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Days
7
Price from
$784AUD
Map of Adelaide to Alice Springs Overland including Australia

Travel from Adelaide to Alice Springs on this overland adventure

Travel into Australia’s magnificent Red Centre on this Overland journey from Adelaide. From the red-rock moonscapes of William Creek and the Oodnadatta Track, the underground mining town of Coober Pedy to the towering domes of The Olgas, make your way through some iconic outback sights on your way to Alice Springs. See opal cutting demonstrations, meet the furry residents of a kangaroo orphanage, and learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spiritual beliefs on a guided walk at Uluru (Ayres Rock) as you discover more about this breathtaking Australian region.

Start
Adelaide, Australia
Finish
Alice Springs, Australia
Destinations
South Australia, Outback, Northern Territory, Uluru
Style
Basix
Theme
Explorer, Overland
Code
PAASE7
Physical rating
Trip rating
25 reviews
Ages
Min 8
Group size
Min 1, Max 24

Why you'll love this trip

  • Discover the best of southern and central Australia on an epic road trip. Like a true Australian drover, spend your nights camping in a swag under the southern sky

  • Follow the route of the old Overland Telegraph line to the town of William Creek, situated on the largest cattle station in the world

  • The opal-mining outpost of Coober Pedy is like no other place in Australia, as scorching daytime temperatures have driven the town’s few residents to live underground. 'Noodle' for opals, hang out with some rescued joeys and spend the night in a subterranean bunker

  • See the best of Australia’s iconic Red Centre on guided walks around Uluru, Kings Canyon and the ancient red domes of Kata Tjuja.

  • The outback landscape is sacred to the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Learn about their special connection to the land on guided walks

Is this trip right for you?

  • Temperatures in the Red Centre can be extreme. During the day the weather can be very hot (and the Australian sun is very strong) so please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection and drink plenty of water. In the evenings temperatures really drop, so bring base layers and warm clothing.

  • This trip requires a moderate level of fitness as it involves a lot of walking, allowing you to really get among nature. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes and comfortable clothing.

  • On most days of the trip, you’ll spend several hours driving through very sparse areas of desert. Crank up the tunes and sit back to enjoy landscapes that you would miss in any other form of travel.

  • When we stay underground in Coober Pedy the accommodation may be mixed gender multishare

  • Group participation makes up a lot of this trip, so you'll be required to help with preparation of meals and cleaning up. These are the kind of tasks that bring a group closer together.

Sunset over Uluru in the Northern Territory
Windmill in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Tour group jumping at a salt lake in South Australia
View at Wilpena Bend, Flinders Ranges
Kangaroo in Wilpena Bend, South Australia

Itinerary
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Barely 100 clicks north of Adelaide lies the Clare Valley, an undulating sprawl of vineyards, wine cellars and quaint bluestone cottages. Renowned for its production of world-class Rieslings, this is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions – and one of its prettiest too. On the drive through to Wilpena Pound you’ll be treated to some extraordinary views of the Flinders Ranges, which, stretching for over 430 km across South Australia, are the state’s biggest mountain range. Arriving at our campsite there’ll be time for hike before snuggling down in a swag.

Total driving time takes around five hours.
Accommodation
  • Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Wilpena Pound
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Leaving the flinders Ranges, we cruise north towards the tiny town of Lyndhurst, where the entrance sign proclaims ‘Welcome to Lyndhurst. Pop. 30 (most days)’. Hitting the famous Oodnadatta Track, we’ll make a stop by Lake Eyre (Australia’s largest salt lake), before arriving at our campsite in William Creek – base for the night.

Total driving time today is approximately 8 hours
Accommodation
  • Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Covering an area of six million acres, Anna Creek Station is the world’s largest working cattle station. The estate was founded in 1899 by Sir Sidney Kidman, a distant relative of Nicole who set from home out on a one-eyed horse at age 13 to make his fortune. By mid afternoon we’ll have reached the opal-mining town of Coober Pedy. The weather here is so hot that life’s better lived underground. After taking a guided tour of this subterranean society, and checking into an underground bunkhouse, you’ll have the afternoon at leisure. Try your luck ‘noodling’ for opals, or finish the day at Josephine’s Kangaroo Orphanage to see what’s hopping about.

Total driving time today is approximately 6.5 hours
Accommodation
  • Underground Multishare (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Anna Creek Station
  • Coober Pedy Mine tour
  • Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

We’ll be honest, there’s a fair bit of driving today. From Coober Pedy we travel across the Moon Plains, past the Dingo Fence, past Breakaways Reserve, and into Yulara. Make sure you have your Ipod fully charged and your neck cushion handy.

Today driving time will be about 8.5 hours.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Dingo Fence
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Rise early this morning and be rewarded with a glorious Uluru sunrise. While the day is still fresh, enjoy a walk around the base of this incredible sandstone formation, which is of great spiritual significance to the Anangu people. We walk to the cave paintings near Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of Uluru where you wiill be in the hands of an Anangu guide who will share the stories of this unique landscape and explain the Art, the Culture and connection to Land. This exclusive experience will give you an exclusive insight to the meaning behind Anangu art and traditional culture. The on-site Cultural Centre also houses an extensive collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and crafts for you to browse. Head back to camp for lunch.

There isn't much driving today, about an hour in total between destinations. You will walk approximately 5km.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance
  • Uluru Base Walk
  • Uluru Cultural Centre
  • Kata Tjuta
  • Maruku Arts cultural experience
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Today, explore one of the Red Centre's greatest treasures: Kata Tjuta. The Olgas, as they're also known, are a group of domed red rocks rising spectacularly out of the desert. Like Uluru, they’re sacred to the Anangu people and are believed to be 500 million years old. Return to camp for lunch before travelling to Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). Spend the night in an exclusive campsite inside the park.

Driving time is about six hours today, and you will walk approximately 2km.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Watarrka National Park Entry Fees
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

With its 300-metre high sandstone walls, hidden waterholes, fern forests, chasms, canyons and caverns, Watarrka National Park is central Australia’s answer to an oasis. The highlight attractions here are the Garden of Eden, the Amphitheatre and the Lost City – all sites you’ll get to visit on the Rim Walk. Following lunch it’s back on the road for the onward drive to Alice Springs, where this adventure concludes.

Driving time today is approximately 5 hours back to Alice Springs, and the Rim Walk is approximately 6km.
Included Activities
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
For the Kings Canyon Rim Walk it is a requirement that you have a minimum of 3 litres of water with you. Please consider bringing your own refillable water bottles.
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Meals

6 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners

Transport

All Terrain vehicle

Accommodation

Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night), Camping (with shared facilities) (1 night), Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (3 nights), Underground Multishare (1 night)

Included activities

  • Wilpena Pound
  • Anna Creek Station
  • Coober Pedy Mine tour
  • Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage
  • Dingo Fence
  • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance
  • Uluru Base Walk
  • Uluru Cultural Centre
  • Kata Tjuta
  • Maruku Arts cultural experience
  • Watarrka National Park Entry Fees
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk

Dates & availability

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Important notes

1. Tour commences in Adelaide on day 1 at 06:30 from Adelaide Central YHA (135 Waymouth St)
2. For the Kings Canyon Rim Walk it is a requirement that you have a minimum of 3 litres of water with you. Please consider bringing your own refillable water bottles.
3. Tour finishes in Alice Springs day 7 at approx 18:00. All onward travel must be booked the following day.
4. Strict luggage limit of 15kg applies.
5. This trip requires a sleeping bag.
6. Please note there is no single supplement is available for this trip

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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