Kakadu Yellow Waters Cruise & Katherine Gorge Helicopter Scenic

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Darwin, Australia

10 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Spend an action-packed day exploring two national parks in the Top End: Nitmiluk and Kakadu. Fly round-trip from Darwin to Katherine Gorge, then hop aboard a helicopter for a scenic ride. Explore the magnificent landscape for 1 hour by air followed by a riverboat cruise back in Kakadu. A private tour helps you discover this region abundant with wildlife, natural beauty, and cultural significance before your return to Darwin.

Scenic return flight by private fixed-wing plane, Darwin to Katherine
Fly over Nitmiluk National Park on a scenic helicopter ride
See parts of the Top End that are inaccessible any other way
Receive personalized attention on a private tour

What's Included

Scenic Flight
Fixed-wing Aircraft
Window Seat
Yellow Waters Boat Cruise
13 Gorges Helicopter Flight
Free Parking
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Bottled water
Private transportation

Food and Drink

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Kookaburra Air Darwin
3 Lois Lane Darwin International Airport, Eaton NT 0820, Australia

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.6:30 am

Itinerary

Nitmiluk Gorge

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Kakadu National park

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Yellow Water Cruises

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum of two adults for the tour to proceed.
Infants (0-2 years inclusive) are free, however seating cannot be guaranteed and infants may have to sit on the parents lap if seating is not available.
Stroller accessible

Service animals allowed
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Julie_M

Wow, what an experience. In the air over Darwin to see the sun rise. A very knowledgable pilot and guide explaining what we were seeing from on high. Amazing views over this vast landscape. A helicopter ride over Katherine gorges, just incredible, then flown to Kakadu for a beautiful cruise on Yellow Waters, to discover incredible wildlife, with an expert guide. A very unique way to see this beautiful land.

Reviews

4.8

based on 42 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

This was the most amazing...

Michelle_G, Jun 2025

This was the most amazing day trip , our pilot Mike was full of information , such a great way to see some of the most iconic areas in the NT, Highly recommend

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Hi Michelle, Thank you for taking the time to leave a great review. We are glad to hear you had such a great time with our pilot and he provided lots of information. I will pass that on to him and we hope you enjoy the rest of your trip. Jack

A Unique experience.

Julie_M, Aug 2023

Plane, Hellicopter, Bus, Taxi and boat loved it

samantha_g, Jun 2023

Amazing... a must do for everyome ....I've told all my friends if they ever go to Darwin they have to do the Kakadu Yellow Waters & Katherine Hellicopter tsosee this from the sky AWESOME the guides were full of information ...This was just breath taking.... Just do it !!!

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Hi Samantha, We're really glad you enjoyed the tour and apreciate the recommendation! It was a pleasure flying with you and we hope to see you again in the future. Kind regards, Chelcie.

Amazing once in a lifetime tour

Jodie_R, Mar 2023

Friendly and courteous pilot/s, very smooth transition from tours, amazing experiences and definately worth it. Recommend company. Thanks

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks for the review, Jodie. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. It was a pleasure having you and we hope to see you again in our other tours in the future. Micah, Reservations Kookaburra Air

Worth every cent!

Carolyn_E, Jul 2022

The entire day was Fantastic! The pilot Steve was very knowledgeable and good fun as well. The sunrise from the plane, through to the helicopter ride and the boat trip in the afternoon were all amazing. I highly recommend this day trip.

Wow what a great day.

Janet_M, Jun 2022

Was a great day from start to finish. Stephen our pilot was very helpful with information on the area. Our helicopter fight was so much fun.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Hi Janet! Thankyou for your feedback. We are over the moon you had a great time on your tour. Thankyou again for flying with us. Steve :)

Dangerous gamble with your lives

GaryRetallick, Jun 2022

My wife and myself arrived at air port to take a trip of a life time in a helicopter over kakadu To our surprise we were escorted to a very tired looking 50 yr old single single engine was light plane We were then informed that a small part of this tour only was to be a helicopter flight We then refused to get a board the old machine and was informed that the helicopter was even older So I asked for a refund and was told that I unfortunately we used a secondary suppler and they don’t refund The advertisement for this misleading and hides the truth $3,500 to risk your life unnecessarily

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Thankyou Garry for you review of a tour you were unfortunate enough not to have experienced. Regrettable, when considering the other passengers and thousands that have over Kookaburra’s 28 years of touring, describing the experience as amazing and incredible. The aircraft was manufactured 45 years ago but there is nothing since the Cessna 210 aircraft that can match the tasking requirements or safety history. Additionally, the components of aircraft are all life-ed by hours flown and calendar time, so the age since manufacture is just that. As far as your comments on helicopters, that was never discussed and is not the case. If you have any concerns about the safety of any aircraft you can report that to CASA, the Federal Aviation Safety Authority for investigation. If you find the “advertising misleading and hides the truth” then you need to take that up with “Viator,” the agent who you booked the tour with. It would help if you provided reasoning as to why you found it so though. Please take the time to read the brief or itinerary when making future bookings. It is not for Kookaburra Air to provide refunds on behalf of your booking agent and on the strength of your review it could not be validated.

