The Northern Territory’s tropical summer offers a completely different travel experience to the dry season.

It is also a photographer’s dream as landscapes truly come to life and nature puts on a spectacular show.

Travellers can expect dramatic electrical storms, cascading waterfalls, blossoming vegetation and epic sunsets that light up the sky with purple, pink, blue and orange hues. Plus, the crowd-free national parks, availability of flights and accommodation, and great value deals mean there’s even more reason to visit in the summer months.

To assist, we have a hit list of the Instagram backdrops for the best tropical summer experiences in the Northern Territory.

Best photo moments

• Bask in the dreaminess of Darwin’s famous sunsets and epic lightning shows: Catch an Instagrammable sunset on a Darwin Harbour cruise and take in a spectacular lightning storm at a restaurant on the Darwin Waterfront. You can take to the waters on a sunset cruise with Sail Darwin.
• Explore Darwin’s lively arts scene without the crowds: Visit the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory for the country’s richest Aboriginal art awards, take your own tour of city street art or browse the best contemporary art galleries, such as newcomer Laundry Gallery.
• Darwin’s laksa obsession hits its peak with Darwin International Laksa Festival: Join foodies as they search for their favourite bowl of steaming laksa and laksa fusions, from laksa cocktails to laksa sausages, as part of this well-loved festival.

Getting the perfect photo on the Jumping Croc tour. Photo: Tourism NT, Shaana McNaught

• Take a Jumping Croc tour near Adelaide River for bucket list photos: Board this fascinating tour to learn about these powerful animals in their natural habitats and see crocodiles leap spectacularly in the air.
• Take a trip across the water to Tiwi Islands to be immersed in Aboriginal culture: With SeaLink By Design tours, discover the islands’ pristine coastal landscape and traditional lifestyle of the local Indigenous people, who have an exuberant passion for football and incredible art culture.
•  Take a refreshing swim at Litchfield’s waterfalls and waterholes: Only 90 minutes’ drive from Darwin, Litchfield National Park’s waterfalls and waterholes, such as Florence Falls, Wangi Falls and Buley Rockhole, are open year-round for swimming.
• See Kakadu’s abundant wildlife on a Yellow Water Billabong Cruise: As you glide through the wetlands, catch sightings of Kakadu’s diverse biodiversity which peak during a tropical summer. See wandering buffalo and horses, rare and rainbow-coloured birds, as well as saltwater crocodiles.
• Take a scenic flight Kakadu and Nitmiluk’s roaring waterfalls: Enjoy a bird’s eye view and see the national parks in their peak glory with a helicopter flight over surging waterfalls, like Kakadu’s Motor Car Falls and Nitmiluk’s Edith Falls.
• Get snap happy at Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve: Located near Kakadu, it is one of the few wetland systems that is accessible year-round without a 4WD. Take the boardwalks through the observation platforms to view the rich range of resident birds and see these natural eco systems first-hand.
• Take advantage of the NT’s prime fishing season and head on world-class fishing tours: Reel in wild fish record your catch on camera, while trying your hand at the elusive Million Dollar Fish. Wildman Fishing Tours offers unique adventures to suit every angler, from heli-fishing to wild charters and fish-and-feast packages for seafood lovers.

Relaxing at Motor Car Waterfall. Photo: Tourism NT, Jarrad Seng

• Do the heli-pub crawl to see the majesty of tropical summer: A heli-pub crawl with Airbourne Solutions combines the views with a cold drink at every stop. Visit some of Top End’s most popular pubs and wild landscapes, ranging from savannah woodlands to watering holes and Darwin Harbour.
• Ask a professional like new tour operator Wildfoto: Darwin-based Wildfoto offers bespoke nature photography tours that capture the natural wonders of the Top End and cater for varying abilities, from nature lovers with their phone camera to emerging and professional photographers. Accompanied by professional photographer Paul Thomsen, guests are chauffeured by 4WD and/or private tour boat to stunning landscapes, such as Mary River wetlands.

Insta-worthy backdrops

• Picture a sunset at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: A truly iconic photo moment, catch twilight skies veiled in pink as the sun sets over the world’s largest monolith.
• See Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) at sunrise: Rise early to enjoy cool summer breezes at the lesser-known, but equally majestic, soaring rock domes. Experts believe the best time to get a great photograph of these breathtaking sandstone formations is in October and November, when the light falls beautifully against the summer sky.

Enjoying a sunset cruise with Sail Darwin. Photo: Tourism NT, Che Chorley

• Book Standley Chasm Culture tours in Alice Springs: Running year-round, take this half-day tour of the majestic site sacred to the Western Arrernte people. Led by an Aboriginal guide, guests gain an authentic insight into local flora and fauna, bush tucker, weaponry and geology, as well as their site’s cultural significance to women’s dreaming.
• Enjoy cool night air and stargazing at Earth Sanctuary, Alice Springs: Thousands of kilometres away from city lights, the outback’s clear night skies are a marvel. At Earth Sanctuary, guests can book award winning astronomy tours, learn more about the galaxy and be left speechless by a blanket of stars.
• For postcard-perfect backdrops in Alice, don’t forget the rugged beauty of the MacDonnell ranges: Take respite from the heat and enjoy a dip in the park’s permanent waterholes such as Ormiston Gorge or Ellery Creek Big Hole. At the East MacDonnell and explore the quiet Trephina Gorge, known for its red quartzite cliffs and gum-lined watercourses.