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Uluru & Kings Canyon Helicopter Flights

3 options · from $459 AUD

Uluru and Kings Canyon helicopter flights are the one way to take in the Red Centre at the scale it deserves. Uluru is a single rock rising out of flat desert, Kata Tjuta is a cluster of domes a short flight to the west, and Kings Canyon is a 440-million-year-old gorge a few hours' drive from Yulara. From the road you see them one at a time. From a helicopter you see how they sit in the country.

Flights follow Anangu cultural protocols: the sunset loop keeps to the closest distance regulations allow and never crosses directly over Uluru. Three flights are listed, from a 30-minute canyon flight at $459 to the full-day heli safari at $1,809.

What a Red Centre helicopter flight is actually like

You sit with a headset on while the pilot narrates the geology and points out what to photograph. These are small aircraft: a maximum of four, five or six passengers depending on the flight, so every seat has a window. The desert shifts colour with the light, and the sunset flight is timed for exactly that.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta sit inside Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on Anangu land. Anangu ask visitors not to climb Uluru (the climb closed in 2019) and not to photograph certain sacred sites, and the flight paths respect that. Kings Canyon is in Watarrka National Park, a separate park with its own entry pass.

Which Uluru or Kings Canyon helicopter flight to book

Kings Canyon & George Gill Range Helicopter from $459 is 30 minutes from near Kings Canyon Resort, with a complimentary air-conditioned van pickup, tracking over the canyon and along the range to Petermann Pound, with Back Canyon on the return leg. Maximum four passengers, multiple departures from 8am to 5pm, 365 days a year, weather permitting.

Uluru & Kata Tjuta Sunset Helicopter Flight from $489 is 36 minutes from the Town Square Helipad at Ayers Rock Resort, flying wide, steady loops around both landmarks as they change colour at dusk, with pilot commentary and photo tips through the headset. Maximum six passengers. The one to book if you are based in Yulara.

Uluru, Kata Tjuta & Kings Canyon Heli Safari from $1,809 is the 'One with the Lot': around two hours of flying across roughly four and a half hours, linking all three landmarks, crossing Lake Amadeus, with a landing at Kings Canyon Resort for a guided 45-to-60-minute walk along the Kings Creek bed. Maximum five passengers, pickup from your Ayers Rock Resort hotel, departures daily 8am to 4pm year-round, weather permitting. Lunch is not included and you need a Watarrka park pass. A serious spend, but it replaces a very long drive.

Practical tips: season, what to bring, safety

The Red Centre is a desert. Summer days (December to February) can be extremely hot, and winter mornings and evenings are cold. Flights run year-round, weather permitting, and wind or storms can ground them, so book for early in your stay and keep a spare slot.

Wear enclosed non-slip shoes, and bring water and snacks for the heli safari. Travel light: small aircraft have weight limits, and the Kings Canyon flight asks passengers over 125kg to book an extra seat. On the ground, stay on marked tracks and follow the signage around sacred sites.

Helicopter flights: your questions

Do helicopters fly over Uluru?

No. The sunset flight loops Uluru and Kata Tjuta at the closest distance regulations allow and never passes directly over them, in line with Anangu cultural protocols.

How long are the Uluru helicopter flights?

The sunset flight is 36 minutes in the air. The Kings Canyon flight is 30 minutes. The heli safari is around two hours of flying across roughly four and a half hours door to door.

Where do the flights depart from?

The sunset flight departs the Town Square Helipad at Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara. The heli safari collects you from your Ayers Rock Resort hotel. The Kings Canyon flight departs near Kings Canyon Resort, with a free van pickup.

Is the heli safari worth $1,809?

It is the only flight here that does all three landmarks in one day, with the guided Kings Creek walk included. On a tighter budget, the sunset flight from $489 covers Uluru and Kata Tjuta, and the Kings Canyon flight from $459 covers the canyon on its own.

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