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Days
7
Price from
980AUD
Map of Adelaide to Alice Springs Overland including Australia

Experience the Australian outback from Adelaide to Alice Springs

Travel into Australia’s magnificent Red Centre on this Overland journey from Adelaide. From the orange-rock spires of Warren Gorge, the underground mining town of Coober Pedy to the towering domes of Kata Tjuta, 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 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
24 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.

  • Visit the opal-mining outpost of Coober Pedy, where scorching daytime temperatures have driven the town’s few residents to live underground.

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

  • Journey into the heart of the stunning Flinders Ranges and take an easy hike around Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre of rocky mountains.

  • 'Noodle' for opals, hang out with some rescued joeys and spend the night in a subterranean bunker in the Outback town of Coober Pedy.

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 you stay underground in Coober Pedy the accommodation may be mixed gender multi-share.

  • 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.

Adventure Tours Australia group in Kings Canyon - Northern Territory
Smiles for the sunset in Uluru - Northern Territory
Ready for a camel ride on the Australian outback?
Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Adventure Tours Australia leader with a group in Uluru Northern Territory
Adventure Tours Australia campsite - Uluru, Northern Territory

Itinerary
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This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 Apr 2018 to 31 Mar 2020.
 View the 2020 itinerary

Welcome to South Australia, where your adventure begins. You’ll be picked up from the Adelaide Central YHA at 6.30 am, so please arrive at least ten minutes before. Leave South Australia’s capital behind and head north to the quintessential country town of Quorn. After lunch enjoy expansive views of the Flinders Ranges as you drive towards Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre of rocky mountains. Enjoy an easy group hike to explore the area.

Total driving time today is approximately 5 hours
Included Activities
  • Wilpena Pound
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Please note that if your group would prefer, there is an option to return to Quorn for your overnight stay, instead of camping in Wilpena Pound.

Return to Quorn via a winding country road that passes rugged mountain ranges and crumbling colonial-era homesteads. Spend the day exploring this wild country. Hike through the orange rock spires of Warren Gorge, taking in pockets of unique flora along the way. Trek through low-lying native shrubbery and gnarled trees. As the sun sets, rest your weary limbs in the comfort of your accommodation for the evening, a historic grain mill.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Total driving time today is approximately 5 hours

Leave Quorn in the rear-view mirror and head to Coober Pedy, the ‘Opal capital of the world’. Due to extremely hot temperatures in the area most of the town is constructed underground, with residents living in homes carved into the hillsides. Upon arrival take a guided tour of the town, an underground house and the opal mine (with opal cutting demonstration). The rest of the afternoon is free to explore. You may even like to try your hand at 'noodling' (fossicking) for opals. End the day with some rescued joeys at Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage. Tonight, stay in a multi-share underground bunkhouse in Coober Pedy.
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
Special Information
Total driving time today is approximately 6 hours

We’ll be honest, there’s a fair bit of driving today. From Coober Pedy 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.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Dingo Fence
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Today driving time will be about 8.5 hours.

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. Walk to the cave paintings near Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of Uluru where you will be in the hands of an Anangu guide who will share the stories of this unique landscape. This exclusive experience will give you an 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.
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
Special Information
There isn't much driving today, about an hour in total between destinations. You will walk approximately 5km.

Today, explore one of the Red Centre's greatest treasures, Kata Tjuta, 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.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Watarrka National Park Entry Fees
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Driving time is about 6 hours today, and you will walk approximately 2km.

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.
Included Activities
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Driving time today is approximately 5 hours back to Alice Springs, and the Rim Walk is approximately 6km.

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.
 View this trip in reverse

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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