When is the best time to visit Broome and the Kimberley?
May to September, and outside that the Kimberley largely shuts. Broome gets 1.4mm of rain in October and 200mm in January, and the unsealed roads close in the wet. The dry means open tracks, swimmable gorges and nights around 14°C.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
The Kimberley is the most seasonal destination in Australia. It is not a matter of comfort — in the wet, the roads that reach the gorges are physically closed, and the trips do not run. The dry season is short and it is the whole window.
Broome month by month
| Month | Average top | Average overnight | Rain | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33.4°C | 26.4°C | 200.4 mm | The wet — hot, humid, spectacular storms over Cable Beach. |
| February | 33.0°C | 26.1°C | 177.0 mm | Monsoonal. The quietest and cheapest month in town. |
| March | 34.0°C | 25.5°C | 98.4 mm | The wet easing, country green and the waterfalls full. |
| April | 34.4°C | 22.7°C | 25.6 mm | The turn. Hot days, cooler nights, roads starting to reopen. |
| May | 31.7°C | 18.3°C | 28.2 mm | The dry begins. Gorges accessible and the heat manageable. |
| June | 29.3°C | 15.3°C | 18.1 mm | Excellent — warm days, cool nights, everything open. |
| July | 29.0°C | 13.7°C | 6.2 mm | The pick of the year. Coolest nights, perfect for camping. |
| August | 30.5°C | 14.9°C | 2.1 mm | Excellent and almost rainless. Peak Kimberley season. |
| September | 32.0°C | 18.6°C | 1.5 mm | Warming, still bone dry, and the crowds thinning. |
| October | 33.0°C | 22.6°C | 1.4 mm | The driest month — and hot. The build-up begins. |
| November | 33.7°C | 25.3°C | 9.6 mm | Hot and humid, with the first storms arriving. |
| December | 34.0°C | 26.6°C | 64.3 mm | The wet returning. Tracks start closing. |
Bureau of Meteorology averages for Broome Airport, over 87 years.
Why the season is so hard
- The unsealed roads close in the wet.The Gibb River Road and the gorge access tracks are impassable, so the trips simply do not operate.
- The dry season is May to Septemberand that is when the Kimberley trips run.
- June to August is the corenights around 14 to 15°C, which after a day at 29°C is exactly what you want for camping.
- October is the driest month on paperand also one of the hottest. The build-up is brutal.
Broome itself
- Cable Beach works year round22km of sand and warm water every month.
- The wet season is dramatic rather than ruinedstorms over the Indian Ocean, and the town almost to yourself.
- Staircase to the Moonwhen the rising full moon reflects off the mudflats, happens March to October on particular nights.
So when would we book?
- July or Augustif you can choose — the coolest nights and the driest days of the Kimberley year.
- Junefor the same conditions with the season just started and fewer people.
- May or Septemberat either edge, still open and still excellent.
- October to Aprilfor Broome itself if you want it cheap and empty — but the Kimberley trips will not be running.
The trips
9 Days Darwin to Broomefrom $26999 days, 8 nightsSwagsView trip10 Days Darwin to Broomefrom $314910 days, 9 nightsCamping under the starsView trip
10 Day Perth to Broome from $290510 days, 9 nightsCamping and HostelsView trip
10 Day Broome to Perthfrom $280510 days, 9 nightsCamping and HostelsView tripPeople also ask
- What is a Kimberley trip like, and how do you get to Broome?
- How do I get from Perth to Exmouth or Broome?
- How long do you need in Western Australia?
- When is the best time to visit Perth?
Where this comes from. Temperature and rainfall are Bureau of Meteorology averages for Broome Airport, station 003003, over 87 years. The trips and prices are as held on each trip's page here.