Darwin Harbour Bombing of Darwin Cruise
Darwin, Australia
Darwin Harbour Bombing of Darwin Cruise
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Darwin, Australia
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
See where World War II bombs fell on Darwin on this harbour cruise. On 19 February 1942, Japanese planes targeted Allied ships in Darwin’s waters, causing mass destruction. Board an open-sided boat to cruise by these and other landmarks as you hear stories of the fateful day and Darwin’s wartime history. See remnants of the raids and underwater shipwreck sites, and sail by historical wharfs, pearling luggers, and other maritime locations. Live commentary included.
- World War II Darwin Harbour bombing sites cruise
- Ride a boat to sites bombed by the Japanese in February 1942
- See the remains of raids and wartime installations
- Sit over the wreck sites of the USS Peary and SS Neptuna
- Cruise by historical wharfs, luggers, Darwin’s naval base, and more
- Hear stories of the attacks and wartime Darwin
- Shaded, open-sided boat with live onboard commentary
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
Itinerary
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 86 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Jen_S, Oct 2025
Very informative and learnt a lot about the bombing of Darwin that I was not aware of. Very hot day but still quite pleasant on the water.
Michael_D, Sep 2025
The guide is very knowledgeable and entertaining! Tells of tragic stories of battle and survival in a lighter way
Shelly_K, Sep 2025
What a wonderful experience so informative and very interesting in what happened in the bombing of Darwin highly recommend doing tour is you want more information on it and seeing Dariwn from the water the two gentmen were lovely friendly and full of information
Lorraine_M, Jul 2025
Very informative, great knowledge of Darwin Bombing with humour included , 2nd tour for myself, but took grandson
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Lorraine, thanks so much for your wonderful review, so glad you and your grandson had a great time. Our team are fantastic and love showcasing Darwin's history and all it has to offer.
Arthur_R, May 2025
If you have an interest in WW II and in the Pearl Harbor attack, learning about the subsequent and similar attack on Darwin may be worthwhile for you.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks Arthur for your wonderful feedback, so glad you enjoyed your time with us. Our team are very knowledgeable and love sharing the history of Darwin and the best of what the Top End has to offer. Don’t forget to share your pics and feel free to tag us!
Jane_L, Sep 2024
Great way to see harbour in daylight as most harbour cruises at night .
The guide was excellent very knowledgeable.
We are at the end of 8 days away and Adrian’s commentary seemed genuine and not just a spiel .
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you so much for your feedback and insights - I'll be sure to pass your comments on to Adrian.
Tam_B, Aug 2024
Not only was it beautiful cruising around the harbour, the sights pointed out and the information supplied by our tour guide Kerry was most interesting. We had no idea of the horrors Darwin went through at that time.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback, and we are happy that you got to enjoy Kerry's special insights into that fateful day in 1942.
Gabrielle_S, Aug 2024
Being far away from the shore and having an overview of the harbour. And a cool breeze
The commentary was excellent, enough detail and well delivered.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for joining us on tour and for taking the time to leave your feedback, it is appreciated.
AnneMarie_J, Aug 2024
The cruise offers a unique opportunity to delve into the history of World War II’s impact on Darwin. The cruise itself is pleasant and comfortable, offering excellent views of Darwin Harbour. It’s a great way to soak in the natural beauty of the area while reflecting on its historical significance. Kerry, our guide, expertly navigated us through the complex history of the bombing raids on Darwin, providing a detailed and engaging account of the events that unfolded in 1942. Their ability to convey the gravity of the situation while making the story accessible and engaging was exceptional.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you so much for your detailed feedback and its very pleasing that Kerry hit the mark so well - again! We are very proud of all of our crew and they love this sort of feedback.
Aubrey_C, Aug 2024
The tour provided an excellent understanding of the extreme dangers that faced Australia during World War Two and how close Australia was to the possibility of a land invasion from enemy forces.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for leaving your thoughts, we are very happy you enjoyed the tour.
