Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is World Heritage-listed and lies approximately 460 kilometres from Alice Springs. The Anangu people have lived in the region for tens of thousands of years and Uluru is a sacred site. Uluru was known in the past as Ayers Rock, in honour of Sir Henry Ayers, named by European explorers.
Composed of a kind of sandstone called arkose, Uluru was formed millions of years ago by complex geological processes. Over millions of years, it was pressed under a shallow sea, then thrust up by enormous crust activity. Now it stands as a lonely remnant of a long-gone mountain range. The red soil of central Australia is in fact the dust of those eroded mountains, rich in iron oxide.
Visitors were once able to climb Uluru, however, as this activity disrespected the Anangu peoples' beliefs, a ban came into effect in 2019 that prohibited people from climbing the rock. Today, you can still take in the magnificent site of the famous red rock while respecting the cultural and religious beliefs of the traditional owners.
Getting in and around Uluru
Connellan (Uluru) Airport
Tourists arrive at Uluru and the nearby purpose-built tourist township of Yulara either by road (Lasseter Highway) or by air (Connellan Airport). Uluru/Connellan Airport is a small but quite busy airport with flights arriving from Darwin, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns. Shuttle services to Yulara and car hire services are available.
Uluru Transport
Once at the township of Yulara, it is easy to walk around the compact cluster of resort hotels and the shopping mall, which contains cafes, a supermarket and crafts galleries. Alternatively, a free shuttle bus service is available and operates around Ayers Rock Resort, doing regular circuits of the complex.
Uluru Car Hire
Yulara is located just outside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park boundaries. To enter the park and get up close to Uluru, Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Kings Canyon and the other splendid surrounding scenery, car hire can be arranged through your hotel.
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Uluru accommodation
Reported as being Australia's busiest tourist destination, Yulara and Ayers Rock Resort is the base for visits to Uluru and surrounds.
Luxury
Sails in the Desert is Uluru's premier hotel, with spacious five-star rooms and interiors focusing on Aboriginal heritage and culture. The hotel was designed by architect Philip Cox to blend well with the surrounding landscape.
Longitude 131° Luxury Camp has just 16 tented pavilions, offering private luxury, eco-sensitive and romantic elevated "tent" accommodation with an unbeatable view of Uluru.Sails in the Desert Hotel is Ayers Rock's premier hotel, with spacious five-star rooms and interiors focusing on Aboriginal heritage and culture.
Longitude 131° Luxury Camp caters for just 30 guests at a time, offering luxury, eco-sensitive and romantic elevated ‘tent’ accommodation with a clear view of Uluru.
Mid-range
Desert Gardens Hotel has comfortable, lush rooms amidst native gardens.
Emu Walk Apartments provides four-star accommodation for those who prefer self-catering and independence. Apartments can accommodate up to six people. Desert Gardens Hotel has comfortable rooms, some with delightful patios.
Emu Walk Apartments provide four-star accommodation for those who prefer self-catering and independence. Apartments can accommodate up to six people.
Budget
The Lost Camel Hotel is bright and contemporary, and right next door to the resort shopping centre.
Ayers Rock Campground is served by the resort shuttle bus and has a children's playground. Cabin and tent sites are available.Lost Camel Hotel is bright and contemporary and right nest door to the resort shopping centre.
Ayers Rock Campground is served by the resort shuttle bus and has a children's playground. Permanent tents available if you don't have your own.
Backpackers
The Outback Hotel and Lodge offers private rooms as well as shared dorm rooms. Guests here have access to all facilities including shops, swimming pools, galleries and free activities.Voyages Outback Pioneer Lodge offers the only dorm accommodation in Yulara. Not spacious, but you get access to resort facilities including swimming pool, BBQ, bar and shuttle bus.Kings Canyon backpackers and independent travellers on a budget will appreciate the
Kings Canyon Lodge, part of the Kings Canyon Resort off the main highway between Uluru and Alice Springs.
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Things to do in Uluru
Harley Tours. This is a fun way to get oriented soon after arrival, or maybe as a "lap of honour" after enjoying a unique experience. Tours range from 30 minutes to three and a half hours, with rides allowing you to fly through the Australian outback to see the sun rise or set over Uluru.
The Sounds of Silence Dinner is something special. Travel by bus from your hotel to a desert destination not far from the resort. There, as the sun sets and a lone didgeridoo plays, you can savour canapés and bubbly as stars appear above. Later, a star talker guides you on a tour of the night sky.
Helicopter or light aircraft flights over Uluru and Kata Tjuta provide a different experience of these remarkable remnants of the former landscape.
Climb on a camel for a special experience of the landscape at either sunrise or sunset. Your guide will show you the unique flora and fauna of the Australian desert. Camel rides can last for either one and a half or two and a half hours.
The Astro Tour offers a guided tour of the magnificent southern sky without the light pollution of big cities. Allow yourself the rare experience of seeing the stars the way the ancient peoples did, which few of us get to appreciate in modern times.
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Day trips in and around Uluru
Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) is one trip that can't be left out of your Uluru itinerary. This range of 36 rock domes in the same park as Uluru is believed by geologists to have once surpassed Uluru in size, but has eroded to now appear as several separate rocks. Tours leave daily, or Uluru and Kata Tjuta maps can be obtained from the Tourist Information Centre, or your hotel, to guide you through Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
A Guided Walking Tour and Breakfast is a great way to meet people and gain an understanding of Aboriginal life and culture. Join a small group walking close to the base of the Uluru, learn about the food resources in this arid world and listen to Dreaming tales, like the Tjukurpa story of a Blue Tongue Lizard.
Mala Walk is a longer tour which takes you right around the base of Uluru. Aboriginal storytellers relate the Dreaming events that are their heritage.
Mount Conner. This table-topped formation about 130 kilometres east of Yulara completes the trio of marvels (along with Uluru and Kata Tjuta) for which Central Australia is famous for.
Kings Canyon (Watarrka) and Alice Springs Tours are available and can include a walk at the base of Uluru and a visit to Kata Tjuta, where Aboriginal storytellers share tales of the Dreaming. At Kings Canyon and Watarrka National Park, you can choose either to explore the floor of the canyon or take a guided walk along the rim, famously depicted in the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
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