Best Time to Visit Darwin

The Dry: May to August

This is the season to come. Days are warm and sunny, nights are comfortable, and rain is close to zero. July is the driest month, with almost no rain at all. Humidity drops, so the air feels easy rather than sticky.

It suits nearly every kind of trip. You can browse the Mindil Beach Sunset Market on Thursdays and Sundays, eat laksa (a spicy coconut noodle soup) from the stalls, and watch the sun drop into the Arafura Sea. Day trips to Litchfield National Park work well, with its waterfalls and swimming holes at Wangi Falls and Florence Falls. Kakadu is also open and easier to get around.

Expect this to be high season. Southern Australians escape the cold and school holidays add families in July. Beds and rental cars fill up, so don't leave them late. In August, the Darwin Festival fills the city with music and theatre, and the Darwin Cup horse race follows. The Beer Can Regatta, a quirky race of boats made from cans, is usually held at Mindil Beach around then too.

The build-up: September to November

It's hotter now, and you'll feel it. September and October are the warmest months, with highs of 33°C. Humidity creeps up and afternoons turn heavy. Locals call this stretch "the build-up", because storms are building but haven't broken.

September is still a good shoulder month. It's mostly dry, and prices and crowds ease off. By October, rain returns on about 13 days. Late in the year, the sky puts on huge lightning shows over the harbour. If you like drama, you'll enjoy them. If you hate sticky nights, skip November, when it rates Poor.

This is a decent time for budget travellers who can handle heat. Plan outdoor things for the morning and spend the afternoon in the pool or the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

The Wet: December to April

Expect warm, soggy days. January is the wettest month, with 388 mm and rain on 29 days. Rain often arrives as short, heavy downpours, and clouds hide the sun for most of the day. Some roads in Kakadu and Litchfield close when water rises, and some tours stop running.

There are upsides. The landscape turns bright green, waterfalls thunder, and you'll often have places to yourself. Hotels are cheaper too. Swimming in the sea is a bad idea, because box jellyfish are around from roughly October to May, and crocodiles live in the region's waterways all year.

April is a fair compromise. Rain eases to 106 mm and skies start to clear, so it's a good pick if you want green scenery without the worst of the downpours.