Things to do in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory: The Best Nature & Wildlife Tours

Ayal Aboriginal Tours Kakadu (Ayal) was created in 2008 to share traditional Indigenous culture with visitors to Kakadu National Park (Kakadu). Ayal provides guests with an authentic, cultural experience delivered by a local Indigenous guide who lives in Kakadu. Ayal is family owned and operated. Our guests are hosted by Victor Cooper an experienced elder of Kakadu who has deep knowledge of the cultural and historical significance of the areas that we visit on our tours. Tour Products & Services: Guests can join Ayal on one of our day tours that visit the world famous rock art sites in Kakadu, provide unique insights into the Indigenous and European history of Kakadu, experience the rivers, billabongs, wetlands and the magnificent wildlife of the National Park. Private charter tours can be arranged within Kakadu and west Arnhemland with a specifically designed itinerary to suit your needs. Ayal provides ‘Step on Guide’ services for commercial tour operators who require a qualified, local Indigenous guide to enhance their Kakadu experience. Victor Cooper is also available for consultancy services such as cultural talks and presentations; tourism mentoring and training of tour guides in Kakadu National Park. The Ayal tourist vehicles and driver can be privately chartered for transport of guests throughout Kakadu when and where needed. Experience & Expertise: Victor is a Traditional Owner of Kakadu and holds the Kakadu Knowledge for Tour Guides Accreditation. As a Minitja man, Victor has the Indigenous credentials to tell and interpret the stories that are attached to the sites visited on the Ayal tours. Victor’s experience is firstly field-based as one of the first Indigenous rangers for Kakadu National Park looking after the country and then later he was based in management at Park Headquarters. Victor’s other roles in the community, past & present, include member of the Kakadu Board of Management representing the Minitja clan group. Currently Victor is acting Chair of the Kakadu Tourism Consultative Committee.

Kakadu is spectacular to look at, but immensely more interesting when on a Kakadu Air flight you receive a running commentary about the things you see, and many that you can't. On fixed wing aircraft flights the commentary is researched, recorded and delivered by long term Kakadu experts, via headsets.

Totally unique 7 hour interactive combination of Aboriginal Culture and Wildlife Safari, with a bush aboriginal guide. Gather, cook & eat bush foods, learn about traditional medicines and hear authentic stories. At sunset, enjoy a traditional bush food campfire cook-up, aboriginal-style. We have exclusive access to the amazing Goose Camp floodplain. This is a small, local business that directly benefits local Kakadu aboriginal people. It's authentic, non-commercialised and eye-opening.

Sugarbag Safaris specialises in tailor-made ​private tours ​and can expertly guide you on a once-in-a-lifetime exploration through the tropical heart of the Northern Territory. From incredible wildlife to panoramic landscapes, mind-expanding Indigenous rock art to sleeping under a velvet, starlit sky. With over 20 years’ experience guiding travellers through Litchfield, Nitmiluk, and World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. Your guide can get you to the Top End must-sees, as well as the secret spots often overlooked by other tours. All this and more on your small group 4wd adventure, these tours allow you to explore and savour the best the Top End has to offer.

A journey through Kakadu's wetlands Yellow Water Billabong, Kakadu's most famous wetland, is located at the end of Jim Jim Creek, a tributary of the South Alligator River. The river system, which is the largest in Kakadu, contains extensive wetlands that include river channels, floodplains and backwater swamps. About one third of Australia's bird species are represented in Kakadu National Park, with at least 60 species found in the wetlands. Whistling Ducks and Magpie Geese are the most abundant. Our guides run a competition between themselves on who can find "the big five" on one cruise - all five species of kingfisher that can be found in Kakadu. One species is only 2 cm tall. There are plenty of crocodiles in their natural habitat, and buffalo on the floodplains. A huge Jabiru's nest is nearby, and depending on the season, Brolgas can be found dancing. Yellow Water Cruises, winner of the 2011 and 2009 NT Brolga Tourism Award for Major Tourist Attraction operates exclusively on Yellow Water Billabong. It operates year round and provides up to five cruises a day of 90 or 120 minute duration. The sunrise and sunset cruise are very popular and advance bookings are recommended. Often people undertake more than one cruise to see the changes in the wildlife at different times of the day. More should experience a cruise in different seasons. We can never guarantee what will happen on a cruise, but every time is a unique experience.All of our experienced guides are ticketed with the Kakadu Knowledge and are often supported by our Indigenous Employment Program trainees that give fascinating insights into how the Bininj people use the flora and fauna to support their way of life. Some guides have been with us for over 8 years. Yellow Water Cruises are the best way to experience the wetlands of Kakadu and it will be an experience remembered for a lifetime.