Best things to do & places to stay:
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Uluru, the world’s largest rock monolith, is synonymous with Outback Australia. Alongside the Sydney Opera House, it is perhaps Australia’s most iconic sight.
But The Rock is at the centre of a living cultural landscape known as the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a vast area of desert containing several other major draws – the domes of Kata Tjuta, Walpa Gorge and The Valley of the Winds. A few hours away, in neighbouring Watarrka National Park, is another extraordinary natural phenomenon – Kings Canyon.
It’s the place to come to experience the Australian outback, Crocodile Dundee-style. As well as admiring the jaw-dropping geology, you can sleep out in swag bags, sample bush tucker, dine under a billion stars and spot kangaroos.
Now under the control of its traditional owners – the ‘Anangu’ – the park offers a unique opportunity to experience and learn about the planet’s oldest living culture – the indigenous Aboriginal people. The local Anangu people offer a variety of excellent tours and activities – from guided walks to didgeridoo lessons and dot painting workshops.
All of the tourism facilities for the park are concentrated in the township of Yulara, situated outside Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, about a ten-minute drive from the entry station. This is you base for trips to Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon.
Most of the Yulara township is made up of the ‘Ayers Rock Resort’, an Aboriginal-owned complex that provides accommodation, restaurants and other essential services to people visiting the park. The resort is a one-stop shop for pretty much all of the organised tours and activities in the area.
Yulara is a settlement consisting of a few low-slung, modern buildings, a few gum trees and plenty of red dirt. While busy, Yulara is rarely crowded – it’s a different story at Uluru where the carpark is packed with campervans, coaches and hire cars.
The focal point of Yulara is the Ayers Rock Resort Town Square, a modest collection of cafes, shops and art galleries.
Most of the accommodation in Yulara is within easy walking distance of the square but a free bus service also operates – handy if want to avoid the desert sun.
The bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
This dot painting workshop is an excellent and fun introduction to Indigenous Art, where participants learn about the different symbols used to create local Creation Time stories.
Best for ages: 4+ | £40 | 90 minutes
Watarrka National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
This unique Outback experience, hosted by the Kings Canyon Resort, sees you transferred to a secret location, free of light pollution, to dine by firelight and beneath the Southern sky’s canopy of stars. The evening kicks off with drinks and canapes at Carmichael’s restaurant.
Best for ages: 18+ | £40 | 5 hours
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Rising up from the silent, otherwise flat desert floor, this 600 million-year-old gargantuan, ochre-hued monolith is both ethereal and mesmerising – its colour changes depending on the season and time of day.
Best for ages: 8+ | Free
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
The best-known outdoor dining experience in Australia – an unforgettable dinner in the desert under a billion stars, with didgeridoo music and a fascinating lesson in astronomy.
Best for ages: 8+ | £165
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
With no air pollution and a tiny population, the Park is an ideal place to study the universe and these tours of the night sky are excellent – and led by entertaining astronomers. Tours depart daily, 2 hours after sunset, from the Ayers Rock Resort. Under 15s go free.
Best for ages: 4+ | £30 | 1 hour 15 mins
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
The digeridoo, a long and thin musical instrument of Australia’s indigenous people, is one of the Outback’s most iconic symbols – and sounds. Playing it relies on a technique known as circular breathing which is much harder to master than it looks. These workshops are free – so why not give it a go?
Best for ages: 6+ | Free | 45 minutes
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Created by British artist Bruce Monro, this unique and mesmerising light installation consists of 50,000 slender ‘stem’ bulbs arrayed in colourful formation over an area the size of 7 football pitches – all in front of the iconic Uluru. Wander through it, or dine next to it.
Best for ages: 4+ | £25
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Dubbed a ‘cultural hub’, this arts centre in the Ayers Rock Resort showcases work from established and emerging indigenous artists, plus a range of cultural events. It hosts regular exhibitions, and offer free daily tours.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this destination, plus helpful tickets and transfers
Alice Springs
A189 | Rating 4.51 / 5 [120 ratings]
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Alice Springs
A173 | Rating 4.57 / 5 [21 ratings]
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Alice Springs
A305 | Rating 4.66 / 5 [403 ratings]
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Alice Springs
A1,200 | Rating 5 / 5 [12 ratings]
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay in this destination
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
This bright and airy apartment hotel is the perfect choice for families or groups of friends, with excellent facilities and a great location.
Official star rating:
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Excellently located in the heart of the Yulara township, this friendly garden hotel an oasis in this harsh yet beautiful arid landscape – and the perfect base to explore.
Official star rating:
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Affordable quirky and fun, this small hotel is an unexpected delight in the Red Centre, with access to all the facilities of the Ayers Rock Resort.
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Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Fresh from a multi-million dollar make-over, this iconic desert resort has never looked better, and makes an ideal base for exploring Uluru.
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Winter (June to August) is the ideal time to be in the desert. This is also the busiest time of the year, when accommodation is at a premium, so spring and autumn can work well too.
Desert summers (December to March) are notoriously hot and not suitable for much physical activity. It’s also the wet season, when getting around can be difficult. Summer is when the air is filled with relentless swarms of annoying flies (though you can buy the classic hat with accompanying fly net to keep them off your face). On the plus side, it’s less crowded and rainfall over Uluru is spectacular.
There are daily flights to Uluru from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with direct flights also available from Adelaide and Cairns. Those with plenty of time on their hands can book a cabin on The Ghan, a transcontinental railway from Adelaide to Darwin, and take a side trip from Alice Springs to Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Hotel guests arriving at Ayers Rock Airport will find a free shuttle to take them to their accommodation. All of the accommodation in Uluru is clustered around the Ayers Rock Resort town square. In the cooler months it’s easy to walk around the resort but if you want to avoid the desert heat jump aboard the free bus – it operates all year round, with departures every 20 minutes.
Since this is a desert region with no trains or bus routes, visitors will need to hire their own vehicle or join an organised tour to access the surrounding experiences.
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