Ayers Rock Resort to Uluru: Drive, bus or tour?

There are no taxis at Uluru. If you want to get from the Ayers Rock Resort to Uluru, you’ll need to drive, get the hop-on, hop-off bus or take a tour.

Getting from the Ayers Rock Resort to Uluru is relatively simple, but don’t expect to be able to stroll from your hotel room to the Big Red Rock.

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.

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

Ayers Rock Resort to Uluru distance

The distance from the Ayers Rock Resort to Uluru is 17.8km. That’s assuming you’re heading to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, next to Australia’s most famous monolith, where most of the parking is.

If you’re hiring a car at Ayers Rock Airport, that’s a pretty simple drive. But not everyone visiting Uluru is renting a car there.

Sort out your Red Centre transport now

Transfers: Alice Springs to Uluru | Uluru to Alice Springs | Uluru to Kings Canyon | Kings Canyon to Uluru | Kings Canyon to Alice Springs.
Day tours: Uluru from Alice Springs | Kata Tjuta from Uluru | Kings Canyon from Uluru | West MacDonnell Ranges from Alice Springs.

Uluru hop-on, hop-off bus

The second option is to take the Uluru Hop-On, Hop-Off bus. This shuttle service runs between the Ayers Rock Resort and Uluru five times a day. The timetable varies slightly by month, as the first and last services of the day are designed to get you to Uluru for the sunrise and sunset.

This Uluru shuttle service is not cheap, however. A return trip from the Ayers Rock Resort to Uluru costs $49 per adult, while a day pass costs $120.

This Uluru shuttle day pass also allows for one trip to Kata-Tjuta during the day.

For some, the two day passes costing $160 and three day passes costing $210 may be better value.

To see up-to-date timetables, visit the service operator’s website.

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 tours from the Ayers Rock Resort

The third option for getting to Uluru from the Ayers Rock Resort is taking a tour, of which there are plenty. Almost all tours depart from the Ayers Rock Resort.

These include the relatively simple sunrise and breakfast tours, sunset tours or the tours that combine sunrise and the guided base walk.

But the same applies to the bigger experiences, such as the Sounds of Silence dunetop stargazing dinner and the Segway tours around the base.

All prices and times are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change in the future.

There is a free shuttle from Ayers Rock Airport to the Ayers Rock Resort, and a separate free shuttle around the Ayers Rock Resort.

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.