Frequently Asked Questions About Uluru Tours
How big is Uluru?
It stands 348 metres above the surrounding plain, higher than the Eiffel Tower, and measures about 3.6 kilometres long by 2 kilometres wide. The base circumference is 9.4 kilometres. Photographs flatten it; the scale only lands when you are standing at the base.
How much of Uluru is underground?
Most of it. Geologists estimate the rock continues several kilometres below the surface, and what you see is the exposed tip of a much larger sandstone formation tilted almost vertical. It is not a boulder sitting on sand.
How long does it take to walk around Uluru?
The full base walk is 10.6 kilometres and takes about three and a half hours at a steady pace, longer if you stop at the waterholes and rock art. It is flat and well formed. Start at dawn: rangers close the walk when the forecast temperature is high.
Where is Uluru and what is the closest town?
In the southern Northern Territory, in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The closest town is Yulara, about 20 kilometres away, which is where the resort and airport sit. Alice Springs is roughly 450 kilometres north east, about five hours by road.
How far is Uluru from Alice Springs?
About 450 kilometres, five to six hours by sealed road. Our one day tour from Alice Springs ($399) covers it there and back, which makes for a very long day. Most people fly into Ayers Rock Airport instead, or take a multi-day tour that uses the drive properly.
When is the best time to visit Uluru?
May to September. Days sit around 20 to 30 degrees and the nights are cold, sometimes below zero, which is why the camping tours provide swags. October to April brings 35 to 40 degree days, and rangers close the base walk when it is too hot. Sunrises and sunsets are good year round.
Sunrise or sunset at Uluru, which is better?
Sunrise gives you the rock lit from the front with cold clear air and fewer people. Sunset is warmer, busier and the colour change is faster and more dramatic. Our Sunset tour ($109) is the cheapest way to see it; the Sunrise and Kata Tjuta tour ($209) gives you both the rock and the Olgas in one morning.
What is Kata Tjuta?
A group of 36 domed rock formations about 50 kilometres west of Uluru, also called the Olgas. The tallest dome is higher than Uluru itself. The Walpa Gorge walk is short; the Valley of the Winds is longer and harder. Both are included on our sunrise and multi-day tours.
What should I bring?
Water, at least three litres a day for walking, plus a hat, sunscreen, sturdy shoes and a fly net between September and November, when the flies are relentless. Warm layers for the nights, which get cold fast in the desert. Camping tours provide the swag or tent.
Can you do Uluru and Kings Canyon in one trip?
Yes, and it is the natural pairing. Our 3 Day Uluru and Kings Canyon tour ($790 to $980) links both with Watarrka National Park. The Kings Canyon rim walk is six kilometres with a steep climb at the start, so it needs more fitness than the Uluru base walk.
















