Car Rental at Darwin Airport

Airport travel guide

The capital of the Northern Territory, tropical Darwin is an increasingly popular travel destination. Despite its relatively small size and remoteness, it packs a surprising amount of heritage, cultural diversity, and, of course, access to stunning nature. Here are four of its most popular attractions:

• Charles Darwin National Park. Although christened after the 19th-century British naturalist and father of the theory of evolution who also gave name to the city itself, Charles Darwin National Park has actually been inhabited for millennia, as suggested by indigenous artifacts found on its grounds. Nowadays, this small, but well-maintained green spot is one of the closest nature areas to the city, taking up the peninsula just east of the center of Darwin and just south of the international airport.
• Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Enjoyably, vast and diverse, the MAGNT is indeed the main cultural institution of the Northern Territory and worth any visitor’s time. The museum showcases indigenous and contemporary Australian art, especially that connected to this part of the country, but it also has fascinating sections on such varied topics as natural sciences and maritime archaeology, not to mention the display of an 18-foot (5.5 m) saltwater crocodile.
• Kakadu National Park. Not only the second-largest but also one of the most beautiful national parks in Australia, Kakadu is the reason why many visitors come (and return) to Darwin. Known for its fascinatingly diverse fauna that includes dingoes, hooded parrots, frill-neck lizards, and various marsupials, the area is also home to unique rock formations, billabongs, and ancient rock art sites. Located southeast of Darwin, the national park can be reached by car in about two hours.
• Wharf Precinct. Darwin waterfront is one of the most visited, most photographed, and also historically most important areas of the city – it was bombed by the Japanese during the Second World War and has been significantly rebuilt since. Nowadays, the area is known for its greenery, restaurants, and ocean views. If you liked the Wharf Precinct, you might consider taking the very short walk to the nearby Stokes Hill Wharf, another majorly developed waterfront. 

Top international routes

• Brisbane
• Melbourne
• Sydney
• Adelaide
• Kununurra
• Perth
• Dili
• Alice Springs
• Gove
• Groote Eylandt

Main airlines

Airnorth, Fly Tiwi, Jetstar, Qantas, and Virgin Australia

Terminals

The airport is made up of a single terminal with four aerobridges. The terminal was significantly modernized and expanded in 2015.

Location

Darwin Airport is about 10 km (6.2 miles) northeast of the city. The trip between the airport and the city takes about 15 minutes primarily along Bagot Road and Motorway A15.

Most popular types of rental car

• Medium cars - from $50 per day
• Large cars - from $70 per day
• SUVs - from $51 per day
• Small cars - from $73 per day
• Station wagons - from $158 per day
• Vans - from $107 per day

Services and facilities

One of the smallest international airports in Australia, Darwin nonetheless offers some eateries and duty-free stores, free WiFi, and outlets for charging mobile devices. The airport is open 24/7, and it’s possible to sleep in it if you have a long layover, but there are also some hotels next-door.

Nearest gas station

Around ten different gas stations are within a five-kilometer radius of the airport, several of which are open 24/7.