Flinders Ranges National Park Tours & Vacations

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Our Flinders Ranges trips start in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. There are daily flights into Adelaide from most major cities in Australia.

From Adelaide, the only way to get to the Flinders Ranges is to drive (if you're not joining us on a small group adventure, that is). The park is remote, and you'll struggle to get there without a car. The drive from Adelaide takes about 5.5 hours.

A four-wheel drive is recommended, as many roads in the park are steep, unpaved and uneven.

The Flinders Ranges sits in a semi-arid climate zone with seasonal weather variation. Summers are hot with temperatures as high as 40°C in January and February, while winters are mild.

Although rainfall is sporadic, there's a higher chance of rain in winter and autumn.

Ground frost is common on winter mornings, and it has been known to snow at Wilpena Pound and Blinman, although it's extremely rare.

The best time to visit the Flinders Ranges is from May to October when the weather is warm (but not too hot), dry and sunny. There is a chance of experiencing some rain during these months, but it's unlikely to disrupt your trip.

The summer can be oppressively hot, and the high temperatures can make hiking and spending long periods outdoors unsafe.

What to pack largely depends on what time of the year you're travelling and the activities you'll be doing. During the warmer months, bring shorts/leggings, t-shirts and a loose shirt to cover your shoulders in direct sunlight. You'll also need a hat and sunglasses.

During the winter months, make sure you bring warmer layers, including a down jacket and a beanie for those chilly winter mornings.

If you plan on hiking, be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes, a day bag and a reusable water bottle.

Australia is a big place, so tours in the Flinders Ranges can involve a lot of time on the road covering long distances. Services can be limited, so bring snacks and a book or tunes to keep you company. Or you can sit back and enjoy the scenery and keep an eye out for eagles, emus and other local wildlife along the way.

Mobile phone service is fairly good in the Flinders Ranges, especially at your booked accommodation. However, as in any national park, phone service will be patchy in places and may even drop out.

Visitor centres in the park have wi-fi, but prepare to disconnect if you're camping or going on long hikes.

The traditional custodians of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges are the Adnyamathanha people. They have lived on these lands for tens of thousands of years and have a deep connection to Country.

As you explore the national park, you'll see ancient rock paintings and carvings that tell the creation stories of the landscape and the history of its people.

The Ikara-Flinders National Park is now co-managed by the Adnyamathanha people and representatives from the Department of Environment, Water, and Natural Resources.

Your safety is our number one priority, so we don't cut corners. Ever. All our leaders are adequately qualified, experienced and insured, and we only hike on well-settled trails. If the local authorities tell us it’s not advisable to walk specific trails, then we won’t.

If the weather isn't looking good, we'll change our plans. If the trail is too busy, we'll turn around and hike elsewhere. It's as simple as that.

The Flinders Ranges features plenty of walking trails over varied terrain, so these trips are best suited to travellers with a good level of mobility. Our walking trips in the Flinders Ranges have a high physical rating so training in the lead-up to your trip is recommended.

Before joining the trip, ensure you have the appropriate footwear and, if you feel like you'll need them, a set of walking poles. 

All of our walking trips in the Flinders ranges are point-to-point style, meaning you'll start and end in different locations. You'll walk between two and 15 kilometres per day.

We are committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. We do our best to help you see the world, regardless of physical or mental limitations. 

We are always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.