Yellow Water Cruises

Kakadu Highway, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

+61 8 8979 0145

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Ranked #2 of 14 attractions in Kakadu National Park

146 Reviews

Type: Boat Tours

Fee: Yes

Owner description: A JOURNEY THROUGH KAKADU's WETLANDSYellow Water Billabong, Kakadu's most famous wetland, is located at the end of Jim Jim Creek, a tributary of the... more » Owner description: A JOURNEY THROUGH KAKADU's WETLANDSYellow 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.WILDLIFEAbout 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 hugeJabiru's nest is nearby, and depending on the season, Brolgas can be found dancing. THE EXPERIENCEYellow 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 six 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. OUR GUIDESAll 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. They are inducted with a 12 week training program. Some guides have been with us for over 8 years. YELLOW WATER FISHINGYellow Water Fishing provides an opportunity to catch the famous barramundi on Kakadu's most famous billabong. These tours are perfect for families or the keen angler and last for 2-3 hours depending on the time of day. Groups of up to 4 people only. Bookings essential. Yellow Water Cruises are the best way to experience the wetlands of Kakadu and it will be an experience remembered for a lifetime.

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146 reviews from our community

sandrapeter63

Melbourne, Australia

Senior Contributor

45 reviews

10 attraction reviews

Reviews in 26 cities

10 helpful votes

“Amazing Experiece”

Reviewed 18 May 2013 NEW

We did the 9.00am cruise with Sheldon as our guide. He was so knowledgeable and friendly, knew all the birds and their habits and gave us plenty of time for photos, or just stopping to listen to the sounds. The views were fantastic, and we saw a couple of huge crocs! We loved the Katherine Gorge but this was even... More

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Julie D

Waikoloa, Hawaii

Senior Reviewer

10 reviews

Reviews in 8 cities

9 helpful votes

“Kakadu...definitely the dreamtime experience”

Reviewed 11 May 2013

We booked in for 2 nights at the Gagadju Lodge Cooinda. Nice large size motel rooms with their own outdoor setting...could have forgone the extra bed for a sofa or an indoor table with a couple of chairs but all in all ok at this stage. Staff extremely friendly and very helpful. The whole complex could so with a bit... More

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flowermouse_12

Perth, Australia

Senior Contributor

26 reviews

14 attraction reviews

Reviews in 11 cities

12 helpful votes

“Beautiful- a must do in Kakadu”

Reviewed 9 May 2013

What a wonderful experience. 6.45 sunrise cruise just beautiful. Lots of birds and crocs. A wonderful guide -Sheldon. A beautiful breakfast included in the early morning cruise. Don't miss it!

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Frommy

Camden, Australia

Senior Contributor

33 reviews

9 attraction reviews

Reviews in 25 cities

34 helpful votes

“Wonderful experience”

Reviewed 7 May 2013

We went on the two hour sunset cruise and greatly enjoyed it. Arriving at Cooinda a bit early we had a look around (we were staying at the Crocodile in Jabiru) and I was impressed with some of the facilities there, much different to the Crocodile. As we were to be driving next day to Katherine it would have made... More

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DougFromAlbany

Albany, Australia

Top Contributor

51 reviews

9 attraction reviews

Reviews in 28 cities

40 helpful votes

“Top End, Top Attraction”

Reviewed 23 April 2013

Have just completed the sunrise tour of Kakadu wetlands with Yellow Water Cruises. At this time of year, some of the roads within Kakadu are closed due to flooding & the mosquitos are man eaters. Having said that, I would not have missed this experience as it is a bird watchers & photographers paradise. The tour cost $99AUD per person... More

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MarjofromBrissie

Brisbane, Australia

Top Contributor

130 reviews

59 attraction reviews

Reviews in 58 cities

62 helpful votes

“Brilliant!”

Reviewed 14 April 2013

We were the only people booked on the cruise. As there were a couple of guides in training, we ended up being out-numbered by guides - 3 guides and 2 tourists plus a whole boat all to ourselves. It was a brilliant cruise. The wetlands scenery was stunning and we had the 3 guides spotting for us - no crocodiles... More

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AusnKiwi

Melbourne

Reviewer

5 reviews

Reviews in 4 cities

3 helpful votes

“Great location and scenery.”

Reviewed 12 April 2013

We visited in April at the end of the wet season and found the price of $90 too much for seeing wetlands and a few birds. There should be seasonal pricing so that those visiting at the start of the season as kakadu is known for crocs but we didnt see any as the water levels were too high so... More

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Dianne G

Sydney, Australia

Senior Contributor

24 reviews

20 attraction reviews

Reviews in 8 cities

7 helpful votes

“Wet season quiet”

Reviewed 31 March 2013

Great experience, early morning session and only a few others on the boat. Informative and friendly guide and extended our tour longer than the timeframe as we all seemed keen. First time had seen a croc that close..egads! Well worth doing and free breakfast included for the price after the trip ends!

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See 6 more reviews by Dianne G for Kakadu National Park

Thank you for taking the time to write your review on Yellow Water Cruise. I can see you are a Senior Contributor on Tripadvisor. Yellow Water Cruises has recently been awarded the Australian Tourism Award for Major Tourism and/or Transport Operator, and I am happy to hear your experience was so fantastic! The sunrise cruise is one of our most... More

Lesanka16

Kosice, Slovakia

Senior Reviewer

10 reviews

5 attraction reviews

Reviews in 6 cities

2 helpful votes

“simply AMAZING”

Reviewed 23 March 2013

Wonderful experience. Amazing wildlife. Never seen anything like this in my life. So many beautiful and colourful birds. Crocodiles popping out of the billabong . Peaceful and quite, Just ENJOY SOUND OF NATURE ! I am not sure if there is any better month to visit, we went at the beginning of March and it was well worth it.

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Thank you for your feedback on Yellow Water Cruise! We are very pleased to hear you found the cruise so enjoyable. It is certainly a beautiful time of year to do the cruise, when the environment is beautiful and green from the rainy season. During the dry season, the birds are particularly active on the sunrise cruise, so if you... More

aab70

melbourne

Senior Contributor

22 reviews

6 attraction reviews

Reviews in 8 cities

10 helpful votes

“Boat tour and Adventure Tour”

Reviewed 23 March 2013

I went on 2 tours offered by the yellow water company The first was the 4.30 boat cruise. The boat cruise was impressive, besides the amazing scenery the guides are local and well versed in the land, water and culture. They provided detailed and interesting information and were very friendly, encouraging questions, explaining the region and for me the highlight... More

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Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback for the Yellow Water Cruise and Gagudju Adventure Tour! Kakadu is certainly spectacular at this time of year, and I am happy to hear you had an enjoyable time on the Yellow Water Cruise with our guides Lionel and Michelle. I will be sure to pass on your... More