Experience Overview
Grab your sunhats and load up space on the camera roll for six days of Outback-sized adventure in Central Australia. Join a local leader and a small group of families as you tick off Australia’s great natural sites in the Northern Territory. Start by exploring the bases of Uluru and Kata Tjuta on two feet and two wheels, learning about their connection to Creation Time from a local Anangu guide. Then, hit the road to discover the bright-red colours of Tjoritja (West McDonnell Ranges), Finke River National Park and even a nearby asteroid crater, along with a handful of wildlife, wallabies and wilderness in between.
Highlights
- Feel like an ant as you cycle around the base of Uluru before you see its amazing colour-changing magic when the sun goes down at night and up again in the morning.
- Count the many heads of Kata Tjuta before you wander through one of the gaps – some which reach 546 metres high – to reach a sanctuary of wildflowers and the occasional wallaroo.
- Journey down the bright red canyon walls of Kings Creek and learn from your leader about the wildlife that have adapted to survive living in Australia’s hot desert climate.
- Sit back and relax in your air conditioned and private-ensuite tents at an Intrepid-exclusive campsite located at Finke River National Park in Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges).
- Hop from asteroid crater to Ghost Gum trail to natural swimming pool in the Ormiston Gorge area, learning about local Aboriginal Creation Stories along the way.
Trip Details
Product Code: 2363
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Basic
Transport: Private vehicle
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles: Family
Tour Operator: Intrepid Travel
Supplier Code: PZFR
Starts: Yulara (or Alice Springs) / Uluru / Yulara, Australia
Finishes: Alice Springs, Australia
Duration: 6 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating: Average
Includes
Meals: Breakfasts (5), Lunch (3), Dinner (2)Accommodation: Hotel (2 nights),Air-Conditioned Bush Tents with shared facilities (1 night),Air-conditioned Glamping tents with ensuite facilities (2 nights)
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $1028 ($171 /day)
Itinerary
Werte! Welcome to Yulara! Your family adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 4 pm at your hotel. After your introductions, hop aboard your transport and set off to Uluru. Standing at 348 metres tall (higher than the Eiffel Tower), Uluru has been an important site to the local Aboriginal people, the Anangu people, for thousands of years. Look out for Uluru’s colour-changing abilities as you find a cosy spot to watch the sunset. And once the sun goes down, make sure your gazes are turned towards the stars and find some famous constellations.
Included Activities:
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Uluru Sunset Viewing
Accommodation:
- Outback Hotel & Lodge (Number of Nights: 1)
Wake up early for another chance at spotting Uluru change colours from purple to red to orange. After getting in a good breakfast, grab a hat and sunscreen up for guided walk to the Mutitjulu Waterhole. One of the only permanent water sources around Uluru, your guide, a local member of the local Aboriginal Anangu community, will share Creation Stories about the site and point out any animals, bush foods and plant life that live here. Stop by the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre to learn more about the park and its significance before you head to Kata-Tjuta this afternoon for the Walpa Gorge Walk. Tucked into two of Kata Tjuta’s towering domed rocks, the Walpa Gorge is a little oasis full of plant life. This evening you’ll have the option to visit the Field of Light, an enormous art installation that illuminates the landscape with 50,000 stems of light.
Included Activities:
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Cultural Centre
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Kata Tjuta Walpa Gorge Walk
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Kuniya Walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole with local Anangu Guide
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Uluru Sunrise Viewing
Optional Activities:
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Field of Light (55 AUD)
Accommodation:
- Outback Hotel & Lodge (Number of Nights: 1)
Today you’ll be taking to two wheels for a trip around the base of Uluru. After a light breakfast, head out with your leader to get fitted for bikes for an up-close experience with one of Australia’s most culturally significant sites. Make sure to bring plenty of water while out on the trail and watch how the surface of Uluru varies as you cycle around it. Finish your ride and say goodbye to Uluru as you leave for your next destination at Watarrka National Park. Kick back for the drive through the Australian Outback and stop for an included lunch along the way. Arrive at your accommodation and after a busy morning out exploring, you’ll have a free evening to get to know the other families or take some time to relax under the stars.
Included Activities:
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Uluru Bike Ride
Accommodation:
- Kings Creek Station Glamping (Number of Nights: 1)
Wake up to the incredible outback landscape of the Kings Creek Station, where a bushman’s style breakfast awaits any hungry adventurers. You’ll have about an hour this morning exploring the trails around the station with your leader as your guide. The Kings Creek walking path will take you along an easy path along the bottom of the gorge between two giant red canyon walls. Later today, depart for tonight’s accommodation in Finke Gorge National Park, travelling via the Mereenie Loop. Settle into your cosy campsite by the Finke River, where you’ll have the option to stretch your legs and any excess energy on the Kalangarra Walk. Grab a spot by the campfire for dinner tonight.
Included Activities:
- Watarrka National Park - Kings Creek walk
Optional Activities:
- Finke River - Kalarranga Walk - Free
Accommodation:
- Palm Valley Campsite (Number of Nights: 1)
Get set for a full day of outdoor Australian fun in Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges). This morning, you’ll leave the campsite and make your first stop at the site of an asteroid crater. Formed over 140 million years ago, the Gosse Bluff (Tnorala) has for years been both a site of cultural and scientific significance. Take a walk around the comet’s impact site and learn about why the local Western Arrernte Aboriginal people believed this site to be celestial. Your next site is Ormiston Gorge (Kwartatuma), where you’ll have time to walk between the Ghost Gum trees and cool off in the swimming hole. After a busy day, return to your camp in Finke River, then enjoy your last evening together as a group.
Included Activities:
- Tjoritja-West MacDonnell Ranges - Ormiston Gorge
- Tjoritja-West MacDonnell Ranges - Gosse Bluff Asteroid Crater (Tnorala)
Accommodation:
- Palm Valley Campsite (Number of Nights: 1)
Get an early start today and travel to Simpsons Gap. Another site of significance to the Traditional Custodians, the site offers a scenic view of Tjoritja (West McDonnell National Park) and is a frequent stop for black-footed rock wallabies who visit at sunrise and sunset. You’ll then depart for Alice Springs, where your trip will come to an end. There are no further activities planned when you arrive, so you can leave at any time. If you’d like to stay in Alice Springs for longer, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
Included Activities:
- Tjoritja-West MacDonnell Ranges - Simpsons Gap
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Tour Operator
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.
In Business Since 1989
Reviews
Bethea - Traveled, April 2025
This was the most fantastic way for my daughters and I to experience the Red Centre for the first time. We could have done it alone but it was infinitely times more special doing it with our group. The Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience was a highlight and perfectly suited to my daughters.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/17/2025
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