How long to visit ayers rock

Click here to see the latest prices and availability for your Uluru 3-day tour! Cool rock formations in Kings Canyon, Australia. This is an extensive list of things I think will help you prepare for a trip in the Australian outback.

View over the Australian outback from Kata Tjuta. One of the things I was not ready for on my outback trip were the flies. Nobody told me there would be so many flies everywhere! From the moment when the sun comes up to when it goes back down you get some relief at least at night! You have two main remedies against flies:. The flies will attack you as soon as they get a chance. The cream is supposedly more effective but I found the roll-on to be enough, when a fly came too close to my face I just reapplied and they would stop coming.

All of these can be bought at the shops in Yulara or Alice Springs. You will see the shops there also sell cork hats. These are normal hats with strings with corks dangling at the end of them. Legend says that you just shake your head and all the dangling corks scare away the flies.

The sun is strong here and nobody likes sunburns or skin cancer. The 4WD always had a tank of fresh drinkable water on board, however you will need your own water bottles to fill up. Wayoutback recommends bringing two 1. Hiking under the desert sun will make you sweat a lot and you will need to drink while you hike.

Hiking in Kata Tjuta with our water bottles! The temperatures drop considerably at night and you will want a hoodie or long sleeved top to spend the evening in. If you need help figuring out what to pack for your trip to the Australian outback, check out my Uluru packing list. If you do a tour with Wayoutback Australian Safaris they will store your luggage in a trailer in the back of the 4WD.

I found it easier to pack the things I needed for 3 days in a backpack so I could keep those with me in the bus, and I just put the luggage in the trailer at the tour pick up and took it back at the end of the tour. Visiting Uluru was a magical experience for me, one of the highlights of my Australia trip and something I think everyone should add to their Australia itinerary.

Learning about aboriginal culture was fascinating, the hikes we did were amongst my favourite ever and the landscape was unlike anything I had ever seen before. If you get the opportunity, I highly recommend doing a 3-day tour of Uluru. Sign up for a comprehensive tour that involves presentations on Aboriginal culture, the base walk, transportation to viewing points, […].

Great practical guide, thanks so much for sharing your experience of Uluru. Your photos are devine! We spent all morning […]. Located at Kata Tjuta, near the famous Uluru in the Australian outback, the Valley of the Winds is a hiking trail that takes you adventuring in […].

Uluru at sunrise. Despite most people's concerns about the heat, it's the cold of night that can actually prove the most discomforting, particularly if you're planning a camping trip. While you may instantly think the most logical idea to counteract desert heat is to go during winter, with Uluru and the outback this is most definitely not the case. Temperatures often reach below-freezing levels due to both exposure and the utter lack of humidity, which can make for nights that are not only frigid but can even approach dangerous levels for the under-equipped.

However, in the August to September bridging period, average minimums typically hover around a chilly-yet-acceptable 10 degrees Celsius 50 degrees Fahrenheit that makes things much more bearable. Couple this with the fact that, during the day, you're likely to encounter warm temperatures of around 28 degrees Celsius In addition to weather, if you're lucky enough to visit Uluru after the region has received rainfall in the months prior, you'll also have the benefit of witnessing the various flora and fauna flourishing at their best.

This serves to add further colour and charm to what is already an amazing experience. Wild flowers in bloom dot the area and their greenery contrasts wonderfully with the red ochre hues of the desert and the rock in particular. Lastly, travelling during this period you'll also be avoiding the school holiday season, which can either be a blessing or a curse according to whether or not you have kids of your own.

In terms of the best things to do in and around Uluru during this time, you've got a range of options. One of the simplest and cheapest pleasures is stargazing, as the lack of cloud cover makes the desert skies as clear and impressive as ever. The Southern Cross is one of the iconic symbols of Australian culture and is on full display during this time, adding an additional dose of Australian culture to the experience.

