Crocodiles are the most dangerous, so stay away from water that you’re unsure of, and always follow the warning signs.

You need to be careful of animals that might harm you.

You may want to take printed maps and plan your day before you head off from the accommodation. You’ll get good reception at places like Jabiru and Yellow Water, but be prepared not to be able to access the internet or call people in many other areas.

There is limited phone coverage throughout much of the park.There are a few important things you need to know before you go to Kakadu, to make sure you stay safe and make the most of your trip. There’s a wide variety of Kakadu tours to suit your interests, and I’ll go through some of them later in this article. If you don’t have a car, the best option is to join a tour. However, even if you could arrive by bus, you would need a vehicle to get around, so there wouldn’t be much point. Unfortunately there’s no public transport to Kakadu National Park. It’ll take about 2.5 hours from Darwin to this part of Kakadu, then most of the sites you’ll want to visit are even further on. It’s also very close to the Bowali Visitor Centre, where you can buy your park pass. Jabiru is the main town in Kakadu and it has some shops and the famous Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel (which is a great option for accommodation). Tackling one of the 4WD roads in the park It’s still about another hour until you get to Jabiru. Technically you’ll reach Kakadu National Park about 1.5 hours after leaving Darwin – but this is just the park’s boundary. Just head south from Darwin and turn left at Humpty Doo. The drive from Darwin is along good sealed roads with speed limits of up to 130 km/h in some parts. Getting from Darwin to Kakadu is easy if you have your own vehicle. To help with your planning, I’ve got a whole heap of useful information in this Kakadu travel guide. There are so many things to do in Kakadu and you can craft the trip that’s right for you. Everyone approaches it a bit differently – coming for a couple of days to relax by the natural pools, spending a few days learning about the Indigenous culture and natural heritage, or even adventuring on the 4WD tracks and camping by remote billabongs. There is no one way to visit Kakadu National Park.

I’ll have some more recommendations for longer tours further down. Visiting Kakadu is one of the best things to do from Darwin.Īlthough I wouldn’t recommend just going for one day, if you’re short of time, then this is a good one-day tour of Kakadu from Darwin. Yes, there are indeed tours from Darwin to Kakadu, and they can be a really good way to explore the park without having to worry about the logistics yourself. As you’re planning your Kakadu itinerary, I would suggest including time to visit the rock art amongst any other plans you have for hiking, swimming, fishing, and relaxing. One of the most obvious tangible parts of the Indigenous history is in the rock art found at sites around the park. Learning more about the Indigenous culture on an Animal Tracks Safari Most of the rangers who lead tours in the national park are Bininj/Mungguy (the local words for Aboriginal people) and they’ll be able to share stories about both the history and the current way of life. The Indigenous heritage is still strong here amongst the different clans who live on their country. Kakadu National Park was named a World Heritage Site 40 years ago for both its natural and cultural elements and, as a visitor, it’s important to experience both sides of the park to properly appreciate it. The birdlife over Yellow Water at sunset is incredible! It’s the birdlife in Kakadu that really stands out – there are 280 types, a third of all Australia’s bird species, and they’re constantly around you. There are certainly lots of them here and you need to be careful around water, but you won’t be seeing them all the time. You’ll find wetlands with mangroves and crocodiles, woodlands with billabongs and crocodiles, and sweeping stone country with waterfalls and crocodiles. Me walking up to a viewpoint from where you can see Burrungkuy (Nourlangie)įrom the coast in the north, down towards the Outback in the south, there’s a huge range of landscapes across Kakadu National Park. It’s not somewhere you rush and I certainly don’t recommend visiting Kakadu as a day trip. So, where to start? Well, there’s something eternal about Kakadu National Park, a landscape that was forged millions of years ago – and with scientific evidence of some of the continent’s oldest human habitation (65,000 years ago!). Across the vast Top End wilderness, there are lots of things to do in Kakadu but being prepared is vital – not just to make the most of your time but because mobile phone reception is quite limited to do research on the road. As Australia’s largest national park, it makes sense to plan your visit to Kakadu in advance.

Kakadu island