How to Get to Uluru

The fastest way to get to Uluru is a direct flight to Ayers Rock Airport, about 10 minutes from Ayers Rock Resort at Yulara. The other way in is by road from Alice Springs: 465 km, about 5.5 hours, by hire car or on a coach transfer such as the AAT Kings Alice Springs to Ayers Rock Resort coach. Yulara has no taxis or public transport, so decide before you arrive how you will get around.

Flights to Ayers Rock Airport

Ayers Rock Airport (code AYQ, also called Connellan Airport) has direct flights from four Australian cities. Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar fly into it, but not every airline flies every route, and schedules change by season, so check the airlines for your dates.

From Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and other cities, the park’s list of direct routes does not include a nonstop flight, so check the airlines for connections or fly to Alice Springs and continue by road.

Once you land, Ayers Rock Resort runs free return coach transfers between the airport and its hotels for guests on scheduled Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin flights. You do not need to book: collect your bags and board the AAT Kings coach outside the terminal. On the way out, the transfer leaves your hotel about two hours before your flight; reception confirms the exact time.

From Sydney or Melbourne

From Sydney the direct flight takes about three hours, and from Melbourne about 2 hours 40 minutes, so a morning departure lands you in time for an afternoon tour and sunset. Flying direct saves the 5.5-hour drive from Alice Springs each way, which matters on a short trip. Remember that the Northern Territory runs on ACST and does not use daylight saving. Our Uluru itinerary page shows how to plan around arrival and departure times.

Driving from Alice Springs

Alice Springs to Uluru is 465 km, about 5.5 hours of driving without stops. The route runs south down the Stuart Highway, then west along the Lasseter Highway, which ends at Uluru. Curtin Springs, about 100 km from Yulara, is the nearest roadhouse to the park, so fill up and carry water and snacks. Roads inside the national park are all sealed, and a 2WD is fine.

To make a loop of it, the Red Centre Way runs 1,135 km from Alice Springs and back, taking in Kings Canyon. The sealed route from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon, via the Stuart and Lasseter Highways and Luritja Road, is about 473 to 480 km and about five hours. The shorter Mereenie Loop route is about 450 km and about four hours, but it has an unsealed section, needs a permit and is best in a 4WD. From Kings Canyon to Yulara is about three hours on sealed road. The Kings Canyon tours page covers the canyon itself.

Hiring a car

Avis and Hertz rent cars at Ayers Rock Airport and at the resort, and you can also hire in Alice Springs. Cars at Yulara are limited, so book a few weeks ahead. A car gives you free run of the park within its opening hours, but you still need the park pass: A$38 for adults for 3 days, free for under-18s.

Coach transfers from Alice Springs

AAT Kings and Emu Run Experience both sell coach transfers along the highway on the booking platforms. The AAT Kings coach is the one we feature: it costs from $181 per person, rates 4.6 from 129 reviews, and has free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The Viator listing of the same service gives the trip as 5 to 6 hours, with one 20 kg bag and a carry-on each. The driver-guide covers the region’s geology, wildlife and Aboriginal culture, and there is a break at a roadhouse and a view of flat-topped Atila (Mount Conner) on the way.

Emu Run Experience sells a one-way transfer in either direction, the Uluru to Alice Springs or Alice to Uluru transfer, also from $181 per person and rated 4.3 from 62 reviews. It stops at Erldunda Roadhouse for food, since meals are not included. For the return leg, AAT Kings sells an Uluru to Alice Springs shuttle on Viator. Our coach transfer review has the detail.

You can also arrive on a tour. The Autopia 2-day camping tour from Alice Springs ends at Yulara, so it doubles as your transfer, and the Adventure Tours 3-day camping tour starts in Alice Springs or Yulara. The Emu Run day trip from Alice Springs with BBQ dinner, the most-reviewed listing in our catalog, returns to Alice Springs the same night. Compare them on the Uluru tours from Alice Springs page.

Is there a train?

No railway goes to Uluru. The Ghan runs between Adelaide and Darwin and stops at Alice Springs, where passengers can buy an optional Uluru upgrade, but you cannot board it at Alice Springs. From there, the road or a tour completes the trip.

Getting around once you arrive

A free resort shuttle links the Yulara hotels with Town Square, but it does not go into the national park. To reach Uluru and Kata Tjuta, use a hire car, a tour with hotel pickup or the Uluru Hop On Hop Off pass. Our Uluru without a car page compares them, and where to stay covers the hotels.

Arriving from Alice Springs without a car? Check availability for the AAT Kings coach.