As mentioned previously, sunrise and sunset are focal points of the day at the rock, and there are designated viewing areas for each which have been assigned to provide the best possible viewpoint of these daily occurrences; be sure to attend at least one of them while you're there. To get around, if you haven't driven yourself then you'll have to make a choice between the convenience of a guided tour or hire a car.

The Ayers Rock Visitor's Centre makes for a great starting point. Here you'll be introduced to local plant and animal life, history and Aboriginal culture that will provide you with a brief overview of what else is to come. Once you have your bearings, you can then turn your eyes towards more in-depth adventures, perhaps the most popular of which is an Uluru base walk. Why a walk and not a climb, you may ask?

The sacred nature of Uluru to the Aboriginal people has made climbing the rock a point of contention over the years, to the point that it has been periodically banned and, even while permitted, is still considered disrespectful. Couple this fact with the extreme challenge and occasional danger of the climb, there are several deaths per year from climbers who are either unprepared or overestimate their own fitness levels, and a walk makes for the more sensible and enjoyable choice.

Walks around Uluru typically take place at sunrise in order to take advantage of the effects of the natural lighting while also avoiding the worst of the midday heat. Additionally, the insight offered by the local guides will provide you with a historic overview and up-close, intimate encounter with this Australian icon.

This means it's important to maximise what you can see within one visit rather than repeatedly paying fees for each time the fee only applies to adults. These walks typically wrap up around lunch time, which makes for the perfect time to rest and recharge your batteries before venturing out again in the afternoon.

Kata Tjuta is usually the next point of call, as their relatively close location makes a half-day tour eminently doable. A walk in the valley between these massive rocks prior to sunset provides ample satisfying photo opportunities as the domes tower alongside you in either direction. In truth, Kata Tjuta gets far less local and international attention than its sibling Uluru, yet it is no less spectacular when viewed in person some feel even more so , with its lumpy red hills jutting conspicuously out of the earth making for quite the spectacle.

Be sure to allow enough time to walk through the Valley of the Winds, which typically takes around a one-hour return trip. Capping it all off are the views at sunset, with the ever-changing colours on each of the domes perhaps one of the area's most iconic spectacles. Add all of these factors together and it's not hard to see why most believe that this season is the best time of the year to visit Uluru and its surrounds. Sign up to our newsletter to get VIP offers, deals, inspiration and experience giveaways.

Rating 4. You have Experience Points. Shop online now, pay over time. Get 6 weeks to pay, interest free. Choose Zip at checkout Quick and easy. Interest free. Use your credit or debit card Apply in minutes with no long forms.

Pay in 4 instalments Enjoy your purchase straight away. Does somebody have any recommendations for me? I think the cheapest is the Ayers Rock Campground Resort.

Unfortunately we have to buy a tent, maybe then it is not so cheap anymore… Another thing on the campground are the cabins, however these are for 6 people we have to pay the whole cabin, although only using one bed and now I was thinking maybe we will find another persons to share the price.

A fantastic article thank you very much. On weather, is early March or late March a bad idea? Thank you! Hi Hilary…. March can still be quite hot here in Central Australia, so try to pick the later dates if you can. Be aware that there may be a lot of flies around at that time of the year.

May is actually the very best month to visit the Centre, not too hot or cold, flies will be knocked out by the frosts, cheers Amanda. Yes, it can be cold here, especially overnight. Days are usually sunny, mid-teens to low 20C. Hi Amanda, all informations are very helpful and as we plan to go there in May, we intend to stay there for 2 nights l agree with you about this timing to enjoy all around.

However my wife cannot support campsite. It seems that all days tours are only with campsite accomodation. Is it possible to find one matching with our stay at pionner hotel? Best regards, Phil.

Wow, what a great site! We fly into Alice Springs We fly back to Sydney at 1pm Friday. I think it will be perfect. Bring it on. Thanks so much for helping us map it out. Your email address will not be published. There seem to be so many different options and things to do. Distance, Distance, Distance.