Why You Need 3 Days to Experience Uluru & Kata Tjuta

Uluru and Kata Tjuta are incredible sandstone rocks that have eroded over millions of years (approximately 500-600 million)!. If this doesn't convince you of their significance and magnitude, a visit to the national park will!

We recommend three days to explore, marvel at the unearthly vastness of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, and take in the magic and otherworldly grandeur of Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park!

Here’s our 3 day itinerary:

Day 1

Uluru Sunrise

Uluru is known around the world for their breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. The rock formation changes colour before your eyes as the sun plays with the landscape. The immensity of the half-lit desert landscape, the gently swaying grasses, and the fascinating, ever-changing rock texture provide an unparalleled spectacle.

Uluru Walks

Uluru is home to the Anangu Aboriginal people. They believe the park's remarkable geological formations were produced by ancestral beings who have roamed around the landscape since time immemorial, according to Tjukurpa (creation stories).

The walk around the base of Uluru is a great way to learn about the local flora and wildlife, as well as the monolith's unique traits. Our recommendation is to start this straight after sunrise to avoid walking in the hottest part of the day. The Mala Walk, Mala to Kantju Gorge Walk, and Lungkata Walk are smaller sections of the full base walk if the full option isn't suitable to you. For a guided tour, the Mala Walk has a free ranger-guided walk available every morning.

Uluru Arts and Culture

Maruku Arts and Walkatjara Art are two galleries in the Cultural Centre of the National Park exhibiting Anangu art and crafts. Maruku Arts boasts an award-winning collection of art that includes woven baskets, Punu (woodwork), and traditional paintings on canvas, as well as demonstrations by local artists.

At Walkatjara, Mutitjulu painters make bright paintings depicting indigenous Tjukurpa legends. Walkatjara Art  is open to park visitors who want to view the artists at work, learn about Anangu culture, and learn about the tales behind the paintings.

Day 2

Activities at Uluru

Walking is not the only way to discover Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. Take a sunrise or sunset camel tour or a helicopter tour to see the icons from above – or, for the most daring, a tandem skydive! 

For a brief 30-minute trip or the ultimate sunset tour, hop on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcycle or a three-wheel trike. Take a Segway tour or rent a bike and cycle around the monolith at your leisure.

If you don't have your own transportation (or aren't hiring a car), you have a couple options to access the national park. Your can use the Uluru Hop on Hop off bus service or jump on one of many tours available that guide you around the national park sights with commentary giving you all the important and interesting information about local culture.

Activities in Yulara

After an adventurous morning, head back to where you will be staying in Ayers Rock Resort to see some of the attractions in town. 

Spend the afternoon at the Gallery of Central Australia, experience some of the restaurants and bars, or attend the free guest activities on offer. Depending on the weather and your mood for a swim, most of the resorts accommodation have pools in them for you to use. 

Field of Light and Sounds of Silence Dinner

A Night at Field of Light experience is complete with stunning sunset views of Uluru, a three-course bush tucker feast, a premium range of Australian wines and beers, interesting star talk, and a self-guided stroll through the Field of Light art installation. British artist Bruce Munro produced The Field of Light, a large-scale site-specific light-based installation. Slowly changing colour, the sculpture creates a shimmering field of light. 

At the Sounds of Silence dinner, you'll dine under the desert night's canopy while a storyteller tells you tales from the stars. Sounds of Silence, which has been inducted into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, distils the best of the Red Centre into four beautiful hours. You will have a fine evening of exceptional dining under the stars in the Australian outback.

The Field of Light art installation and Sounds of Silence dinner are also available separately, if one or the other does not suit your interests.

Day 3

Kata Tjuta Walks

The Valley of the Winds Walk, and the Walpa Gorge Walk are two spectacular treks in Kata Tjuta. In Kata Tjuta, the Valley of the Winds Walk is a seven-kilometre loop that leads to two outstanding lookout sites. 

The Walpa Gorge Walk is a 2.6-kilometre stroll that features a good representation of the park's native wildlife and vegetation.

Picnic and Sunset

Spend your last afternoon taking in the scenery and enjoying the colours of the rock transform before your eyes. You could pack yourself a picnic, complete with bubbles and nibbles, and watch the sun set from the Sunset viewing area.