Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Three days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park gives you time to soak up the natural beauty and deep cultural significance of the landscape.

You can take in the sites at your leisure, try a variety of different activities and explore some of the less-visited areas of the park.

Experience the jaw-dropping vistas and timeless stories of this natural wonder.

Get up early to watch dawn break at Talinguru Nyakunytjaku. After a beautiful sunrise, take the short Minymaku and Watiku walks to learn about Anangu culture and men’s and women’s business.

Drive to the Cultural Centre for a coffee and snack at the community-run Ininti Cafe. Visit the info desk to learn about our current cultural activities then explore Anangu culture in the Tjukurpa Tunnel and visit the on-site galleries for an introduction to local Aboriginal art.

Head to the Mala car park to join our award-winning (and free) ranger-guided walk. The walk starts at 8.00 am in summer and 10.00 am in winter, so you might want to swap it with your Cultural Centre visit during the hotter months.

If you’re feeling energetic, you can keep going to complete the full Uluru base walk (about 3.5 hours). Alternatively, you could take the shorter Kuniya walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole.

Go back to the resort or Cultural Centre for lunch and a rest during the hottest part of the day. You might want to get artistic at the Maruku Arts dot-painting workshop or just cool off in the pool at your accommodation.

Ayers Rock Resort offers a wide variety of free activities during the day. Ask at your hotel reception or the tour office in the Yulara town square for more information.

Return to the park in the late afternoon. You might like to do some more of the Uluru base walk or take the peaceful Liru walk from the Cultural Centre to the base of the rock (1.5 hours return).

Sunset is a highlight of any day at Uluru. Drive to the car sunset viewing area to watch this changing shadows and colours of this iconic spectacle.

Enjoy dinner with a view at one of the many outdoor dining options. Choose from a classic BBQ in the park, the Sounds of Silence outdoor buffet or the Tali Wiru dining experience. Many dinners also include star talks.

After dinner, take a stroll through Bruce Munro’s wonderful Field of Light installation, which uses thousands of coloured lights to symbolise desert wildflowers.

Spend the day among the plants, animals and rock formations of Kata Tjuta.

Start the morning with sunrise at the Kata Tjuta dune viewing area. We suggest arriving about half an hour before sunrise to get a good spot.

Go for a walk in Walpa Gorge to discover rare plants and striking geology. Then head to the Kata Tjuta sunset viewing area for a morning tea picnic and beautiful views of the domes.

Next you can experience some of the park’s best views in the Valley of the Winds. Choose either the full circuit (which takes about four hours) or a shorter walk to the Karu lookout.

The Valley of the Winds walk is sometimes partly or fully closed in hot weather – please check with the Cultural Centre for the latest information.

After lunch we suggest relaxing for a while. You could explore the Cultural Centre a bit more or return to the resort for a rest, a swim or one of the daily activities.

Go back to the Kata Tjuta sunset viewing area this afternoon to watch the domes light up as the sun goes down. Remember that it takes nearly an hour to drive to Kata Tjuta from Yulara and you’ll need leave Kata Tjuta at least 45 minutes before closing time.

This evening, enjoy dinner in the open air at one of the many restaurants. If you didn’t see Field of Light yesterday, we highly recommend checking out this incredible large-scale installation.

Discover the park’s quieter spots and more unusual activities.

Escape the crowds and enjoy a different sunrise experience by taking a picnic breakfast to the Uluru bus sunset area or car sunset area. From here you can watch the sun rising either next to or behind the rock, which offers some great silhouette shots for photographers.

Drive to the Cultural Centre for a free morning presentation on Anangu culture or the plants and animals of Uluru. The program varies from day to day but is always fascinating.

Alternatively, you could explore Uluru further on a two-wheeled tour. You can hire a bike at the Cultural Centre to cycle round the rock or take the high-tech option of a Segway .

After that, head back to Ayers Rock Resort to relax and unwind. You might like to shop for souvenirs, visit the museum next to the Desert Gardens hotel, treat yourself to a spa treatment or join one of the free daily activities, which include plant walks, cultural talks, spear-throwing workshops and theatrical presentations.

In the late afternoon, drive out to Talinguru Nyakunytjaku for sunset. This spot is busy at sunrise, but you will often have it to yourself at the end of the day. Take along a picnic dinner and enjoy views of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta as you eat.

Other quiet sunset spots are: - the Lungkata walk - Kantju Gorge on the Mala walk - the second hut on the Liru walk, which provides a front-row seat of the rock glowing bright red.

Ayers Rock Resort also offers many unique sunset tours. You could admire your last sunset at Uluru riding a camel, enjoying a tour of the rock on a Harley Davidson or even jumping out of a plane!