Are Tours To The Horizontal Falls Still Operating?

Are Tours To The Horizontal Falls Still Operating?

Yes, tours to the Horizontal Falls are still operating. Seaplane and power boat tours, scenic flights and day cruises all run through the Kimberley dry season, with 2026 season windows published by the operators. Licensed operators can continue traversing the wide gap until the end of the 2028 tourism season, after the state government extended access in April 2026. Only the narrow gap is off limits, and it has been closed since 2022.

That is the headline, but the fuller picture deserves a few paragraphs, because the question usually comes from a real news memory: there was a plan to phase out boat rides through the gaps at Garaan-ngaddim, the falls' traditional name, inside Lalang-gaddam Marine Park. In April 2026 the state government confirmed licensed tour operators can keep traversing the wide gap through to the end of the 2028 tourism season, alongside a $5 million commitment in the 2026-27 State Budget toward Traditional Owner-led tourism at the site. Dambimangari people are the Traditional Owners of the area, and the marine park is jointly managed.

So the trips are running, but in a defined shape. Boats go through the wide gap only. Guests see the narrow gap from a safe distance. That has been the arrangement since the narrow gap closed in 2022, and it is the arrangement printed on the operator's own plan-your-visit page: "respecting local Indigenous beliefs, we only traverse the Wide Gap (first set of Falls) and do not go through the Narrow Gap (second set of Falls) however guests will see the narrow gap at a safe distance."

For travellers comparing the options, the practical split is unchanged. Three seaplane-and-jet-boat tours include a power boat ride at the falls. Seven scenic-flight tours overfly the falls, six of them landing at Cygnet Bay, with no boat ride through the gaps. Four cruise-based products reach the falls by tender boats. The featured half day seaplane tour from Broome, the Broome to Horizontal Falls Half Day Adventure, is the most-booked shape of the lot: from A$1,495 per person, 4.8 from 727 reviews, six hours door to door with hotel pickup.

The three cards above cover the three ways the falls are being visited this season: seaplane with a boat ride through the wide gap, a fixed-wing flyover from A$895, and a full-day cruise with tender boats to the falls. Whichever shape fits your budget, the operating status question has the same answer across all of them.

Can Boats Still Go Through The Falls In 2026?

Yes, power boats still go through the wide gap at the Horizontal Falls in 2026, and licensed operators can keep doing so until the end of the 2028 tourism season. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions confirmed the extension on 15 April 2026. No ban date after 2028 has been published; post-2028 access is to be reassessed as part of a collaborative transition.

The decision is documented on the department's own pages. The April 2026 release states that "existing licensed tour operators will be able to continue traversing the wide gap at Horizontal Falls through to the end of the 2028 tourism season, providing certainty for tourism operators, while the transition to new cultural tourism experiences continues." The same release commits $5 million through the 2026-27 State Budget: $470,000 for a business case and feasibility study led by the department, and $4.5 million for infrastructure delivery supporting Dambimangari-led cultural tourism at Garaan-ngaddim.

What that means for a booking decision is straightforward. A tour bought today, for this season or next, includes the wide-gap boat ride on every listing that advertises one. The wording to watch for on a listing is "cruise through the Horizontal Falls on a power boat" or "tender boats to the Horizontal Falls". Those are the two operating formats, and both are live.

One caution worth repeating: never read a headline about a "2028 shutdown" as a done deal for a specific date. The department frames post-2028 access as a collaborative transition to new, culturally appropriate experiences, with tourism remaining a key value of the marine park. No official post-2028 ban date exists in print. Any blog or news snippet that gives the falls an earlier cut-off date is not matching the government's own wording.

Wondering whether the boat ride itself is the right add-on, or whether a flyover is enough? The comparison guide on seaplane versus boat versus cruise options breaks down what each format actually delivers at the falls.

Which Tours Are Running This Season?

All fourteen verified listings are live for the current season: three seaplane-and-power-boat tours, seven scenic flights and four cruise products. Every one departs from Broome, Derby or Cygnet Bay during the dry season windows. The half day seaplane tour from Broome, from A$1,495 per person, is the flagship format and runs morning departures from mid-March to late October.

The roster splits cleanly by what happens at the falls. Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures runs the three seaplane-and-jet-boat products: the Broome half day (4.8 from 727 reviews, from A$1,495), the Dampier Peninsula full day (4.8 from 191 reviews, from A$1,650) and the Derby half day (4.8 from 76 reviews, from A$1,390). All three include the power boat ride through the wide gap.

A guest review on the Derby half day captures the full arc of that product: "Great experience absolutely loved it. From pickup to drop off all well organised. Outstanding flight over the Kimberleys and of course an unforgettable waterfall experience." That is the seaplane-and-boat format working as designed: aircraft in, boat ride at the falls, aircraft out.

