Kalbarri to Monkey Mia: Distance, driving time and road trip attractions

The Kalbarri to Monkey Mia drive is 399km in distance, with a driving time of around 3h57m. Road trip attractions include the Hamelin Pool stromatolites and Ocean Park Aquarium.

The Kalbarri to Monkey Mia drive connects two of the most popular stops on a Western Australian road trip from Perth to Broome. Both Kalbarri and Monkey Mia, the dolphin-feeding hotspot in Shark Bay, are detours off National Route 1.

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.

You should book your Monkey Mia accommodation in advance, as there’s only one option. Book the RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort here.

But given the appeal of stopping at both, it’s more likely that you’re going to drive from Kalbarri to Monkey Mia than opt to bomb on through from Geraldton to Carnarvon.

Kalbarri to Monkey Mia distance and driving time

The Kalbarri to Monkey Mia drive takes around three hours and 57 minutes, covering a distance of 399km. The highlights of the journey are at the beginning and end, away from National Highway 1.

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.

First comes Kalbarri National Park, which offers several excellent walking trails, plus dramatic views of the Murchison River Gorge from both Nature’s Window and the Kalbarri Skywalk.

Then, you join the main highway. Things get very straight and very empty until the turning into Shark Bay Road at Hamelin Pool.

Kalbarri to Monkey Mia drive: Shark Bay attractions

Luckily, several of the best things to do in Shark Bay are strung out along this section of the Kalbarri to Monkey Mia drive. The stromatolites at Hamelin Pool should be stop number one. These stromatolites look like black rocks stretching out into the water, 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 on the Kalbarri to Monkey Mia drive.

You’ll also pass the Ocean Park Aquarium, just south of Denham. As well as the usual aquarium schtick, Ocean Park also offers cruises and diving trips out on Shark Bay.

Kalbarri to Monkey Mia: Denham and Francois Peron National Park

Denham is the main town on Shark Bay, although that’s a bit like being the tallest dwarf. Things to do in Denham include the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery and Visitor Centre. This delves into the remarkable eco-system and preservation of natural life that led to Shark Bay’s World Heritage-listing. It also looks at the early era of European exploration in Australia, in which Shark Bay plays a key and recurring part.

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

After the drive from Kalbarri to Denham, the last leg from Denham to Monkey Mia only takes about 20 minutes. But on the way, you can stop for a swim at Little Lagoon. Or a drive around the Francois Peron National Park, where Cape Peron offers red cliffs and white sand.

The only accommodation at Monkey Mia is the RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort. There is also a $15 per car Monkey Mia entry fee.