8 Day Uluru to Adelaide Cultural and Adventure Tour

Day 1 Yulara & Uluru Sunset

1. 1

   Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Your eight-day adventure begins at 2 pm, where you'll meet your Storyteller Guide in front of the Desert Gardens Hotel. After a meet and greet, visit the Cultural Centre in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to soak up its mesmerising natural beauty and rich culture. Uluru and Kata Tjuta both hold great spiritual significance as they are places where many creation stories converge. Many of these stories are kept secret from outsiders, but you'll learn a little about the local Anangu culture and appreciate the beauty of their land through exhibits and free presentations with Anangu and park rangers.

2. 2

   Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

   45 min

   After setting up camp this evening, head to a viewing platform to experience the famous changing colours of the magical Uluru at sunset. This is a great time to contemplate the vastness of the desert.

3. 3

   Ayers Rock Campground

   12 hours Admission ticket included

   Tonight, get to know your fellow travellers over our first campfire dinner. And roll out your Aussie swag for the first time underneath a sky full of sparkling stars.
   Today we only drive around 60km.

Day 2 Uluru

1. 1

   3 hours Admission ticket included

   Rising early, breathe deep and soak up the serenity of a sunrise over Uluru. As the sunlight plays with the landscape, the rock formations change colour before your eyes. Next, it's time to get close to Uluru, one of the world's greatest natural wonders. At 348 metres high and some 550 million years old, feel a powerful presence the moment you set eyes on it. A guided 10km Uluru base walk is your best opportunity to connect with the rock and learn its stories. Relax beside tranquil waterholes, take a break under a magnificent Sheoak tree and peer into hidden caves.

2. 2

   1 hour 30 min Admission ticket included

   After lunch, participate in a fun and inspiring dot painting workshop with a talented local Anangu artist and interpreter. During this wonderful 1.5-hour authentic experience, you will learn about ancient symbols used in Anangu art and teachings and will be taught some introductory Pitjantjatjara words (the local language spoken by Anangu). Use this knowledge to create your own artwork to take home and treasure forever.

3. 3

   Ayers Rock Campground

   16 hours Admission ticket included

   Return to camp for some free time. Relax by the pool or engage in some of the activities at Ayers Rock Resort, such as a didgeridoo performance, a guided garden walk or discovering artifacts at the museum. Enjoy a tasty dinner at camp tonight.
   Today we only drive around 50km. You may walk up to 10km today if you do the full Uluru base-walk. However, shorter Uluru walks are available.

Day 3 Yulara to Kings Canyon / Watarrka

1. 1

   Kata Tjuta - The Olgas

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   This morning, we depart Yulara and make our way towards Watarrka National Park and Kings Canyon. But first, it's time for another untamed moment as Kata Tjuta materialises before you. Rising 546 metres above the ground, this sacred site is a defining feature of the Red Centre. Translating to the Pitjantjatjara word for 'Many Heads', the site's ridges and ravines are closely connected with numerous Indigenous creation-time stories. Embark on the Valley of the Winds guided walk for a moment in nature you will never forget. A sanctuary for plants and animals, including wallabies and gorgeous wildflowers, we'll wander along the narrow creek valley between two of Kata Tjuta's largest domes.

2. 2

   Kings Creek Station

   16 hours Admission ticket included

   This afternoon, arrive at our camp at Kings Creek Station and enjoy some chill time before dinner at your leisure.
   Today you will cover about 325kms.

Day 4 Kings Canyon to Coober Pedy

1. 1

   Kings Canyon

   3 hours 30 min

   It's an early start this morning for the spellbinding Kings Canyon Rim Walk, which is guaranteed to be one of the most magical experiences of your life. With its 300-metre-high sandstone walls, hidden waterholes, fern forests, chasms, canyons and caverns, Watarrka National Park is central Australia's answer to an oasis. Take in the 360-degree views and journey through Priscilla's Crack, made famous by the classic Australian movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert. From there, see the sandstone domes known as the Lost City and the lush greenery and watering hole of the aptly named Garden of Eden.

2. 2

   30 min

   Lunch stop

3. 3

   Coober Pedy

   13 hours

   Rest your legs and settle in for a long drive today as we travel across the Northern Territory and South Australian border. There are plenty of stops along the way before we arrive in Coober Pedy, 'The Opal Capital of the World'. Due to scorching temperatures, most of the town is underground, with residents living in cave-like houses carved into the hillsides.
   Tonight, you will stay in a unique underground bunkhouse and have some free time to explore and grab dinner at one of the many eateries. It's big numbers today, covering approximately 760km.

Day 5 Coober Pedy to William Creek

1. 1

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   After breakfast, visit the Umoona Opal Mine and Museum. Here you will learn about Aboriginal and European settlement, see how the early miners lived, and try your hand at 'noodling' for opals.

