The ultimate guide to a self-drive getaway in Uluṟu

Uluṟu, the beating red heart of Australia, tops the lists of domestic and international travellers. Discover the best of it by road.

Peppered with bush scrub and watched over by red-tailed black cockatoos, the Red Centre epitomises outback Australia. Above red desert plains, awe-inspiring sunsets darken into star-studded skies, revealing the vast open spaces at this remote natural cinema. Explore the sacred 348-metre-tall Uluṟu, the Kata Tjuṯa (many heads) formations and the expansive Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park – revered, breathing cultural sites. Many Australians know they can fly to Uluṟu, but a self-drive Uluṟu trip is the road trip of a lifetime.

Thrifty, Hertz and Avis service the region, allowing visitors to explore Ayers Rock Resort and the broader Red Centre on their own terms. And so they should. Drive to Uluru from all major cities around the country for the ultimate pilgrimage to the spiritual heart of Australia (and it doesn’t even take that long, unless you want it to). Discover these tips, carefully designed to find you the best things to do, see and try.

Drive to Uluṟu from all major cities around the country.

Where to stay in Uluṟu

The comprehensive Ayers Rock Resort is located a 20-minute drive from Uluru and offers accommodation options to suit every traveller and every budget.

Beneath the swath of the Milky Way, each property at Ayers Rock Resort enjoys access to a range of free cultural experiences, including bush yarns, gallery tours, access to the camel farm, complimentary shuttle services and daily guided tours.

With its own Town Square,14 dining options, an IGA supermarket, Shell Service Station and a mechanic, if you’re travelling by road you’ll find a comfortable home away from home here.

Regardless of where you choose to stay for your Red Centre adventure, aim for one thing: plan to stay at least four to five nights, so you can deeply soak up the majesty of this location and the sanctity of the ancient spirits that pulse through it.

1. Ayers Rock Campground

For those who have brought their home with them, the Ayers Rock Campground is a pristine base from which to commence a self-driving tour of the region. Park up at one of the powered or unpowered campsites (or indulge in a cabin for a few nights and give the caravan a rest), then set up your camping chairs beneath the ever-changing sky for Mother Nature’s epic performance each night.

Set up beside your own car or caravan.

2. Outback Hotel & Lodge

Similarly, the laid-back Outback Hotel & Lodge, offers budget-style rooms in cool and comfortable surrounds. Communal hostel-style bunking options, complete the selection.

3. Lost Camel

The colourful, contemporary Lost Camel is a boutique-style hotel located in the middle of Ayers Rock Resort. The main pull? A bright swimming pool in the centre of the hotel.

4. Desert Gardens Hotel

The nearby Desert Gardens Hotel is the only property at Ayers Rock Resort to enjoy views of Uluṟu. The hotel is also surrounded by lush gardens of native vegetation.

Enjoy views of Uluṟu from Desert Gardens Hotel. (Image: Voyages Indigenous Tourism)

5. Emu Walk Apartments

Also at Yulara, the township within which Ayers Rock Resort operates, is Emu Walk Apartments. With various room configurations available and full-service in-room kitchens, they offer self-sufficiency for all travellers, especially families.

6. Sails in the Desert

With 228 well-appointed, art-filled rooms and suites plus an outdoor pool shaded by commanding ghost gums, Sails in the Desert is a luxurious retreat in the heart of the action. The property is home to a fine-dining restaurant and on-site Red Ochre Spa, which treats travellers to indulgent treatments including full-body exfoliation massages and nourishing scalp treatments.

This luxurious retreat is the perfect home base for self-drive adventures.

Where to eat in Uluṟu

For once-in-a-lifetime dinner experiences

For the ultimate culinary immersion in native and Indigenous flavours, it’s impossible to miss a one-of-a-kind in-situ dining experience.

Like Tali Wiru, a four-course open-air dining experience conducted over four hours, with the dining table and chairs nestled within the captivating outdoor setting of a private dune. Listen to a didgeridoo serenade and discover the stories in the universe with a star talk while sipping on paired Penfolds wines and nibbling on Glacier 51 toothfish with macadamia gremolata.

