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Uluru Tours from Alice Springs

4 options · from $799 AUD

Uluru tours from Alice Springs are the proper way to meet the Red Centre: a small group, a guide who knows the country, a swag under more stars than you knew existed, and the big three, Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon, done on foot rather than through a coach window.

Four ways in: a four-day swag trip from $799, a five-day loop adding the MacDonnell Ranges from $1,539, the seven-day Adelaide to Uluru run from $1,909, or the three-day Alice Springs to Darwin tour from $839 for carrying on north.

What a Red Centre camping tour is actually like

Early starts. Uluru sunrise means being at the viewing area before the sky goes pink, and the Kings Canyon Rim Walk begins at first light so you are off the rock before the heat. Expect real walking: the Uluru base walk is around 10km, the Rim Walk about 6km with a steep climb at the start, and Walpa Gorge at Kata Tjuta is a gentler stroll between the domes.

This is Anangu country. Uluru has been closed to climbing since October 2019, so your guide walks you around the base instead, past rock art and the places where the creation stories live. Some sites are signed no-photography: respect them and stick to the tracks.

Which Uluru tour from Alice Springs is right for you

The Uluru Tour with Kata Tjuta & Kings Canyon - Swag (Alice Springs to Yulara) from $799 is the fast classic: four days, three swag nights, Walpa Gorge, Uluru sunset and sunrise, the base walk, the Cultural Centre and the Rim Walk, all meals and park fees in. It ends at Yulara with a free transfer to the resort or Ayers Rock Airport: the one for anyone flying out of Uluru.

The Uluru Tour with Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon & MacDonnell Ranges (Alice Springs to Alice Springs) from $1,539 is the same big three at a relaxed pace, plus the West MacDonnell Ranges and the East Macs. Two nights in permanent eco tents, two in swags, a First Nations star talk and guided stargazing near Arltunga. Pick this if you are returning to Alice and want the whole region.

The Adelaide to Uluru Tour from $1,909 is the seven-day overland from South Australia: the Flinders Ranges and Arkaroo Rock, Lake Hart's salt flats, a night underground in Coober Pedy, then Kings Canyon, Uluru and Kata Tjuta. It ends at Uluru; the transfer to Alice is an optional extra.

The Alice Springs to Darwin Tour from $839 is what you do after Uluru: three days north via the Devils Marbles, the Daly Waters pub, Mataranka and Bitter Springs thermal pools, Edith Falls and a day in Litchfield.

When to go, what to pack, how to stay safe

April to September is the sweet spot: warm days, cold nights, fewer flies. Summer (December to February) regularly tops 40 degrees, while winter nights in a swag can drop below zero, so bring a proper warm layer.

Pack a wide-brim hat, a fly net, sunscreen, closed shoes you can scramble in, a head torch, 2 litres of water capacity and a quick-dry towel, and drink constantly on walks.

Multi-day tours: your questions

How many days do you need for Uluru from Alice Springs?

Four days covers Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon without rushing, which is why the swag tour from $799 is built that way. Add the MacDonnell Ranges with the five-day loop from $1,539 if you are coming back to Alice.

Can you climb Uluru on these tours?

No. The climb closed permanently in October 2019 at the request of the Anangu traditional owners. Every tour here does the base walk and sunrise and sunset viewing instead.

What is swag camping like at Uluru?

A swag is a canvas bed roll with a built-in mattress that you sleep in under the open sky. The five-day tour mixes two swag nights with two in permanent eco tents and includes a sleeping bag.

Can I do Uluru and then continue to Darwin?

Yes. Finish an Alice-to-Alice tour, then join the Alice Springs to Darwin Tour from $839: three days via the Devils Marbles, Mataranka and Litchfield.

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