How many days do you need in Kakadu?

Kakadu National Park – there is no place on Earth quite like it.

This mesmerising tropical wonderland encapsulates everything that is breathtakingly beautiful and inspiring about the Australian outback, with cascading waterfalls, towering peaks, sublime plunge pools and ancient Indigenous rock art lining its eons-old walls!

The question of how many days you need in Kakadu basically comes down to how long you want to spend there and how much you want to see.

For example, you could enjoy a three-day Kakadu lite trip, complete with the Nourlangie rock site, Gunlom plunge pool and a Yellow Water croc-spotting adventure.

Or, you could spend five to seven days in the awe-inspiring park, taking a 4WD out to its remote reaches where you will find the likes of the idyllically isolated Jarrangbarnmi walk!

So, if you want to scratch the surface whilst taking in some of the park’s most impressive sites, you only need three days. But, if you want to really go in deep and experience the far reaches of this unforgettable wilderness, we recommend staying on for the entire length of your seven-day permit.

Here is what you can expect at the wondrous Kakadu National Park:

Nourlangie

Nourlangie is a majestic rock jutting out of the savannah below. Sure, it’s a wonderfully impressive site to gaze upon and even climb, but it’s what awaits you in its intersecting tunnels that makes Nourlangie such a remarkable place to visit.

Nourlangie Rock is home to some of Australia’s oldest Indigenous rock art, with some works dating back a massive 20,000 years! Indigenous art is the world’s oldest continuing art form, so this should give you an idea of the life of these stunning works you will gaze upon.

Croc-spotting cruise

Kakadu is home to a cheeky 10,000 saltwater crocodiles, Australia’s most feared predator (apart from the great white shark, of course). Luckily for you, you can spot these prehistoric monsters from the safety of a Yellow Water croc-spotting cruise. Climb aboard and allow your knowledgeable guide to teach you all about these magnificent beasts – just keep your hands in the boat at all times…

Jarrangbarnmi

Jarrangbarnmi is for your five or seven-day adventure, as it is a far-flung part of the park that you need a separate permit to enter. Why? Because it is an important Indigienous and environmental site, and this only makes it more serene when you get there – you might even have large swaths of the region entirely to yourself!

Related article: How Many Hours Drive is it from Darwin to Kakadu?

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