Eat Your Way Through Darwin's Markets

Darwin has a thriving market scene that will leave you satiated after sampling delicious food from around the world.

With so many markets in Darwin, you could easily spend your whole weekend navigating from one to the next!

To help you make the most of your weekend, we've rounded up the best Darwin markets so you can start planning your culinary adventure today.

Open: Fridays from 5pm-9pm, April to October

Kickstart your weekend at Palmerston Markets, located in Goyder Square, just a 20 minute drive from the centre of Darwin. This family-friendly market features over 60 stalls offering a delightful mix of handcrafts, toys, jewellery, clothing, and fresh produce.

The real highlight, though, is the food. Divided into sections around the square, you'll find an array of hot food options representing various cuisines. Savor the flavours of international dishes, from spicy Asian street food to hearty Western fare.

Entertainment abounds with live music, DJs, and activities for kids, making it a perfect evening out for families. Convenient parking around the shopping center ensures an easy visit.

Open: Year-round on Saturday's from 8am-2pm 

It's Saturday morning, and you'll start the weekend off at Parap Village Markets. Very much a local scene, there'll be live music, a friendly atmosphere and plenty of foodie favourites. Ruby G's pastry cart has you covered for fresh doughnuts and croissants, and the smoothie bar is always packed (for good reason). But if you have to pick one meal, make it Mary's famous laksa, considered legendary amongst Darwin residents. Mary herself has been serving up laksa at Parap since forever. There's usually a queue a mile long, but her creamy coconut broth is packed full of flavour and worth the wait. 

Afterwards, get your sweet fix with the freshest tropical fruits - mango, watermelon, papaya - sliced, diced and ready to go.

Open: Year-round on Sunday's from 7am-1pm 

Get an early start on Sunday - there's two morning markets to visit. Start off at Rapid Creek Markets, Darwin's oldest markets, which is a food market all about Asian cuisine. You'll feel like you've stepped into the streets of South East Asia with the smell of spices in the air and the sound of haggling all around. The vendors are very serious about their produce, considered the best around by many local chefs. 

There's an abundance of tropical fruits and vegetables, both familiar and strange and all worth tasting. Don't expect your usual breakfast fare, but that's all part of the fun. Try zingy Thai mango and papaya salads, Sri Lankan egg hoppers, Vietnamese Pork sausages, fried bananas, coconut rice cakes and more.

Open: Year-round on Sunday's from 6am-2pm 

Once you've sampled the best of Asia, it's time to head beachside to Nightcliff Markets. It's less frantic here, so relax with a coffee or a freshly squeezed juice under the banyan trees. There's live music, obviously, and more emphasis on bric-a-brac and craft stalls. Get your tarot read, try some reflexology or snap up some souvenirs.

If you're hungry, go for some fresh Vietnamese rice paper rolls, or a crepes from Ken's Crepes, infamous on the Darwin market circuit. His savoury specials include Cajun chicken and avocado or the 'Caprese' - tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and smoky ham. But we prefer the sweet ones - try mango with toasted almonds and cream, nutella and strawberries, or simply drizzled with Ken's homemade caramel sauce.

Open: During the dry season on Thursday from 5pm-10pm and Sunday from 4pm-9pm 

You might have heard of the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Markets before and with good reason. These markets are probably the most well-known markets in Darwin, and definitely worth a visit. You can start your weekend early with a visit on Thursday evening, or end your epic weekend market tour here on Sunday night. 

It's a mixed bag - lots of arts and crafts, indigenous art, local performers and of course, food. In fact with over 60 food stalls, we say go with a group and try as much as you can! And as you may have come to expect from Darwin's market scene, there's cuisine from around the world.

Perhaps you'd like to start a drink at the Sunset Slushie or Juice Bar. The adventurous should visit the Roadkill Cafe, whose motto - you kill it, we grill it - may or may not be a joke. They're serving up satay sticks and sausages made from kangaroo, possum, crocodile and more. If you're still hungry, there's fish and chips, woodfire pizza, souvlaki, burgers and the list goes on. Cleanse your palate with some homemade ice cream or sorbet from Top End Delights.

Whatever you choose to enjoy at the these markets, take it down to the beach and watch that famous Mindil Beach sunset. The perfect end to a weekend in Darwin.

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