Things To Do From Alice Springs To Uluru

Alice Springs To Uluru

Are you planning a trip from Alice Springs to Uluru in Australia? Do you want to know what not to miss, where to stay, and how to get around? Having toured this area, I have researched everything you need to make this the trip of your lifetime. There are so many things to see and do along this route which inhabits some of the most stunning scenery you will ever come across. Grab yourself a drink, sit back and start planning your dream trip now!

Alice Springs Accommodation

The first thing you need to know is where to stay in Alice Springs. Whether you are on a budget, or you are looking for luxury, you can find the best places available below.

Cheap Accommodation In Alice Springs

Alice’s Secret Travellers Inn – 5 minutes walk from the town centre this budget, quirky accommodation offers an outdoor pool, free wifi, free parking and air conditioning. Each guest can book private dormitory rooms with shared bathroom facilities. The desk can arrange tours to Uluru or even a hot air ballooning trip. Prices range from £14 a night for a mixed dorm, to £54 for two people sharing one room with a patio with shared bathroom. Rated as ‘Superb’.

Jump Inn Budget Accommodation – This hostel is a 15-minute walk from the centre of Alice Springs and offers an outdoor pool, wifi and washing facilities. Prices range from £13 for a bunk in a ten-bed mixed dorm, to £50 per night for w double room with a private bathroom.

Alice Lodge Backpackers – 10 minutes walk from the town centre this lodge offers an outdoor pool, a park out front, a fully equipped shared kitchen, laundry room, barbecue area and a TV room. Guests can use a safety deposit box and free luggage storage. Breakfast is included, and the desk can arrange various excursions during your stay. Prices start at £14 per night in a six mixed dorm to £58 per night for a private room with a double bed and two singles for families.

Mid-range Accommodation

A Good Rest BnB – Three miles from the centre of Alice Springs, there is a spa and wellness centre, free wifi, a 24hr desk, washing facilities, luggage storage and barbecue facilities. Voted ‘Superb’ on Booking.com. Prices range from £91 for a double room with a spa bath to a studio with a garden view for £123. Family rooms are also available.

Crown Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters – Facilities include a heated pool, a spa bath and a 24hr health and fitness centre. Each room each has a patio, or balcony and has access to free wifi. Guest have access to free bikes for exploring and can enjoy the on-site casino, a spa and wellness centre, four bars and three restaurants. Prices range from £59 for a standard double room to £109 for a deluxe or Premium room.

Kathy’s Place Bed And Breakfast – With a shared lounge, swimming pool, barbecue area and garden each room contains a kitchen with a dishwasher, TV washing machine and shared bathroom with a hot tub. Continental and buffet breakfast options are available. The property also offers a free shuttle service to the airport. Prices range from £42 for one person to £85 for three.

Luxury Accommodation In Alice Springs

Vatu Sanctuary – One of the highest-rated places to stay on Booking.com as ‘9.9 Exceptional’ if you are looking for something special during your stay in Alice Springs, this is the place for you. The whole property is for rent and offers a unique and immersive experience. The property offers two bedroomed accommodation but can sleep up to five. Guests can enjoy a pool, free wifi, free parking, fully-fitted kitchen with a lounge, TV and all you need for a home from home. See the photos for yourself. Prices range from £233 for four people.

Quest Alice Springs – A modern hotel with free parking, wifi and a selection of restaurants nearby. Guests can eat out and chargeback to their room. Facilities include a pool, barbecue area, secretarial services and key card £65 system. Prices range from for a studio apartment to £214 for an exclusive two bedroomed apartment for five people.

Alice On Todd Apartments – Five minutes drive from central Alice Springs these apartments offer self-catering facilities including kitchen, TV, free wifi and laundry details. Guests can also enjoy the outdoor pool as well as the barbecue area. Prices range from £63 for a studio apartment to £156 for a deluxe two=bedroomed apartment.

Car Hire Alice Springs

If you are planning on driving yourself from Alice Springs to Uluru, it is worth booking before you arrive so that you can pick the car up from the airport.

Affordable Car Hire – You can book online for daily hire to pick up at Alice Springs Airport from £5 per day.

Things To Do In Alice Springs

The West MacDonnell Ranges

Take a day tour to the West MacDonnell Ranges with Outback Elite tours. The tour covers the watering holes, gorges and wildlife. Alternatively, you can take their pool to pool tour and cool off from the outback heat. Prices start at $180AUD

Chambers Pillar, Rodinga and the Titjikala Aboriginal Community

Outback Elite also do a day tour to the Chambers Pillar and the prehistoric Ewaninga rock carvings. You can stop off at The Aboriginal Art Gallery and purchase some original art. Starts at $398AUD per person for the day tour

A Sunrise Ballooning Experience

Take in some fantastic views of the outback on this early morning trip. Choose from a 30-minute or a 60-minute flight. Cheese and biscuits, muffins, fruit juice and sparkling wine, are available during your trip. The trip is run by Outback Ballooning and costs from $305AUD per person for a 30-minute flight.

Uluru Tours From Alice Springs

AAT Kings offer tours all over Australia with well established local guides. Tours range from half-day to short breaks and run regularly throughout the year. You can travel from Alice Springs to Uluru in their comfortable, air-conditioned coaches stopping off at the West MacDonnell Ranges and Atila on the way. The contrast of the red earth and bright blue skies make this tour a breathtaking journey from start to finish.

Uluru Accommodation

Ayers Rock Resort

The Ayers Rock Resort is one of the main places to stay if you are planning on visiting Uluru. There are several types of accommodation to choose from.