The scenic-flight family is broader and cheaper. Fly Broome's Fly The Falls Half Day Adventure starts from A$895 plus a A$45 per person fuel surcharge listed as an exclusion, 4.9 from 285 reviews. Air Kimberley's Buccaneer Explorer dry-season tour matches the A$895 entry point plus a A$33 surcharge, 4.9 from 716 reviews. Broome Aviation fields three listings from A$780. None of these include a boat ride through the gaps; they are flyovers, usually with a Cygnet Bay landing and lunch.

Fly Broome is the flyover alternative at the sharpest price. A guest review on that listing: "Such an amazing experience! The staff were friendly and inviting. Lachlan (tinsel) was very entertaining and also informative! A once in a lifetime experience! Oyster farm was interesting and food was excellent."

The cruise family runs on the water the whole way. Kimberley Day Cruise operates from Broome (from A$1,275, 13 hours 30 minutes, 4.9 from 177 reviews) and from Cygnet Bay (from A$1,075, 10 hours, 5.0 from 103 reviews), reaching the falls by tender boats, plus a three-day eco-tent package from A$1,910. Ventur Atlas sells a six-day West Kimberley helicopter safari from A$24,950 that includes a Horizontal Falls boat and seaplane adventure in its listing wording.

Cancellation terms differ sharply between these, which matters when you are booking around weather and tides. The seaplane-and-boat listings are non-refundable per their listings. Fly Broome and Air Kimberley list free cancellation up to 24 hours. Broome Aviation lists free cancellation up to six days before travel. Read the booking page for whichever listing you choose; there is no blanket rule.

When Does The 2026 Season Run?

The operator's plan-your-visit page lists the 2026 windows: the Broome morning half day runs 17 March to 31 October, the afternoon half day 29 April to 14 October, the Derby half day 5 May to 30 September, and the Dampier Peninsula full day 29 April to 15 October. Tours do not run on neap-tide dates, because the falls need moving water.

That last point does more planning work than most visitors expect. The Horizontal Falls exist because of tide, not rainfall: tides in the area reach up to 11 metres, and the water level can sit up to 5 metres different on either side of the gaps, according to the WA Department of Transport's boating guide for the area. On neap tides the difference flattens and the falls barely perform, so operators simply do not schedule those dates. Mid-tide dates are bookable and calmer; spring tides produce the strongest flow.

The seasonal shape tracks the Kimberley dry season. Rain in Broome is concentrated from December to March, and the wet and cyclone season runs roughly November to April, per Bureau of Meteorology and DFES guidance. Flight and cruise schedules cluster in the April-to-October window, which is why every season date above sits inside it. For a fuller month-by-month read, the site's guide on the best time to visit the Horizontal Falls works through the trade-offs.

Never promise yourself a specific day without checking the operator's calendar. Tide, weather and aircraft availability decide, and the listing's date picker is the authority on what is actually bookable.

What Changes After The 2028 Season?

After the 2028 tourism season, wide-gap traversal by licensed operators is to be reassessed as part of a collaborative transition toward Dambimangari-led cultural tourism. No post-2028 ban date has been published. The state has committed $5 million, including $4.5 million for on-water infrastructure, to shape what comes next at Garaan-ngaddim.

The transition is not a closure announcement. The department's framing, repeated across its April 2026 release and the LANDSCOPE feature, is that tourism remains a key value of Lalang-gaddam Marine Park while the on-country experience evolves with Dambimangari knowledge at its centre. A working group established in 2024 brings the state, the Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation, tourism operators and others to the table. Everything else covered here is indexed on Horizontal Falls Tours.

For a traveller, the honest read is this: nothing about the current product is ending inside the next two full seasons, and nothing after that is settled. If the wide-gap boat ride is the reason you are going, the seasons through 2028 are the certain window. If a flyover or a cruise tender visit would satisfy you, those formats are less exposed to the traversal question altogether.

Which Departure Points Still Operate?

Three departure points operate: Broome, Derby and Cygnet Bay. Broome carries the widest choice, with hotel pickup on the seaplane tours and terminal pickups for the fixed-wing operators. Derby runs the seaplane half day from May to September, and Cygnet Bay anchors the cruise departures and several flight landings, roughly 102 km from the falls.

Broome is the hub, and most visitors never need another. The Broome half day seaplane tour picks up at hotels; the scenic operators collect from the Air Kimberley terminal or the Broome Aviation lounge at Broome Airport. Straight-line distance from Broome Airport to the falls is about 253 km, covered by seaplane in roughly 1 hour 15 minutes.

Derby sits much closer, about 115 km straight-line from the falls, which shortens the flight to roughly 35 to 40 minutes. The Derby half day runs a narrower window, 5 May to 30 September, and its from-price is the lowest of the three seaplane-and-boat products at A$1,390. The road between the two towns is about 222 km, so a Derby departure can pair with a self-drive loop; the getting-there notes on Broome to Derby travel cover that route.

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm on the Dampier Peninsula is the third node. The Kimberley Day Cruise departs there directly with no pickup, from A$1,075, and several scenic flights land there for pearl farm visits and the giant tides of King Sound. Cape Leveque Road is sealed for the main route, which has made Cygnet Bay departures genuinely practical in recent seasons.

