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Darwin to Broome Kimberley Tour, 10 Days

Ten days, the Gibb River Road, the Bungle Bungles and a lot of gorges to swim.

An overland camping trip from Darwin to Broome through the Kimberley: Nitmiluk, Lake Argyle, the Bungle Bungles, Emma Gorge, the Gibb River Road, Manning, Bell and Windjana Gorges and Tunnel Creek. For the fit and active.

⭑ 4.8 1,025 TripAdvisor reviews 📍 Darwin & Top End ⏱ 10 Days 👥 Up to 20 🔥 Active

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Overview

The Kimberley is the bit of Australia most Australians never get to: red ranges, gorges with swimming holes at the bottom, and roads that need a proper 4WD. This ten-day run from Darwin to Broome goes through the middle of it, camping the whole way, and it's pitched at the fit and active who want to get well off the beaten track.

Day one starts with Edith Falls or Katherine Gorge, then it's Katherine Hot Springs, the 700-square-kilometre Lake Argyle, and two days in Purnululu National Park among the Bungle Bungles' beehive domes: Echidna Chasm, Cathedral Gorge, sunset over the Osmond Ranges, with the option of a helicopter flight. Then Emma Gorge at El Questro, a day around Kununurra and the Ord River, and the 600-kilometre Gibb River Road with its river crossings, Manning Gorge, Galvans Gorge, Bell Gorge and Windjana Gorge's freshwater crocs, before Tunnel Creek and a Cable Beach sunset in Broome.

Meals are covered (9 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 9 dinners), along with the all-terrain vehicle and nine nights of camping, two of them basic bush camps with no showers. Driving days run from 45 minutes to around 7.5 hours; walks up to seven kilometres. Bring or pre-purchase a sleeping bag, and don't book onward travel from Broome until the day after the tour ends.

Why you'll love it

  1. 1

    Bungle Bungles, two days in Purnululu

  2. 2

    Swim Emma, Manning and Bell Gorges

  3. 3

    The Gibb River Road by 4WD

  4. 4

    Lake Argyle and Katherine Hot Springs

  5. 5

    Windjana Gorge freshwater crocs

  6. 6

    Meals, camping and 4WD included

More photos

Itinerary at a glance

Darwin Day 1 Nitmiluk Day 1 Lake Argyle Day 2 Purnululu Days 3–4 Emma Gorge Day 5 Kununurra Day 6 Manning Gorge Days 7–8 Bell Gorge Day 9 Windjana Gorge Day 9 Broome Day 10
Your route, day by day
1 Day 1 · Darwin to the Katherine region

Welcome to Darwin, where your overland adventure begins. Meet your group and leader, then point the 4WD south and stop at either Edith Falls for a swim or Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park, where the group has lunch. Tonight you roll out a swag at a private campsite on the edge of Nitmiluk, with dinner shared around camp.

Accommodation
Private campsite with swags on the edge of Nitmiluk National Park (with facilities)
Meals Included
Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Around 4.5 hours driving, about 2 km walking
2 Day 2 · Katherine Hot Springs and Lake Argyle

After breakfast, start the day with a dip in the natural thermal pools of Katherine Hot Springs, then roll on to Lake Argyle. Created by the Ord River Dam, this 700 square kilometre man-made lake is home to many native fish and thousands of freshwater crocodiles. A sunset cruise is optional at extra cost. Tonight you camp at an exclusive campsite on the Ord River.

Accommodation
Ord River camp (with facilities)
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Around 7.5 hours driving, about 1 km walking
3 Day 3 · Into the Bungle Bungles

Drive through the rugged Carr Boyd and Durack Ranges into Purnululu National Park, home of the Bungle Bungles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of massive sandstone karsts that rear hundreds of metres above the grasslands. Walk into Echidna Chasm, then arrive at your bush camp in time to watch the sun set over the Osmond Ranges. If you have had enough of tent camping, you can sleep out under the stars in a swag.

