Best time to visit Kakadu National Park
This northern national park sees more than four seasons
The best time to visit Kakadu National Park largely depends on the activities you want to do and your tolerance for heat, humidity and rain.
Generally, the cooler and drier months from May to August are the best for travelling to Kakadu. During these months, the swimming pools are generally always open after their closures for the wet season.
Kakadu’s weather can be divided into two major seasons: a wet season (November to March) and a dry season (April to October). However, the six seasons recognised by the Traditional Custodians, the Bininj/Mungguy peoples, paint a much better picture of what to expect throughout the year.
Kudjewk (monsoon) | Bangkerreng (storm) | Yekke (cooler) | Wurrkeng (cold weather season) | Kurrung (hot, dry season) | Kunumeleng (pre-monsoon season) |
December to March | April | May to mid-June | Mid-June to mid-August | Mid-August to mid-October | mid-October to late December |
When to visit
Despite meaning the ‘cold weather season’, Wurrkeng still sees highs of up to 32°C and lows of 17°C. Floodplains dry out and many native water birds, including magpie geese, flock to billabongs. You might even see a noisy scene of hundreds of birds taking flight to dodge a hungry crocodile.
Similarly, Kurrung brings warmer temperatures and is a time when billabongs remain an exciting place to visit for birdwatching. White-breasted wood swallows also arrive towards the end of the season as thunderclouds begin to build.
The wet season, from mid-October to April, is usually quieter, so you’ll likely share the park with fewer people. Kudjewk is the peak of the tropical summer, with high humidity, monsoonal downpours and thunderstorms. Temperatures average 23°C to 33°C, but the humidity can make it feel hotter.
Some areas, including swimming holes, may become inaccessible due to excessive rain and flooding. However, the rains breathe new life into the park, with waterfalls at their most powerful and more greenery than at other times.