A Complete guide to visiting Uluru

History of Uluru

Uluru is one of the world’s most renowned natural landmarks, previously known as Ayers Rock. In the heart of Australia’s outback, this iconic structure made of sandstone has a vast history and is sacred to the indigenous people. Uluru is often referred to as the heart of the ‘Red Centre’ and is one of Australia’s most recognisable landmarks. Uluru is located in the Uluru- Kata Tjuta National Park where over 250,000 people visit each year, despite it being hundreds of kilometres from the nearest major town and almost 1000 km from the Northern Territory’s capital Darwin. The sandstone monolith of Uluru and the conglomerate domes of Kata Tjuta, rise from the flat plains of the Northern Terriorty over 300m in height.

The monoliths unbelievable size and immense cultural significance to local Indigenous people has made it an icon of Australia, and its magnificence is something that has to be seen in person to appreciate. The Anangu people are the local Indigenous people who have been living on land around Uluru for over 30,000 years. Their stories teach that teach that Uluru is a living being and is the resting place for their ancestral beings.

It is not known how or why Uluru was formed. There are two main beliefs surrounding the monoliths formation, the Indigenous stories and the geological explanation.

I really believe this is one place that is worth visiting once in your lifetime.

THINGS TO KNOW

• You should bring a fly net. Or purchase on in the town centre, Yulara. We didn’t need them in September but I hear they can be unbearable during the hotter months.
• There is a town, Yulara with supermarket, restaurants, post office, souvenir shops, tours and petrol station.
• You must purchase a national parks pass ($38 per adults for 3 days, children under 18 go free). You can purchase your parks pass online or pay at the booth when you arrive.

WHEN TO GO?

May-Sep. The best of year to go is in the dry season, Australia’s winter from May-Sep. We went in September and this was just perfect. The days were warm but not unbearable and the mornings and evenings were cool but not freezing. In June and July the night temperatures can drop to close to zero so be prepared for cold nights in the middle of the dry season. We were very pleasantly surprised that were no flies and we had no need for our fly nets in September. Day time temperatures in September reached highs of 32 degrees and lows of 15 degrees Celsius at night.

HOW TO GET THERE?

Fly: The closest airport is Uluru Airport, a 10 minute drive away. We flew from Sydney to Ayres Rock Airport (3 hour flight) and hired a car. You can also fly into Alice Springs Airport which is a 5 hour drive away.

Drive: You can self drive from any part of Australia once you have time on your side. You do not need a 4wd to reach Uluru.

Group tour/ coach transfer: AAT Kings offers a variety of different tours, from one-off coach transfers to 19 Day Guided Holidays. They run group bus tours from Alice Springs. They also offer coach transfer from Alice Springs and Uluru airport.

HOW LONG TO GO FOR?

Three days is an ideal amount of time to explore Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. I have done a 3 day itinerary below. A long weekend is a perfect amount of time to see the best of Uluru and a day to explore Kata Tjuta National Park. If you want to check out Kings Canyon and can spare another day, I highly recommend making the trip out to Kings Canyon and splitting your time between Uluru and Kings Canyon doing 2 nights in each. Kings Canyon is much cheaper than Uluru for food and accommodation so it is a good way of saving money if travelling to the Red Centre on a budget.

WHERE TO STAY?

Ayres rock resort supply all the accommodation and they range from luxury hotel to camping.

• Ayres Rock Campground: The well-equipped campground is the most budget friendly/ basic option starting from $43 per night.

• Outback Pioneer Hotel. Comfortable and affordable, a 3.5-star hotel is perfect for the budget-minded traveller. Minimum stay of two nights starting from $300 per night.

• The Lost Camel. Located in the heart of the Resort, The Lost Camel is a contemporary hotel furnished with a mix of Aboriginal and urban themes. This hotel has a pool. From $330 /night. Min 2 nights.
• The Emu Apartments: Settle into a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment with all the practicalities of a modern home, a few minutes from shops, restaurants and bars. From $420 /night. Min 2 nights.
• Desert Gardens Hotel: These are the only rooms with views of Uluru in the Resort. This hotel has a pool also. This 4.5-star hotel starts from $400 /night. Min 2 nights.
• Sails in the Desert: A more luxurious option in the heart of Australia’s Red Centre, Sails in the Desert has a spa, a pool and restaurants onsite. From $475 /night. Min 2 nights
• Longitude 131°: Longitude 131° is a luxury wilderness camp. Enjoy views direct to Uluru and a premium lodge experience. They offer packages starting at $3780 per night and have a minimum of 3 night stay.

WHERE TO EAT?

If you’re on a budget, the cheapest option would be cooking in the campgrounds buying breakfast and lunch items to make in your hotel room/ apartment from IGA. There is an IGA in the centre of the resort that is not much more expensive than your average supermarket in Australia. Sails in the Desert and Desert Gardens have several dining options for guests and non guests.