Accommodation
Bush camp (basic facilities, no showers)
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Around 5.5 hours driving, about 5 km walking
4 Day 4 · Bungle Bungles full day

No pack-up today. A full day of activities takes you deeper into the Bungle Bungles' remarkable rock formations, including the hike to the enormous Cathedral Gorge. A helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles is available at your own expense. As the sun goes down, head back to camp.

Accommodation
Bush camp (basic facilities, no showers)
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Around 2 hours driving, about 5 km walking
5 Day 5 · Purnululu to Emma Gorge

Get ready for some serious 4WD action as you wind out of the Bungle Bungles and across the East Kimberley. The afternoon is for El Questro Station: tackle the hike into Emma Gorge and be rewarded with a stunning waterfall and a swim. Then on to your exclusive camp on the Ord River.

Accommodation
Ord River camp (with facilities)
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Around 5 hours driving, about 1 km walking
6 Day 6 · Kununurra and the Ord River

Another no pack-up morning. Take a look around the picturesque Ord River system (no saltwater crocs here), then your guide shows you the East Kimberley's 'capital', Kununurra, with highlights including Hoochery Distillery and a walk at Mirima National Park. In the late afternoon, walk up to an exclusive lookout over the Upper Ord River system and watch the colours change in a spectacular Kimberley sunset.

Accommodation
Ord River camp (with facilities)
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Around 45 minutes driving, up to 7 km walking
7 Day 7 · The Gibb River Road to Mount Barnett

After breakfast it is time to hit the legendary Gibb River Road, a wild 600 kilometre stretch that winds right through the heart of the Kimberley. You will ford rivers and weave through gorges by 4WD. There is a fair bit of driving today, broken up with lunch and a few stop-offs. Tonight you camp at Mount Barnett station, close to Manning Gorge, on the banks of a crystal clear freshwater river that is perfect for cooling off.

Accommodation
Mount Barnett station camp (basic facilities)
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Around 6 hours driving, about 2 km walking
8 Day 8 · Manning Gorge and Galvans Gorge

Spend the morning exploring the stunning Manning Gorge and swim in the pools under Manning Falls. Depending on the season, the afternoon after lunch is for Galvans Gorge, before heading back to camp to relax around the campfire.

Accommodation
Camp at Mount Barnett station
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Around 1 hour driving, about 6 km walking
9 Day 9 · Bell Gorge and Windjana Gorge

The Western Kimberley is full of gorges worth exploring, and this morning is no exception. After breakfast, adventure to Bell Gorge in the King Leopold Ranges (subject to weather and road conditions), where a cascade flows from the previous wet season's rains. The afternoon is Windjana Gorge, a segment of 375 million year old reef that was once underwater. Cut through by the Lennard River, which runs in the wet season then breaks into billabongs in the dry, it attracts many species of bird and bat and is a great spot to see wild freshwater crocodiles. Set up camp for the last time together in the Western Kimberley.

Accommodation
Camping in the Western Kimberley (with facilities)
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
10 Day 10 · Tunnel Creek and Cable Beach

Continue through the Napier Range for a guided walk through Tunnel Creek, a vast cave system that extends 750 metres underground, where shards of sunlight stream through crevices, little bats flutter about and enormous stalactites hang from the ceiling. Then make the final drive to Broome, hopefully arriving in time for a Cable Beach sunset. Any onward travel must be booked for the day after the tour finishes.

Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch
Distance Travelled
Around 6 hours driving, about 4 km walking

What's included

✓ What's included

  • All meals on tour: 9 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 9 dinners
  • All-terrain 4WD vehicle with an experienced guide and driver
  • 9 nights camping: 7 at camps with facilities, 2 at bush camps with basic facilities and no showers (swag option under the stars)
  • Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge or Edith Falls) and Katherine Hot Springs
  • Lake Argyle
  • Purnululu National Park: Echidna Chasm and Cathedral Gorge walks in the Bungle Bungles
  • Emma Gorge at El Questro
  • Kununurra, Mirima National Park and the Ord River
  • The Gibb River Road, with Manning, Galvans, Bell and Windjana Gorges
  • Tunnel Creek guided walk

