Alice Springs to Uluru

Alice Springs to Uluru is one long, sealed desert road: about 446 km to Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara, and 465 km to the rock itself, which Parks Australia puts at about 5.5 hours of direct driving. No major airline flies between the two towns, so you choose between a hire car and a coach seat. If you are not driving, the AAT Kings coach transfer to Ayers Rock Resort is the most-reviewed one-way coach on GetYourGuide, from $181 per person and rated 4.6 from 129 reviews. For flying in from the capital cities instead, see how to get to Uluru, and for the wider trip, our Uluru (Ayers Rock) visitor guide.

• Drive: about 446 km to Yulara on fully sealed roads, south on the Stuart Highway to Erldunda, then west on the Lasseter Highway. A 2WD car is fine. Allow about 6 hours with stops.
• Coach: AAT Kings and Emu Run both run one way, from your Alice Springs accommodation to the resort hotels, in about 5 to 7 hours.
• Fly: Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia do not fly Alice Springs to Ayers Rock nonstop. A small charter operator sells seats on request.
• Park pass: the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass costs A$38 per adult for 3 days, and neither coach includes it.

Alice Springs to Uluru options compared

Coach prices are the GetYourGuide listings in US dollars, checked October 2026; the operators’ own fares are in Australian dollars further down.

How far is Alice Springs from Uluru? Route and distance table

The route has two turns. Head south out of Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway to Erldunda, about 200 km. Turn right onto the Lasseter Highway and follow it about 244 km west to Yulara, the resort town for Ayers Rock Resort. The national park entry station and Uluru are about another 20 km on. Every section is sealed.

Driving from Alice Springs to Uluru

For most independent travelers the drive is the best way to make the trip. It is a classic outback road trip, and a car at the other end makes sunrise, sunset and Kata Tjuta much easier. Without one, you book a shuttle or a tour for every outing (see Uluru without a car).

Road conditions and speed limits

Both highways are two-lane, sealed and generally in good condition, and you do not need a 4WD. The Northern Territory’s default open-road limit is 110 km/h. Some sections of the Stuart Highway are signed up to 130 km/h, and the Lasseter Highway is mostly 110 km/h. Limits drop near the roadhouses and Yulara. Check Road Report NT before you leave for roadworks, flooding or closures.

Fuel stops and roadhouses

• Stuarts Well, about 90 km south of Alice Springs, is a friendly roadhouse with fuel, coffee, meals and a pub.
• Erldunda Desert Oaks Resort sits at the highway junction. It is the main rest and fuel stop, and has a motel if you arrive late.
• Mount Ebenezer Roadhouse is closed. Do not plan a stop there.
• Curtin Springs, a working cattle station about 85 km before Yulara, is the last fuel before the resort.

Fuel costs noticeably more at the remote roadhouses than in Alice Springs. Fill up in town and top up at Erldunda.

Mount Conner (Atila)

Roughly 20 km before Curtin Springs, a big flat-topped mesa appears on the left. Many visitors take it for Uluru, but it is Mount Conner, known as Atila. It stands on private station land, so you can only get close on a tour run from Curtin Springs. The roadside lookout makes a good leg-stretch, and from the top of the red dune across the highway you see a salt lake behind it.

Car hire in Alice Springs (including one-way)

The major hire firms all have desks in Alice Springs. When we checked in October 2026, only Thrifty and Hertz offered one-way hire between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock, and a one-way fee applies that changes without notice, so confirm both when you book. Comparison sites showed small cars from about A$150 a day in mid-October 2026. Other things to know:

• Kilometers: some deals cap the daily distance, and a return trip to Uluru with a Kings Canyon detour can top 1,300 km. Tourism Central Australia’s Visitor Information Centre guarantees unlimited kilometers on cars booked through it.
• Airport pickup at Alice Springs carries a premium location fee compared with collecting in town.
• 2WD or 4WD: a 2WD is fine for the sealed route. You need a 4WD only for the Mereenie Loop (below), and your rental agreement must allow unsealed roads.
• Campervans are popular on this route and let you stay at Erldunda, Curtin Springs or the Ayers Rock Campground.

Pros: total flexibility, the cheapest option for two or more people, and your own transport at Uluru. Cons: a long, tiring drive, wildlife on the road, one-way fees, and limited phone coverage away from the roadhouses.

