Uluru Adventure: Explore Red Centre's Iconic Sites

46 Ratings

Alice Springs

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Experience the best of the Red Centre in just four days with this small group adventure. Explore iconic locations like Uluru, Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta, and the West MacDonnell Ranges. Choose between twin share safari tents or a traditional swag experience.

Duration: 4 days

Cancellation: 6 days

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Highlights

Day 1: Alice Springs to Ayers Rock (Uluru)

Alice Springs - On our way to Ayers Rock from Alice Springs, we stop off at the Mt Connor lookout (false Uluru) for a view of the mighty red mountain and Curtin Springs for a toilet stop before turning in to our campground for lunch. Following lunch, we make our way to the Aboriginal cultural centre of the Red Centre. Cultural, ecological, historical, and geological aspects of this park are fascinating to learn about. We are blown away by Uluru’s sheer size and magnificence after a short drive, which we are able to experience up close and personal for the first time. We visit sacred rock art sites and hear creation stories of Kuniya and Liru during our base walk to Kuniya Piti. During our journey through Kantju Gorge, we visit sacred sites, the highest waterfalls in Central Australia, an elders’ cave, and one of the world’s oldest pantry. We retreat to the panoramic viewpoint in the afternoon for one of the most stunning sunsets on earth after seeing the world’s largest rock up close and personal.

Day 2: Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park to Kings Canyon

Kata Tjuta - The Olgas - In the morning we wake up early and have a light breakfast before heading to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park for a spectacular sunrise. When you think Uluru couldn’t get any more majestic than it already is, you just can’t help but think when you approach Kata Tjuta, with its stunning silhouette, that it could get any more stunning. Here, we embark on a hiking adventure through the Valley of the Winds or Walpa Gorge admiring the mighty conglomerate rock formations along the way. In the afternoon we move away from Kata Tjuta to the Kings Canyon region so that we can enjoy a magnificent outback sunset followed by a hearty meal around the campfire after a day exploring Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park.

Day 3: Kings Canyon to West MacDonnell Ranges

Kings Canyon - We head off early to explore the mighty Kings Canyon (Watarrka) venturing into the ancient landscape and sacred grounds of the Ulpanyali and Lilla people. Arriving at the jewel in the crown at the centre of Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon) we find ourselves surrounded by towering 100-metre cliff faces, views of sandstone chasms and jaw-dropping backdrops that will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Grab your water, hat and sturdy shoes as we set off on foot to explore (the most seasonally applicable part of) the canyon in more detail. Rest up in the bus as we head back up north, passing through Alice Springs and heading out towards the West MacDonnell Ranges for an evening of stargazing at our bush camp.

Day 4: West MacDonnell Ranges to Alice Springs

Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park - Known traditionally as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning \

What's Included

Accredited outback driver guide
Traditional Bush Single Swag (Swag option)
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks pass included
Lunch
Dinner
Breakfast
Bed linen, mattress and pillow provided (Safari Tent option)
Standley Chasm Gorge pass included
Guided bush walks (up to 10-12 km of walking, subject to fitness level)
On board drinking water (please provide your own bottle)

What's Not Included

Any meal, not indicated within the itinerary
Personal expenses

Additional Information

Four days, exploring four iconic locations (Uluru, Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta and Tjoritja West MacDonnell Ranges) all wrapped up in one tour. This small group adventure encompasses the very best the Red Centre has to offer. There is a very good reason why Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In 1987, the international community recognized the park’s spectacular geological formations, rare plants, and exceptional natural beauty. A few of the highlights include exploring Ormiston Gorge, Ochre Pits and Ellery Creek Big Hole, hiking through the Valley of the Winds or Walpa Gorge, and exploring Mutitjulu Waterhole, Kuniya Piti, and Kantju Gorge.

We provide two different sleeping options at our permanent campsites, with twin share safari tents, or you can try out a traditional swag experience. (canvas-covered bedroll)

This tour starts and finishes in Alice Springs only, please advise us of your accommodation at the time of booking.

A minimum moderate to advanced level of fitness is required to complete the walks. Therefore a medium/high level of fitness is required and a doctor’s certificate is required for people over 70 years (30 days prior to travel).
The tour operator must be notified of any known medical conditions at the time of booking. This is a very physical tour and requires a moderate level of fitness and mobility.
While we endeavour to cater to most dietary needs, passengers must advise dietary requirements to their booking agent at the time of booking. As we are venturing to remote areas we are very limited in what we can source once the tour departs, therefore prior notice is required.
Children aged between 8 to 17 years old must be accompanied by an adult or legal guardian at all times. Not suitable for infants or children 7 years and under, due to safety requirements and the level of fitness required to complete the walk.
Limited storage space in our vehicles. Baggage must be kept to 1 x 15kg travel bag, 1 x 5kg day bag. Not suitable for mobility-impaired travellers, wheelchairs, walkers or strollers.
Please ensure you have checked the average temperatures for the time of year you are travelling and have packed adequate clothing.
Please advise at time of booking whether you require a hire of a sleeping bag?
Guests are asked to participate in the preparation of meals, clean up and vehicle unpacking/loading, so everyone can relax together after a long day of touring. It’s also a great way to get to know and connect with your fellow travellers.
This tour ends in Alice Springs only.