• Outback BBQ & Bar: Located at Outback Pioneer Hotel, a popular dining option at Ayers Rock Resort, Outback BBQ is a do-it-yourself BBQ with traditional Aussie charm.
• Geckos Cafe: Located in the town square, serving classic staples and favourite dishes, like pastas, salads and burgers, in a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. They do dine in dinner also and take away options.
• Walpa Loddy Bar: Located in Sails in the Desert: Walpa Lobby Bar is contemporary and welcoming. The menu features a delicious selection of classic burgers, sandwiches, garden-fresh salads, and light meals, signature cocktails infused with native ingredients, and an extensive wine list.

TOP EXPERIENCES IN ULURU

Sound of Silence dinner: This was hands down the best experience in the Red Centre for us. It isn’t cheap but for the experience I think it is totally worth it and worth setting aside the budget for. It includes bus pick up from the resort to a private sunset viewing area of Uluru and you are met with sparkling wine, beers, wine and canapés served to you. After sunset you go down to an area for dinner. Here you are served a three course meal with wine (choose form sparkling, red or white) which is constantly being topped up. A local Indigenous person star talker decodes the southern night sky. Locate the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac, the Milky Way, as well as planets and galaxies that are visible due to the exceptional clarity of the atmosphere. The evening lasts approximately 4 hours and departs 1 hour before sunset. You can also add the Field of Lights tour to this experience if you are short on time in Uluru. $234 per person (will rise to $258 from April 2023).

Field of Lights: This internationally renowned masterpiece is a display of lights that illuminate the desert in colour. the installation is overwhelming in size, covering more than seven football fields and consists of 50,000 spindles of light.

The exhibition is located in a remote area away from the Resort and is not accessible unless booked onto one of the tours.

There are several options to view the Field of Lights:

• Field of Lights pass: $44 per person. Self guided tour of the instillation and transfers included. This pass does not give access to the raised viewing area with views of Uluru.
• Field of Light star pass: $100 (will rise to $110 in Apr 2023). This includes an exclusive dune top view, entrance into the exhibition, a selection of canapés with sparkling wine or beer, an insight into the light installation and transfers.
• A Night at Field of Light: $280 (will increase to $31 in Apr 2023). This includes the Sound of Silence experienced and entrance into the Field of Light exhibition.

Sunrise at the sunrise viewing platform. Located a 20 min drive out of town, you either need to have your own car or hop onto a sunrise tour. Really the tours don’t include much more than your transport or maybe a coffee and something to eat. Getting here 45 minutes before sunrise is recommended to get a spot at the front of the platform. The sunset car park is also another great place to view sunrise from. The sun comes up from behind the rock and creates a silhouette of Uluru. It is a lot less crowded also than the sunrise viewing platform.

Sunrise at Kata Juta National Park. Another incredible spot to catch sunrise is Kata-Juta National Park. It is about 50 minute drive from the resort so again you either need to book a tour if you don’t have a car. Having a car gives you great freedom and saves money on tours.

Top hikes in Uluru- Kata Juta National Park:

• Uluru Base Walk: 10km/Easy/ 2 hours. This is a flat track around the base of Uluru. It is 10km long and you are in direct sunlight with no shade so best to do early morning. A must do when you come to Uluru or at least doing part of the walk. You can also hire bikes and cycle around or hop onto a Segway tour.

• Mala walk: 2km/ easy/ 30 mins. An easy walk that takes in the start of the base walk. A range does a guided tour daily at 10am.
• Walpa Gorge: 2.6km/ moderate/45 mins. Located in Kata Tjuta, Walpa Gorge is also one of the few places in Kata Tjuta where you might see kanyaḻa, or common wallaroo hopping around the domes.
• Valley of the Winds: There are three options: Karu lookout (1 hour, 2.2 km return), Karingana lookout (2 hours, 5.4 km return) or the full loop (3-4 hours, 7.4 km return). It is a challenging walk with many steps and some steep spots. The views from the Karingana lookout are breathtaking and well worth the effort. The Valley of the Winds walk lets visitors immerse themselves among Kata Tjuta’s domes. For a shorter option you can walk to one of the lookouts and return. However, doing the full circuit is actually easier than walking to the second lookout (Karingana) and returning.

3 DAY ITINERARY ULURU

DAY 1: Fly to Uluru and rent a car. Arrive into the resort at 2pm. Check into your accommodation and chill out by the pool, have a wander around the resort.

Evening: Get ready to drive to sunset viewing point or get picked up by a tour. If self driving bring a blanket and a bottle of wine to enjoy some nibbles and wine watching sunset over Uluru. After sunset come back to the resort to have dinner in one of the restaurants.

DAY 2: Get up early for sunrise, aim for an alarm an hour and a half before sunrise so you can get to the sunrise point an hour before. Go to the sunrise viewing platform and wait until the sun comes up. After sunrise, drive to Uluru base to do the base walk or hire bikes from the cultural centre to cycle around the base. After the base walk/cycle, check out the art and history in the cultural centre close to the base walk.

