Australia's Red Centre · Route map
Red Centre Icons and Sacred Canyons
Experience the spiritual heart of Australia on a journey from the deep chasms of Kings Canyon to the monumental monoliths of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
- 1
Kings Canyon
2 nights
Spectacular canyon rim walks and desert views
- 2
Uluru
2 nights
Sacred monoliths, Kata Tjuta, and desert sunsets
- ✦2 stops · 4 nights
A sample from our journal — written by Waypora, kept as inspiration
Use this as a starting pointThe day-by-day
Arrive and Journey to Canyon
Arrive into Alice Springs Airport
Flight · Morning · Alice Springs
Fly into the historic heart of the Red Centre.
Collect 4WD hire car
Car hire · Morning · Alice Springs
Pick up a high-clearance 4WD for desert driving.
Ensure your rental agreement covers driving on unsealed roads like the Ernest Giles Road.
Self-drive Alice Springs to Kings Canyon
Self-drive · Afternoon · Watarrka National park
Drive takes roughly 5 hours via the highway.
Stop at Erldunda Roadhouse for a quick fuel top-up and to see the emus.
Overnight at Kings Canyon Resort
Accommodation · Evening · Kings Canyon
Conquering the Mighty Canyon Rim
Kings Canyon Rim Walk
Excursion · Morning · Watarrka National Park
A spectacular six-kilometre loop climbing the canyon rim.
Start at first light to beat the heat and catch the sandstone glowing red.
Explore Kathleen Springs walk
Excursion · Afternoon · Watarrka National Park
An easy, flat two-kilometre walk into a spring-fed waterhole.
Read the signs along the way to learn the local Aboriginal and pastoral history.
Overnight at Kings Canyon Resort
Accommodation · Evening · Kings Canyon
Drive to Giant Monoliths
Self-drive Kings Canyon to Uluru
Self-drive · Morning · Yulara
Drive takes about 3.5 hours on fully sealed roads.
Look out for Mount Conner on your left; many tourists mistake it for Uluru.
Maruku Arts dot painting workshop
Excursion · Afternoon · Yulara
Learn ancient symbols and paint with an Indigenous artist.
Ask your local guide about the meaning behind the traditional desert colors.
Uluru sunset viewing at Talinguru Nyakunytjaku
Excursion · Evening · Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Watch the desert monolith change colors as the sun sets.
Walk past the main crowded platform along the track for a quieter view.
Overnight at Desert Gardens Hotel
Accommodation · Evening · Yulara
Domes of Kata Tjuta
Valley of the Winds walk
Excursion · Morning · Kata Tjuta
A challenging but rewarding seven-kilometre hike between giant conglomerate domes.
The track closes on hot days, so start early and carry three liters of water.
Mala walk at Uluru base
Excursion · Afternoon · Uluru
Walk among caves filled with rock art with park rangers.
Stand quietly at Kantju Gorge at the end of the track to hear the desert birds.
Overnight at Desert Gardens Hotel
Accommodation · Evening · Yulara
Desert Sunrise and Departure
Sunrise camel trek across dunes
Excursion · Morning · Yulara
Enjoy the freshly baked damper and billy tea at the camel farm afterwards.
Drop hire car at Ayers Rock Airport
Car hire · Morning · Yulara
Depart Ayers Rock Airport
Flight · Afternoon · Yulara
Like the shape of it?
Make this trip yours.
Start from this plan and tell us what's different about your trip — your dates, your pace, your people. We'll rewrite it around you.