Melbourne to Uluru road trip: Distance, driving time and attractions
A Melbourne to Uluru road trip is a mammoth – but fun – undertaking. Attractions along the 2,312km Melbourne to Uluru drive include the Grampians, the Clare Valley wine region and weird underground town Coober Pedy.
It is possible to drive from Melbourne to Uluru. But The vast majority of people going to Uluru from Melbourne will do so by air. There are direct flights from Melbourne to Ayers Rock Airport, and given where Uluru is located in the middle of nowhere, this is by far the quickest option.
This once-in-a-lifetime dune-top dinner experience, with special stargazing session included, is our top Uluru recommendation.
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.
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.
More adventurous travellers, however, might prefer the Melbourne to Uluru road trip. This drive is not for the timid – it crosses vast swathes of country Australia and stark outback. But it can be an awful lot of fun.
Before leaving, you may want to tick Melbourne Cricket Ground tours, Yarra River dinner cruises and cross-city hot air balloon flights off your Melbourne wish list. For a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences, explore here. To track down the best value Melbourne accommodation, come this way.
Melbourne to Uluru distance and driving time
The distance from Melbourne to Uluru by road is 2,312km. That makes for a driving time of around 25 hours.
Obviously, no-one is going to be insane enough to attempt this Melbourne to Uluru distance in one stint. Thus it’s best to turn the Melbourne to Uluru drive into a road trip, and make a few stops along the way.
👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇
- Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
- Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
- Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
- Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
- Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
- Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
- Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.
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The first leg of the Melbourne to Uluru drive is from Melbourne to Adelaide, starting off along the Western Highway.
Ballarat, home of giant open air museum Sovereign Hill and former Olympics site Lake Wendouree is the first major point of interest.
Click through to next section: The Grampians.