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Is Katherine Gorge open?

Q: Is Katherine Gorge open?

Yes, the gorge cruises run year round. What changes is the water. May to October, the dry season, is when everything is open: the whole gorge to boats, and reliable swimming at Edith Falls, 60km north. In the wet, December to March, the river runs high and the country is at its greenest; the cruises still run, though high water closes the upper gorges to boats. The day trip from Darwin with the two-hour cruise below 70 metre cliffs is from $339.

Year roundThe cruises run all year. May to October opens everything.

Yes, the gorge cruises run year round. What changes is the water. May to October, the dry season, is when everything is open: the whole gorge to boats, and reliable swimming at Edith Falls, 60km north. In the wet, December to March, the river runs high and the country is at its greenest; the cruises still run, though high water closes the upper gorges to boats. The day trip from Darwin with the two-hour cruise below 70 metre cliffs is from $339.

Checked on 28 October 2026.

In a day The cruise, from Darwin from$339 Two nights there Kakadu, Litchfield and Katherine from$1799 Heading west Darwin to Broome from$3149

Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk, is thirteen gorges carved through sandstone, 320km south of Darwin. It does not close for a season: the Top End has two, the dry and the wet, and each shows you a different gorge.

The dry and the wet

The dry, May to October

The whole gorge is open to boats.
The swimming at Edith Falls is reliable.
June to August brings the coolest nightsdown to 13°C, perfect for camping at Katherine.
Almost no rain: under 2mm a month from June to August.

The wet, December to March

The cruises still run.High water closes the upper gorges to boats.
The river runs highand the country is at its greenest.
Big storm skiesover the sandstone, and the quietest time of year.

Katherine rain by month

Month	Rain	What it gives you
January	266.6 mm	The wettest month. High water and the greenest country.
February	234.3 mm	Still the wet: storm skies and green country.
March	192.6 mm	The wet easing, with the river still full.
April	42.6 mm	The turn. Rain falls away and the country stays green.
May	4.8 mm	The dry arrives. Warm days and cooler nights.
June	0.4 mm	The driest month. Perfect cruising weather.
July	0.9 mm	The coolest nights of the year. Peak season.
August	1.4 mm	Excellent. Still dry, still cool after dark.
September	5.9 mm	Warm and dry, with the crowds thinning.
October	29.5 mm	The build-up: the warmest month, with the first storms.
November	90.3 mm	Dramatic storm skies over the sandstone.
December	216.6 mm	The wet returns: green, full and quiet.

Bureau of Meteorology averages for Katherine Aviation Museum, station 014903, over 26 years.

The trips, and what each does there

Trip	Length	At the gorge	From
1 Day Katherine Gorge Tours	1 day	The two-hour cruise below 70 metre cliffs, from Darwin and back in a day	$339
5 Day Kakadu, Litchfield & Katherine Gorge	5 days, 4 nights	Two nights camped at Katherine, with Kakadu and Litchfield either side	$1799
5 Day Kakadu, Litchfield, Katherine & Arnhemland	5 days, 4 nights	A day at Nitmiluk among rock art, waterfalls and wildlife	$1749
10 Days Darwin to Broome	10 days, 9 nights	Camped at Nitmiluk: the gorge, or a swim at Edith Falls	$3149

Prices are the current from price and update on their own. For the departures running on your dates, check the trip's own page.

So when?

May to October if you want all of it open. June to August for the coolest nights. December to March for high water, green country and the gorge at its quietest. Whichever you pick, the cruise is there. There is more on what to do once you arrive on our things to do at Katherine Gorge page.