Kakadu walks & lookouts
Guide updated · grades and open status change — verify the Access Report
Start with a clear art-site loop vs 4WD day decision. Ubirr + Burrungkuy covers most first visits. Distances, grades and times below are planning ranges — always confirm on the official walks page and the Access Report. Heat, flooding and Traditional Owner decisions change access. Jim Jim and Twin Falls walks are closed for all of 2026. Barrk Sandstone Walk: [VERIFY] — closed at Traditional Owner request when last checked.
Decide before you lace up
- Easy art sites and billabongs: Ubirr galleries, Anbangbang Billabong — high reward, still real heat and cultural rules.
- Moderate lookouts and circuits: Burrungkuy, Nawurlandja, Bardedjilidji — sandstone, steps, a clear turnaround.
- Hard / 4WD days: Maguk, Gunlom, Barrk when listed open — one hero only, early start, water and a green Access Report.
Two hard 4WD walks plus Ubirr sunset is the usual first-visit mistake. Pick the table row that matches your energy, then open the full trail guide.
Quick comparison (planning only)
| Walk / lookout | Effort | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubirr | easy | ~1 hour · allow 1–1.5 hours including art and Nadab sunset | First-timers, rock-art galleries, Nadab floodplain sunset |
| Burrungkuy | moderate | ~2 hours | World Heritage rock art, Anbangbang gallery, escarpment lookout |
| Anbangbang Billabong | easy | ~1 hour | Easy birdlife loop, picnic pacing, pairing with Burrungkuy |
| Nawurlandja | moderate | ~40 minutes | Short escarpment view over Anbangbang Billabong and Burrungkuy |
| Bardedjilidji | easy | ~2 hours | Sandstone pillars, monsoon pockets, East Alligator paperbark — quieter than Ubirr sunset |
| Maguk | moderate | ~1 hour 30 minutes | Equipped 4WD groups when the Access Report still lists Maguk Open — not a Darwin add-on, not a hotel-pool swim |
| Gunlom | moderate | ~30 minutes listed · allow more in heat | Southern escarpment lookout when you accept 4WD-only access and no bottom-pool swim |
| Barrk Sandstone | hard | ~6 hours | Not a current visit — listed only so you do not treat social posts as open status |
Easy
Ubirr
easyKakadu’s signature short cultural loop: public rock-art galleries on a formed 1 km circuit, then an optional steeper climb to the Nadab lookout. Late afternoon is the classic plan. Alcohol is prohibited. Ranger-guided talks are included in the park pass.
- Grade
- Grade 2 loop · optional lookout Grade 3
- Time
- ~1 hour · allow 1–1.5 hours including art and Nadab sunset
- Distance
- 1 km loop · optional ~250 m lookout climb
View guide →
Anbangbang Billabong
easyAn easy circular walk through savanna and paperbark around Anbangbang Billabong, with Burrungkuy as the backdrop. Birdlife is the point. Not a swimming hole. Gates 7 am–7 pm. Trail may open in stages with water levels — [VERIFY] Access Report.
- Grade
- Grade 2 — easy loop
- Time
- ~1 hour
- Distance
- 2.5 km loop
View guide →
Bardedjilidji
easyA 2.5 km Grade 2 loop through sandstone pillars, monsoon-forest pockets and paperbark along the East Alligator. Official page notes a cool cave, public rock art (do not touch), and typical viewing May–December — [VERIFY] Access Report.
- Grade
- Grade 2
- Time
- ~2 hours
- Distance
- 2.5 km loop
View guide →
Moderate
Burrungkuy
moderateA 1.5 km Grade 3 return through public shelters and galleries — including Anbangbang — to Kunwarddewardde lookout over the Arnhem Land escarpment. Gates 7 am–7 pm. Morning or late afternoon. Pair with Anbangbang Billabong or Nawurlandja when open.
- Grade
- Grade 3
- Time
- ~2 hours
- Distance
- 1.5 km return
View guide →
Nawurlandja
moderateA short, steep rock climb to world-class views across Anbangbang Billabong to Burrungkuy and the Arnhem Land escarpment. Parks Australia lists 0.3 km one way, about 40 minutes, Grade 3. Gates 7 am–7 pm.
- Grade
- Grade 3 — short steep rock
- Time
- ~40 minutes
- Distance
- 0.3 km one way
View guide →
Maguk
moderateAccess Report (11 Sept 2026): Maguk is listed Open. Crocodile management is ongoing; official wording is enter the water at your own risk and report saltwater crocodile sightings to Bowali (08 8938 1120). Traffic management on the Maguk road. 4WD. Residual risk remains. Jim Jim / Twin stay closed for 2026.
- Grade
- Grade 4 — Open with crocodile risk (Access Report 11 Sept 2026)
- Time
- ~1 hour 30 minutes
- Distance
- 2 km return
View guide →
Gunlom
moderateAccess Report (20 Aug 2026): Gunlom is open with risks. Gunlom Road is high-clearance 4WD only. Strictly no access or swimming in the bottom plunge pool while crocodile management continues. The lookout climb is a separate decision from swimming — obey fences and signs.
- Grade
- Grade 3 · high-clearance 4WD · bottom pool closed
- Time
- ~30 minutes listed · allow more in heat
- Distance
- 0.5 km one way (lookout climb)
View guide →
Hard
Walks FAQ
Tap a question to expand the answer.
What is the best first walk in Kakadu?
Most first-timers start with the Ubirr galleries and Nadab lookout (late afternoon / sunset) and the Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) circuit in cooler hours. Harder southern 4WD walks are not automatic first-day upgrades. Always verify the Access Report.
Do I need an extra permit for day walks?
No. Standard day walks are covered by the Kakadu park pass. Overnight bushwalking or camping outside designated areas needs an additional permit. Camping fees are a separate system again.
Can I do Ubirr, Burrungkuy and Maguk in one day?
Usually a bad first-visit plan. Ubirr sunset plus Burrungkuy already fills a real day once you count heat, water and gates. Maguk is a 4WD day when open — not a last-minute extra. Jim Jim and Twin Falls are closed for all of 2026.