Uluru Helicopter Tours

For most visitors the flight to book is the 25-minute Uluru & Kata Tjuta helicopter experience with Professional Helicopter Services, from $258 per person and rated 4.8 from 616 reviews. It is the shortest helicopter flight that reaches both landmarks, and the return bus from your Ayers Rock Resort hotel is included. If you only want Uluru, the 15-minute flight is cheaper; if you want the low evening light over the domes of Kata Tjuta, the sunset flight is longer and costs more.

Which flights actually include Kata Tjuta

This is the question that decides the booking. Uluru and Kata Tjuta sit about 50 km apart by road, so a short flight cannot do both justice. Here is what each listing covers.

The 15-minute Uluru helicopter flight stays around Uluru; its Viator listing mentions views of Kata Tjuta while flying by the rock, which means the domes on the horizon, not a pass over them. The Uluru and Kata Tjuta sunset helicopter is the longest of the three helicopter flights in the table at 36 minutes, and its route runs down the western face of Kata Tjuta with views over Walpa Gorge and the Valley of the Winds. For those two walks from the ground, see our Kata Tjuta tours page.

Longer flights exist too. A Lake Amadeus, Uluru & Kata Tjuta helicopter tour adds the salt lake, from $520 per person (only 8 reviews so far, and it needs at least three passengers). On the plane side, the one-hour Lizard Safari flight adds Lake Amadeus from $383, and the two-hour Desert Explorer reaches Kings Canyon from $767.

Flights do not go over the top

None of these flights crosses the top of Uluru or Kata Tjuta, and none circles either one completely. The helicopter listings say this is because of the cultural sensitivity of both places. Uluru and Kata Tjuta are sacred to Anangu, the Traditional Owners, and the flight paths keep their distance. Expect wide views of the rock rising from the plain, with the domes of Kata Tjuta on the longer routes.

Helicopter or plane?

Both types run from Yulara with hotel transfers included, and the difference is in the aircraft and the price per minute.

The 15-minute flight’s listing mentions bubble windows. On every helicopter flight, boarding means stepping up onto a skid or platform. The listings set a 125 kg (275 lb) weight limit and say the flights do not suit people with mobility impairments or a low level of fitness. The Viator listing for the 25-minute flight spells it out: you must be able to lift each knee to about waist height and push yourself into the cabin without help.

The fixed-wing flights with Ayers Rock Scenic Flights promise a guaranteed window seat for everyone, headsets and live commentary from the pilot, and list themselves as suitable for all fitness levels. They also cost less for the time in the air: the Rock Blast gives 20 minutes over Uluru from $128, and the Uluru & Kata Tjuta plane flight gives 40 minutes over both from $256. Choose the plane if anyone in your group would struggle with the helicopter step, or if you want the longest look for the money. Choose the helicopter for the bubble windows and the 25-minute version that keeps both landmarks in one short outing.

Prices on the platforms and at the resort

The prices on this page are in US dollars, as GetYourGuide and Viator show them. The same helicopter flights are also sold on Viator, where the 25-minute flight starts at $263 and the 15-minute at $163. Ayers Rock Resort lists its own gate prices in Australian dollars: A$230 for the 15-minute flight, A$370 for the 25-minute Uluru and Kata Tjuta flight and A$495 for the 36-minute sunset flight.

What to know before you book

Times are approximate: the operator calls or emails to confirm your flight and pickup, and will try to match your preferred time without guaranteeing it. If the flight or meeting time moves by 30 minutes or more, you can take a full refund. A two-person minimum applies, and if it is not met and the flight cannot run, you get a full refund. Bring closed-toe shoes.

The A$38 adult park pass (under-18s free) is for entering Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park by road. You will want it for the sunrise, sunset and walking tours you pair with a flight; our park pass guide covers where to buy it.

When to fly

The 15-minute flights run through the day, roughly 8 am to 4 pm, weather permitting. The sunset helicopter leaves about 30 minutes before sunset, so you are in the air as the light turns warm over Kata Tjuta. A morning flight leaves the late afternoon free for an Uluru sunset tour from the ground, and both fit easily into one day.

Kings Canyon from the air

Helicopter flights over Kings Canyon itself start at Kings Canyon, about three hours’ drive from Yulara, and do not include transfers from Uluru. Of the flights on this site that leave from Ayers Rock, the two-hour Desert Explorer plane flight is the one that reaches Kings Canyon. Our Kings Canyon tours from Uluru page covers the day trips by road.

Read our review of the 25-minute flight or our review of the 15-minute flight for more detail, and see things to do in Uluru for the rest of your stay.

When you have a date in mind, check availability for the 25-minute Uluru and Kata Tjuta flight.