Longreach to Uluru road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
Alice Springs attractions and activities
Alice Springs is by far the most likely overnight stay on the Tennant Creek to Uluru section of road trip, however.
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.
Things to do in Alice Springs include the absorbing Alice Springs Desert Park, the Museum of Central Australia and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Base visitor centre.
For tours, enjoy a camel tour, a hot air balloon flight or a West MacDonnell Ranges day trip.
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.
Longreach 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.
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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.
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.
This resort is where most people stay when visiting the big red rock.
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.
Experiences available at Uluru include the Sounds of Silence dinner, scenic helicopter flights, yet more camel tours, and Aboriginal dot painting workshops.
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