✕ Not included

  • ✕Sleeping bag (bring your own or pre-purchase one for the trip)
  • ✕Optional activities: Lake Argyle sunset cruise, helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles
  • ✕Travel to Darwin and onward travel from Broome (book it for the day after the tour ends)
  • ✕Drinks and snacks between meals
  • ✕Travel insurance

Common questions about this trip

  • How fit do I need to be?
    Fit and active. Walks run up to around seven kilometres a day on rough, rocky ground, often in heat, with Echidna Chasm, Cathedral Gorge, Emma Gorge and Manning Gorge all involving scrambling and uneven paths to reach the swimming holes. Driving days run from 45 minutes to around seven and a half hours on corrugated dirt, and you help set up and pack down camp.

  • What is the camping like?
    Nine nights under canvas. Seven are at camps with facilities (toilets and showers), including a permanent tented camp on the edge of Nitmiluk National Park and an exclusive camp on the Ord River. Two nights in Purnululu are bush camps with basic facilities and no showers; most people sleep out in a swag under the Bungle Bungles stars. Bring or pre-purchase a sleeping bag; tents and swags are provided.

  • When does the tour run?
    In the dry season, when the Gibb River Road and the Purnululu access track are open; outside those months the roads close for the wet. Pick a date on this page to see the departures on offer and the price for each.

  • Where does it start and finish, and when should I book flights?
    Day one starts in Darwin in the morning and day ten finishes in Broome, aiming for a Cable Beach sunset. Arrive in Darwin the day before, and don't book flights or buses out of Broome until the day after the tour ends: the last day is a four-hour drive plus the Tunnel Creek walk, and road conditions can push the arrival time.

  • What are the optional extras?
    Two, both paid locally: a sunset cruise on Lake Argyle on day two, and a helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles on day four. The chopper is the one people rave about, because the beehive domes only make sense from above, so bring a card and decide on the day.

  • Are there crocodiles?
    Freshwater crocodiles, yes: thousands live in Lake Argyle and they bask in the billabongs at Windjana Gorge, where you'll see them from the walking track. Your guide tells you where it's safe to swim, which is the gorge pools and the Ord River system where there are no saltwater crocs. Follow the guide, not the other travellers.

  • What should I pack?
    A sleeping bag, a head torch, sturdy walking shoes that can get wet, a hat, sunscreen, swimmers, a quick-dry towel, a fleece for cool desert nights, a refillable water bottle, a day pack for the gorge walks, any medication and a soft bag rather than a suitcase. Phone signal disappears for days along the Gibb, so download maps and tell people you'll be out of contact.

  • Is this trip good for solo travellers?
    Most people on it are travelling solo or in pairs, and ten days of shared driving, shared camp chores and shared swimming holes turn the group into a crew by day two. The tour runs with a guide and driver who handle the logistics; you turn up with a sleeping bag and a sense of humour.

  • What's the cancellation policy?
    If you cancel 30 or more days before departure, the operator keeps the deposit. From 8 to 29 days before departure the operator keeps 50% of the booking, and 7 days or less it keeps 100%. Changes or transfers to another person need at least 28 days notice and a fee of up to $200 per person may apply, and no changes are allowed within 7 days of departure. If the operator cancels (other than for force majeure) you get a full refund, and for force majeure you get a credit or a refund less unrecoverable costs. Wanderlust handles the refund for you, refunds mirror the operator's terms 1:1 (including if the operator cancels) and we chase it on your behalf.

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What travellers say

Reviews from real travellers

Public reviews of the operator who runs this tour on the ground.

The operator's track record

4.8 on TripAdvisor · 1,025 reviews

Review excerpts below are from Tripadvisor.

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"Such an incredible experience! Sleeping in the swag under the stars was magical and comfy. We did so much and saw so many amazing things and beautiful landscapes in a good amount of time."
L

L S

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