Quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) is a new device utilizing the intersubband transition in conduction band or valance band, which has a very high free degree of device design. Due to the large conduction band-offset, the ultrafast electron relax time, the ultra-wide infrared transparency and the high energy LO-phonon, the GaN/Al(Ga)N multi-quantum wells (MQWs) has become a potential candidate for the infrared detector since the GaAs based MQWs. In this paper, the research progresses of intersubband transition absorption (ISBT) and corresponding photoresponse of GaN based MQWs were systematically reviewed. First, the operation principle and the selection rule of the quantum well infrared photodetector was explained. Then, the main research work was introduced including the ISBT absorption of polar, nonpolar and nanowire GaN based MQWs, from the near infrared to far infrared, even the THz range. Finally, the progress of GaN based QWIP and quantum cascade detectors (QCD) was reviewed including the photofresponse and the frequency response of the device. A conclusion and perspective was presented for the future research in GaN based QWIP and QCDs.