2. 2

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Next, spend time with some rescued joeys at Josephine's Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage. Established in 2008 to take in orphaned kangaroos from the far north of South Australia, it is about the size of Germany! It just so happens the gallery here is a world-class Aboriginal Art Gallery with an extensive range of Aboriginal artefacts and significant works by many of Australia's best-known Indigenous artists.

3. 3

   Coober Pedy

   2 hours

   Lunch & Free time in town

4. 4

   William Creek Hotel

   14 hours Admission ticket included

   Next, travel into areas seldom seen by most tourists as the bus leaves the sealed roads of the Stuart Highway behind us and travels on unsealed roads to one of the remotest towns in the world, William Creek. On the way, travel through the largest cattle station in the world, Anna Creek. Gaze out at the endless horizons as we pass by the lake with the longest name in the world, Lake Cadibarrawirracanna. Arriving in town, set up camp and have a hearty counter meal at the heritage-listed William Creek Hotel.
   Fall asleep as you count shooting stars snuggled up in your swag.
   Today we travel approximately 170km.

Day 6 William Creek to Flinders Ranges via the Oodnadatta Track*

1. 1

   30 min Admission ticket included

   Today, continue off the beaten path and travel along a section of one of Australia's most iconic unsealed roads, the Oodnadatta Track where we will drive through eerie lunar-like landscapes.

2. 2

   15 min

   A quick photo stop at Lake Eyre (Australia's largest salt lake), officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, s an endorheic lake in east-central Far North South Australia.

3. 3

   15 min Admission ticket included

   Witness the weird and wonderful Mutonia Sculpture Park.

4. 4

   30 min

   Grab lunch at one of the quirky outback towns along the way

5. 5

   Skytrek Willow Springs Station

   14 hours Admission ticket included

   After a tasty dinner prepared by your Guide, kick back and enjoy front-row seats to one of the most spectacular light shows on Earth. The Flinders Ranges is famed for having some of the clearest skies in the Southern Hemisphere. So, what better place to opt for an optional stargazing experience with an expert astronomer and physicist? Take a short drive from camp and, using a 10-inch reflecting telescope, view constellations, globular clusters, nebulae, and the planets Saturn and Jupiter. Experiences range from $90 to $190pp and can be arranged with your Guide on the day.
   Roll out your swag under a sea of stars blanketing the ancient landscape and spend the evening marvelling at the Milky Way and counting constellations.
   Today we drive approximately 500km.

6. 6

   Oodnadatta Track

   14 hours

   *The Oodnadatta Track is an unsealed dirt road, and the conditions of the track depend heavily on the weather. If the road is deemed unsafe to drive on, or there is a possibility that sections of the road will close after we have commenced driving on the track, our Guide reserves the right to alter the itinerary and take a different route. If, for safety reasons, the decision is made not to travel on the track, the itinerary for day three will be changed as follows;
   Port Augusta | Coober Pedy via Stuart Highway | Josephine's Kangaroo Orphanage & Gallery | Coober Pedy township | Umoona Opal Mine & Museum | Overnight Coober Pedy.

Day 7 Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park

1. 1

   3 hours

   This morning, it's time to unearth the magnificent Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. After breakfast, we'll travel to nearby Wilpena Pound to meet local Park Ranger and proud Adnyamathanha man John from Ngai Nhina Yuras. After a Welcome to Country, walk with him in a place where the sun and moon create magic as you listen to the fascinating stories of the Adnyamathanha People. Learn about Culture and Traditions, Bush Mai (food), artefacts, and medicinal plants, followed by a cultural smoking protocol.

2. 2

   3 hours

   Ancient gorges invite exploration, and beauty reveals itself at every turn. So, pull on your hiking boots for a hike through tall river red gums and pines, past waterholes and a historic ruined homestead, culminating with breathtaking views over the surrounding wilderness.
   After a picnic lunch, take a beautiful scenic drive at Brachina Gorge.

3. 3

   Skytrek Willow Springs Station

   13 hours Admission ticket included

   Finally, head back to camp to relax and have our final dinner together. The total driving distance today is approximately 160km.

Day 8 Flinders Ranges to Adelaide

1. 1

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   After our final breakfast together, it's time to roll up your swag one last time and set out on the Arkaroo Rock Trail, which has impressive views over the Chace Range. Arkaroo Rock is also a significant cultural site for the Adnyamathanha people. It has an incredible example of Adnyamathanha rock art depicting the Yura Muda (Dreaming or creation story) of Ikara.

2. 2

   Alligator Gorge

   1 hour 30 min Admission ticket included

   Enjoy a picnic lunch before travelling to Alligator Gorge in the Southern Flinders Ranges. Located in Mount Remarkable National Park, this is the perfect way to end the tour.

3. 3

   Adelaide

   15 min

   Our last stint on the road will see us travel through the picturesque Clare Valley wine region before arriving in Adelaide at around 6 pm.
   Today we travel approximately 450km.