Days
Price from
On a budget? Experience all the Kakadu and Uluru attractions in just nine-days without breaking the bank.
Want to see the Kakadu & Red Centre’s greatest natural attractions? Easy. Jump on this trip and you’ll get to admire the Kakadu’s stunning waterholes and First Nations rock art and the Red Centre’s majestic Uluru. See many of the 280 species of birds and the World Heritage National Park of Kakadu and trek alongside King’s Canyon’s most famous locations such as the Lost City, Garden of Eden, Amphitheatre, and of course the North & South walls of the canyon and weave through the gigantic boulders and gullies of Kata Tjuta.
- Start
- Darwin, Australia
- Finish
- Yulara, Australia
- Destinations
- Kakadu & Top End,Northern Territory,The Outback,Uluru
- Style
- Unpowered Camps & Swag-Camping
- Theme
- Code
- KARTC9
- Physical rating
- Ages
- Not suitable for customers 17 years and under
- Group size
- Min 5, Max 24
Why you’ll love this trip
See all the Top End and Red Centre attractions in nine (9) days at a budget! This package includes:
- Starting point from Darwin
- Territory Expeditions’ 3-Day Kakadu Adventure (3KA, visiting features at Kakadu National Parks)
- One (1) night multi-share accommodation in Darwin, and free time to explore
- An overnight Greyhound Bus transfer
- One (1) night in Alice Springs multi-share accommodation, and free time to explore
- 3 Night Rock the Centre (Alice Springs to Yulara) ex Yulara (RTC4AY, 3-Night tour visiting Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon & Uluru)
- Finish the tour package in Yulara or the Ayers Rock Airport
Is this trip right for you?
This is truly a great adventure in the Outback, but there’s some very important points that you must be clear about, before booking this tour package:
Overnight Coach Transfer: There is an overnight Greyhound coach transfer connecting Darwin and Alice Springs. This transfer is NOT exclusive to just those that have booked the Adventure Tours Australia tour package, as the transfer will have the public on the coach too. Not everyone can sleep on an overnight transfer coach, so you need to be sure that this is suitable for you!
Swag Camping & Unpowered Camps: The ‘3-Day Kakadu Adventure’ is a small group tour with two nights at un-powered campsites in the Top End. The 3 Night Rock the Centre (Alice Springs to Yulara) is a small group tour with two nights swag-camping in the Red Centre. ‘Roughing-it’ in the outback is a very authentic way of experiencing the Northern Territory, but you need to be comfortable overnighting in this level of accommodation.
Multi-share Accommodation: At the completion of the ‘3-Day Kakadu Adventure’ tour, you will spend one night in a multi-share accommodation in Darwin. After the Darwin to Alice Springs overnight transfer, you will spend one night in multi-share accommodation in Alice Springs. This is a much more affordable option than twin, double of hotel style accommodation, however it’s very important that you’re aware that you’ll be staying in a bunkbed with others in the same room, and of the same gender.
Level of Fitness: This trip requires a higher level of fitness, as it involves more walking than most tours, allowing you to truly enjoy the surrounding nature. Some hikes are longer and more challenging than others. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, minimal clothing, and some swim wear – there are some great waterholes to chill-out in.
Temperatures: Temperatures in the Red Centre during the Winter months are mild during the day but very cold at night – sometimes lower than 0 Degrees Celsius. The Top End Winter weather (Dry Season) is warm but as we reach the the months of September, the weather can get hotter and more humid, so please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection, a hat and drink plenty of water. In the evenings temperatures are warm-to-mild. There may be some mosquitoes after rains, so bring some repellent and light full-length clothing.
Luggage Limits: This trip has a strict luggage limit of 15kg in the Red Centre and 10kg in the Top End in the luggage compartment. An additional smaller bag needs to be put under the seat. Excess luggage for the Top End portion of the tour package cannot be carried, however it can be stored at most Darwin accommodation providers.
Gallery
Itinerary
Pick-up start from 6.30am. Our first stop is a cruise along the Corrobboree Billabong, home to one of the most concentrated numbers of saltwater crocodiles in the world. It’s also an opportunity to see many of the 280 species of birds that call the Top End their home. We continue to the World Heritage listed National Park of Kakadu. The park is about half the size of Switzerland, so there’s a lot to see! We’ll stop near East Alligator River for the chance to spot more of those prehistorical predators (crocodiles, not alligators) and maybe some flying foxes too.
Later in the afternoon we take a short walk up to Ubirr, seeing some of the amazing First Nations rock-art, and continue to the top of the escarpment to view the unlimited panoramic views across to Arnhem Land and the Nardob Floodplains. We overnight at our exclusive camp at Mardukul Billabong, which is inside Kakadu National Park.
