In general, the best time to visit Kakadu National Park is during the dry season, which runs from May through October. During this time, the days are largely warm and dry, with lower humidity. The conditions create the perfect environment to visit the park, and all major attractions will be accessible and open.
However, some aspects of the park are arguably best experienced during the wetter, humid, tropical summer season. Not only do you get a unique view of the park at this time of year, but you also avoid all of the crowds who tend to visit during the dry season. Over the course of this guide, we’ll take a look at the climate and the park through each of the seasons.
Kakadu National Park is located in the Northern Territory in Australia, a 250 km drive east of Darwin. It is Australia’s second-largest national park, covering an area of almost 20,000 km². The area is renowned for its biodiversity, with over 2,000 plant species. The park is also home to a range of prehistoric aboriginal paintings.
If you’re visiting Kakadu National Park in pursuit of good weather, there’s no better time to visit than during the dry season. Covering the period May through October, days are largely warm and dry. Humidity tends to be lower, and there are significantly fewer bugs at this time of year. These fine conditions inevitably make this period the peak season for visiting Kakadu.
Situated in the tropics, Kakadu has a distinct wet and dry season. The dry season runs from May through October, and rainfall is close to non-existent, particularly during June, July, and August. In contrast, the November to April wet season sees regular heavy downpours on an almost daily basis. February is typically the wettest month and marks the peak of the wet season.
Kakadu is a hot tropical destination all year round. Throughout the year, daily temperatures exceed 30°C, and it can often feel hotter than this when humidity is high. The coolest months are the Australian winter, which runs June through August. While days are still hot, the nights are notably cooler and more refreshing. Temperatures rarely drop much below 20°C so you won’t need much in the way of warm-weather clothes.
While the heat in Kakadu is a constant feature, humidity is far more variable. During the coolest months over the winter, relative humidity falls to less than 40%. It also remains below 50% for the remainder of the dry season. In the wet season, humidity becomes a real issue. Relative humidity hits 60% in November and peaks at over 70% across January and February before falling back towards the end of the wet season. Anyone who has experienced humidity at this level before will know how uncomfortable it is.
While temperatures don’t vary dramatically by month in Kakadu, the number of rainy days varies dramatically. The table below demonstrates just how stark the difference is between the wet and dry seasons in Kakadu.
Month | Maximum Temp | Minimum Temp | Days of Rain |
January | 34°C | 25°C | 20 |
February | 33°C | 24°C | 19 |
March | 34°C | 24°C | 16 |
April | 34°C | 24°C | 5 |
May | 33°C | 22°C | 1 |
June | 32°C | 19°C | 0 |
July | 32°C | 19°C | 0 |
August | 34°C | 19°C | 0 |
September | 36°C | 22°C | 0 |
October | 38°C | 24°C | 3 |
November | 37°C | 25°C | 9 |
December | 35°C | 25°C | 15 |
While Kakadu and the surrounding areas don’t have 4 distinct seasons, it’s a useful way to look at what the park offers at different times of the year. Your experience of the park will vary dramatically based on the season you visit, so read on to find out what to expect.
The Australian spring falls across the end of the dry season and the start of the wet season. It’s the hottest time of the year to visit Kakadu, and it’s also when humidity begins to creep up. Following the long, dry winter, the park has lost much of its vibrant colors, and waterfalls in the spring have reduced to a trickle. Visitor numbers tend to tail off throughout the spring as the wet season approaches and insects become more prolific.
The Australian summer is generally the quietest season at Kakadu. Locals are enjoying the fine weather in their states, while Kakadu is in the grip of its wettest and most humid months. Access to some areas of the park is always limited at this time as roads and rivers become impassable. Insect numbers also peak at this time, which presents another challenge to overcome. The summer months are not all bad, though. The park is blissfully quiet, the waterfalls are at their thunderous best, and the park is revitalized with vibrant colors.
The autumn months mark the end of the wet season and the start of the dry season. May, in particular, is an amazing month to visit as the benefits of the wet season remain in place but with the cooler, drier weather that characterizes the dry season. Waterfalls are still buoyant, the park is full of color, and you can access almost all areas of the park. April can sometimes also experience similar idyllic conditions, although it can be much busier on account of the school Easter holidays.
The winter months are the busiest at Kakadu, with cooler, dry weather. Humidity is much lower, and there are far fewer bugs about. It’s a great time to swim in the pools at the waterfalls, which remain impressive for the first half of the season. As the winter progresses, water levels noticeably drop. The color also begins to fade from the park in the latter part of the winter season. If you plan to visit during the winter months, you’ll need to book ahead, as accommodation options tend to be limited at this time of year.
At a headline level, Kakadu is best visited during the dry season of May through October. Days are warm, dry, and generally clear, creating great conditions for your visit. During the dry season, the best months to visit are May and June. At this time of year, the park is full of lush vegetation, vibrant colors, and impressive waterfalls. As the dry season progresses, colors fade, and water levels drop. While the wet season has its own unique merits, if you can pick one time to visit, make it during May or June.
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