Explore
Adelai To Uluru Tour
Highlights
- Discover the ancient Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.
- Explore the surreal lunar landscapes of the iconic Oodnadatta Track while venturing off-road.
- You can sleep in an underground dugout in Coober Pedy.
- Experience the beauty and satisfaction of connecting with nature through invigorating hikes.
- Experience the beauty of spiritual sites such as Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon.
- Experience authentic Indigenous cultural connections with the Country.
- Experience the beauty of a sunset over Uluru.
- You can enjoy stargazing under the vast expanse of stars in the Milky Way.
- Engage in meaningful conservation efforts.
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Day 1: Adelaide - Flinders Ranges
Your eight-day outback adventure starts in Adelaide. Your Storyteller Guide will greet you. After a stop in Port Wakefield for caffeine, you will arrive in the Southern Flinders Ranges. There, you will hike in Alligator Gorge in the morning. Mount Remarkable National Park is the perfect place to begin the tour. After lunch, you will take a quick stroll around Quorn, known for the Pichi Richi Railway. Next, you will arrive at Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. You will hike to Arkaroo Rock, an important cultural site for the Adnyamathanha people. The rock paintings depict the Yura Muda (Dreaming or creation story) of Ikara (Wilpena Pound) using ochre and charcoal. In the afternoon, you will experience a Welcome to Country in the Adnyamathanha language. This will take place in Wilpena Pound Resort. Feeling connected to the land and nature, you will arrive at Skytrek Willow Springs Station. This 70,000-acre working sheep station offers secluded bush camping. It will be your base while exploring the Flinders Ranges. Your Guide will prepare a tasty dinner for you. Afterwards, you can relax and enjoy an incredible view of the night sky. The Flinders Range is famous for its clear skies in the Southern Hemisphere. You can roll out your swag and watch the stars twinkling over the ancient landscape.
Thedriving distancetoday is approximately510km.
Accommodation option available: Camping at Skytrek Willow Springs Station.
Meals IncludedL | D
Day 2: Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
The fossils found in the Flinders Ranges are ancient. They were so old that geologists had to redefine the geologic timeline and create a new era called the Ediacaran. After breakfast, we will explore more of the park. We will go on a morning hike through tall river red gums and past waterholes, ending with stunning views of the surrounding wilderness. Today, we will meet with a Park Ranger and learn about conservation efforts in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. We can also help with conservation work. After lunch, we will take a scenic drive at Brachina Gorge. We can drink at a country pub and then return to camp for dinner. The driving time today is about 3 hours.
Accommodation options include camping at Skytrek Willow Springs Station.
Meals provided: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 3: Flinders Ridge to William Creek on the Oodnadatta Trail
Today, we will travel along the Oodnadatta Track, an unsealed road in Australia. The scenery along the road is eerie and moonlike, with highlights such as Lake Eyre, the largest salt lake in Australia, and the Mutonia Sculpture Park. Our journey will take us through Anna Creek Station, the world’s largest working cattle station, covering an area equivalent to the size of Belgium. In the afternoon, we will reach the remote settlement of William Creek, an icon of the South Australian Outback with a population of just ten people. The William Creek Hotel opened in 1887 and is a heritage-listed establishment where we can enjoy a cold drink after dinner. We will spend the night in the campground, sleeping under the stars.
The total distance of today’s drive is around 500km.
Accommodation option: Camping is available at William Creek
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Please refer to the disclaimer in the Know Before You Go information for information on road and weather conditions.
Day 4: William Creek - Coober Pedy
After breakfast, travel to Coober Pedy, a famous underground town in Australia. It has a unique way of life and a fascinating history. Take some time to explore the city. Next, visit Josephine’s Gallery & Kangaroo Orphanage. It was established in 2008 to care for orphaned kangaroos and is as big as Germany! The gallery features a world-class Aboriginal Art Gallery. After lunch, go to Ummoona Opal Mine & Museum, the town’s main attraction. Learn about opals and watch a demonstration of opal-cutting. Then, visit the Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park, an Aboriginal Heritage site known for its stunning Moon Plains. Stay in an underground bunkhouse tonight and enjoy free time to explore and find dinner at one of the underground eateries. The driving distance today is approximately 170km.
Accommodation options at Umoona Opal Mine include underground bunk beds in a multi-share setting.
Meals included: Breakfast only.
Day 5: Coober Pedy - Watarrka/Kings Canyon
To get to Kings Canyon, start in Coober Pedy and head north. You’ll pass the Dingo Fence and Breakaways Reserve along the way. Once you cross into the Northern Territory, continue to Watarrka National Park. At the park, you can explore Kings Canyon. After lunch, take part in the Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience. It’s a one-hour tour to learn about Aboriginal culture and traditions. Your Guide will teach you about bush tucker, bush medicine, dot painting symbols, local crafts, and bush paintings. You’ll arrive at the Kings Creek Station campsite in the late afternoon. Take some time to relax and enjoy the peacefulness of the surroundings. If it’s warm, you can also swim in the pool. Don’t forget to have your camera ready for a beautiful desert sunset from the viewing platform. After that, you can have dinner at the Station restaurant before settling in for the night. It’s a long drive today, approximately 770km.
