Northern Territory · Attraction
Ubirr
Rock art meets floodplain panorama
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
Perched at the edge of the Arnhem Land escarpment in Kakadu's East Alligator region, Ubirr holds some of the world's most significant rock art galleries. X-ray paintings of fish, wallabies and goanna sit alongside contact art depicting early European buffalo hunters from the 1880s. A steep 250-metre climb rewards visitors with a sweeping 360-degree view across the Nadab floodplain, especially breathtaking at sunset.
Ubirr is one of the reasons Kakadu holds dual UNESCO World Heritage status, recognised for both its outstanding natural values and its extraordinary cultural record. The galleries include depictions of creation ancestors such as the Rainbow Serpent, as well as a rare mainland painting of a thylacine, the Tasmanian tiger, extinct on the Australian continent for more than two thousand years.
The rock art here spans thousands of years and continues to hold deep spiritual meaning for the Bininj and Mungguy peoples, the Traditional Owners of Kakadu. Visitors are asked to be respectful and to stay on the marked path. Alcohol is not permitted at Ubirr. During the tropical summer, the Magela Creek crossing may flood; in those conditions, the Guluyambi Cultural Cruise offers an alternative way to reach the site by boat.
Allow at least one hour for the circuit walk, longer if you want to sit at the lookout and absorb the view. Sunrise and sunset are particularly popular, the light over the floodplain changes dramatically with the season.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Ubirr.
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