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Explore Australia’s Red Centre from Alice Springs

This five-day small group Australian adventure is your chance to discover the outback and learn about the significance of these lands. From Alice Springs, join a knowledgeable local leader and a small group of eager travellers, travelling on roads to endless horizons, discovering rugged landscapes and hiking through gorges and ranges before camping under the stars. See Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and the West MacDonnell Ranges, and have the opportunity to visit lesser-visited sites with an itinerary that’s flexible to your small group’s desires. Gain an insight into First Nations histories and cultures as you travel to Australia’s heart – the Red Centre.

Start
Alice Springs, Australia
Finish
Alice Springs, Australia
Destination
Australia
Style
Basix
Theme
Explorer
Code
PAR5
Physical rating
Ages
Min 8
Group size
Min 6, Max 24

Why you'll love this trip

  • Witnessing Uluru at sunset is truly an unforgettable moment. Have your camera ready to capture the changing colours of this sacred rock formation.

  • You’ll hear Dreamtime stories and learn about ancient rock paintings from local guides, gaining insight into the importance of the land in First Nations histories and ways of being.

  • Spend two days exploring the sites of the MacDonnell Ranges, both East and West. Walk through Ormiston Gorge, Ellery Creek, Simpsons Gap and Rainbow Valley.

  • After days admiring the formations of Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon, spend evenings camping under the stars, getting a feel for the real outback of Australia.

  • Armed with a flexible itinerary and a knowledgeable local leader, this itinerary allows you to discover the Red Centre at a pace that suits your small group.

Is this trip right for you?

  • Accommodation on this trip includes camping as well as a bush camp experience, depending on the group’s desires.

  • When travelling in Australia’s outback, temperatures can get very high, especially in summer, and sometimes below freezing at night. Have a think about what time of year suits you best to travel.

  • For more details on specific logistical information for this trip, see the Important Notes and Essential Trip Information sections located below the trip itinerary.

Kings Canyon people in swimming hole
Ayers Rock, Uluru moody stormy sky
Western Macdonnell Ranges people by sign
Ormiston Gorge swimming hole, Western Macdonnell Ranges
red rocks and palms in Palm Valley, Finke Gorge

Itinerary
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Kick off your Australian Outback adventure bright and early in Alice Springs, driving towards the Red Centre. Make tracks across the sunburnt plains to the captivating domes of Kata Tjuta in the afternoon. These massive red rock formations are believed to be 500 million years old! Continue to Australia’s most iconic and culturally significant site of Uluru, arriving in time to witness a magical sunset. Afterwards, continue to your camp, where a hearty dinner awaits.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Total driving time: approximately 5.5 hours
Total walking time: approximately 1 hour

This trip is flexible. As such, the described itinerary is only an example of the form your trip could take. Where you go and what you do can change depending on the group’s interests and weather conditions. In saying this, all trips will include visits to Kata Tjuta, Uluru, Kings Canyon, Palm Valley and the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Wake early to catch an unforgettable Uluru sunrise, then get a closer look at this massive sandstone monolith on an unguided walk around its base. After your stroll, walk to the cave paintings near Mutitjulu Waterhole, where you will be met by an Anangu guide. Your guide will provide insight into the ancient rock etchings and the stories they tell, as well as the traditions of the First Nations people of this land. After this, visit the nearby Cultural Central to browse its extensive collection of Aboriginal arts and crafts. Enjoy a local lunch then set off on a 3-hour drive to your exclusive campsite within Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). Get acquainted with your surroundings, enjoy dinner onsite and settle in for the night.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Uluru Cultural Centre
  • Maruku Arts cultural experience
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Total driving time: approximately 3.5 hours
Total walking time: approximately 2 hours

The Anangu people have dissuaded visitors from climbing Uluru for decades. As Traditional Owners of the land, they feel a deep responsibility for everyone who travels to the area. In 1998, we were among the first tour operators to stop climbing Uluru. Intrepid is proud to be involved with local communities in Uluru and to have an ongoing commitment to providing employment for the Anangu people. You show respect when you choose not to climb Uluru, but walk with Anangu throughout the area and share their stories instead.

After breakfast, lace up your hiking shoes and set off to explore Kings Canyon. Plunging 270 metres to the canyon floor, walking its rim reveals incredibly beautiful sandstone formations carved by wind and water. Discover its Amphitheatre, Lost City, North and South Walls and the surprisingly lush Garden of Eden, which owes its cycads and plant life to a permanent waterhole down in the canyon. After lunch, there’s time to relax for a before heading along one of the Red Centre's renowned dirt tracks towards the Western McDonnell Ranges.
Accommodation
  • Permanent tented camp (shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Total driving time: approximately 5 hours
Total walking time: 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.

Spend the day exploring the outback scenery of the West 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, rugged walls surrounding its waterhole. Continue to Ellery Creek Big Hole – a popular spot for a refreshing dip. After a satisfying day spent exploring the MacDonnell Ranges, your group leader will find a suitable place to set up your bush camp for the night.
Accommodation
  • Bush camping (no facilities) (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Total driving time: approximately 45 minutes
Total walking distance: up to 10 kilometres (6.2 miles)

Often overlooked for its western counterpart, the East MacDonnell Ranges just might be one of the Red Centre’s best-kept secrets. This is the home of the Arrernte people – the Traditional Owners of the land. Learn about their caterpillar Dreamtime stories on a short walk to Emily Gap – an important spiritual site to Arrernte communities, containing galleries of ancient rock paintings. Drive onwards to Trephina Gorge, where you’ll set off on a one-hour guided walk to see quartzite cliffs and the region's birdlife. Afterwards, grab some lunch at the historical Ross River Homestead before continuing to the ‘Ghost Town’ of Arltunga. This town had an unexpected mining rush in the 19th century all because of a mistaken gemstone. After exploring the best of the East MacDonnell Ranges, it’s on to Alice Springs where your adventure ends upon arrival in the late afternoon.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Total driving time: approximately 3 hours.

Your trip is set to finish at approximately 6 pm in Alice Springs today, subject to any changes or delays in your schedule. Onward travel must be booked the following day. If you wish to spend the night in Alice Springs, we'll be happy to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle

Accommodation

Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities) (2 nights) Bush camp (2 nights)

Included activities

  • Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance
  • Uluru Cultural Centre
  • Maruku Arts cultural experience
  • Kings Canyon Rim Walk

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Outback Camping Adventure trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

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Important notes

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. You can also start this trip in Yulara (Uluru). Search trip code PAR5Y on the Intrepid website for more details and to book.
4. This trip requires a sleeping bag.
5. Please note there is no single supplement is available for this trip.

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.

View Essential Trip Information

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