasn’t changed is G-Adventures’ passion for making sure you get behind the scenes to experience the real world in an authentic and sustainable manner. Offering an inspiring selection of affordable small-group tours, safaris and expeditions, the award-winning trips embrace authentic accommodation, exotic cuisine and local transport to put travellers on a first-name basis with the planet’s people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife.
Groovy Grape
Groovy Grape prides itself on providing good value, all-inclusive Australian adventure tours. Specialists in southern and central Australia, its team of ‘Groovy Guides’ aim to make your outback adventure as fun, flexible and unforgettable as possible. Taste some of the most delicious wine in the Barossa Valley, spot sea lions on Kangaroo Island, hike mountains in the Grampians, watch the sun set over the Twelve Apostles and eat breakfast as the sun rises at Uluru. Groovy Grape Tours caters especially for the youth, adventure traveller and backpacker who want fun, informative, adventurous trips.
Jump Tours
Greg Price established Jump Tours in 2007 with one van and a vision of creating an affordable way for backpackers and budget travellers to see Tasmania. For a long time young visitors to Tasmania could only book expensive tours made for older travellers – Jump changed everything. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 Jump won the award for Best Tour/Activity in Tasmania at the Golden Backpack Awards. The best bit? Jump Tour departures are guaranteed, so guests have unbeatable confidence when they book a trip with Jump.
Kakadu 4WD
Kakadu 4WD Safaris is a small, independent, Aboriginal-owned tour company offering active and educational Kakadu tours from Darwin. Join the tour to see more of Kakadu National Park in a small group on a four-wheel drive adventure with your knowledgeable local guide. Kakadu 4WD Safaris takes you off the beaten track to little-known waterfalls and through spectacular landscapes. Enjoy famous campfire dinners, take a didgeridoo lesson and experience real bush camping under the stars.
Kakadu Dreams
Kakadu Dreams offers nature-based, culturally active tours of the Kakadu National Park, with an emphasis on hands-on learning and fun. Kakadu tours are aimed at the adventurous traveller looking for an experience rather than just another sightseeing tour – Dreams keeps away from the crowds. The word ‘kakadu’ is derived from the Aboriginal tribal name of the Gagudju people, one of the main tribal groups that inhabited the area that now forms the Kakadu National Park. Covering 20,000sq km, the park is classified as a world heritage area both for its cultural values and its natural significance.
Mulga’s Adventures
Despite its hostel home, Annie’s Place, recently closing down, Mulga’s Adventures is still running. The company offers a three-day tour to Uluru, stopping off at King’s Canyon and Kata Tjuta on the way and finishing with a walk around the base of the awe-inspiring and mystical red rock, also known as Ayer’s Rock.
The Rock Tour
The Rock Tour is Australian and Northern Territory owned and is as Aussie as you will find in Australia. The Tour, which takes in Alice Springs, Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon, is the end result of years of planning and 20 years’ experience in the tourism industry. The Rock Tour has won the Golden Backpack Award for “The Best Tour in the Northern Territory” six out of seven years.
Topdeck
On Topdeck’s amazing Northern Territory trips you can journey through the Outback, visit Australia’s ‘Red Centre’, discover incredible natural wonders and experience Aboriginal culture first hand. With destinations including Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon, Kakadu National Park, Alice Springs, Darwin and more, the Northern Territory deserves to be on every backpacker’s to-do list. Whether you’re hiking around the base of Uluru or stargazing in the Outback from the comfort of your swag, a Topdeck Northern Territory trip will leave you with memories to last a lifetime.
Wayoutback
Wayoutback is the adventure-seeker specialist based in Central Australia. Some 14 years’ experience in exploring Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Palm Valley, the West MacDonnell Ranges and the Larapinta Trail has been extended to include Kakadu, Litchfield National Park, Tasmania and Sydney to Cairns. If you want to experience the icons, culture and the traditions of Australia in small groups, then Wayoutback is a great option.
