The Best Kakadu Tours & Day Trips

Kakadu tours here leave from Darwin, Jabiru and Cooinda, and run from a 30-minute scenic flight to a 14-hour Arnhem Land day. Choose by where you're starting, how much time you have and whether you'd like to travel by road, by air or both. For the wider picture of the park, see things to do in Kakadu National Park.

Kakadu tours from Darwin by road

Sacred Owl Tours runs Kakadu trips that collect you from your Darwin hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide. The full-day Kakadu National Park tour from Darwin leaves at 6.30am and returns at 6.30pm. It takes in a Yellow Water river cruise, the Ngourlangie Aboriginal rock art site, the Warradjan Cultural Centre and a bird hide walk at the Mamaluka Wetlands, with lunch at Cooinda Lodge and the Kakadu parks pass included.

The Kakadu National Park sunset tour from Darwin takes the evening slot. You visit an Aboriginal rock art gallery and the cultural centre first, then board a 2-hour Yellow Water sunset cruise and finish with dinner at Cooinda Lodge.

The Arnhem Land day tour from Darwin or Jabiru also picks up in Darwin, at about 5am, and returns around 7.30pm. It's a 14-hour day with a traditional Aboriginal guide, Arnhem Land entry permits, a guided walk at the Injalak Hill rock art site, a stop at the Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre, a picnic lunch and afternoon tea.

Fly-in Kakadu day tours from Darwin Airport

Kakadu Air starts its Darwin day tours at its terminal at Darwin Airport, so the first leg is in the air. The Best of Kakadu day trip with return scenic flights has you checking in at 8.30am for a 9am departure and back by 4pm. A 90-minute scenic flight is followed by a Yellow Water Billabong cruise, lunch at the Barra Bar and Bistro and a visit to the Warradjan Cultural Centre, then a 45-minute flight home.

The Kakadu cultural day tour with flights and lunch flies from Darwin to Jabiru and makes a 9-hour day. Along the way it adds a 90-minute East Alligator River cruise with Guluyambi Tours, a visit to the Ubirr Aboriginal rock art gallery and a custom-made packed lunch. Departure time can shift with cruise availability.

Kakadu tours from Jabiru and Cooinda

If you're already in the park, the Arnhem Land day tour also runs from Jabiru. It leaves Jabiru accommodation at about 8.30am and gets back around 4.30pm, an 8-hour day over the same Injalak Hill and arts centre route.

Kakadu Air Services flies scenic flights from Jabiru Airport and from Cooinda Lodge, with a guaranteed window seat and live and recorded commentary. From Jabiru there's a 30-minute flight over the escarpments and billabongs, a 1-hour flight past Dinosaur Valley and the Upper East Alligator Valley and the Jabiru sunset scenic flight for the golden hour. At Cooinda, the 30-minute flight from Cooinda meets at the reception area of Cooinda Lodge.

Comparing Kakadu tours by length

Total time is the quickest way to narrow things down:

• A 30-minute or 1-hour scenic flight from Jabiru, or a 30-minute flight from Cooinda, is the shortest way to see the park and is all seated sightseeing.
• The fly-and-cruise day from Darwin Airport is a 7-hour day.
• The Kakadu cultural day tour from Darwin Airport is a 9-hour day.
• The Arnhem Land day tour is an 8-hour day from Jabiru and a 14-hour day from Darwin.
• The Sacred Owl Tours full-day and sunset tours are 12-hour days from Darwin hotels.

Water, rock art and wildlife

A Yellow Water cruise is part of the fly-and-cruise day and the Sacred Owl Tours full-day and sunset tours, while the cultural day tour swaps it for an East Alligator River cruise. Rock art turns up at Ubirr on the cultural day tour, Ngourlangie on the Sacred Owl Tours full-day tour and Injalak Hill on the Arnhem Land day tour.

What to bring on a Kakadu tour

The Sacred Owl Tours trips ask for a jumper in the cooler months (May to August), sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, a large refillable water bottle and insect repellent. The Arnhem Land day tour needs sturdy walking shoes (flip-flops aren't suitable), a hat and at least 1 litre of water. For the scenic flights, wear suitable clothes and enclosed footwear.

Frequently asked questions

Which Kakadu tours leave from Darwin?

The Sacred Owl Tours full-day and sunset tours collect you from Darwin hotels, the Kakadu Air day trips start at Darwin Airport, and the Arnhem Land day tour offers a Darwin pick-up at about 5am.

How long are Kakadu tours?

Kakadu scenic flights are 30-minute or 1-hour flights, the Kakadu Air day trips from Darwin Airport are 7-hour and 9-hour days, the Arnhem Land day tour is an 8-hour day from Jabiru and a 14-hour day from Darwin, and the Sacred Owl Tours day and sunset tours are 12-hour days.

Is there a Kakadu tour from Jabiru?

Yes. The Arnhem Land day tour leaves Jabiru accommodation at about 8.30am and returns around 4.30pm, and Kakadu Air Services 30-minute and 1-hour scenic flights leave from Jabiru Airport.

What is included on a Kakadu tour from Darwin?

The Sacred Owl Tours full-day and sunset tours include hotel transfers, a local guide, a Yellow Water cruise, a meal at Cooinda Lodge and the Kakadu parks pass. The Best of Kakadu day trip includes flights, a Yellow Water cruise, lunch and the Warradjan Cultural Centre visit.

Which Kakadu tours suit seniors or limited mobility?

The Sacred Owl Tours full-day and sunset tours are listed as wheelchair friendly and include hotel pick-up, and the scenic flights are seated sightseeing. The Arnhem Land day tour is rated moderate fitness and involves climbing multiple flights of stairs.

Will you see crocodiles on a Kakadu tour?

Possibly. Crocodiles are among the wildlife on the Yellow Water river cruise, and the Jabiru scenic flights fly over the East Alligator River where saltwater crocodiles are seen on the banks, though what you see depends on the day.

What happens to a Kakadu scenic flight in bad weather?

Kakadu Air Services flights go ahead in favourable weather. If a flight is cancelled for poor weather, passengers are offered an alternative time or date.

Decide whether you're starting in Darwin or already inside the park, and the choice between a drive, a flight or both usually follows. Then pick the length of day that fits and book it from the list above.