Travel bucket list idea:
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Rising up from the silent desert floor like a gargantuan monolith, ochre-hued Uluru is one of the world’s most bewitching sights – more so, as its colour and appearance constantly change depending on the season and time of day.
Formed more than 600 million years ago, and reaching a height of 348 metres, it overlooks wild and desolate desert landscapes, home for millennia to the Aboriginal people. The area is steeped in their legends and traditions; combined with the scenery, Uluru has an intense, unforgettable atmosphere. The thing has presence.
Climbing Uluru was banned in 2019, but there are still myriad ways to see and experience Australia’s most sacred site. Walking trails encircle the rock allowing you to get close to see the many fissures, gorges and galleries in to the sandstone, some containing centuries-old rock art, whilst learning about its mysteries and legends from local Aboriginal guides.
Those looking for a speedier or less strenuous introduction can opt for a Segway tour or a camel tour. Meanwhile, helicopter and scenic flights are the best way to truly appreciate the scale and strangeness of this geological anomaly sticking out from miles of flat landscape.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Experience
Cameleer Chris Hill runs a wide range of carbon-neutral camel tours, including sunset and sunrise rides and express (45 minute) adventures through the dunes.
Adult price: £40+
Min age 5
Good for age: 8+
Duration: 45+ minutes
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Rising up from the silent desert floor, this gargantuan, ochre-hued monolith is both ethereal and mesmerising – its colour changes depending on the season and time of day. The 10km walk around its base is Uluru’s signature experience and the best way to experience the rock.
Getting up close, you begin to see the complex and intricate beauty. Each part of the walk reveals something different; erosion has cut fissures, gorges and galleries into the sandstone, some containing centuries-old rock art, while some provide shelter for wallabies, possums or bats. You’ll even feel it – the thing has presence.
Along the way, local guides recount the rich, beguiling dreamtime legends that swirl around it. There’s wildlife here too. Despite the arid conditions, the area is rich in flora, ranging from acacia woodlands to grassed claypans.
Good for age: 8+
Duration: 2-3 hours
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
You can walk it, dine by it, even visit under starlit skies, but nothing matches soaring above Uluru’s majestic outline, with the vast, empty wastes of the Australian desert rolling out to the horizon. A helicopter tour is the best way to appreciate the jaw-dropping scale of the Northern Territories, encompassing everything from the ancient glory of Kata Tjuta – huge ochre-hued outcrops of rock – to Uluru itself. Pilot commentary during the flight gives an insight into the history and mythologies that have coloured the landscapes over the centuries.
Options range from an Uluru-only tour, which lasts 70 minutes, to a more elaborate Kings Canyon, Uluru and Kata Tjuta safari, which includes a guided walk at Kings Canyon and takes four-and-a-half hours to complete.
Adult price: £180
Min age 15
Good for age: 16+
Duration: 30 minutes
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Experience
A truly unique way to experience either Uluru or Kata Tjuta – and to perhaps fulfill a secret desire to ride on a Harley Davidson. Tour options range from a quick 30-minute spin to a viewing spot for Uluru, or full 3.5-hour tours of both Uluru or Kata Tjuta. Choose between riding a motorcycle or riding in a three-wheeler sidecar. Pick up from the Ayres Rock Resort.
Adult price: £130
Min age 18
Good for age: 18+
Duration: 90 minutes
Since ‘The Rock’ is located inside a national park, it’s entirely feasible to explore independently, but guided tours offer a much richer insight into the local legends and culture of the Aboriginal people and will take you to interesting places you won’t discover on your own.
Anyone staying at the nearby town of Yulara will find a dazzling variety of tours and cultural experiences available. All tours can be booked through Ayers Rock Resort and its associated properties.
Dawn and sunset are the best times to see The Rock, the latter being particularly spectacular. Uluru absorbs heat during the day and seems to glow as the sky darkens.
Winter (June to August) is the ideal time to be in the desert. This is also the busiest time of the year, so spring and autumn can work well too.
Desert summers (December to March) are notoriously hot and 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.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Uluru
Price A$294
Min age 0
Rating 4.10 / 5 [387 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Uluru
Price A$326
Min age 2
Rating 4.39 / 5 [279 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Uluru
Price A$199
Min age 0
Rating 4.55 / 5 [183 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Uluru
Price A$179
Min age 0
Rating 4.88 / 5 [159 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Uluru
Price A$199
Min age 0
Rating 4.37 / 5 [137 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
