Daly Waters to Alice Springs: Distance, time & road trip stops
Top stops on a Daly Waters to Alice Springs road trip itinerary include Daly Waters, Tennant Creek and the Devils Marbles. The drive to Alice Springs from Daly Waters covers a 915km distance in around 9h11m.
A Daly Waters to Alice Springs road trip covers a vast swathe of Australia’s Northern Territory.
Daly Waters is best known for the legendary Daly Waters Pub – a brilliant spot for beer, beef, entertainment and quirky décor.
Alice Springs, meanwhile, offers nocturnal wildlife tours of the Alice Springs Desert Park, outback hot air balloon rides and day trips to the West MacDonnell Ranges. To fix up your Alice Springs accommodation, book here.
If you do just one thing in Alice Springs…
Make it a West MacDonnell Ranges day tour. It’ll show off many of the Red Centre’s most dramatic gorges, photogenic swimming holes, rugged landscapes and weird rock formations. (FIND OUT MORE).
Australia travel expert David Whitley.
This guide is aimed at travellers planning a Daly Waters to Alice Springs road trip itinerary. Click through on links to individual places and activities for greater detail.
Daly Waters to Alice Springs distance and driving time
The distance from Daly Waters to Alice Springs by car is 915km. That makes for a driving time of nine hours and 11 minutes.
The best stops on the Daly Waters to Alice Springs drive are the Daly Waters Pub, Tennant Creek and the Devils Marbles.
Daly Waters to Alice Springs road trip: Daly Waters to Tennant Creek
The Daly Waters to Tennant Creek stretch of the drive through the Northern Territory has slim pickings. You can stop at Lake Woods for birdwatching and the Threeways Roadhouse at the junction with the Barkly Highway for refreshment. But there’s not much else to do.
Things to do in Tennant Creek include the underground tour at the Battery Hill Mine and exploring Indigenous culture at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Cultural Centre.
Tennant Creek accommodation
Specialist Australian accommodation booking site Wotif offers Tennant Creek accommodation for from $140 a night. Check the top deals page for the best rates.
However, to narrow down the shortlist, consider these options first.
- For (easily) the best quality: Safari Lodge.
- For roadtripper convenience: Outback Caravan Park.
- For a pool: Bluestone Motor Inn.
Daly Waters to Alice Springs drive: Tennant Creek to Alice Springs
From Tennant Creek to Alice Springs, it’s another 508km of highway. The best stops are the giant boulders of the Devils Marbles and the alien paraphernalia-covered Wycliffe Well roadhouse.
Once in Alice Springs, attractions include the Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary, the Royal Flying Doctor Service Base and the Araluen Cultural Precinct.
Seven essential Alice Springs activities to add to your trip.
- See imposing red rock cliffs and stunning swimming holes – on a West MacDonnell Ranges day trip.
- Glide across the changing morning colours of the outback – on a hot air balloon ride.
- See how education works across the outback – at the School of the Air.
- Take in the epic outback scenery – on a scenic flight.
- See the outback wildlife come to life – on a Desert Park nocturnal tour.
- Try camel rides through the red dirt landscape – and learn the weird history of Aussie camels.
- See stunning, often unvisited outback sites – on a Palm Valley 4wd tour.
Alice can also be used as a base for exploring the marvellous West MacDonnell Ranges. Sights to tick off here include Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge and Ellery Creek Big Hole.
Best Alice Springs accommodation choices
These are the best Alice Springs accommodation picks:
- For a solid, relatively affordable motel: Elkira Court Motel.
- For villas, gardens and a lagoon-style pool: Desert Palms.
- For backpackers: Alice’s Secret Travellers Inn.
- For a kid-friendly holiday park: Discovery Parks Alice Springs.
- For business-friendly serviced apartments: Quest Alice Springs.
Sort out your Red Centre transport now
More Northern Territory travel
How long is the drive from Mataranka to Alice Springs?
What to see on the drive from Longreach to Tennant Creek.
How long is the drive from Coober Pedy to Erldunda?
What to see on a Longreach to Darwin road trip.
Why visit the Mutitjulu Waterhole at Uluru?