The Cygnet Bay cruise card above is the water-based option with the shortest repositioning: you drive yourself to the pearl farm, roughly 200 to 220 km from Broome on the sealed road, and the vessel does the rest. A guest review on the Broome cruise departure, for comparison: "Great day out on the water, quality craft, very knowledgeable and respectful crew and skilled operators. Food was magnificent. Well worth the money."

Do Scenic Flights Still Fly Over The Falls?

Yes, scenic flights over the Horizontal Falls operate across the dry season and are unaffected by the boat-traversal timeline. Seven listings from Fly Broome, Air Kimberley and Broome Aviation overfly the falls, from A$780 to A$1,255, with group sizes up to 15. None of them includes a boat ride through the gaps, by design.

This is the format to choose if the operating-status news has made you cautious about committing to a boat product, or if the seaplane prices are beyond the budget. The Buccaneer Explorer dry-season tour from Air Kimberley sits at from A$895 plus a A$33 per person fuel surcharge, 4.9 from 716 reviews, with free cancellation up to 24 hours. A guest review describes the day: "Flying over the Horizontal Falls was a bucket list experience. Magical views all the way along and excellent commentary by our pilot Simmi."

Broome Aviation's Incredible Island Tour, from A$895 with a 4.8 rating from 99 reviews, folds in Cape Leveque and the pearl farm. One review from that listing: "Had a great morning which included a buffet breakfast, seeing a mother whale and calf, Cygnet Bay Pearl farm and a beautiful flight over the horizontal falls." Wildlife sightings like that are never promised, but the flight path over the archipelago is.

The budget end is Broome Aviation's 2.5-hour non-stop islands tour at from A$780, a fixed-wing flyover with no landing, 4.9 from a small pool of 8 reviews. At the other end, Air Kimberley's Cygnet Bay Explorer stretches to nine hours with a pearl farm visit and a tidal boat tour at Cygnet Bay, 5.0 from 317 reviews, from A$1,220 plus the A$33 surcharge. That Cygnet Bay boat trip is on King Sound, not a ride through the falls; the distinction matters when you are comparing listings.

How To Book With The Status Question In Mind

Book the format that matches what you want from the falls, using the season calendar and each listing's cancellation terms rather than headlines. Boat-through-the-falls products run with certainty through the 2028 season; flyovers and cruises run alongside them. Check the live listing's date picker for neap-tide gaps and weather, and read the cancellation line before paying.

A few practical rules keep the decision clean. First, if the power boat ride through the wide gap is the point of the trip, pick one of the three seaplane-and-jet-boat listings or a Kimberley Day Cruise product, and do it inside the current season windows. Second, remember those seaplane-and-boat and cruise listings are non-refundable per their listings, so travel insurance and firm dates matter more there than on the flyover products with free cancellation. Third, treat fuel surcharges as real money: A$45 per person on Fly Broome, A$33 on the Air Kimberley dry-season tours, listed under exclusions and added on top.

The seaplane operator also sells overnight stays at Talbot Bay, but those are sold on its own site only; the overnight products bookable through this site's roster are the Cygnet Bay eco-tent package and the six-day helicopter safari. If an overnight at the falls itself is the dream, that is an operator-direct booking.

Finally, do not let the 2028 conversation rush you into a bad-fit purchase. The falls are not going anywhere, the marine park remains open to tourism under joint management, and every current format, boat, flight and cruise, is operating this season. The only thing genuinely time-limited is the wide-gap traversal, and it has a published runway to the end of 2028. More context on the ride itself sits in the guide to the Horizontal Falls jet boat experience.

Common Questions About Horizontal Falls Access

Are Tours To The Horizontal Falls Still Operating?

Yes. Seaplane-and-boat tours, scenic flights and day cruises all run through the dry season, with 2026 windows published by the operators. Licensed boat rides through the wide gap continue until the end of the 2028 tourism season.

Can boats still go through both gaps?

No. Only the wide gap is traversed. The narrow gap has been closed to tour boats since 2022, and guests view it from a safe distance, per the operator's plan-your-visit page.

Do the tours stop in 2028?

No post-2028 ban date has been published. DBCA says existing licensed operators can traverse the wide gap until the end of the 2028 tourism season, and that access after that will be reassessed as part of a collaborative transition to Dambimangari-led cultural tourism.

Which tours include a boat ride at the falls?

The three Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures listings include a power boat ride through the wide gap, and the Kimberley Day Cruise listings reach the falls by tender boats. The scenic flights from Fly Broome, Air Kimberley and Broome Aviation are flyovers with no falls boat ride.

Why do tours not run on some dates?

Tours do not operate on neap-tide dates, when the tidal difference flattens and the falls barely flow. Mid-tide dates are calmer and bookable; spring tides give the strongest flow. Weather and operator schedules also decide individual departures.

Where do Horizontal Falls tours leave from?

Broome, Derby and Cygnet Bay. Broome has the widest choice with hotel or terminal pickup, Derby shortens the seaplane flight to roughly 35 to 40 minutes, and Cygnet Bay hosts the cruise departures and several flight landings.