The Best Things to Do from Alice Springs to Uluru: Red Centre Australia Itinerary
The colour palette of the central part of Australia is the best. Australia’s Northern Territory is amazing, and there is nothing but good times to be had in the Red Centre when going from Alice Springs to Uluru. The Red Centre is one of our favourite places and one of the most magical places in Australia thanks to Uluru.
We had been to Uluru and the Northern Territory before (don’t miss our Top End itinerary here), but this time we were doing different experiences and exploring different areas. We visited with the tourism board and were treated to some truly amazing experiences.
If you are trying to do a similar trip on a budget, you can save by hiring a camper and camping along the way instead. The Northern Territory is made for people who love camping, hiking and exploring.
The best time to go is in winter which is the dry season. We went in July when the Top End was hotter but bearable. Mornings were cooler and days can get to 30+ degrees Celsius. In July, the Red Centre is cooler, staying between 0-4 degrees Celsius in the morning and 25 degrees Celsius in the midday.
When we went during the pandemic, anyone flying in from areas not declared a hot spot could enter the territory without having to quarantine. If you were coming from a hotspot, you had to do a mandatory paid quarantine and would be taken straight from the airport. Just check that you are not coming from an area declared a hot spot and check for changes to this before you go as things are constantly changing.
Below we are sharing our 6-day itinerary with the best things to do from Alice Springs to Uluru in the Red Centre. This trip needs to be on your Australia bucket list for sure!
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Day 1: Alice Springs & East MacDonnell Ranges Helicopter Flight
On our first day, we flew into Alice Springs and picked up our hire car. To pick up and drop off the car in Alice Springs with a 5 day hire for a Mitsubishi Outlander (4WD was not needed for our trip) was $450 plus fuel.
We started the trip on a high and weren’t sure we would be able to top it. We went with Alice Springs Helicopters for a flight over the East MacDonnell Ranges. The flight we chose was the “Rangeview Romantic” experience, a 1.5-hour trip (30 minutes of flying) for $385 per person.
This flight was incredible. We highly recommend doing a flight with Alice Springs Helicopters. They flew us up to a spot on top of the East MacDonnell Ranges where they landed for us to have a sunset picnic. I mean, does it get any better than that?
It was super windy, but the view was insane. We really had an unbelievable afternoon with the views and the experience.
We also had a chance to see how hard the pandemic has hit the travel industry on our flight. Alice Springs airport is holding a bunch of planes from Asia right now, and it was pretty sad to see all of the grounded planes. It really shows how much the travel industry has been damaged through this.
Another absolutely incredible experience you must do whilst in Alice Springs is visiting the Kangaroo Sanctuary. Unfortunately, the sanctuary is shut temporarily due to covid, but hopefully will be open again soon. When we visited in 2019 it was honestly one of our most memorable experiences. We don’t want to give away too much, as there are lots of fun surprises. The owner Brolga is an Aussie legend! His story is super inspiring. Go check out the IG, it has over 1 million followers!
For our time in Alice Springs, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters. The rooms started at $150 a night, and it made for a great base to explore the area.
Day 2: Red Centre Gorges
The Northern Territory has endless gorges and not one of them disappoints. We hit the road early in the morning to be able to see and do as much as possible.
Our first stop was Simpsons Gap in the West MacDonnell Ranges. You can walk through the gorge, and it made for amazing photos. It’s only 18km from Alice Springs, so it was the perfect first stop.
Our next stop was one of Kyle’s favourite watering holes in the Red Centre. The Ellery Creek Big Hole is one of the most popular swimming spots in the West MacDonnell Ranges. We had it mostly to ourselves in the morning and got to get some photos and drone footage before enjoying the water.
Next up was the Stanley Chasm. Walking through this area felt like we were back in Petra. It is definitely a Red Centre must-see. It is only about a 10-minute walk each way to the 80-meter high chasm, and it is not a difficult walk to get there.
Our last stop was the Ormiston Gorge. This one is 135km from Alice Springs, so it is a little further out but worth the trip. It is a popular swimming spot as well, especially if you visit in the warmer months.
DAY 3 & 4: FINKE GORGE NATIONAL PARK & ALICE SPRINGS TO KINGS CANYON
On our third day, we explored Finke Gorge National Park with Finke River Adventures on 4-wheelers before catching the sunset at a kangaroo sanctuary in Alice Springs.
Day 4 started with a balloon ride with Outback Ballooning Alice Springs. The views from above were incredible. We loved how much time we got to spend in the air on this trip between the helicopter rides and hot air balloon ride.
After our sunrise balloon trip, we left Alice Springs to head towards Uluru with a stop in Kings Canyon overnight. Two stops to make sure to take on this part of the trip are Glen Helen Gorge and the Karkke Cultural Experience. The tour costs $69 per person, and it lasts for about an hour. On the tour, you learn about the Luritja and Pertame (South Aranda) people and their bush medicines used for spiritual and medicinal uses. It’s a great way to learn the history and culture of the area.