Sample self-drive plans

One way (Alice Springs to Uluru, fly out of Ayers Rock): leave Alice Springs by 8 am, have coffee at Stuarts Well, lunch at Erldunda, and stop at the Mount Conner lookout. You reach Yulara mid-afternoon, with time to check in and catch sunset at Uluru (our Uluru sunrise and sunset guide has the times and viewing areas). Drop the car at Ayers Rock Airport on your departure day.

Return (Alice Springs to Uluru and back, 4 days or more): drive down on day 1. On days 2 and 3, explore Uluru and Kata Tjuta, walk the Uluru base walk and perhaps see the Field of Light. On day 4, drive back after sunrise so you are off the highway well before dusk. Our Uluru itinerary has day-by-day ideas.

Kings Canyon loop (5 to 6 days): Alice Springs to Erldunda, then Luritja Road to Kings Canyon, about 480 km on sealed roads. Then Kings Canyon to Uluru, about 305 km, and back to Alice Springs on the Lasseter and Stuart highways. With a 4WD your rental allows on gravel, you can run it in reverse and finish through the West MacDonnell Ranges on the Mereenie Loop.

Alice Springs to Uluru bus and coach transfers

If you would rather not drive, a coach transfer is the simplest transport from Alice Springs to Uluru. Both operators below pick up from Alice Springs accommodation and drop off at Ayers Rock Resort, with a comfort stop at Erldunda.

Emu Run Experience

Emu Run’s transfer picks up at about 7 am from March to November and 8 am from December to February, and reaches Ayers Rock Resort at about 12:30 pm, or 1:30 pm in summer. Emu Run gives the distance as 446 km and the trip as about 5 hours. Depending on numbers you ride in a 17 to 21-seat minibus or a full-size coach with a toilet. Emu Run’s own page sends you to its booking calendar for prices and does not list fixed days, so check your date there. On GetYourGuide the Emu Run one-way transfer is from $181, rated 4.3 from 62 reviews, and Viator sells the same Emu Run coach from $188, rated 4.6 from 48 reviews.

AAT Kings

The AAT Kings Alice Springs to Ayers Rock transfer leaves in the early morning and reaches the resort in the early afternoon; confirm the departure time with your hotel or the operator. Ayers Rock Resort lists it at A$259 per adult and A$185 per child for travel from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, and on GetYourGuide the AAT Kings coach transfer is from $181 in US dollars. Expect commentary from the driver-guide, a roadhouse stop and views of Atila on the way. It is a transfer only, with no park entry or touring. Viator lists the same AAT Kings shuttle from $184, rated 4.6 from 158 reviews. Our review of the AAT Kings coach has the detail.

Is there a public bus or Greyhound from Alice Springs to Uluru?

No. There is no public bus between Alice Springs and Uluru, and Greyhound does not serve Uluru or Ayers Rock; its Alice Springs services run on the Darwin route. The two private operators above are the only scheduled coaches.

Pros of a coach transfer: no driving, no one-way car fees, local commentary, and a good fit for solo travelers. Cons: fixed times, an early start, and no car at Uluru, so you need the Hop On Hop Off pass (an Uluru return is A$54) or tours once you arrive. Uluru without a car covers how that works.

Flights from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock

Scheduled flights

As of October 2026, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia do not fly nonstop between Alice Springs (ASP) and Ayers Rock/Connellan Airport (AYQ). Booking sites offer only connections through Sydney or another city, which are long and expensive. NT Air Services sells seats on small aircraft between the two towns on set days, on request and subject to minimum passenger numbers; the flight takes about 80 minutes. Ask the operator for current days and fares.

Two airline changes affect wider plans. Virgin Australia announced it would pause its Brisbane and Melbourne flights to Uluru from 24 and 25 October 2026, and Qantas its Alice Springs to Melbourne route from 15 November 2026. Neither touches the Alice Springs to Uluru leg, but both cut the options for flying into one town and out of the other.

Scenic flights from Alice Springs to Uluru

For a splurge, NT Air Services runs a scenic flight from Alice Springs to Uluru and Kata Tjuta of about 2.5 hours. It passes over Lake Amadeus, needs at least three passengers, and lands at Ayers Rock Airport so you can carry on by car or tour. The fare is quoted on request.

