Cairns to Uluru road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Cairns to Uluru drive: Lasseter Highway
The last leg of the journey from Alice Springs to Uluru is longer than many people think – and it takes nearly five hours.
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.
Stuart Highway stops include Stuarts Well, where you can ride a camel, and the Erldunda Roadhouse.
The latter is where you turn west down the Lasseter Highway, eventually going past Mount Conner towards the Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara.
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This resort is where most people stay when visiting the big red rock. Uluru accommodation here include the plush Sails In The Desert, the more relaxed Emu Walk Apartments and slightly cheaper Desert Gardens Hotel.
Experiences available at Uluru include the Sounds of Silence dinner, scenic helicopter flights, yet more camel tours, and Aboriginal dot painting workshops.
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.
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