How do I get from Alice Springs to Uluru?
Most people go on a tour, because the drive is the trip. Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon are all out that way and a tour links them. Trips leave Alice Springs at 5:30am and run from two to five days, from $729. You can also fly straight into Ayers Rock Airport and join there instead.
Checked on 5 October 2026.
Alice Springs and Uluru look close together on a map of Australia and are not. The road between them crosses empty country, and the things worth stopping for. Kings Canyon above all — are strung along it. That is why almost nobody does this as a straight transfer.
The three ways to do it
- On a tour, there and back.The common choice. You leave Alice at 5:30am, and Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon are all covered before you are returned to Alice. Two to five days.
- On a tour, one way.Several trips start in Alice Springs and finish at Yulara, next to Uluru, so you can fly out from Ayers Rock Airport rather than doubling back.
- Fly in and join there.If you are short on time, fly into Ayers Rock Airport and join the same trips at Ayers Rock between 1pm and 2pm instead.
The trips that run it
| Trip | Route | Length | Where you sleep | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Day Uluru Budget | Alice Springs or Uluru / Alice Springs or Yulara | 3 days, 2 nights | Swags | $729 |
| 3 Day Uluru Adventure | Alice Springs or Uluru / Alice Springs | 3 days, 2 nights | Swags | $759 |
| 2 Day Uluru Tour | Alice Springs or Uluru / Yulara | 2 days, 1 night | Swags or Safari tents | $749 |
| 4 Day Uluru Adventure | Alice Springs or Uluru / Yulara | 4 days, 3 nights | Swags | $819 |
| 3 Day Uluru Safari | Alice Springs or Uluru / Alice Springs | 3 days, 2 nights | Furnished Safari Tents | $979 |
| 4 Day Uluru Safari | Alice Springs or Uluru / Yulara | 4 days, 3 nights | Furnished Safari Tents | $1149 |
| 5 Day Uluru Safari | Alice Springs or Uluru / Alice Springs | 5 days, 4 nights | Swags & Safari Tents | $1499 |
Every one of these can be joined at Alice Springs or at Ayers Rock. Prices update on their own.
What you see on the way
- Uluruthe base walk is 10km and is done at sunrise, which is when the rock is at its best.
- Kata Tjutathe 36 domes, and the Valley of the Winds walk between them.
- Kings Canyonthe one people do not expect and come back talking about. It is the reason three days beats two.
- Most trips include the national park entry fees, so there is nothing to pay at the gate.
The thing nobody mentions about driving it yourself
- There is one place to stay at Uluruthe Yulara resort township. It is the only accommodation inside reach of the rock, and it is priced accordingly.
- Park entry is extraper person, and covers three days.
- Kata Tjuta is another 50km ononce you are inside the park, and Kings Canyon is around 300km further again.
- Sunrise and sunset are the pointand both mean being in the park at hours you would rather not then drive five hours back from.
- The road is sealed the whole wayso a normal hire car is fine — the issue is never the car, it is the distance.
How long do you need?
- Two dayscovers Uluru and Kata Tjuta if your dates are tight.
- Three daysadds Kings Canyon, and it is the length most people are glad they picked — often only $60 or so more than two.
- Four or five daysadds the West MacDonnell Ranges on the Alice Springs side, which are beautiful and almost empty.
People also ask
- What time do Uluru tours start and finish?
- What is Uluru like month by month?
- Where do you sleep on an Uluru tour?
- What is the difference between the Uluru Adventure, Safari and Budget?
Where this comes from. Each trip's own route, departure and inclusions sheet, as held on its page here. Prices are the current from price and update on their own.