To amazing to sum up in a few words.

Mark_E, May 2022

Flying out at sunrise was so picturesque. The amazing vastness of the NT. Pilot Steve was just lovely. Takeoffs and landings smooth as. Helicopter ride over Katherine Gorge was stunning. Yellow Water river cruise so pretty. Being able to view all of this in such a succinct way and enjoy the landscape from the air was a bucket list moment.

Response from Host, May 2022

Hi Mark! I am so glad you had a great experience on our Kakadu Yellow Waters & Katherine Gorge Scenic! It was a great day out flying you around our little slice of the country. Thankyou for your kind review. Regards, Steve :)

Awesome

Owen_W, May 2022

It was amazing. The views were spectacular. The river cruise was lovely and the guide was very informative.

Response from Host, May 2022

Hi Owen, Thank you for leaving us a review. We're glad to know you had a lovely time! :)

Very fun day tour.

Kent_R, May 2022

This tour was a lot of fun. Pricey- but worth it. Three plane flights, one helicopter flight and a boat tour all in one day certainly made the day click along! Getting to see the parks from above was fun. Riding in the little plane was fun, The helicopter ride (no doors) was a blast....and the pilot was a really nice guy who loves flying and was happy to tell us all about helicopters too. We saw some crocodiles on the boat trip along with a million birds, flowers etc. That guide was also someone thrilled with their job. Pilots nice young men who were pleased to talk about flying. All in all...it was a really fun, positive day with a lot of people who seemed to really enjoy their work. Only downside is the price....but even then when you consider a whole day's private flying ... it is probably a deal. I highly recommend the tour.

Response from Host, May 2022

Hi Kent, Thank you for an awesome review. We're pleased to hear you had such a great time! :)

Sensational

Alexandra_W, Apr 2022

Great day! This is an expensive tour but worth it. The flight over Kakadu was a highlight and a sensational way to see it, including the fly by of Jim Jim falls. The boat tour was also really great. Our pilot Dan was excellent and our driver was very informative. The Helicopter ride was a great way to see Katharine Gorge. Highly recommend this tour as a once in a lifetime way to see these sites and avoid the lengthy bus trips.

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Thanks very much for flying with us! We hope to see you on the next trip! Dan

Great plane, helicopter and boat trip all in one day!

Narelle_S, Mar 2022

Helicopter ride and boat trip, but plane ride good also and back to hotel by 400pm. Connections between plane, taxi, helicopter and boat were very efficient!

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Thanks for the review Narelle! We hope you enjoyed your tour. See you soon for the next one!

Simply Amazing !

Gary_B, Oct 2021

Amazing trip, well worth the price.. From the start to the end everyone was professional and friendly.. The helicopter ride was the highlight.. The absolute best way to see the best locations in style.. Would suggest choosing cooler months, was very very hot… 7 STARS !

Food and drink should be included. Otherwise a good way to see a vast country.

Chris_P, Oct 2021

The best part of the day was the Yellow River cruise. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we saw plenty of wildlife. Our pilot could have been more talkative. Telling us something of the trip up there. The helicopter could have gone lower to the gorges. We did not have any food or drink included. At the price we had to pay it is outrageous that lunch at Kakadu was not included.

Incredible trip

Kaitlyn_N, Aug 2021

What an incredible way to explore the Top End! We were really able to appreciate the vastness of the landscape from the air as well as see the wildlife of Kakadu. Absolutely amazing! My only advice if you plan to take this trip...The helicopter ride was stunning but definitely can trigger some motion sickness!

Response from Host, Aug 2021

Hi Kaitlyn, thank you very much for your awesome review. We're glad you enjoyed your tour. Hope to see you in Darwin again!

Awesome adventure

Jill_P, Jun 2021

Very well organised and a great way to get a taste of Katherine gorge and Kakadu in 1 day if you don’t have much time. Our pilot Dan was amazing and looked after us all day. The helicopter ride at the gorge was a highlight. Pack some snacks and drinks

Response from Host, Jun 2021

Thank you for your review. we appreciate your time in NT and we enjoyed having you here. Hope to see you again in your next adventure! :) Micah, Ops Manager