Kakadu itself is a vast area, supporting a variety of ecosystems that change radically with the seasons. Light woodlands cover about half of the park, with wetland floodplains and mangrove swamps the other significant features. Kakadu is also famous for the magnificent Aboriginal art rock galleries found at Ubir and Nourlangie Rock, as well as thousands of small, less accessible sites found within the park.

The landscape is defined by the escarpment that marks the Arnhem Land Plateau, its red walls glowing in winter, and in the wet season exploding in thousands of waterfalls as the drenching rains rush for the lowest ground around. Falls including Twin and Jim Jim are accessible only by 4WD, and run sporadically with rainfall.

Even during the dry season, you can still find cool rock pools for swimming and escaping the heat. The vast size of the park means it really takes a minimum of three days to see it, and even longer to see the park in detail.

One side trip from the park for those with a sense of adventure is the track up to the tip of the Cobourg Peninsula, north of the park. This region includes patches of rainforest and mangroves as well as gum-treed woodlands,and wildlife is plentiful. Feral species, including buffalo, sambar deer and Bantang are a problem in this area, competing with native animals.

The costal waters here are also home to one of the few areas still inhabited by Dugongs, and also hosts turtles and many different species of tropical fish, including Manta rays and sharks. The whole area is Aboriginal land, managed in conjunction with the Northern Territory's Parks and Wildlife department, and is an important hunting ground as well as a significant historical and religious area.