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Days
5
Price from
1271AUD
Map of Outback Camping Adventure ex Yulara including Australia

Enjoy the freedom and flexibility to explore the Outback in a small group

This five-day small group tour is your chance to meet the outback on your own terms. No set itinerary, no rushing around to pre-established timeframes – just you, your small group, and a well-versed local leader exploring the Red Centre at your own pace. Get to all the big name attractions – Uluru/Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, the West MacDonnell Ranges – and perhaps visit lesser-known sites like Trephina Gorge, Owen Springs, Ruby Gap and the East MacDonnell Ranges.

Secure your spot with a $99 deposit – Book Now!

 

Start
Alice Springs, Australia
Finish
Alice Springs, Australia
Destinations
Northern Territory,The Outback,Uluru
Style
Powered Camps / Swag Camping
Theme
Explorer
Code
AR5
Physical rating
Trip rating
3 reviews
Ages
Min 8
Group size
Min 8, Max 24

Why you’ll love this trip

  • Spend five days experiencing the very best that the Red Centre has to offer, including Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and two days exploring the sites of the MacDonnell Ranges, both East and West:  
  • Witnessing an Uluru sunset is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Have your camera ready when taking in this spectacular sight. 
  • A combination of both powered camps and swag camping to experience the true magic of the Red Centre.  
  • Armed with a flexible itinerary and a knowledgeable guide, this itinerary allows you to discover the Red Centre at a more relaxed pace. 

Is this trip right for you?

  • Are you starting and finishing for tour in Alice Springs? If so, this is the trip for you! The Uluru Adventure provides you with the option of extending your stay before or after this tour to enjoy the many optional activities and experiences that the historic outback town of Alice Springs has to offer.    Please note: If the start and finish locations do not match your arrival and departure plans, please select one of Adventure Tours Australia’s other three options, which allows you to;  
    1. Start and finish in Yulara, 
    2. Start in Yulara and finish in Alice Springs 
    3. Start in Alice Springs and finish in Yulara. 

    To see these options please visit here.

  • This trip is a combination of powered camps with creature comforts such as comfy mattresses, linen, and a fan; and swag camping with more basic facilities. 
  • Temperatures in the Red Centre can be extreme. During the day the weather can be more than 40 degrees Celsius in the shade (the Australian sun is very strong) so please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection, and drink plenty of water. From about June through to the end of August, the evening temperatures can drop below zero degrees Celsius, so bring some thick socks, layers and a warm jacket.  
  • This trip requires a moderate level of fitness, as it involves a lot of walking, allowing you to really get amongst it. Please bring some sturdy, comfortable walking shoes and comfortable clothing.  
  • On most days of this tour, you’ll spend several hours driving through very remote areas of the desert. Crank up the tunes and sit back to enjoy landscapes that you would miss in any other form of travel.  
  • Group participation is important on this trip, so you’ll be required to help with the preparation of meals and cleaning up. These are the kind of tasks that bring a group closer together.  
  • The idea of this 5-day itinerary is to be flexible, while still seeing the major highlights of the Red Centre. 
Ayers Rock, Uluru moody stormy sky
Western Macdonnell Ranges people by sign
Kings Canyon people in swimming hole
Ormiston Gorge swimming hole, Western Macdonnell Ranges
red rocks and palms in Palm Valley, Finke Gorge

Itinerary
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Alice Springs is really where you need to go to understand the heart and soul of Australia. Meet your guide and fellow travelers at the Alice Springs pick-up point this morning and set off to explore the Red Centre. Shortly after you arrive, the unmistakable Uluru will emerge from the earth as one giant boulder. Only a short drive away walk off your lunch is Kata Tjuta (The Olga’s). With its 36 various-sized domes, it provides quite a contrast to Uluru, and much larger too with the highest point almost 200 meters higher than its counterpart. You’ll get to know Kata Tjuta’s rock formations and landscape pretty well in the afternoon hiking between the massive domes. As the evening unfolds, enjoy a light snack as the sun slowly sets, casting a variety of earthy tones across Uluru. The perfect end to a remarkable day is awaiting you back at camp, as you enjoy a delicious spread of food with your group. If the weather permits, sit outside under the stars.  

Accommodation
  • Powered camp (shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance
  • Uluru Base Walk
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information

Total walking time is approximately 2 hours. Total driving time today is around 7 hours. 

An early start this morning is rewarded with an Uluru sunrise as the sun hits the icon like a beacon, before the light floods the surrounding landscape. Your guide will take you to one of the significant cultural sights of Uluru, outlining Anangu rock art and passing on one of the creation stories of the site. While the morning is fresh, the time is yours to enjoy the self-guided, full base walk of Uluru, taking in all of the textures and valleys up-close, which isn’t evident from afar. Once you’ve had lunch, perhaps purchase some art at the Cultural Centre, hand-crafted by local First Nation Peoples of the Western and Central Deserts. Travel onto our exclusive campsite near the Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon), where the group will have dinner and enjoy the stars. 

Accommodation
  • Powered camp (shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Uluru Cultural Centre
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information  

Total driving time today is around 3.5 hours. Total walking time is approximately 2.5 hours (or up to 3.5 if you do the full 10km base walk).  

The main attraction of Watarrka National Park is undoubtedly Kings Canyon – a huge gorge enclosed by sheer rock walls many meters high. With its porous sandstone, deep gullies and hidden rock pools, it provides shelter to more than 600 species of native plants and animals. Your guide will point may of these out on a trek that takes in the canyon’s most famous locations such as the Lost City, the Garden of Eden, Amphitheatre, and of course North & South Walls of Kings Canyon. We enjoy lunch before driving during much of the afternoon to our overnight camp in the East MacDonnell Ranges. 

Accommodation
  • Swag camping (basic facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information

Total driving time today is around 5.5 hours. Total walking time is approximately 3 hours. For the Kings Canyon Rim Walk it is a requirement that you have a minimum of three litres of water with you. Please consider bringing your own refillable water bottles. 

Often overlooked for its western counterpart, the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges just might be one of the Outback’s best kept secrets. This is the home of the Arrernte people, the Traditional Owners of the land. Learn about their caterpillar dreamtime story on a short walk to Emily Gap, an important spiritual site to the Arrernte people containing galleries of ancient rock paintings. Drive to Jesse Gap followed by Trephina Gorge, where you’ll set off on a one-hour guided walk to see its quartzite cliffs and rich birdlife. Afterwards, it’s time for lunch; grab a bite at the historical Ross River Homestead. After exploring the best of the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges, we drive to our overnight bush camp in the West MacDonnell Ranges. 

Total driving time: about 3 hours  

Accommodation
  • Swag camping (basic facilities) (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Spend the afternoon exploring the Outback scenery of the Western MacDonnell Ranges. Visit one of the most photographed places in the Red Centre; Ormiston Gorge. Keep your eyes peeled for wallabies while admiring the colourful, sweeping walls surrounding its waterhole. Continue to Redbank Gorge and Ellery Creek Big Hole, a popular spot for a refreshing dip. After a satisfying day spent exploring the West MacDonnell Ranges, we head back to Alice Springs where our epic five–day adventure ends. 
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Dates & availability

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Important notes

  1. Please refer to the COVID-19 Hub for the latest information on ATA’s COVID-related policies. Read details here
  2. This trip starts in Alice Springs at approximately 6 am and finishes in Alice Springs at approximately 6 pm on Day 5. Onward travel must be booked the following day.
  3. 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.
  4. You can also start this trip in Yulara (Ayers Rock) see code AR5Y
  5. This trip requires a sleeping bag.

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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