Helicopter flights from Alice Springs to Uluru

These are not practical, and we found no operator selling them. Alice Springs helicopter companies fly local scenic loops, while Uluru’s helicopter flights leave from Yulara, so drive or transfer first, then fly. See Uluru helicopter tours.

Tours that double as transport

A tour can be your ride as well. Emu Run’s day trip to Uluru with BBQ dinner (from $279, rated 4.7 from 850 reviews, and from A$345 on some channels, so check at checkout) has also been sold one way, ending at Ayers Rock Resort; ask when you book. The day trips, the 2 to 4-day camping tours and how they compare are on our Uluru tours from Alice Springs page, and our best Uluru tours page ranks the operators.

Alice Springs to Kings Canyon to Uluru

Adding Watarrka (Kings Canyon) turns the trip into the Red Centre Way. There are two ways in:

• Sealed, any car: Alice Springs to Erldunda, the Lasseter Highway, then Luritja Road to Kings Canyon, about 480 km. Then Kings Canyon to Yulara, about 305 km. Fuel is sold at Kings Canyon Resort and Kings Creek Station.
• Mereenie Loop, 4WD only: west from Alice Springs through the West MacDonnell Ranges, about 330 km and 5 to 6 hours, with roughly 160 km of heavily corrugated gravel. The road crosses Aboriginal land, so you need a Mereenie Tour Pass. It is sold by the Central Land Council in Alice Springs, the Visitor Information Centre, Glen Helen, Hermannsburg, Kings Creek Station and Kings Canyon Resort.

Plan at least one night at Kings Canyon. Our Kings Canyon tours from Uluru page covers the walks and timing.

Uluru to Alice Springs: the return journey

Going from Uluru to Alice Springs works the same way in reverse, with a few differences:

• Emu Run (Ayers Rock to Alice Springs): the same Emu Run transfer listing covers the trip north. The return has run in the evening, collecting after sunset and reaching Alice Springs around midnight, so check the pickup time when you book.
• AAT Kings (Ayers Rock to Alice Springs): a daytime service that leaves Ayers Rock around midday, stops at Erldunda and arrives in Alice Springs in the early evening. Viator sells it as the AAT Kings Uluru to Alice Springs shuttle, from $184 and rated 4.3 from 153 reviews.
• Flying out instead? The resort hotels run free airport coaches that meet every flight and leave the hotels about two hours before departures.
• Returning a hire car: one-way returns are again limited to the firms that allow them. Leave Yulara by about 10 am so you finish the Lasseter Highway in daylight.

Which option is best for you?

• Couples and families: self-drive. Two or more people sharing a car pay less than two coach fares, and you can move freely in the park.
• Solo travelers on a budget: the Emu Run transfer.
• Non-drivers who want a big coach and commentary: AAT Kings.
• Short on time: skip Alice Springs and fly into Ayers Rock from a capital city (see how to get to Uluru), or ask NT Air Services about a seat.
• Adventurers with a 4WD: the Mereenie Loop via Kings Canyon.
• A special occasion: the scenic flight from Alice Springs to Uluru.

Road safety and practical tips

• Avoid driving at dawn, dusk and night. Kangaroos, cattle, camels and wild horses wander onto the unfenced roads, and many hire contracts restrict night driving outside towns.
• Road trains can be more than 50 m long. Allow at least 1 km of clear road ahead before you overtake one, and pull over safely if one comes up behind you.
• Carry water: at least 5 liters per person in the car, plus snacks. Summer days often top 40°C.
• If you break down, stay with your vehicle. A car is easier to spot than a person on foot. In an emergency call 000, or 112 from a mobile.
• Phone coverage is patchy. Expect signal near Alice Springs, the roadhouses and Yulara, and long gaps in between.
• Check Road Report NT before you set off, especially after rain.
• Respect country: keep to signed areas and do not enter Aboriginal land without a permit.

Before you go: park pass and where to stay

Everyone 18 and over needs an Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass: A$38 for 3 days or A$50 for a year, and under-18s enter free. Buy it online through Parks Australia before you arrive; our park pass page has the details. All the accommodation is at Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort), from the campground to luxury hotels, and it fills up in peak season, so book early; where to stay at Uluru compares the hotels. Then browse things to do in Uluru.

Information checked October 2026. Coach times, fares and flight schedules change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.