Midday: Come back to the resort to grab lunch or get some lunch from the IGA. Enjoy some relaxing time by the pool.

Evening: Get ready for your Evening at Field of Light. This includes Sound of Silence dinner and the field of lights in one. The evening starts with pick up from the resort, sunset drinks and canapés, entrance to the field of light exhibition, three course dinner and star gazing.

DAY 3: Another early rise to head to Kata Tjuta National Park to see sunrise over the Olgas. Just to clarify, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is home to two separate rock formations that are well worth the visit – first you have the famous rock of Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock), and second you have the 36 domed Olgas of Kata Tjuta. During a visit to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, some of the must do activities include sunrises and sunsets over the magnificent rock formations of the region. Seeing the first and last rays of light illuminate these rocks is a beautiful experience.

The official Kata Tjuta sunrise spot is located 45 minutes from the town of Yulara. Since it is a bit farther away and the national park opening hours can be a bit tight in the morning, be sure to get to the national park entrance gates even before they open. This way you can best avoid waiting on the car line that tends to get quite long at opening.

On Google Maps you will see a couple names for the sunrise spot. The area to put into maps is “Kata-Tjuta Dunes Viewing Area”. There is a carpark a 200 m walk away from the viewing platform to park. Just be sure to head here and not the sunset spot. There is only one path from the carpark up to the viewing platform. From the platform to the far right you can see Uluru to the right and the Olgas straight in front.

As you reach the platform, you will then want to decide where to stand to enjoy the sunrise over Kata Tjuta.

After sunrise, drive to the Valley of the Winds carpark to set off on one of the hikes, I recommend the full loop if you are feeling energetic and able for the grade 4 7.4 km walk. Allow 3-4 hours to complete it. On completion of the hike, it is time to head back towards town and making your way to the airport. Grab some lunch along the way in town. The flights back to Sydney depart at 2pm or just after so it gives you the morning to explore.

If you have an extra day I think it is well worth heading to Kings Canyon. Check out my blog on Kings Canyon here.

4 day itinerary for Uluru & Kings Canyon

DAY 1: Fly into Uluru Airport and hire a car. Pick up some snacks or food in the town and get straight onto the road to tackle the 3 hour drive to Kings Canyon. Check in to Kings Canyon Resort and arrive just in time for sunset. Enjoy a drink and some live music by the Little Yellow Van at the Luritja Lookout. Sipping a drink and watching the sun change the colours of the Carmichaels Crag and the George Gill Range is pretty special. Enjoy dinner in the Bar and Grill at Kings Canyon Resort.

DAY 2: Set an early alarm to watch sunrise from the top of Kings Canyon. Drive to Kings Canyon carpark before starting the Rim Walk which is a 10 minute drive from the resort. You will have to scramble up the steep rocky path in the dark so carry a torch or the light from your phone. Coterills Lookout is about 45 min walk from the start of the track. This is by far the best place to see the sunrise from Kings Canyon. The Rim Walk is a challenging Grade 4 walk and is 6 km. The first bit is steep and the worst part.

After the hike, make your way back to the resort for breakfast and relax by the pool for the hottest part of the day.

EVENING: Catch another beautiful sunset and a drink at Luritja Lookout. For dinner check out Carmichaels Restaurant (booking in advance required).

DAY 3: Get up early for breakfast and then hit the road back to Uluru. Head straight to do the base walk or hire bikes to cycle around; aim to arrive before 11am and it gets too hot. Grab lunch at the cafe in the cultural centre and make your way to the town to check in and clean up before sunset.

Get ready to drive to sunset viewing point or get picked up by a tour. If self driving bring a blanket and a bottle of wine to enjoy some nibbles and wine watching sunset over Uluru. After sunset come back to the resort to have dinner in one of the restaurants.

DAY 4: Get up early for sunrise, aim for an alarm an hour and a half before sunrise so you can get to the sunrise point an hour before. Go to the sunrise viewing platform and wait until the sun comes up. Drive 45 mins to Kata Tjuta National Park to explore the Valley of the winds and see the Olgas from the viewing platform.

Just to clarify, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is home to two separate rock formations that are well worth the visit – first you have the famous rock of Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock), and second you have the 36 domed Olgas of Kata Tjuta.

The area to put into maps is for the viewing platform is “Kata-Tjuta Dunes Viewing Area”. There is a carpark a 200 m walk away from the viewing platform to park. From the platform to the far right you can see Uluru to the right and the Olgas straight in front.

After the viewing platform, the Valley of the Winds carpark is another 10 minute drive. Set off on one of the hikes, I recommend the full loop if you are feeling energetic and able for the grade 4 7.4 km walk. Allow 3-4 hours to complete it.

You should have enough time to get the hike in after sunrise and have plenty of time to grab lunch back in town before flying out that afternoon. On completion of the hike, it is time to head back towards town and making your way to the airport. Grab some lunch along the way in town. The flights back to Sydney depart at 2pm or just after so it gives you the morning to explore.

I hope this helped you plan your next trip to the heart of the Red Centre.