Outback tours & holidays

Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. It's important to understand that each country you visit may have its own specific entry requirements, and some destinations mandate travel health insurance for all foreign travellers, regardless of their nationality.

Your leader will record your travel insurance details on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is an essential part of every journey.

Read more about travel insurance

The Outback covers as much as 70 per cent of Australia so the best time to visit depends on where you plan on visiting.

Most of the Outback is made up of arid to semi-arid climates, especially the desert where average daily high temperatures in the summer months of December to February average 38°C. In winter, the average high sits around 20°C. In general, if visiting Uluru and Central Australia, the winter months from May to October offer the best weather since the days won’t get as hot as in summer. Just like other desert regions, daytime temperatures are hot but , in the evening, it can still get cold.

In the northern regions of the Outback, such as Gulumerrgen (Darwin), the climate is tropical and has two seasons: a wet and a dry. Between November to April, the wet season receives heavy rainfall and cyclones. From May to October, the dry season has an average daytime temperature between 20 and 35°C. The best time to visit these areas is during the region’s dry season, from May to October.

When visiting the Outback, one of the most important things to remember is to pack a variety of layers to suit the hot days and cool nights.

Most of the Outback is a desert and since many of the attractions are outside, it’s a good idea to wear breathable, long-sleeve pants and shirts that work as both sun and insect protection.

For evenings, have a warm outer garment like a fleece and even some additional layers like thermals, beanies and gloves to keep warm.

If you’re planning on doing several hikes or walks, be sure to bring good walking shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a reusable water bottle and a daypack. There are often freshwater pools to cool off in, so bring a pair of bathers, too.

We take the health and safety of our travellers seriously and take every measure to ensure that trips are safe, fun and inclusive for everyone. When you travel with us, you have access to our global support network and local on‑ground leadership, and you can rest easy knowing we have a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination.

We recommend that all travellers check with their government or national travel advisory organisation for the latest information before departure. The World Health Organisation also provides useful health information.

Travelling from Australia?

Go to: Smart Traveller

From Canada?

Go to: Canada Travel Information

From the UK?

Go to: UK Foreign Travel Advice

From New Zealand?

Go to: Safe Travel

From the US?

Go to: US Department of State

Learn more about safe travels with Intrepid

We believe travel should be accessible to everyone. Although some destinations and itineraries may be more accessible than others, we'll do our best to accommodate your needs, make reasonable adjustments where possible or guide you toward the most suitable trips. Get in touch with our friendly adventure consultants to chat about your options.

Our Tailor-Made team can also help you plan a customised trip just for you.