Six days in Uluru and Kings Canyon

The NRMA has partnered with Tourism Australia’s Discover Aboriginal Experiences to bring you some of the most exciting First Nations tourism experiences the country has to offer. And what better place than right at the heart of the country – Uluru. This itinerary will give you a full guide to spending 6 days in the Red Centre.

In Australia’s Red Centre lies the spectacular Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park. Home to many ancient wonders, the park is most famous for the enormous monoliths it’s named after. Uluru and Kata Tjuta rise from the earth in all their red glory just 30km from each other. Both sites remain deeply spiritual and sacred to the local Anangu people, who have lived here for more than 22,000 years.

Day 1: Arrive in the Red Centre

Fly into Ayers Rock Airport and collect your rental vehicle before driving to Ayers Rock Resort’s Sails in the Desert, so-called because of the white, sail-shaped awnings that line the property’s outdoor spaces. Check in and relax.

In the late afternoon, drive to Kata Tjuta. With a name meaning “many heads”, this collection of 36 red domes rivals the beauty of Uluru. Wander to its western side for a stroll through Walpa Gorge, a men’s sacred ceremonial area, before watching as the sun sets over Kata Tjuta, setting it aglow.

Back at the resort, visit in-house restaurant Ilkari, which features Indigenous flavours and offers an extravagant three-course buffet that includes seafood, Asian dishes, roasts, a selection of cheeses and, perhaps best of all, a chocolate fountain.

Day 2: Be inspired by nature’s colours

Rise early and travel to the Talinguru Nyakunytjaku sunrise viewing area to witness Uluru’s extraordinary changing colour palette at dawn.

Afterwards, head to the Kulata Academy Café, staffed by members of Ayers Rock Resort’s National Indigenous Training Academy. Enjoy some breakfast, then stock your backpack with sandwiches and salads for the rest of the day.

Take a ranger-guided Mala walk – a free 1.5-hour Uluru base walk that delves into the rock’s Anangu Creation stories, or Tjukurpa, as well as its geological features.

Next, get creative and craft your own dot painting at Maruku Arts. At twice-daily workshops, an Anangu artist – speaking through an interpreter – will help you work some magic onto your canvas, while introducing you to traditional art, symbols and tools.

Depart that evening after sunset for the spectacular Wintjiri Wiru After Dark, where drones, lights, traditional music and language brings to life the Mala story. An Australia cheese and dessert hamper is included.*

*As custodians of the land, Anangu hold the Mala story from Kaltukatjara to Uluru. To share their story from Kaltukatjara to Uluru, RAMUS designed and produced an artistic platform using drones, light and sound to create an immersive storytelling experience.

Day 3: Learn our nation’s history

Meet SEIT Outback Australia and accompany the Traditional Owners to their homelands south of the Rock on the Patji day tour.

Just outside the limits of the National Park, explore the Patji homelands by 4WD in the company of an Aboriginal guide, as you learn about the history of the Anangu.

Over afternoon tea, hear stories detailing Paddy Uluru’s fight for Indigenous recognition in the park, as well as an overview of centuries-old bush survival techniques.

From atop a private sand dune, farewell your day by witnessing a final exquisite, multicoloured sunset against the silhouettes of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

In the evening, take a short walk to the Desert Gardens Hotel and dine at the Arnguli Grill & Restaurant, serving up quality Australian produce enlivened by Indigenous flavours.

Day 4: Fly over a natural wonder

On your fourth morning, view Uluru and Kata Tjuta from above on a scenic flight with Professional Helicopter Services.

The Uluru and Kata Tjuta Helicopter Experience combines the beauty of Uluru and Kata Tjuta in one unforgettable flight.

The total tour duration is 1 hour 10 mins and includes a 25-minute flight. After your high-flying adventure, enjoy a leisurely brunch at Geckos Café in the Town Square.

In the early afternoon, join Voyages Indigenous Tourism Resort’s free 45-minute Bush Foods Experience. Learn about native Australian ingredients, ancient food preparation techniques and a demonstration of how these ingredients can be used in modern cooking.

After the experience, check out the Gallery of Central Australia (GoCA) to view authentic Indigenous artwork and observe artists at work. The Gallery of Central Australia works with art centres across Central Australia, as well as independent artists and galleries, to showcase the work of emerging Indigenous artists from the region. The gallery provides a platform for the Indigenous community to share their stories and culture.

Just after the sun sets, make your way to the mesmerising Field of Light.

Covering more than seven football fields, Field of Light invites immersion in its fantasy garden of 50,000 spindles of light, the stems breathing and swaying through a desert spectrum of ochre, deep violet, blue and gentle white.

After this majestic experience, enjoy a casual dinner at the Outback Pioneer Hotel with a choice of do-it-yourself BBQ or the Outback Kitchen.

Day 5: Walk the bush

It’s time to leave Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Join the Red Centre Way and drive approximately three hours to Watarrka National Park.

The Northern Territory’s Watarrka National Park covers 71,000 hectares and has been home to the Luritja and Arrente peoples for more than 20,000 years. In the park you can learn about their thriving culture and be marvelled by clifftop hikes.

Stop at Karrke Aboriginal Experience & Tours and join their one-hour Aboriginal Cultural Tour. Learn about the harvesting of native bush foods, dot painting, interactive necklace making and clap stick decorating, bush medicines and more.

In the early afternoon, embark on the 6km Kings Canyon rim walk, where a 100-metre ascent over rose-coloured rocks and boulders gives way to lush bush, including the Garden of Eden, a peaceful pool flanked by ferns and cycads.

Find accommodation this night at Kings Canyon Discovery Resort, and enjoy an Under the Desert Moon dining experience*.

*May to Oct only

Day 6: Wind down from big adventures

After a packed 5 days of adventures and experiences, enjoy breakfast at Kings Canyon Discovery Resort and take in the view at Luritja Lookout.

From here, the day is yours. Continue on to Australia’s centre – Alice Springs – via the Red Centre Way. Or if it’s time to say farewell, make your way back to Ayers Rock Airport to return your hire car and make your departing flight.