Uluru: Our Must-Do Experiences
Uluru is one of the world's most famous natural wonders. It's not just a magnificent natural formation, but it's also a profoundly spiritual spot; you'll sense a strong presence the second you see it. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is named after two of Australia's most outstanding sights: Uluru, the world-famous sandstone monolith, and the red domes of Kata Tjuta. The World Heritage-listed Park is located 450 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs in the Central Australian outback. The Anangu people own the area, which is leased to Parks Australia, who manage the park in collaboration with the Traditional Owners.
The Park is home to an intriguing assortment of local flora and fauna, including many rare species – in addition to its world-famous geological structures and extraordinary Indigenous culture.
Uluru rises magnificently from the surrounding dry plains across Australia’s enthralling outback, creating an absolutely stunning spectacle. There are many ways to really take in the experience and atmosphere of Uluru and its surrounds, especially during the quiet moments of sunrise and sunset.
Culture
The Anangu people recommend the Tjukurpa Tunnel at the Cultural Centre as your very first experience when you visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. This is where you’ll get to learn all about Tjukurpa, which is the foundation of the Anangu culture, as well as many of the creation stories that have been told over time and shared with generation after generation of Anangu people. Upon entering the tunnel, you will be immersed back in time in a self-guided experience, surrounded by art, imna (ceremonial songs), as well as information about traditions, laws and behaviour. Take your time to truly absorb all that the Anangu Culture and its people are about.
When visiting Uluru, many previous travellers have recommended to participate in one of the many walks. The Base Walk is roughly 10km and takes about 3.5 hours to trek the whole distance. This is where you can really get up close and personal with the formations in the rock and walk the path of the ancestral beings of the Anangu people. The walk can be broken up into smaller distances (Mala Walk, North East Face Walk, Lungkata Walk and the Kuniya Walk.) The Kuniya Walk connects up to the Mutitjulu Waterhole, which is one of the very few permanent sources of water around Uluru. This area is surprisingly lush and shady, which makes it a great spot to sit quietly and take in the atmosphere of the spiritual place.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
$38 (3 day pass) per adult (17+)
$0 (3 day pass) per child
Another fantastic cultural and educational experience to immerse yourself in is the Maruku Arts dot-painting workshop. Learn about ancient symbols, traditional hunting and gathering equipment, and so much more with a local Anangu artist and interpreter. In this engrossing and often relaxing experience, be inspired by the Tjukurpa storytelling to create your own work of art.
Experiences Around Uluru
Sounds of Silence, which has been entered into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, encapsulates the very best of the Red Centre into four beautiful hours with an evening of dining under the starry skies of the outback. On a dune top overlooking the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, your Sounds of Silence experience begins with canapes and chilled sparkling wine. Listen to the didgeridoo as the sun sets and darkness descends, then join your table of fellow tourists for a truly unique dining experience. Listen to the resident star talker decode the night sky of the Southern Hemisphere. Due to the amazing clarity of the atmosphere you can see the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac, the Milky Way, as well as planets and galaxies.
From $229 per adult
The critically acclaimed Field of Light by internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro is currently on display and has been extended indefinitely due to popular demand. The Field of Light illuminates as darkness falls and Uluru becomes silhouetted. Gentle colour rhythms light up the desert for as far as the eye can see. Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku, which means ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights’ in Pitjantjatjara, is Munro's largest exhibition to date. Its fantasy garden of 50,000 light spindles – the stems breathing and swaying through a sympathetic desert spectrum of ochre, violet, blue, and white – is overwhelming in size, covering more than seven football fields.
From $44 per adult
From $31 per child
The Sunrise/Sunset Camel Tours are another wonderful recommendation for all travellers. Travel for an hour on the backs of friendly camels through a breathtaking desert landscape. Watch the colour change as the sun sets from atop the sandy dunes, overlooking the amazing views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. The professional cameleers will tell you stories about the location, bringing you closer to nature. At nightfall, return to the farm to unwind and drink Australian beer, wine, champagne, and outback bush dishes like our famous freshly baked beer bread damper.