Accommodation
Swag camping (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
- Cruise on the Corrobboree Billabong
- Cahill’s Crossing
- Ubirr Rock-art
Meals Included
- Lunch
- Dinner
Special Information
Total walking time: about 1.5 hours (including stops for informative talks). Total driving time: about 4 hours (approximately 380 km)
It’s a slow but epic drive along the dirt track to Jim Jim Falls, one of the most revered and photographed features in the park. It’s one of the key reasons we have a short wheel-based 4WD is getting to remote places such as the end of Jim Jim Falls Road. From here, you’ll leave the truck and need some nimble footwork to clammer over boulders on your way to the stunning waterhole, surrounded by sheer cliffs. The water cascades in slow motion from 200 meters above, providing spectacular views of Jim Jim Falls. It’s the best place imaginable to either swim, marvel at the views, or get some sun on its very own beach.
A change of scenery as we head to the shaded escarpment walls and caves of Burrungkuy (Nourlangie Rock). With many rock-art walls, you can learn about the artwork from your guide or from the number informative boards along the trail. We then trek up to the Gunwhardewharde Lookout, with views from the escarpment across Arnhem Land’s floodplains, Anbangbang Billabong and Burrungkuy. Our last stop is at the Warradjan Cultural Centre to learn about the living culture of the Binnij and Muyguyy peoples, before returning to our exclusive camp.
Accommodation
Powered camps (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
- Jim Jim Falls
- Burrungkuy (Nourlangie Rock)
- Gunwhardewharde Lookout
- Warradjan Cultural Centre
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Special Information
Total walking time: about 4 hours (including stops for informative talks). Total driving time: 4 hours (approximately 350 km)
A big day ahead of us with our first stop at Maguk (Barramundi Gorge). After a 40-minute walk along a creek bed, you’ll be rewarded with a swim in a stunning plunge pool surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. We then let our 4WD truck do all the work as we drive to the Southern end of the park to Gunlom Falls – a large emerald-coloured waterhole hidden by the surrounding eucalypt and melaleuca trees. We set our sights for Darwin with a quick stop at Pine Creek before returning to the Territory’s capital of Darwin. Estimate time of arrival is 5.30pm
Return to Darwin approximately 5.30pm
Included Activities
Various walks and swims as listed
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
Special Information
Total walking time: about 1.5 hours (including stops for informative talks). Total driving time: about 4 hours (approximately 350 km)
Head to your pick-up location this morning (Bus Interchange, Bay A, 2 Harry Chan Avenue, Darwin) with your belongings and ID, at least half an hour before your scheduled departure. It’s a 21-hour drive to Alice Springs with some remote, outback stops in between, so make sure that you’ve got your travel pillow and some nibbles for your journey. The first half of your drive will be during daylight hours, so keep an eye out for some wildlife as you leave the more tropical region of the Top End heading into the interior. Settle in, as the transfer coach drives into the night, South along the Stuart Highway.
Accommodation
There is no accommodation. You are taking an overnight transfer coach from Alice Springs to Darwin.
No Activities included and No Meals Included
Special Information
A reminder, this is an Overnight Coach Transfer and there is NO accommodation, nor meals included.
Hopefully with a little sleep overnight, awake to the sunlight over the red landscape with your earlier morning arrival into the heart of Australia, Alice Springs. Today, Alice Springs is yours to explore. You may choose to chill out in town visiting many of the local shops in Todd Street Mall or stretch your legs with a short walk to Alice Springs Reptile Centre. Here’s a list of some other attractions in and around Alice Springs which you may wish to check-out:
- Alice Springs Telegraph Station
- Royal Flying Doctors Service
- Alice Springs Desert Park
- Araluen Centre
- School of the Air
Check into your Alice Springs multi-share accommodation for the night.
Accommodation
Multi-share accommodation (with shared facilities) (1 night)
No Meals Included
Meet your guide and fellow travelers at the Alice Springs pick-up point this morning and set off to explore the Red Centre. Shortly after you arrive, the unmistakable Uluru will emerge from the earth as one giant boulder. After a short drive, walk–off your lunch at Kata Tjuta (The Olag’s). With its 36 various-sized domes, it provides quite a contrast to Uluru. You’ll get to know the landscape well on an afternoon hike between the domes. As the evening unfolds, enjoy a light snack as the sun slowly sets, casting a variety of earthy tones across Uluru. The perfect end to a remarkable day is awaiting you back at camp, as you enjoy a delicious spread of food with your group. If the weather permits, sit outside under the stars.
Accommodation
Swag camping (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park Entrance Fee
Meals Included
- Lunch
- Dinner
Special Information
Total driving time today is around 7 hours. Total walking time is approximately 2 hours.
An early start this morning is rewarded with an Uluru sunrise as the sun hits the icon like a beacon, before the light floods the surrounding landscape. Your guide will take you to one of the significant cultural sights of Uluru, outlining Anangu rock art and passing on one of the creation stories of the site. While the morning is fresh, the time is yours to enjoy the self-guided, full base walk of Uluru, taking in all the textures and valleys up-close, which isn’t evident from afar. Once you’ve had lunch, perhaps purchase some art at the Cultural Centre, hand-crafted by local First Nation Peoples of the Western and Central Deserts. Travel onto our exclusive campsite near the Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon), where the group will have dinner and enjoy the stars.
