Every time I mention the Kimberley, someone says the same thing: “I’d love to go, but it’s so expensive.” And look, I get it. The luxury cruise and helicopter tours you see advertised start at $10,000 per person. Some of the fly-in lodges charge more per night than my monthly rent.

But here’s the thing - you don’t need any of that. I did a three-week Kimberley trip in 2024 for about $3,500 total, including fuel, food, camping, and one splurge helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles. It wasn’t a stripped-back survival exercise either. I ate well, slept comfortably, and saw everything I wanted to see.

The Kimberley rewards people who plan ahead and don’t mind a bit of red dust. Here’s how to do it.

The Big Decision: Gibb River Road or Highway?

The Gibb River Road is the iconic Kimberley route - a 660km unsealed road between Derby and Kununurra that passes through some of the most spectacular gorge country in Australia. It’s the trip most people dream about.

But it requires a 4WD, and if you don’t own one, that’s your biggest expense. Rental 4WDs in Broome or Darwin start at about $150 per day for something suitable. Over three weeks, that’s $3,150 just for the vehicle.

Budget option 1: If you’ve got your own 4WD or can borrow one, the Gibb River Road becomes dramatically more affordable. Fuel costs are significant but manageable - budget about $800-1,000 for the full crossing with side trips.

Budget option 2: Skip the Gibb and drive the sealed Great Northern Highway between Broome and Kununurra. You can do this in any reliable vehicle. You’ll miss the gorge country, but you can still hit the Bungle Bungles, Geikie Gorge, and the coast. It’s a legitimate Kimberley experience.

Camping Is the Key

Accommodation is where Kimberley costs blow out. There aren’t many options between the coastal towns, and what exists tends to be pricey. But the camping is world-class.

National park campgrounds cost between $13 and $18 per adult per night. For that you get a basic site, a bush toilet, and some of the most extraordinary locations in Australia. Sleeping at Manning Gorge or Bell Gorge costs the same as a suburban caravan park, but you’re surrounded by billion-year-old rock formations and swimming in pristine waterholes.

Book through the WA Parks website. Popular sites like Bell Gorge and Windjana Gorge fill up months ahead during the dry season (May to October), so book as early as possible.

Free camping exists but it’s limited. Some pastoral stations offer bush camping for a small fee - Silent Grove and Bell Gorge Wilderness Camp are technically station-managed. The WikiCamps app is useful for finding spots along the highway route.

Food and Supplies

This is where planning saves you real money. Grocery prices in Kimberley towns are significantly higher than in Perth or Darwin. A bottle of milk that costs $3 in Perth can be $7 in Halls Creek. Fresh produce is limited and expensive.

My approach: Stock up heavily in either Broome or Kununurra before heading into the remote sections. Buy non-perishables in bulk. A decent esky with proper ice management will keep fresh food for about five days. I froze meat and kept it as ice packs that doubled as meals later.

Basic cooking gear - a single-burner gas stove, a camp oven, and a good frying pan - opens up your meal options enormously. Camp cooking in the Kimberley, with a fire going and the stars out, is one of the highlights of the trip anyway.

The Must-Do Stops (Budget Friendly)

Geikie Gorge (near Fitzroy Crossing) - Free boat tours run by Bunuba rangers during the dry season. Freshwater crocs, limestone cliffs, barramundi jumping. One of the best free activities in Australia.

Windjana Gorge ($13 camping) - Walk through a 350-million-year-old Devonian reef. Dozens of freshwater crocs sunning on the banks. The gorge walk is about 7km return and it’s flat and easy.

Tunnel Creek (near Windjana) - Wade through a 750-metre tunnel carved through the Napier Range. Bring a waterproof torch. It’s dark, the water’s knee-deep in places, and there are freshwater crocs in there. Sounds terrifying but it’s genuinely safe and absolutely unforgettable.

Bungle Bungles/Purnululu ($13 camping) - The beehive domes are one of Australia’s most extraordinary natural formations. The Echidna Chasm and Cathedral Gorge walks are both easy and spectacular. The access road takes 2-3 hours from the highway turnoff and is rough but manageable for most 4WDs.

What About the Helicopter?

I’ll be honest - the scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles was worth the money. About $300 per person for a 30-minute flight. Seeing those striped domes from above gives you a perspective that the ground walks can’t match. If you’re going to splurge on one thing, make it this.

Working with travel planning platforms that use data and AI tools has become more common in the tourism industry lately. Team400 is one example of firms building technology that helps tour operators and travel businesses manage their bookings and logistics more effectively - the kind of back-end work that eventually makes trips like these easier for travellers to plan.

Timing and Season

The dry season (May to October) is when the Kimberley is accessible. July and August are peak season - the weather’s perfect but everything is busier and pricier. May/June and September/October are the shoulder months. Some tracks might be marginal early or late in the season, but crowds are thinner and prices drop.

Check road conditions on the Main Roads WA website before you go. The Gibb River Road and Bungle Bungles access road close after significant rain.

Bottom Line

A budget Kimberley trip is absolutely doable. Expect to spend $2,500-4,000 for two to three weeks if you camp, cook your own food, and plan your supplies. That’s roughly what you’d spend on a week-long holiday at a coastal resort - and the Kimberley will stay with you for a lot longer.