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Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon & MacDonnell Ranges 5 Day Tour (Alice Springs Return)

Five days, Alice to Alice: the Rock, the Canyon and both MacDonnell Ranges.

A five-day loop from Alice Springs: Walpa Gorge, Uluru sunset and sunrise with the full base walk, the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, then West and East MacDonnell Ranges gorges, with two nights in eco tents and two in swags.

⭑ 4.8 1,025 TripAdvisor reviews 📍 Uluru & Red Centre ⏱ 5 Days 👥 Up to 24 🔥 Active

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Overview

Most Red Centre trips do the Rock and the Canyon and call it done. This one keeps going: after Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon, it swings up through the West MacDonnell Ranges and comes home via the East Macs, which is the bit most people never see. Small group, flexible itinerary, local guide, and a loop that starts and finishes in Alice Springs.

Day one is the 4.5-hour run south to Yulara, the Walpa Gorge walk between Kata Tjuta's 36 domes and Uluru at sunset with a snack. Day two: sunrise, a culturally significant site where your guide shares Anangu rock art and creation stories, the full 10 km base walk, then the Cultural Centre before camp near Kings Canyon. Day three is the Rim Walk (Lost City, Garden of Eden, Amphitheatre, North and South Walls), then a long afternoon drive to the West Macs for a First Nations star talk under properly dark skies.

Day four picks from Ormiston Gorge, Redbank Gorge, Ellery Creek Big Hole and the Ochre Pits before a remote bush camp at Arltunga in the East Macs with guided stargazing. Day five takes in Trephina Gorge and Emily and Jessie Gaps on the way back to Alice. Two nights are in permanent eco tents, two in swags with a sleeping bag supplied, and park entry plus four breakfasts, five lunches and four dinners are in. The star talk is included.

Why you'll love it

  1. 1

    Uluru sunrise and full base walk

  2. 2

    Kings Canyon Rim Walk

  3. 3

    West Macs: Ormiston Gorge and more

  4. 4

    East Macs bush camp at Arltunga

  5. 5

    First Nations star talk

  6. 6

    Eco tents and swags, sleeping bag in

Itinerary at a glance

Alice Springs Day 1 · 5 Kata Tjuta Day 1 Uluru Days 1–2 Kings Canyon Day 3 West MacDonnells Day 4 Arltunga Day 4
Your route, day by day
1 Day 1 · Alice Springs to Kata Tjuta and Uluru sunset

Leave Alice Springs at 6am for the 4.5 hour drive south to Yulara and an early lunch. A short drive brings you to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), where 36 domes of various sizes rise from the desert, and you walk the Walpa Gorge trail along the creek bed between them. As evening comes, head to the sunset viewing area for a light snack while the light shifts across Uluru, then back to camp for a spread of food with the group and, weather permitting, a night under the stars.

Accommodation
Permanent eco tent
Meals Included
Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
About 6 hours driving, 3 km walking (about 1 hour)
2 Day 2 · Uluru sunrise and base walk

Your early start is rewarded with an Uluru sunrise. Your guide takes you to one of Uluru's significant cultural sites, outlining Anangu rock art and sharing one of the site's creation stories, before you set off on the self-guided full base walk. After lunch, visit the Cultural Centre to see hand-crafted art by First Nations peoples of the Western and Central Deserts, then travel to an exclusive campsite near Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon) for dinner and the stars.

Accommodation
Permanent eco tent
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
About 4 hours driving, 10 km walking (about 3 hours)
3 Day 3 · Kings Canyon and a First Nations star talk

Kings Canyon is the main attraction of Watarrka National Park, a huge gorge enclosed by sheer rock walls, with porous sandstone, deep gullies and hidden rock pools sheltering more than 600 species of native plants and animals. Your guide points many of them out on a trek that covers the Lost City, the Garden of Eden, the Amphitheatre and the North and South Walls. After lunch, drive most of the afternoon to your overnight camp in the West MacDonnell Ranges, home of the Western Arrernte people, the Traditional Owners. Tonight, join an immersive First Nations star talk under the vast, uninterrupted skies and step beyond the constellations you thought you knew into a sky rich with ancient knowledge (included). Carry at least 3 litres of water on the Rim Walk.

Accommodation
Swag
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
About 3.5 hours driving, 8 km walking (about 3 hours)
4 Day 4 · West MacDonnell Ranges to Arltunga

Spend the morning taking in the spectacular sights of the West MacDonnell Ranges, with hikes that may include Ormiston Gorge, Redbank Gorge, Ellery Creek Big Hole (a popular spot for a refreshing dip) or the Ochre Pits. After lunch, travel on to the East MacDonnell Ranges, one of the Outback's best-kept secrets, and arrive at your bush camp at the Arltunga Eco Pub and Bush Retreat. After dinner, enjoy guided stargazing from one of the darkest places in Australia, with next to zero light pollution, as your guide shares what to look for in the southern skies.

Accommodation
Swag, Arltunga bush camp
Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance Travelled
Up to 9 km walking (about 3 to 4 hours)
5 Day 5 · East MacDonnell Ranges and back to Alice Springs

After breakfast, drive to Trephina Gorge for a one hour guided walk among quartzite cliffs, ancient river red gums and a wide variety of birdlife. Then explore Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park, where Jessie Gap is an easy, flat, sandy walk to dramatic red rock faces and sacred Aboriginal rock art. After a satisfying day in the East MacDonnell Ranges, head back to Alice Springs, where your five day adventure ends in the late afternoon.

Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch
Distance Travelled
About 2 km walking (about 1.5 hours)

What's included

✓ What's included

  • Meals, 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
  • Transport - Private vehicle
  • Accommodation - Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (2 nights) Authentic Aussie Swag (2 nights)
  • Sleeping Bag
  • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance
  • Uluru Cultural Centre
  • Kata Tjuta (The Olga’s) Walpa Gorge Walk
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
  • Ewings Lookout, sunset viewing area
  • East MacDonnell Ranges
  • West MacDonnell Ranges
  • Ormiston Gorge

✕ Not included

  • ✕Optional activities

Common questions about this trip

  • What's the cancellation policy?
    If you cancel 30 or more days before departure, the operator keeps the deposit. From 8 to 29 days before departure the operator keeps 50% of the booking, and 7 days or less it keeps 100%. Changes or transfers to another person need at least 28 days notice and a fee of up to $200 per person may apply, and no changes are allowed within 7 days of departure. If the operator cancels (other than for force majeure) you get a full refund, and for force majeure you get a credit or a refund less unrecoverable costs. Wanderlust handles the refund for you, refunds mirror the operator's terms 1:1 (including if the operator cancels) and we chase it on your behalf.

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What travellers say

Reviews from real travellers

Public reviews of the operator who runs this tour on the ground.

The operator's track record

4.8 on TripAdvisor · 1,025 reviews

Review excerpts below are from Tripadvisor.

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"Great 3 day trip around the red center. Everything was well taken care of so you could enjoy the experience and pitch in with minor tasks. Tents were decent."
M

Mike M

Tripadvisor review

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"Just had an amazing tour with …, I did two nights in a swag seeing Uluru and Kings Canyon and I would 100% recommend. A really lovely group of people and … was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the area, she really knew how to bring us all together."
L

Leanne S

Tripadvisor review

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"Such an incredible experience! Sleeping in the swag under the stars was magical and comfy. We did so much and saw so many amazing things and beautiful landscapes in a good amount of time."
L

L S

Tripadvisor review

Traveller reviews, source shown on each · shown as excerpts.

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