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Tackle the rugged landscape of one of Australia’s greatest multi-day walks

If you’re looking to travel to the heart of the Australian Outback, then the West MacDonnell National Park is your place. And there’s no better way to experience and immerse yourself in this unforgettable landscape than the Larapinta Trail. Hike along the red rock slopes of the West Macs and enjoy the time to truly connect to Country and appreciate the importance of this place to the local people over thousands of years. Hike to shadowed gorges, snaking riverbanks, open plains and towering mountains filled with a rich diversity of animals and plants, taking in sights like Ormiston Gorge and a rewarding ascent of Mt Sonder. One of the world’s best desert treks is waiting for you.

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Terms & Conditions
Start
Alice Springs, Australia
Finish
Alice Springs, Australia
Destination
Australia
Style
Basix
Theme
Walking & Trekking
Code
POXL
Physical rating
Ages
Min 16
Group size
Min 4, Max 16

Why you'll love this trip

  • Experience the challenges and rewards of an active Australian adventure, with days of hiking and wild swimming, and nights around the campsite fire sharing Outback yarns.

  • Explore the majestic Ormiston Gorge, the most spectacular chasm in the West MacDonnell Ranges, and maybe cool off in the year-round waterhole.

  • Enjoy the unique experience of camping out overnight along the trail, making the most of the remoteness and the star-filled desert skies.

  • Cap your Larapinta Trail experience with a summit of Mt Sonder, the highest point in the West Macs, and the perfect place to look over the landscape and back at what you’ve achieved.

Is this trip right for you?

  • It is required you have an excellent level of fitness and are prepared to trek for multiple hours a day through a variety of terrain.

  • When travelling in Central Australia temperatures can range from very high in the day, to below freezing at night. Please ensure you pack appropriate clothing.

  • Accommodation for this trip is Swag Camping under the stars, which includes bedrolls containing mattress, pillow and sleeping bag. This is an amazing and authentic Australian experience!

  • Toilet facilities will be very basic and you'll have to sacrifice hot showers as you camp out overnight along the trail, but there will be refreshing swimming opportunities along the way.

  • There is a early morning start on Day 5 to climb to the summit of Mt Sonder. Though it will be difficult to get up early for this trek, it will be well worth it for the views.

  • This trip is new to our range this year. And while we have thoroughly researched every detail of the logistics, new destinations and working with new partners can sometimes throw us some unexpected surprises. More often than not, it’ll be a great surprise. But every now and again there might be a hiccup. We like to think that’s what puts the ‘adventure’ in ‘adventure travel’.

Hiker enjoying the views from Mount Sonder on the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory, Australia
Hiker walking in Ormiston Gorge in the West Macdonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory, Australia
Enjoying a cooling swim in Ellery Big Hole in the West Macdonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory, Australia
Group hiking along the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory, Australia
Hiker enjoying the beautiful sunrise from Mount Sonder in the Northern Territory, Australia
Hiker enjoying a beer after a days hiking at Glen Helen Gorge in the Northern Territory, Australia

Itinerary
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Begin this beautiful bushwalking track today by stretching your legs on Section 1 of the Larapinta Trail. We begin our walk from the official start of the trail at the historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station at 7am. The Station was founded in 1871 and used for relaying messages between Darwin and Adelaide. Follow the route of the old telegraph line through the rocky, rolling country that spreads out before you, winding along a path that makes its way over creeks and gullies. Walk along the scenic spine of the Euro Ridge and take in the excellent views of the surrounding Alice Valley, with the gnarled peaks of the West Macs out in the distance. Follow the trail downhill to Wallaby Gap, home to elusive black-footed rock-wallabies and a great place for birdwatching. After this, you’ll be met by your 4x4 vehicle and transferred to your campsite for the night in Ormiston Gorge, right in the heart of the Western MacDonnell Ranges. Sleep beneath countless stars in your swag tonight.
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
It’s very important that you are ready at 7 am in the hotel lobby for collection. See the joining point instructions in this Essential Trip Information for more details.

Walking Distance: 14km - approximately 6 hours

Begin today at the beautiful Ormiston Pound, home to the most impressive gorge in the whole West MacDonnell region. There’s a near-permanent waterhole shaded by ghost gums and towering red rock walls that is more than welcoming to any walker. The trail weaves its way from Ormiston to the Finke River through rolling limestone hills filled with unique plant life. The Finke is one of the oldest river systems in the world, and the local Arrernte name for this waterway gives the whole trail its name – Lhere Pinte, which means a salty river. Head to 2 Mile Campground with time to enjoy a tasty dinner and swap stories around the campfire.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Walking Distance: 10km - approximately 5 hours

The next two days are the most challenging but also rewarding section of your Larapinta hike. This trail and its views are dominated by Mt Sonder, the highest point in the West MacDonnell Ranges. It’s an undulating 26 kilometres across spinifex-covered hills, making your way through the foothills towards to the hulking mountain. Cross the Davenport River then make the climb up to Hilltop Lookout, an ascent that’s rewarded with panoramic views of the peak and its surroundings. Descend through mulga woodland and past distinctive knobbly black rock to shady Rocky Bar Gap and along the southern flank of Mt Sonder to Redbank Creek. You’ll finish Day 4 at a campsite in Redbank Gorge, in the shadow of the mountain itself.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast (2)
  • Lunch (2)
  • Dinner (2)
Special Information
Walking Distance: 26km over two days

Hopefully, you got an early night yesterday as today you’ll be up with the possums for an early start to climb to the summit of the iconic Mt Sonder. The early start allows you to climb in the cool morning air before the sun begins to beat down. The mountain is known traditionally as Rwetyepme – in local Arrernte culture she's portrayed as a pregnant woman forever doomed to lay on her back and watch the sky. It’s not an easy climb, but the journey to the peak is worth the sweeping views in all directions of Central Australia, taking in the trails you’ve covered over the past few days, the Tanami Desert in the north, meteor craters in the south, and the NT’s highest mountain in the west. It’s the perfect way to cap off the trip. Afterward, you’ll make your return to Alice Springs for an arrival in the late afternoon, where you’ll enjoy a well-earned shower and time to rest and maybe celebrate your journey with a farewell dinner.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Walking Distance: 16km - approximately 6 hours
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle, walking

Accommodation

Swag Camping (4 Nights)

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Trek the Larapinta Trail 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 at 7am at Alice Springs YHA.
2. Accommodation for this trip is Swag Camping, including bedrolls containing mattress, pillow and sleeping bag.
3. It is prohibited to take alcohol on this trip as the National Park is a dry zone.
4. We suggest you bring snacks to eat while walking.

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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