Accommodation
Swag camping (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
- Uluru Cultural Centre
- Uluru Base Walk
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Special Information
Total walking time is approximately 2.5 hours (or up to 3.5 if you do the full 10 km base walk). Total driving time today is around 3.5 hours.
The main attraction of Watarrka National Park is undoubtedly Kings Canyon – a humungous gorge enclosed by sheer rock walls many meters high. With its porous sandstone, deep gullies and hidden rock pools, it provides shelter to more than 600 species of native plants and animals. Your guide will point these out on a trek that takes you to the canyon’s most famous locations, such as the Lost City, the Garden of Eden, Amphitheatre, and of course North & South Walls. After lunch, we hit the road again for a three-hour drive to Yulara in the late afternoon. This evening, you have choice to enjoy one of the following optional activities; a Sunset Camel Cruise, the Field of Lights, Sounds of Silence, the Wintjiri Wiru Drone display; or if you’d like to experience the Uluru sunset from a different perspective (and free of charge), tonight is the opportunity to do it! After dinner, relax at your camp for a night under the stars.
Accommodation
Multi-share accommodation (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
- Kings Canyon Rim Walk
- Ewings Lookout, Sunset viewing area
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Special Information
Total driving time today is around 3 hours. Total walking time is approximately 3.5 hours. For the Kings Canyon Rim Walk it is a requirement that you have a minimum of three litres of water with you. Please consider bringing your own refillable water bottles. If you would like to do one of the optional activities, we highly recommend booking this directly in advance.
After a short sleep-in, enjoy a hearty breakfast at our exclusive camp. Depending on your departure time, choose to take our free 10-minute transfer direct to Yulara’s Desert Gardens Hotel, or Uluru Airport (Ayers Rock Airport, airport code: AYQ). If you have plenty of spare time before your flight, you have the opportunity to leave your luggage at the Desert Gardens Hotel and spend some time in Yulara Resort shopping at your leisure. Please note: There are regular free airport shuttles from the Desert Gardens Hotel to Ayers Rock Airport.
Meals included
Breakfast
Special Information
The total driving time today is around 15 minutes.
Dates & availability
Trip search is unavailable.
This package departs from Darwin on Saturdays between June and September 2024. Call +61 3 9125 3630 or use our contact form to check availability or make a booking for this package:
Important notes
Is this trip right for you?
This is truly a great adventure in the Outback, but there’s some very important points that you must be clear about, before booking this tour package:
Overnight Coach Transfer: There is an overnight Greyhound coach transfer connecting Darwin and Alice Springs. This transfer is NOT exclusive to just those that have booked the Adventure Tours Australia tour package, as the transfer will have the public on the coach too. Not everyone can sleep on an overnight transfer coach, so you need to be sure that this is suitable for you!
Swag Camping & Unpowered Camps: The ‘3-Day Kakadu Adventure’ is a small group tour with two nights at un-powered campsites in the Top End. The 3 Night Rock the Centre (Alice Springs to Yulara) is a small group tour with two nights swag-camping in the Red Centre. ‘Roughing-it’ in the outback is a very authentic way of experiencing the Northern Territory, but you need to be comfortable overnighting in this level of accommodation.
Multi-share Accommodation: At the completion of the ‘3-Day Kakadu & Litchfield Adventure’ tour, you will spend one night in a multi-share accommodation in Darwin. After the Darwin to Alice Springs overnight transfer, you will spend one night in multi-share accommodation in Alice Springs. This is a much more affordable option than twin, double of hotel style accommodation, however it’s very important that you’re aware that you’ll be staying in a bunkbed with others in the same room, and of the same gender.
Level of Fitness: This trip requires a higher level of fitness, as it involves more walking than most tours, allowing you to truly enjoy the surrounding nature. Some hikes are longer and more challenging than others. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, minimal clothing, and some swim wear – there are some great waterholes to chill-out in.
Temperatures: Temperatures in the Red Centre during the Winter months are mild during the day but very cold at night – sometimes lower than 0 Degrees Celsius. The Top End Winter weather (Dry Season) is warm but as we reach the the months of September, the weather can get hotter and more humid, so please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection, a hat and drink plenty of water. In the evenings temperatures are warm-to-mild. There may be some mosquitoes after rains, so bring some repellent and light full-length clothing.
Luggage Limits: This trip has a strict luggage limit of 15kg in the Red Centre and 10kg in the Top End in the luggage compartment. An additional smaller bag needs to be put under the seat. Excess luggage for the Top End portion of the tour package cannot be carried, however it can be stored at most Darwin accommodation providers.
Essential trip information
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