The accommodation option at Kings Creek Station is swag camping.
Meals included: Breakfast – None – None.
Day 6: Watarrka/Kings Canyon - Uluru
The Kings Canyon Rim Walk starts early in the morning. It is a magical experience with its high sandstone walls, waterholes, fern forests, chasms, canyons, and caverns. Watarrka National Park is an oasis in central Australia. The walk offers 360-degree views and passes through Priscilla’s Crack, featured in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The Lost City and the Garden of Eden are also part of the walk, with its lush greenery and watering hole. After lunch, we drive to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. We watched an unforgettable sunset over Uluru and had dinner at camp. Finally, we sleep under the stars on the red Earth. The driving distance today is approximately 350km.
Accommodation at Ayers Rock Resort Campground is available for swag camping.
Meals included Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Day 7: Uluru
Wake up early and enjoy the peacefulness of a sunrise over Uluru. The changing colours of the rock formations are captivating. Uluru, standing 348 meters high and 550 million years old, exudes a powerful presence. Take a guided 10km walk around the base of Uluru to truly connect with the rock and learn its stories. Along the way, relax by waterholes, rest under a Sheoak tree, and explore hidden caves. Afterwards, have lunch and visit the Cultural Centre to deepen your understanding of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Anangu culture. Take some free time in the afternoon to relax or participate in activities at Ayers Rock Resort. Enjoy a delicious dinner at camp tonight. Today’s drive is only around 60km. The full Uluru base walk is 10km, but shorter options are available.
Accommodation: Camping at Ayers Rock Resort Campground
Meals are included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Day 8: Kata Tiuta - Yulara
The final day of the tour starts early. You’ll see a beautiful sunrise at Kata Tjuta. Kata Tjuta has 36 domes, an integral part of the Red Centre landscape. It is also significant in Indigenous culture. The domes rise 546 meters above the plain and have ridges and ravines connected with creation-time stories. You’ll learn about the local Anangu culture and take a guided walk in the Valley of the Winds. The walk lasts three hours and offers fantastic views of the unique landscape. The tour ends in the late morning in Yulara. Transfers are available for those departing from Uluru Airport. Bus transfers are also available from Yulara and Alice Springs. The driving distance today is around 120km.
The meals included are breakfast.
Details
Inclusions
- The accommodation includes six nights of swag camping with facilities and one night in an underground bunkhouse multi-share dorm.
- All activities and experiences
- The meal plan includes seven breakfasts, four lunches, and five dinners.
- Storyteller Guide provides information on all national park entrance fees.
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Aditional Information
What do you need to bring?
- Your sense of adventure
- Weather-appropriate clothing
- Comfortable walking or hiking shoes
- Sleeping Bag
- Swimmers and beach towels
- Hand sanitiser and insect repellent
- In cooler months (Oct, Nov, March & April), pack thermals, bed socks, warm clothes and a hot water bottle.
- Hat and sunscreen
- Waterproof rain jacket
- Water bottle &/or Camelbak (2L minimum)
- Torch or headlight
- Snacks for the bus in your day bag
- Reusable facemasks
Itinerary Changes
- Weather conditions in the Australian outback can change quickly and dramatically. Our experienced guides will always put the safety of our passengers first and stay abreast of weather conditions.
- Itinerary changes may occur to ensure we provide the best possible experience. For example, in the hot summer months, from December to March, we may change the times of hikes to earlier. Any itinerary changes will be communicated to the group in advance.
- The Oodnadatta Track accessibility is strongly dependent on weather conditions. See below for further information.
Camping
- This is a camping tour, and involvement from the passengers is required. This can include helping with meals and packing up camp.
- Camping on this tour is at a mixture of national parks and campgrounds. All campgrounds do have basic toilet and shower facilities.
- When camping, we use single swags. Swags are ‘Aussie Bed Rolls’ made from sturdy canvas with a mattress built into the swag. Passengers must provide a sleeping bag and pillow to insert into the swag.
- Swag Upgrade – if you would like to upgrade to a deluxe double swag that comfortably sleeps up to two people, you can pay a $300 upgrade fee during the booking process. This swag features a high-density foam mattress and mesh windows. Due to the size of this swag, there is limited availability, so it is first in best dressed.
- Our wet weather option is a 3-person dome tent shared by two people.
General
- This tour commences in Adelaide on day one at approximately 6 am and finishes in Yulara (Uluru) on day eight at noon. Please book your travels with this in mind.
- Transfers from Uluru or Yulara to Alice Springs depart from the Desert Gardens Hotel at 12:30 pm (October – March) or 1 pm (April – September). These are operated by AAT Kings and cost approximately $189pp. You can visit their website for more details.
- To get the most from this experience, you need to enjoy the outdoors, hiking, and be able to cope with extreme weather conditions.
- A moderate fitness level is required, and you must be prepared for walks between 3-12 kilometres on some days. This may involve rough ground and perhaps getting wet.
- Please advise of any special dietary requirements when you book. We offer plenty of variety and do our best to provide fresh products. Snacks, soft drinks and alcohol are not included.
- Bags are restricted to 1 × 15 kg backpack/soft travel bag per person, plus one small piece of hand luggage.