Kalbarri to Broome road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops

Kalbarri to Broome road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops

The best stops on a Kalbarri to Broome road trip include Shark Bay, the Ningaloo Reef and Karratha. The 1,896km drive should take around 19 hours.

The Kalbarri to Broome drive is part of the epic journey up the coast of Western Australia from Perth to Broome.

Kalbarri offers sunset cliffs cruises, and whale-watching tours. To pick your favourite from a good range of Kalbarri accommodation, hunt here. To investigate a wider range of Kalbarri tour and activity options, go here.

Broome, meanwhile, brings tours to natural wonder Horizontal Falls, camel rides on Cable Beach, dinosaur footprints adventures and close encounters at a crocodile park. To check out a great range of Broome activities and tours, browse here. For Broome accommodation, book here.

This guide should help you prepare a perfect Kalbarri to Broome road trip itinerary.

Kalbarri to Broome distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Kalbarri to Broome is 1,896km, with a driving time of approximately 19 hours. However, there are a few detours worth adding to your Kalbarri to Broome road trip which will add a few hours on to that.

6 great Kalbarri experiences to book before you arrive

  • See the colours of the giant cliffs change on a sunset cliffs cruise.
  • Have fun catching the local lobsters on a lobster pot pulling tour.
  • Learn about the area’s history, nature and wildlife on a Murchison River cruise.
  • See migrating humpbacks on a seasonal whale-watching experience.
  • Take a scenic flight to Monkey Mia for a dolphin-feeding encounter.
  • Fly over the infamous Batavia shipwreck on an Abrolhos Islands tour by plane.

There are several attractions in Kalbarri National Park to enjoy before the Kalbarri to Coral Bay leg of the road trip joins National Highway 1. You’ll get dramatic views of the Murchison River Gorge from Nature’s Window and the Kalbarri Skywalk.

Once you’ve joined the highway, the Kalbarri to Broome drive is a whole lot of nothing before you reach Shark Bay Road at Hamelin Pool.

This is the first worthwhile detour off the highway going north.

✅ Find the best tours and experiences in Western Australia right here. ✅

Kalbarri to Broome road trip: Hamelin Pool to Denham

If diverting to Shark Bay, make the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool your first stop. They look like black rocks, but they’re examples of the oldest living organisms on earth.

The stromatolites of Shark Bay, Western Australia, from Hamelin Pool
The stromatolites of Shark Bay, Western Australia can be observed from the boardwalk at Hamelin Pool.

Keep going and you’ll pass the Ocean Park Aquarium, just south of Denham. This aquarium offers Shark Bay cruises and diving trips.

Other things to do in Denham include learning about the local environment and history at the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery and Visitor Centre.

Denham accommodation options include the kitchenette-toting chalets at the Denham Seaside Caravan Park and the roomy Shark Bay Seafront Apartments.

Click through for the next section: Francois Peron National Park and Monkey Mia.