From $135 per adult (sunrise and sunset)
From $80 per adult (mid-morning and mid-afternoon)
Have you ticked off all the amazing bucket-list experiences from above?
Do you still have a couple of days exploring left up your sleeve?
Why not venture out further around the Red Centre and see what other magical landmarks are out there?
Journey Outside of Uluru
Take to the skies on the popular Uluru-Kata Tjuta Helicopter Scenic Flight and witness some of Australia's most iconic landmarks. At sunset, see the colours of Uluru and Kata Tjuta illuminate and change. With an unrivalled perspective from above, you'll be able to capture picture-perfect photographs to keep forever. Only by flying besides these iconic landscapes can you truly comprehend their enormous size and presence. This thrilling adventure will stay with you long after your vacation is done.
From $270 per person
In Australia's Red Centre, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) is a natural wonder and cultural monument. Hike around the granite domes, which are illuminated at sunrise and sunset. The ochre-colored domes, located 40 kilometres west of Uluru, are indeed a unique and mesmerising sight. There are numerous walking pathways to select from, ranging in length from small strolls to longer, more demanding hikes. At the end of the short journey to the Kata Tjuta dune viewing area, you can sit and take in the magnificent panoramic view of the domes. The Walpa Gorge Walk is a rocky walk that gently ascends through exotic wildflowers to a spectacular woodland grove. The Valley of the Winds Walk is the longest of all the trails at Kata Tjuta, and it's a moderately difficult hike with spectacular views. The 7.4-kilometre trek can be challenging at points, but it's definitely worth it because it takes you between the formations, across creek beds, and away from the rest of the people.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
$38 (3 day pass) per adult (17+)
$0 (3 day pass) per child
Watarrka National Park is only three hours from Uluru and is home to the magnificent Kings Canyon, which features 300-metre-high sandstone walls, palm-filled crevices, and panoramic vistas of the desert. The Luritja Aboriginal people have lived in Watarrka National Park for more than 20,000 years, and it spans 71,000 hectares. Watarrka National Park and the Kings Canyon provide a variety of walking routes, 4x4 tracks, camel trips, and lodging options ranging from camping to resort-style accommodations, making it more than just a day trip destination. Take a walk around the Kings Canyon Rim Walk in your walking shoes. The Rim Walk takes 3-4 hours to complete and is best done before the sun rises. The six-kilometre hike descends through to the Garden of Eden, a spectacular rock hole inhabited by unique plants, before ascending down to magnificent panoramic views of the red sand dunes from all directions. Priscilla's Crack (made famous by the classic Australian film Priscilla Queen of the Desert), the weathered domes of The Lost City, and the Garden of Eden are among the renowned locations.
$0 park entry fee
Alice Springs is a diverse and fascinating region to explore, with stunning scenery, rural communities, and a unique pioneering history. A flourishing and vibrant outback town, Alice Springs is as well known for its quirky locals and contemporary and traditional art as it is for the natural beauties that surround it, such as the magnificent Larapinta Trail and the MacDonnell Ranges. Red desert sands, spinifex dunes, ghost gums, rocky chasms, and diverse animals await you in the heart of the landscape. The CBD is home to quaint bars and cafes, as well as restaurants with breathtaking views. Whether you want to sit back and enjoy the breathtaking landscape via the panoramic windows of The Ghan, take a hot air balloon ride high over the magnificent MacDonnell Ranges, or simply wander out into the vastness of the spectacular national park, this region has heaps to offer.
Prices vary on experiences
This list doesn’t even begin to scrape the surface of all the things there are to do in the Red Centre of Australia. There is plenty of free activities and tours you can join and local dining experiences that are worth every penny.
If you needed a sign to go travel the NT, let this be it! It is an incredibly magnificent state with an abundance of culture and experience. It is a must-visit state for any Australian and visitor worldwide!
If you liked our post and would love to book a holiday to see Uluru and its glorious surrounds, feel free to check out our Ultimate Uluru holiday package debuting in 2022, or contact us to arrange an earlier visit and kick start your holiday plans!