Location

Stay at Alice Springs Hotel

Leichhardt Terrace

This is our main pickup point for this tour, we ask guests to be ready and waiting outside the accommodation. Alternatively, if you wish to be collected from another location please call us.

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings

4.7

(46 Ratings)

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Christinavh4279dx

Jun 1, 2025

Super great nature experience - We took part in the 4-day tour in the Red Center. Lorrie guided us very safely through the Red Center. She told us a lot about the native population, geology, history, plants, animals and much more. She has a huge amount of knowledge that she passed on to us in a very interesting and amusing way when we were interested. Lorrie was very conscientious, super organized, close to nature, a very safe driver and a super cool nature girl by the way. We stayed in the most wonderful nature in simply furnished but clean tents. 2 times we stayed on small bush camps where only our group was and far and wide no one else. The tour took us to breathtaking and if possible not too touristy places. There was simple, mostly varied food with a good selection, something for everyone. Thank you, thank you Lorrie for the four wonderful days with many unforgettable experiences you made possible for us. You led us to places where we could watch beautiful colored sunrises and sunsets.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Voyager58234712280

May 21, 2025

An unforgettable experience - For the first time in my life, I was able to see the full starry sky. The tour members were great, too. I still can't believe that I actually walked in a place I would have never imagined if I had been in Japan to have a place like this on Earth.

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Agathev400

May 13, 2025

An experience to live - Memorable stay, rich in emotions, surrounded by kind people I made the discovery of Uluru and its breathtaking landscapes, I recommend! Thanks to Casper and Adam who were our guides for this beautiful adventure, I leave with memories full of mind.

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Annag850

Apr 28, 2025

a memorable trip - I highly recommend this tour. It was the only one I found that includes the Mac Donnell ranges with Standley Chasm, Simpson Gap, Ormiston Gorge, Ellery Creek which is a highlight together with Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta and Uluru. You cannot expect luxury. One camp does not have a shower but you can swim on this day and the day after. Food is simple but good and people have to help prepare the food, wash up, make a fire. There is a lot of driving involved but after a morning getting up at 4.30 to see the sunrise you can catch up on sleep on the bus. You should be able to walk over rocky terrain if you take this tour. Sleeping in a Swag is fun. People on this tour really grow together because you have to organise yourself with who does what job. On our tour we got off to a shaky start because our guide Adam was a bit stressed. He had to pick up additional passengers in Ayers Rock and exchange the bus, so he just told us to prepare some lunch without much explanation. We managed to scramble something together. Guiding people is not his strong side but he is very knowledgeable about plants and animals. The second day we picked up a family of 11 people and then the bus was full with 20 people. Luckily it worked well. At the end of the 3rd day 3 people left us. These pick-ups and drop-offs were well included in the programme. 6 of us have made friends and hopefully will stay in touch. It was a memorable trip.

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Isabella_f

Mar 30, 2025

It was a very nice... - It was a very nice structured tour with a nice guide with very good knowledge. The food was good and the bus has air conditioning.

Review provided by Viator

Gemma_c

Apr 22, 2025

The scenery is stunning,... - The scenery is stunning, the group I went with was such nice people and we had the most lovely guide - Adam who shared so many interesting stories about the country and his personal experiences. On the other hand, it can get a bit challenging if you’re not used to camping and hiking a lot. Nonetheless, it’s still such a memorable experience and I’d recommend trying it out.

Review provided by Viator

Simon

Apr 20, 2025

A nice family friendly adventure - My 13-year old daughter and I very much enjoyed our 4 day-3 night tour departing from Alice Springs. Our guide, Lorrie was a powerhouse of energy and well-versed in the history and geology of the area and the indigenous culture . Kaspar, our trainee guide was lovely and will be a fine guide too. Highlights were the dawn starts at Kata-Tjuta and Kings Canyon which were well worth the 4.30 am wake-ups! Autopia’s bush camp sites on the second and third nights were in beautiful, secluded spots, far from other tour groups. Swimming in the Ellery Creek waterhole of the West McDonnell ranges was also a highlight. The tour combined both the 1-night and 2-night tours with clients picked up in Alice Springs or Yulara, so at times the logistics of pick-ups and drop-offs limited things. I would have liked more walking time at Uluru on the first day and a few more photographic stops on the Mereeni loop - where it felt like we were racing to meet the transfer bus for the 3-day group. Despite the nice swim, Day 4 in the McDonnell ranges was a little anti-climactic. With the 4wd vehicle it’s a shame that the tour itinerary doesn’t venture further off-road e.g. into Palm Valley. But all in all, we are happy to recommend this as a family-friendly tour.

