Adelaide to Uluru road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops
The best stops on an Adelaide to Uluru road trip itinerary include the Clare Valley, Woomera and Coober Pedy. The distance from Adelaide to Uluru by car is 1,602km, with a driving time of around 16h43m.
The Adelaide to Uluru drive is an epic road trip through Australia’s stark outback. It’s not an especially difficult drive – there’s well-maintained highway all the way. But the Adelaide to Uluru road trip is a long one, and you’re going to need to build in at least one overnight stop along the way.
This once-in-a-lifetime dune-top dinner experience, with special stargazing session included, is our top Uluru recommendation.
Adelaide brings food tours of the fabulous Central Market, Torrens River cruises, swimming with dolphins and the chance to walk across the roof of the Adelaide Oval. To book Adelaide accommodation, step this way. For a full range of Adelaide tours and experiences, explore here.
Uluru experiences include a lavish dune-top desert dinner with stargazing, a guided walk around the perimeter full of Aboriginal cultural stories and a sunrise tour to the perfect photo stop. To browse a wide array of memorable Uluru experiences, head here. For the best Uluru accommodation deals, search here.
8 great Uluru experiences to book before you arrive
- 1. Understand Uluru’s caves, bulges, gullies and spiritual stories on a guided base walk.
- 2. Be awe-struck by the changing colours on a SUNRISE tour.
- 3. Eat great food on a dune top, and enjoy an expert-guided stargazing session during a once-in-a-lifetime desert dune-top dinner.
- 4. See an entirely different kind of dramatic outback scenery on Kings Canyon day trip.
- 5. Do a lap of Uluru by Segway.
- 6. See the big picture on an outback helicopter flight.
- 7. See Australia’s most spectacular light show – the Field of Light at sunrise.
- 8. Admire the colour-shifting giant rock domes on a Kata-tjuta sunset trip.
Adelaide to Uluru distance and driving time
The distance from Adelaide to Uluru by car is 1,602km. You should expect a driving time of around sixteen hours and 43 minutes. This journey is better broken down in to chunks – Adelaide to Port Augusta, then Port Augusta to Coober Pedy, then Coober Pedy to Uluru.
Pick your perfect Adelaide day trips
- Barossa Valley tours: 1. Wine-tasting with lunch 🍷. 2. Food and wine tour. 3. Small group wine tour with exclusive VIP tastings.
- Kangaroo Island in a day – including sea lions 🦭, koalas 🐨and national parks.
- Adelaide Hills tours: 1. Sights plus Murray River lunch cruise combo. 2. Small group cheese, chocolate & wine tour with Hahndorf German village.
- McLaren Vale tours: 1. Small group wine tour with lunch. 2. Hop-on hop-off wineries tour 🍷. 3. Food and wine indulgence tour, including the gloriously weird d’Arenberg Cube.
- Victor Harbor and southern highlights tour – including the Granite Island horse-drawn tram.
The Adelaide to Port Augusta drive along National Highway A1 covers a distance of 309km in about three hours and 21 minutes. Moderately interesting stops along this route include Port Wakefield, Lake Bumbunga, Port Pirie and Mambray Creek.
Adelaide to Uluru drive via the Clare Valley
However, the better route is slightly longer. Go via the Clare Valley, and the journey time is about 20 minutes longer. But you can stop at a few Clare Valley wineries to taste world class Rieslings along the way.
The best things to do in Port Augusta include the Wadlata Outback Centre, which looks at Aboriginal and outback life, and the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden.
Port Augusta accommodation picks
Port Augusta accommodation tends towards the functional. Few people stay here more than one night. Booking site Wotif lists options for from $89, if you’d like to check what’s available.
However, these Port Augusta accommodation choices are particularly worth looking at:
- For heritage and character: Pampas Motel.
- For green credentials: Crossroads Ecomotel.
- For overall quality: Majestic Oasis Apartments.
- For cheap rates and a pool: Discovery Parks – Port Augusta.
Click through for the next section: Into the outback.