Uluru Tours

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.

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.

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.

Uluru is about 450 kilometres from Alice Springs, around five to six hours by sealed road. Our one day tour from Alice Springs ($399) lets you make the most of your time by travelling to Uluru and back in a single day, with the sights and journey planned for you. It’s a big day, but a memorable way to experience Uluru without needing to book another night or change your plans.

May to September is the most comfortable time to visit, with cooler days and cold nights that can sometimes fall below zero. October to April brings hotter weather, with summer days often reaching 35°C or more. In hot weather, rangers advise walking the base tracks in the cooler morning hours and finishing before 11am, with some tracks closing later in the day. Sunrises and sunsets are good year round.

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.

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.

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.

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.