Treat yourself to a four-course dining experience at Tali Wiru. (Image: Tourism NT/Tourism Australia)

The exclusive Field of Light Dinner combines Sounds of Silence with the Field of Light art installation. Start the evening with an award-winning three-course bush tucker-inspired buffet, paired with a selection of Australian wines and beers. While you dine, listen to a talk about the stars above (even take a look through a telescope), before taking a walk through the one-of-a-kind Field of Light art installation – where 50,000 colourful glass spheres light up the night.

Wander through the Field of Light art installation after Sounds of Silence.

For a unique cultural storytelling experience, the Wintijiri Wiru Sunset Dinner revolves around the setting sun and the commencement of the laser and light show, which tells an ancestral creation story in Pitjantjatjara. Arrive to canapes and cocktails, then settle in to enjoy a lush, gourmet picnic-style hamper of degustation treats prepared with native ingredients and deeply considered pairings, such as saltbush-crusted smoked emu and Davidson plum and quandong jam alongside King Island brie.

Sit down to dinner before enjoying the Wintijiri Wiru light display.

For fine dining

Ilkari, which means ‘sky’ in Pitjantjatjara language, showcases the best and most flavourful produce grown under the Australian sky, served via buffet breakfast and dinner in a sumptuous, open-style dining room. (There’s even a chocolate fountain to sweeten things up at the end of your meal.) Ilkari also hosts the Australian Native High Tea, where the best of Indigenous cuisine and native produce is presented in three-tiered glory; savoury petit fours (think lemon myrtle and Northern Territory barramundi tartlets) are followed by sweet treats, like wild rosella mousse and fluffy lemon myrtle scones, all paired with First Nations-owned Blak Brews tea and coffee. A la carte dining at Arnguli features dishes such as kangaroo loin and the signature native tasting platter, which features wallaby shank, desert lime aioli and bush food-spiced proteins.

Enhance your experience with fresh, local produce at Ilkari.

For casual eats

Pick your own protein (emu sausages, anyone?) and fire up the barbie at the Outback BBQ & Bar, where a salad bar and jacket potatoes complete the meal. Enjoy all-day dining at Mangata Bistro Bar, and tuck into snacks and staples crafted by the next generation of hospitality stars at the Kulata Academy Cafe, where National Indigenous Training Academy trainees fine-tune their hospitality skills. Walpa Lobby Bar is a relaxed setting for pre- or post-dinner snacks and beverages, as well as a place to enjoy a schooner between adventures; Geckos Cafe offers to-go meals to take on your travels; and Bough House is the destination for an eggs-and-bacon brekkie like no other.

What to do around Uluṟu

You’ll need a Parks Pass ($38 per adult) to explore Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, the traditional lands of the Aṉangu, who have called this region home for tens of thousands of years. Fuel up at Yulara’s Shell service station (which has an ATM and store on site) before setting out, so you can make the most of your adventure.

Drive just 20 minutes from Ayers Rock Resort to see Uluṟu.

Start at the sacred monolith of Uluṟu, a 20-minute drive from Ayers Rock Resort. Walk or rent a bike and cycle the 10-kilometre perimeter of the majestic formation or check out the inspiring Cultural Centre, which features the region’s history in the words of its Traditional Owners. A free ranger-guided Mala Walk tour along the base of Uluṟu through to Kaṉtju Gorge departs each morning to share the Aṉangu relationship with, stewardship of and sacred stories within this land.

Rent a bike to circle Uluṟu.

From there, drive 40 kilometres to the 36 domes that form Kata Tjuṯa (formerly known as The Olgas). A dune viewing area is only a 600m walk from the carpark, but you can stretch your legs along two longer, marked walks: the Walpa Gorge Walk, a 2.6-kilometre trek, or the Valley of the Winds, which is a steep and rocky 5.4-kilometre return walk and takes about four hours in total. If you’re interested in a natural art show, drive towards the domes at sunset and watch the changing light transform them into a cornucopia of colour.

Marvel at the dramatic sunset silhouette of Kata Tjuṯa.

Back at Ayers Rock Resort, learn about Aboriginal art and the talented craftspeople who nurture their stories through paint and storytelling at the Gallery of Central Australia– proudly sharing the works of 23 remote community art centres that might never otherwise see a tourist. Take part in a didgeridoo workshop, discover bush tucker and medicinal uses for native flora on a guided garden walk, or tune in to living history with a Bush Yarn session.

Learn more and plan your adventure at ayersrockresort.com.au