Phil_N, Jul 2024
Very good great knowledge by the operator we learned a lot, great time very recommend, well worth the money
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you Phil for leaving your positive feedback, its very much appreciated.
JennyButler, Jun 2024
I wouldn't call it a memorable experience. Best part was the commentary. The guide was knowledgeable but the overall experience was not!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you for your feedback on your experience. I'm sorry it didn't quite meet your expectations, and given the guide commentary is the bulk of the source of information, I'm glad that part went well for you.
Fiona_T, Jun 2024
Very informative our tour guide was wonderful and taught us so much about Darwin. Great way to view Darwin’s beautiful bay.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you Fiona for your positive feedback, always very much appreciated.
Bob_P, Jun 2024
I never knew what a catastrophic episode that was in Australian history. In primary school, we were given the impression that one or two bombs were dropped in a single raid. Seeing and hearing about the devastation that was caused and the number of raids was eye-opening. The entire excursion was run efficiently and was comfortable. The stories and the insights were fascinating.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you for leaving this feedback, and we are very happy you enjoyed your tour and learning about such an important and little-known event in Australia's history.
Garry_W, Mar 2024
Great crew, very informative, I learnt things I had never been taught in school about what happened to Darwin during WWII, a definite must do activity for anyone visiting Darwin.
Response from Host, May 2024
Thanks so much for this review - we do pride ourselves on seeking out the little-known background that so many people don't know about.
steven_c, Nov 2023
This was a very professionally run tour and gave us a much better awareness of the bombing of Darwin thanks to an excellent guide. I would recommend you take add the virtual reality bombing tour to this booking as it included entry to the flying doctors museum and bought separately was more expensive. The virtual reality and flying doctors museum was also well worth visiting too
Genevieve_A, Sep 2023
Jim was very knowledgeable and PASSIONATE about the topic - very interesting and illuminating. This says it all.. thanks for the experience
Dianne_P, Aug 2023
The informative conmmentation on the bombing areas. The hosts were very engaging and fun personalities loved the Anzac biscuit
Cherryl_m, Jul 2023
Both guides told us the story very well and very informative, had know idea to the extent of what really happened up here. very sad and a very poor indictment of the powers to be at that time..... thank you all so much. AWSOME boat ride
Philip_B, Jul 2023
Very enlightening experience. Shows up the governments then & now, having no idea how to look after our country.
Les_S, Jul 2023
Learning about the history was fascinating. We we taught in school all about World War 2 in Europe but hardly anything about the War on our own shores. Very insightful.
BARRY_C, Jul 2023
I read the previous reviews & we had our fingers crossed they were genuine & we were not disappointed...... we learnt heaps about 19/2/1942 that was never mentioned at school .... an amazing trip
Dawn_H, Jul 2023
Great knowledge shared with real stories of people that were impacted during this frightening times
Showed many sites that were destroyed by the bombings and the stragitic information that the Japanese had before the bombings .. all very interesting ..
Angela_S, Jul 2023
It was wonderful. We had family staying from overseas and they like us had a marvelous time. The information we were given was absolutely fantastic
John_P, Jul 2023
The whole presentation was designed to inform, entertain and challenge! The correct balance of entertainment and information.
Monique_W, Jul 2023
The whole experience was great, very informative and the speakers really explained things so well that even if you didn’t know anything it was easily understood.
Paul_B, Jun 2023
enjoyed all the historical information delivered well in a good story and seeing the present present day harbour & learning about that as well
Mark_B, May 2023
Nice staff very friendly, very informative and a great boat ride. We learnt what has been kept a secret for all these years as to the defence of Darwin. We were very suprised as what we heard. If you know little about the bombing of Darwin and want to know more then I recommend this cruise. Before and or after the cruise you can have coffee and a meal at the restaurants overlooking the Darwin harbour. Most relaxing and picturesque.
Anonymous, Jan 2023
Interesting historical presentation of the bombing in Darwin during the war.The your guide was very knowledgeable.
Fiona_B, Nov 2022
Most memorable experience was the history of the bombing that took place 1942. How forunate we are living in this lucky country.
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