Darwin International Airport Parking

Darwin International Airport (DRW) is wonderfully well-connected, with non-stop flights to Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Alice Springs and Cairns (amongst other locations).

And if you’re driving to the airport, you’ve made a smart choice – you can roll in your own social bubble and travel to a timetable that suits you down to the ground. You’ll get all the information you need about DRW parking right here – with options for all types of travellers – as well as a few timely tips on the airport’s best facilities. All the facts you need to prep easily and fly with peace of mind.

If you’re driving in from a little further out, you might want to bookend your Darwin departure and arrival with a couple of days to explore the city. As you might know, it’s the capital city of the Northern Territory – which covers a whopping one sixth of the Australasian continent. Its population comprises more than 60 nationalities and, for Aussie businesspeople, it’s the nation’s gateway to Southeast Asia – within easy reach of dynamic destinations like Manila, Singapore and Indonesia. The Larrakia people are the Indigenous owners of the land around Darwin and their rich culture greatly enhances the community.

There are lots of fabulous things to see and do in Darwin. With year-round warm weather and a harbour five times bigger than Sydney’s, Darwin is a magnificent melting pot with bustling markets, multicultural food and a laid-back ambience all of its own. Exciting things to do in Darwin include chilling out at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct, where you can surf at the wave pool, take a dip in the saltwater lagoon, enjoy the artworks and top it all off with a cool beer (If you’ve got a designated driver). It’s also worth exploring the city’s Street Mall, Crocosaurus Cove has huge adult saltwater crocodiles (and tiny babies) and catching a movie outdoors at the Deckchair Cinema.

Alternatively, Litchfield Park is a short drive from the city and boasts beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes, lush rainforest canopies and colourful wildlife. If you happen to be here in August, the iconic Darwin Festival showcases the region’s music, art and multiculturalism, game fishing charters are available and you can treat your better half to a romantic champagne harbour cruise.

Find the best deals at Darwin International Airport

Grabbing a great parking deal at Darwin International Airport should be easy. At least, so you might think. But what happens all too often is that search engine results serve up too much quantity, too little quality. Which leaves you the painful task of sifting through results and trying to weigh up what’s best.

To save you all that hassle, we’ve trawled every nook and cranny of the web to gather together the best deals for different types of travellers. Which means that all you need to do is spend a short while thinking about your unique needs and requirements, then see which selection satisfies them.

Compare parking at Darwin International Airport

There’s lots of different parking available at DRW and it’s one of many fantastic features of this first-class airport.

In the pre-pandemic era, Darwin was processing over 2 million passengers a year and it’s working its way steadily towards its former glory. Created (in its current incarnation) in 1945 when the existing military airfield was decommissioned, and civilian traffic took over.

Several improvements occurred in the following decades and today DRW flies to several Northern Territory destinations as well as locations across Australia and Southeast Asia. Carriers include Airnorth, Alliance Airlines, Jetstar, Fly Tiwi, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia.

What parking is there at Darwin International Airport

The official parking provision at Darwin is pretty good, but it’s sometimes worth checking out comparison sites like Looking4Parking and APH to see if they can offer ant competitive prices for on and offsite deals.

Now let’s get the lowdown on your official DRW parking options. There are three car parks here, all located close to the terminal, and it’s a touchless service that uses number plate recognition technology – no need to take a ticket.

15 minutes free

Need to pick up your friends and rellies at Darwin Airport? The free pick up parking area is located with in front of the terminal – when you’re driving in, take the right hand lane on Henry Wrigley Drive. As long as you leave within 15 minutes, you don’t need to go to a pay station to validate your ticket. For a longer stay, you have to pay.

Short stay

Short stay parking does exactly what it says on the sign. You’ll find it right in front of the terminal and once you’ve parked up, pulled out your bags and locked up, it’s only a minute’s walk away from the building. Use the right hand lane on Henry Wrigley Drive to access this parking lot too.

Long Stay PLUS

Fancy some premium parking right next to the terminal? The entrance to Long Stay PLUS is just past the terminal building on the left and once you park up, it’s three minutes’ walk from the building. This is the right choice when you’re taking a longer break and want blissful parking peace of mind. It can get pretty busy during peak holiday times – in which case, use the Long Stay SAVER car park (up next).

Long Stay SAVER

A cost-effective choice when you’re away for a while, Long Stay SAVER is just to the left of the terminal, behind the Long Stay SAVER car park. When you’re driving in, the entrance is on Pedersen Road, and you can stroll for 6 minutes to reach the terminal or pick up the phone near the entrance and ask the free shuttle to pick you up – it’s no problem at all.

Disabled Parking

At DRW, disabled parking is clearly signposted and located in the public car park at both arrivals and departures ends. Disabled bays are located closest to the terminal in all instances – please make sure you display a valid disabled permit sticker clearly.

Getting to Darwin International Airport

Darwin Airport is just 15 minutes’ drive from Darwin city centre, via Bagot Road.

If you’re motoring in from a little further out, the airport address is Darwin International Airport, Henry Wrigley Drive, Eaton NT 0820, Australia.

Facilities at Darwin International Airport

Whether you’re jetting off to Southeast Asia or to destinations a little closer Down Under, facilities and amenities at DRW are designed to keep you comfy.

There’s free Wi-Fi throughout the complex, so you can keep up to date with your email and socials, and there are ample ATMs to draw cash, including machines in the International Departures hall.

If you’ve got tiny tots with you, there are baby change facilities on the ground floor neat the car rental desks and opposite Gate 9, neat the Green Bean Café on the first floor. You’ll find more in International Departures too – always better to get that nappy change done and dusted before hopping on a longer flight, right?

Need a baggage trolley? Grab them for free at trolley stands throughout the terminal, in every car park and in the baggage collection zone.

For currency exchange, Travelex has several booths throughout the airport and there are also baggage lockers for hire in the walkway shelter of the Short Stay car park. You can also freshen yourself up with a shower at Darwin Airport – they’re in the domestic departures area on the first floor of the terminal and free of charge. Showers aren’t pre-bookable, so it’s first-come-first-served and you have to provide your own soap, toothpaste and towels etc. As you’d expect there are lots of toilets in the building and you’ll find drinking water fountains on the ground floor and upstairs in domestic departures.

Fancy some dining and shopping to pass the time? Snap up some sumptuous sushi at Asian Kitchen (try the tasty sashimi boxes) or freshly prepped sandwiches and perky coffee at Crate. Or alternatively, try tasty patties at Top End Burger, family favourites at The Northern Common or sweet treats and coffee at pronto. You can also grab some Aussie souvenirs at Australian Way and high-end cosmetics, fragrances and liquor at decent prices in Lotte Duty Free.

And that’s your lot – from all the deets on Darwin Airport Parking to top tips on airport amenities, it’s been great having your company. Bon Voyage!