The Outback Pioneer Hotel – The hotel offers free wifi, air conditioning, an onsite restaurant and cooking facilities outside if you would prefer to shop at the local supermarket. The hotel is a ten-minute walk from the visitor’s centre, a beauty salon and the local supermarket. The local airport is a 15-minute drive away. Prices range from £207 for two adults sharing.

Desert Gardens Hotel – The hotel has an outdoor pool and an onsite restaurant. Each room has coffee and tea making facilities, a tv and some have a balcony and a view of Uluru itself. Breakfast is provided. Prices start at £295 for two people.

Emu Walk Apartments – Each apartment has a tv, private bathroom, living room and bedroom, balcony or veranda and is a short walk away from the resort centre. Prices start from £310 for two people.

Uluru Caravan Park

Ayers Rock Campground has two bedroomed cabins, powered campsites and non-powered sites. Prices start at $179AUD per cabin, $50AUD for a powered site and $43AUD for a non-powered site.

Car Rental Ayers Rock

If you haven’t already picked up any transport before arriving in Uluru and want to explore on your own, you can pick a car up at Ayers Rock Airport which is 15 minutes from the central Ayers Rock Resort. Affordable Car Hire can be reserved online before you depart.

Facts About Uluru

Uluru is the original, Aboriginal name of the iconic rock. You may know the landmark as Ayer’s Rock, but that name was given much later in 1873 by William Gosse. Uluru is considered the official name.
It takes approximately three and a half hours to walk around the base of Uluru.
The base walk is approximately 10km.
The rock is 348 metres high, 863 metres above sea level, is 3.6 km long and 1.9 km wide.
The rock extends miles under ground. Nobody knows how large it is.
Uluru is part of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and is part of the Kata Tjuta.
The Aboriginal community own the land but the Australian Government have a 99-year lease which does not run out until 2084.
As of Saturday the 26th October 2019, you can no longer climb to the top of Uluru because it is a sacred site for the Pitjantjatjara tribe who inhabit the local community and should be respected.
Aboriginals believe that ancestors formed Uluru during Dreamtime.
Around the base, some caves and areas are said to represent the spirits. These are protected by ‘No Photography’ signs.
Dreamtime is the essence of the Aboriginal culture and Uluru is one of their most sacred sites.
The local culture believes that ten ancestral spirit people created the rock.
According to Dreamtime, the earth was empty until the Anangu people emerged and created landmarks like Uluru.
Different parts of the rock represent different spirits.

Things To Do In Uluru

Uluru offers incredible tours covering some of the most stunning scenery you will ever see. If you enjoy astronomy you will struggle to find a better place to stargaze.

Outback Sky Journeys

If you are staying at Ayers Rock Resort, do not miss out on the fantastic astronomy tours. There are adult and family options. Prices start from $52AUD per adult.

Uluru Tours

Uluru Guided Base Walk

To learn more about Uluru and its history, including the blue-tongued lizard, you should go on the guided base walk. The guides are knowledgeable and respect the area and the surrounding community.

Uluru Sunset Guided Tour

The colours of Uluru change at sunset. Enjoy a visit to the site in an air-conditioned coach, with commentary and sparkling wine and nibbles on your arrival.

Other tours include;

Sunrise at Uluru Tour
Uluru Barbecue Dinner
Uluru tours including, Kings Canyon, or Kata Tjuta, or The Valley Of The Winds. You can book at AAT Kings

Kata Tjuta (the Olgas)

These rock formations are also known as the Olgas and are about 25km west of Uluru. Both Kata Tjuta and Uluru make up the main rock formations of The National Park.

Kata Tjuta Tour

You can take a two day guided tour of Uluru and Kata Tjuta either from Alice Springs or from the Ayers Rock Resort. Options include the Uluru sunrise, Uluru sunset, Uluru Base walk, Mutitjulu Waterhole, Kata Tjuta, Aboriginal Rock art and Walpa Gorge.

The Valley Of The Winds

You can walk the valley of the winds by purchasing an Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park Pass. Either wander to two lookout points by yourself or book a guided tour with a park ranger.

Uluru Aboriginal Art

One of the most beautiful things you can purchase in this area is an original piece of Aboriginal artwork. If you visit Uluru and the lookout point you will likely come across local selling artwork by the path. You can either purchase from them directly or from several art galleries and museums in the area. I encourage you to learn about the story behind your painting and the artist behind it. Respect the story you purchase.

Mulgara Gallery – Offers textiles, dot artwork, jewellery, glassware and metal and leatherwork. It is located at Sails in the Desert.
Wintjiri Arts And Museum – Part of the Artists in Residence programme, here you can watch the artist at work and purchase directly from them. The gallery sells local Anangu jewellery, cushions, textiles and kitchenware. It is located inside the Desert Gardens Hotel in the Ayers Rock Resort.
Minkiri Arts – Also located at the Desert Gardens Hotel this collection includes zebra rock, jewellery, glassware and local artwork.

Ayers Rock Airport

Flights used to land much closer to Uluru base until in 1984 when the airport was relocated 15km from the site. Ayers Rock airport is the tiniest airport I have ever flown through. There was one shop which only opened as and when flights arrived or departed. It felt a little bit like sitting and waiting in somebody’s living room. However, everything is well organised and runs smoothly. You can book to fly in or out of this airport and transfers to and from the Ayer’s Rock resort are regular and easy to book with your accommodation.

What are your experiences travelling from Alice Springs to Uluru in Australia? Do you have any further advice or thoughts? Is there anything else you would like me to cover? Leave me a comment below, or send me a message.

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