Uluru sunset: Time, viewing area, dinner & tour options

The Uluru sunset is one of the prime reasons for visiting the Red Centre of Australia in the first place. Sunset time is between 18.02 and 19.41. There are two official sunset viewing areas, and plenty of tour options – including the Sounds of Silence dinner.

The Uluru sunset can be one of the most magical experiences in Australia’s Northern Territory. Most come to see Australia’s famous Big Red Rock change colours as the sun goes down. Uluru gradually transforms in an array of pinks, peaches, oranges and reds.

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.

Uluru sunset viewing areas

There are two official Uluru sunset viewing areas – one for passengers on tour buses, one for independent travellers in cars. Neither is exactly quiet, but both offer great views of the inselberg formerly known as Ayers Rock.

At the bus sunset viewing area, there is a 500 metre walk you can take along the desert dune. This leads you to a less crowded spot with equally good views.

At the car sunset viewing area, it pays to arrive early if you want to get the best spots for photography.

Watching the Uluru sunset from the sunrise area

The third, possibly counterintuitive, spot to watch the Uluru sunset is Talinguru Nyakunytjaku. This is considerably further from the Ayers Rock Resort, and to the south-east of Uluru. It is better known as a sunrise viewing area, but come at sunset and you’ll have it pretty much to yourself.

Watching sunset from Talinguru Nyakunytjaku, you don’t get the same vivid display of changing colours, but you do get to watch the sun drop behind the Rock as Uluru becomes a silhouette. Given that the Uluru Park Pass covers three days, you may as well take it in from one angle one day, and another angle the next.

This once-in-a-lifetime dune-top dinner experience, with special stargazing session included, is our top Uluru recommendation.

Uluru sunset times

The Uluru sunset time varies depending on what time of year you visit, although there isn’t a gigantic variance – you’re not exactly in the Arctic Circle, here. The latest sunsets are in mid-January, when the official Uluru sunset time gets as late as 19.41.

The earliest the sun goes down is in early June, when the official Uluru sunset time is 18.02.

Uluru sunset tours

This being Uluru, there are, of course, plenty of tour options available for taking in the sunset. The most famous of these is the Sounds of Silence dinner, which involves a luxury dune-top barbecue dinner, with a stargazing experience after the sun has gone down. This should be booked online in advance.

Other picks include a sunset tour from the Ayers Rock Resort, with sparkling wine and nibbles as the sun goes down. There’s also an Aboriginal homelands experience and a sunset helicopter tour.

Which Uluru accommodation should I book?

Let’s not sugar-coat it: Accommodation at Uluru is expensive. Specialist Australian accommodation website Wotif lists Uluru accommodation for from $300. Check the top deals page to search through the options.

However, if you stay for three nights rather than two, hefty discounts tend to kick in.

The Uluru accommodation options are designed with different target markets in mind. Book which one fits you best.

• For the lowest prices: Ayers Rock Campground.
• For best quality: Sails in the Desert.
• For families and self-caterers: Emu Walk Apartments.
• For mid-range solidity: Desert Gardens.

More Northern Territory travel

Should I take the Kings Canyon to Alice Springs bus?

Go birdwatching at Fogg Dam.

What’s the price of an Uluru Park Pass.

How long is the drive from Katherine to Timber Creek?

Take a day trip from Darwin to Crab Claw Island.