There’s more than one rock in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park worth marvelling at…
In fact, there are 36 of them. Formerly known as ‘The Olgas’, Kata Tjuta’s towering collection of rock formations stands 546 metres high, covers more than 20 square kilometres and will undoubtedly leave you with a lasting impression of the Red Centre’s natural beauty. Meaning ‘many heads’ in Pitjantjatjara language, Kata Tjuta was, and remains, a sacred site to the Anangu people - a gathering place for men’s business. And you can feel this importance as you stand between the domes on your way to Walpa Gorge or trek the Valley of the Winds in search of views no camera will ever do justice. But charge it anyway, you’ll want to remember this.
A haven for nature lovers (and anyone who can appreciate natural beauty when they see it), the Walpa Gorge walk is actually more of a gentle wander as the trail leads you between two of Kata Tjuta’s largest domes towards an observation deck over a narrow creek valley. Along the way, see if you can spot wallabies foraging for food and stop to admire the wildflowers blooming out of the rock itself.
Watching the sun’s rays bounce off the textured surface of Uluru at either sunrise or sunset might grace the top spot of bucket lists everywhere, but enjoying a freshly packed lunch with a view of Kata Tjuta has to be a close second. Admire the shadows as they flit across the ochre-coloured domes and relive the memories you’ve created over the past couple of days with your new friends.
If the ‘Valley of the Winds’ sounds like it’s straight out of a fairytale set in a foreign land, that’s because it is. This 3–4 hour, grade 4 walk will transport you to another world; a world where you can get up close and personal with the Mars-like landscape of Kata Tjuta and catch views you won’t believe are real from two lookout spots along the way. Wear your hiking boots though, this track is steep but oh-so-worth it.
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Uluru & Kings Canyon Adventure
Kelvin · Traveled June 2024
4 Days covering Kings Canyon/ Uluru is perfect. So much to see and learn. Charlotte was a great and very knowledgeable leader. Had a great group of 12. Loved every minute of this trip
Review submitted 30 Jun 2024
Uluru & Kings Canyon Adventure
Diane · Traveled June 2024
This trip provided a wonderful introduction to the Red Centre, including Kings Canyon and Kata Tjuṯa as well as Uluru. Our guide was happy to ashush the itinerary to give us the best experience, too. Exceeded my expectations.
Review submitted 08 Jun 2024
Red Centre & Uluru Explorer
Patti · Traveled May 2024
Surpassed my expectations. A rich itinerary with authentic Aboriginal information, exhilarating hikes through magnificent, ever-changing landscapes and a palette of light and textures which provided a constant source of wonderment. Knowledgeable, inclusive, caring and funny guide and interesting, respectful travelling companions. My first, but definitely not last, Intrepid trip.
Review submitted 29 May 2024
Uluru & Kings Canyon Adventure
Veronica · Traveled May 2024
Do not trust this organisation to book rooms for you or rent a sleeping bag from them. They can’t reliably do either. The food will be basic or self provided. Very frustrating to deal with them before the trip. The trip itself was average. Read the lines and between the lines in all their small print. The on line customer service is of very limited value and in my experience , downright misleading. The phone customer service is highly variable in standard, but essentially, operatives don’t give a stuff what you think about their ability to provide a service… they’re very quick to take your money though! I’ll never use this bunch of charlatans again and recommend you take your custom elsewhere.
Review submitted 25 May 2024
Uluru & Kings Canyon Adventure
Liette · Traveled May 2024
Visite guidée excellente. Les guides connaissent leur sujet et le partage bien. Repas laisse à désirer et 50% ne sont pas inclus. Le prix est élevé du fait que les repas ne sont pas inclus et que nous faisons du camping. Recommande quand même le voyage.
Review submitted 09 Jun 2024
Kata Tjuta travel FAQs
Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards
From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).
However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.
Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.
All of our Uluru trips start in Yulara (a resort town on the outskirts of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park) or Alice Springs. The quickest way to get to Uluru is to fly to Yulara. You can fly direct from a few Australian cities including Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns with Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia.
You can fly direct to Alice Springs from most major Australian cities including Brisbane, Darwin and Adelaide (flights are generally more frequent from Alice than Yulara). From here, it's a 465 km (5.5 hours) drive to Uluru.
If your tour finishes in Yulara, we can drop you off in Alice Springs (at no additional cost), with an arrival back in town at around 6:30 pm.
You can visit Kata Tjuta at any time of the year but if you want to enjoy blue skies and warm but comfortable temperatures, the best time to visit is between April and September.
Kata Tjuta sits in a semi-arid desert climate zone, so summer is staggeringly hot with occasional storms (the amount of rainfall varies yearly), while winter is warm and dry during the day with cold nighttime temps that often plummet below zero.
Cell phone and data signal within Ayers Rock Resort (Ayers Rock Resort also offers free Wi-Fi) and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is pretty good. However, there are some regions within the park where you won't have any signal at all. This is likely to be the case when you're driving to and from Kata Tjuta or walking around the base of Kata Tjuta. Don't worry though, your network service should come back the closer you get to Yulara.
Yes, drinking tap water is safe in Alice Springs, Yulara and throughout the Red Centre. Ensure you bring a 1-2 litre reusable water bottle to refill at the water stations dotted around Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Staying hydrated is important as the Outback sun is intense and you'll be doing a fair bit of walking during the day.
Uluru is often referred to as the spiritual heart of Australia, not only because of its middle-of-the-country location but also for its great significance to Australia’s First Nations people (and more specifically to the Anangu, the traditional owners of Uluru). And for this reason, there are restrictions on what you can and can't do at Uluru. These restrictions include taking photos at sacred sites, swimming in waterholes around the base, and not calling Uluru by its colonised name, Ayers Rock.
It's best to pack heaps of layers when you're adventuring through the Aussie Outback as temperatures can often be quite warm during the day and plummet to freezing levels at nighttime. Pack things like shirts, shorts, pants, t-shirts and singlet tops, which you can then layer with jumpers and thicker long-sleeve tops once the sun sets. You should also pack comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots as our Northern Territory trips include walks you won't want to miss. A camera (or a good quality phone), a backpack, and a reusable drink bottle are also must-haves.
The Anangu (pronounced arn-ung-oo) people are the traditional owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and other regions of the Central Western desert. They've been custodians of the land for over 60,000 years and are one of the world's oldest living cultures. For the Anangu people, Uluru and Kata Tjuta are places of deep spiritual connection; they are physical evidence of Tjukurpa (the creation period) and the ancestral spirits who reside in the land.
We are committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. We do our best to help you see the world, regardless of physical or mental limitations.
We are always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.