Day 5: KINGS CANYON TO ULURU
Our fourth day started with the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a 6km circuit (3.75 miles). The first part is the hardest part of the trail, so don’t give up then. After you climb about 500 steep steps, the views make the workout worth it. Looking down over the Garden of Eden makes up for the workout you got on the way up.
After the Rim Walk, we drove from Kings Canyon to Uluru, but if you can, take time to stop in at Mount Connor on the way. It is 100km east of Ayers Rock Resort and 185 km from Alice Springs. The land is privately owned, so if you really want to explore this area, you have to take a tour.
Sails in the Desert Hotel at Ayers Rock Resort was our base for exploring Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Rooms start at $333 per night for a 2-night stay but are only $238 a night for a 4-night stay. In other words, the longer you stay, the cheaper the nightly rate is.
We only stayed 2 days in Uluru this time because we had been before. If it is your first time, we highly recommend staying for 3 days to take it all in. Really, I could easily spend a week there just taking my time and enjoying the surroundings. There are lots of walks and fun activities to do, and the sunsets and sunrises are incredible.
On our first night in Uluru, we experienced the Field of Light. It is $44 per person for general admission, but you can also upgrade to the Star Pass experience which starts at $98 per person. The Star Pass Experience gets you sunset drinks, canapés, and entry to the Field of Light. We opted for the Star Pass upgrade to get the full experience and it was pure magic.
Uluru is one of the most incredible places in Australia, and this viewpoint for sunset was perfect. Sunset is when you get really deep oranges. We could have stayed and enjoyed the view for hours. Unfortunately, the sun set pretty quickly, but we still managed to capture the magic in photos to remember the special experience we had there.
If you are looking for another unique Uluru experience, try the Sounds of Silence dinner experience. We haven’t been able to do this yet, but for $229 per person, you have a four-hour dining experience under the stars at Uluru. This can also be combined with the Field of Light art installation for a complete Uluru evening experience.
Day 6: Uluru & Kata Tjuta
Our morning started with Uluru Camel Tours. Tours start at $80 per person with options for shorter or longer tours. It makes for a unique way to explore the landscapes surrounding Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
After our tour, it was time to get up close with the Uluru Base Walk. I always forget how massive Uluru is until I’m right at the base of it. No matter how many times we see it though, we will always be blown away by Uluru. It isn’t a place, it’s a feeling. You can’t explain it until you’ve experienced it, and everyone needs to experience it at least once in their lifetime.
It was so quiet when we went that it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. You can touch the rock when you do the base walk, but there are rules to follow when you visit. Some areas are not allowed to be photographed for cultural reasons. You also have to make sure to stay on the path and no photos are allowed off the path. With Kata Tjuta, you have to always show 3 domes of Kata Tjuta in your photos. Overall, the park is very well preserved, so please help keep it that way.
After our base walk, we visited another of the gorges in the Northern Territory, the Walpa Gorge. This is one of the few places in Kata Tjuta where you can see wallabies hopping around.
Keep in mind that this is a culturally sensitive area. Make sure to keep both sides of the gorge in the frame when taking pictures here. Swimming in the water holes is also not allowed here.
Ewing Lookout was our sunset spot for the evening. It is located close to the town and gives you a view of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. There are several lookouts to use for sunrise and sunset. This one is further away, so you have more views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta within the surrounding landscapes.
Day 7: Kata Tjuta & Uluru Helicopter Ride
For our only morning we had to shoot sunrise, we decided to take a rise. The Kata Tjuta dune viewing area is a popular spot for sunset (and about 40 minutes from our hotel), but we hadn’t seen sunrise shots there before. We decided to take a risk and go for it anyways.
We weren’t sure exactly where the sun would rise or if it would work out, but it paid off majorly. When the sun rose from behind Kata Tjuta, shining through and kissing our faces with its glow, we felt like we could freeze that moment in time forever. That’s why I love photos - they can capture beautiful moments in your life that you can always look back on later.
Kata Tjuta is just as spectacular as Uluru even if it is not as well known. Sunrise at Kata Tjuta was magical, and I highly recommend this as a sunrise spot.
We spent most of the rest of the day checking out Uluru and the surrounding area, but then it was time for another major bucket list Australian experience. We took a sunset Uluru scenic helicopter flight with Professional Helicopters, flying over Uluru and Kata Tjuta for the most epic views. The Grand View flight goes for 36 minutes and costs $320 per person. Worth every bit of it too!
We were blown away. Watching the sunset over Kata Tjuta with Uluru looming in the background was unbelievable. Make sure you do this when visiting Uluru. I had literal tears flying over Kata Tjuta. Definitely a highlight of the trip and such an incredible experience.
Day 8: Departing from Uluru Airport
Our last day was hard. I didn’t want to leave. We flew home from Uluru airport after driving in from Alice Springs to Uluru.
Overall though, I am so grateful for this experience and to be able to travel again. I’m thankful to be an Australian and have our amazing country to explore. We really are blessed here.
For more Australia travel, check out our Top End itinerary, our Western Australia itinerary (Perth to Exmouth), our Northern Queensland and Great Barrier Reef itinerary, and more of Australia's top travel destinations!
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