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Mariela_w

Apr 5, 2025

Left behind ! - Activity was excelent! Get ready to be up at 4 am and help with the kitchen. , love the sunrise and watch the stars at night ! My group was mixed of ages , most young people and a few 50+ the first day I complete the trail little later than the group because my short legs !! And I felt so good to complete 4 level difficult trail ! ….. next day I decided to help me with walking poles to go up the mountain, I completed the first 500 steps and our guide Mitch told me could not continue with the group , because I was holding them down, that they were 4 minutes faster than me !! So he told me go back the 500 steps and not continue with the trail ! I felt disappointment because that was the reason I went to this camping …..anyway I understood later he was in a hurry to finished the ride sooner because he was feeling sick and left the group with another guide !! … This company discriminated people for your age ! Just to be aware of that ! He told me to go with. Other 4 persons were walking down hill ! The lady came to replaced Mitch was very nice ! Her name I think was Jim ? Food was very good , and the places you visit are amazing , they provided drinking water and electrolytes , snacks, fruits , and 3 meals a day! You will be in a different camps everyday ! I took the 4 days , 3 nights, so I experience both the cabin bed and the swag , I felt the cabin. Was too hot for me, so the last night I slept outside !!and it was beautiful !

Review provided by Viator

Road63498190789

Jul 3, 2025

Disappointed in how the tour was run. - I booked this because we had never done a group tour and thought it’d be fun. However, it ended up being a disappointing experience that I feel is worth highlighting, especially given the price tag Unfortunately our tour guide Adam would rush us through things with vague directions on that would make even simple things like lunch prep unnessecarily confusing. We didn’t spend as much time at places as I would have liked and the rushing would continue even at the campsite. At times, he would also have a condescending attitude. I do give him a bit of credit as he was the only tour guide for 21 people (more below). Fortunately the rest of the group was great. We could tell he was very passionate about nature and shared a lot of facts about aboriginal culture but his overall attitude was abrasive. Many of us in the group felt uneasy asking questions or raising concerns because of how he would respond. As other reviewers have noted we shared concerns that 1 person was in charge of 21 people of different ages. I was already aware that there would be up to 21 people in the group (which is not a small tour by the way). What they did though is combine the 4 day group with the 3 day group. 1 person is not sufficient enough to supervise 21 people especially in a remote area. Fortunately most of our group was in good fitness and stuck to the times. Adam was basically running 2 trips by himself and hopefully he got compensated accordingly. Because of the combination of the groups, the bus was very cramped and uncomfortable. The seats are small and there is no legroom. The trailer was already full and despite no one over packing we still had to sit with our packs and day supplies because they didn’t even fit under the seats. I reached out to Autopia to share my concerns and to their credit they were very responsive. Unfortunately it felt like they were more interested in defending their practices than in truly understanding why I found the experience disappointing. When I asked for a partial refund (as the experience did not justify the price) they refused and instead offered a discount on a future trip. It was only slightly higher than the discount you automatically receive after the end of your tour. Obviously I have no desire to tour with them again. Autopia will likely respond to this review, which is their right. But I’d suggest that anyone considering this tour and the 3 day tour think carefully. Im a pretty low key person, experienced traveller and camper. If I was to go again, I would just rent an RV or camp myself. The roads are well paved and camp sites are well maintained. You’ll be able to stay wherever and for however long you want. The area is so beautiful, it feels like you’ve travelled to another planet. Just make sure to bring your mosquito head cover!

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2nilt

Apr 6, 2025

DISAPPOINTMENT very low-end service - very low-end performance, and program incomplete. driver/guide: very good - bcp explanations on geology and arborigene culture. – and he has ensured in the difficult times we have been through. – no criticism of him, it was not easy for him, he does everything possible with the means we give him vehicle = noisy, uncomfortable: it is not a 4x4 bus but a truck chassis with a non-soundproof passenger cell fixed on it. encampments: the biggest black spot -summaries - not or poorly maintained, very cheap (we saw better bcp) 1st night: rustic but acceptable 2nd night: dilapidated camp, stoned beds, no light in the tents, only one toilet for 20 (the 2nd unusable), unworthy showers (wood heating) 3rd night: no water so no shower, 1 construction toilet, water leaks in the common room and tents. food: 2nd black dot insufficient quantity and quality, with collective preparation (no bp) of meals under summary conditions. Programme: participants 3 days incorporated with participants 4 days imposing a return to Alice Spring on the 3rd day to drop them off. 3 people /17!!! so 4 days program truncated and not in accordance with what is sold, e.g. Mereenie Loop, a highlight of the 4 Days program. (but was apparently impassable) and 4/5 hours extra drive. then icing on the cake, with the rain the access to the camp became impassable, the bus got stuck, we all struggled +1 hour to clear it , and 50 meters away again stuck. it was therefore at night (at the front), under the crachin, in the shad that it was necessary to do 700m loaded with luggage, meals, dishes, etc. The guide notified his agency and in the morning a team with another bus came to pick us up. there at least they made sure. then they offered us lunch before returning to Alice Spring overall we do not recommend this service, the program imposes many hours of travel, very early morning rises, so a minimum of comfort, easily accessible camps, functional and clean sanitary facilities as well as good food would be a minimum to justify the price.

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up to 15 guests

1 - Adult