The 10 best national parks to explore in Australia

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is home to our nation's real and proverbial heart – Uluru, but that's not the only spectacular thing you'll find here. Located on the ancient and deeply sacred lands of the Anagu people, this national park is steeped in ancient stories and powerful spiritual significance that have been alive for over 65,000 years. Whether you're going to see one of Australia's most famous landmarks, wandering through the magenta cliffs of Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas), or strolling, bike riding or hiking through the multicoloured desert wilderness, you'll be filled up with a wordless wonder that you'll never forget. 

Distance from major city: 5.5-hour drive from Alice Springs
Best time to visit: during the cooler months from May to September
Entry fees: park passes start at $38 per adult for three days
📍 Discover the best things to do in Uluru

Rugged, wild and lush – Freycinet is just one of Tasmania's many stunning national parks, but it's making this list because of its incredible beauty and gorgeous diversity of landscapes. From the curvy glassy waters of Wineglass Bay, to lush bushwalks, to numerous secluded sandy coves, to gazing at the towering granite towers of the Hazards rising up from the turquoise bay, Freycinet does it all, and does it well. 

Distance from major city: 2.5-hour drive from Hobart or 2 hours and 10 minutes from Launceston
Best time to visit: during summer (December to February) for swimming
Entry fees: daily pass for $26.60 per vehicle or $23.25 per person
📍Discover the best things to do in Tasmania

If you’ve ever dreamt of exploring the land before time (friendly dinosaur babies not guaranteed), look no further than Kakadu. It's a World Heritage site and Australia's biggest national park, covering a whopping 20,000 square kilometres. The wild land is rich with tiny yellow butterflies, rolling lightning storms, ancient rock art galleries, immense red gorges and deep blue pools. It'll stay inside you long after you leave. 

Distance from major city: 2.5-hour drive from Darwin
Best time to visit: during the dry season from May to October
Entry fees: $25-40 per adult, depending on the season
📍 Discover the best things to do in Kakadu National Park

In the high, emerald tropics of Far North Queensland is one of the most gorgeous rainforests on Earth – the Daintree. Also known as Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land, the Daintree National Park is the traditional home of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people, who have been custodians of this land for 50,000 years. From the world-renowned rainforesty wonders of Mossman Gorge to where the rainforest meets the sea at Cape Tribulation, you'll be bedazzled by this special place's abundance of rainbow birds, lush green vines and swimming holes. Keep your eyes peeled for a cassowary sighting – just don't get too close.

Distance from major city: 1.5-hour drive from Cairns
Best time to visit: during the cooler, drier months from May to September
Entry fees: free entry, but camping fees apply
📍 Discover the best things to do in Cairns

In Sydney but want nature, right now? The Royal National Park is less than an hour's drive from the CBD, yet so many Sydneysiders haven't stepped foot in the pristine 15,091 hectares of bushland that lines the coast south of Sydney. Whether you want to swim, trek, picnic, bike ride, swim or just run away from the big smoke for the day, the Royal National Park will provide an outdoors, adventure-filled day out. 

Distance from major city: 45-minute drive from Sydney CBD
Best time to visit: from September to February for good swimming weather
Entry fees: $12 per vehicle per day

People bang on about the Grampians for good reason: it’s positively glorious. Populated by high sandstone peaks, gorgeous wildflowers and the epic Pinnacle walk, this Victorian national park is the perfect place to shirtfront some nature. Known to the Traditional Owners of this land as Gariwerd, the area is also known for having one of the biggest collections of Indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern Australia.

Distance from major city: 3-hour drive from Melbourne
Best time to visit: during spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) 
Entry fees: free entry, but camping fees apply

A UNESCO World Heritage Area, Purnululu in the wild Kimberley region of Western Australia is one of the most naturally spectacular places on Earth. This moonscape-like terrain is home to the incredible Bungle Bungle mountain range, a 350 million-year-old series of gigantic rocky domes that burst out of the fertile green earth in a way that defies understanding. The best way to see Purnululu is by walking through the numerous incredible rock formations or, if you're feeling bougie, by helicopter.

Distance from major city: 4.5-hour drive from Kununurra
Best time to visit: during the dry season from April to October
Entry fees: $17 per vehicle
📍 Discover the best things to do in the Kimberley

If you can find the Great Barrier Reef, Whitehaven Beach and countless pristine tropical islands, lapped by the warm blue waters of the Coral Sea in one place, you know you're somewhere good. Enter: Whitsunday Islands National Park in far north Queensland. The traditional lands of the Ngaro people, this World Heritage-listed national park can be seen by water, land or sky, and promises a wealth of jaw-dropping experiences, pure white sand and turquoise waters that you shan't forget in a hurry. 

Distance from major city: 30-60 minute boat ride from Airlie Beach
Best time to visit: from April to September for milder daytime temperatures
Entry fees: overnight camping and marine park entry fees apply
📍 Discover the best things to do in the Whitsundays

Litchfield National Park is a lush and verdant corner of the Northern Territory that often gets forgotten. The traditional lands of the Marrathiel, Marranunggu, Werat, Warray and Koongurrukun people (amongst many others), this waterfall-filled oasis is just a short drive from Darwin. A deeply ancient and sacred place that has been protected by its people for millennia, you'll find wild beauty, profound peacefulness and awe-inspiring views – as well as some very special croc-safe swimming holes.

Distance from major city: 60-minute drive from Darwin
Best time to visit: during the dry season from May to October
Entry fees: $10 for an adult day pass
📍Discover the best things to do in Litchfield National Park

There are more than 160 kilometres of tracks waiting for you to explore in this Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage area. Get lost in the magic of it all on the seven-kilometre Caves Walk, which winds through open eucalypt forest and offers spectacular views into the Coomera Valley and Darlington Range. Keep an eye out for snoozing koalas in the trees and also for white-throated treecreepers, members of one of the oldest groups of songbirds. Fun fact: The national park was named after a Governor of Queensland, Lord Lamington.

Distance from major city: 50-minute drive from the Gold Coast or 1.5 hours from Brisbane
Best time to visit: April to September for cooler, drier conditions
Entry fees: free entry, but camping fees apply
📍 Discover the best things to do in the Gold Coast