Uluru & Kata Tjuta Day Tours

The tour that covers both Uluru and Kata Tjuta in one outing is the Uluru Sunrise and Kata Tjuta Day Trip from AAT Kings. You watch the sun rise over Uluru with tea or coffee, drive west to a viewing point over the domes of Kata Tjuta, and walk into Walpa Gorge, all before lunch. It costs from $130 per person and rates 4.6 from 605 reviews, more reviews than any other one-day tour on this site that visits both landmarks. If you want longer at each place, two half-day tours on the same day do that better, and the pairings are set out below.

How the combined morning runs

The coach picks you up from your Ayers Rock Resort hotel in the dark. The first stop is Talinguru Nyakunytjaku, the main sunrise viewing area for Uluru, about 35 minutes from Yulara. It has shelters, viewing platforms, toilets and water, and from there you watch first light reach Uluru (Ayers Rock) with Kata Tjuta in the distance. Your driver guide serves tea and coffee and gives an overview of the park and the Anangu, its Traditional Owners.

From there the coach heads west. Uluru and Kata Tjuta sit 50 km apart by road, so part of the morning is spent driving, with commentary on the way. At Kata Tjuta you stop at a viewing point over the domes, then walk into Walpa Gorge. The park rates that walk Grade 3: 2.6 km return, about an hour, on a rocky track between steep walls of conglomerate rock. The tour then returns to Yulara.

AAT Kings sells the same tour on Viator, where it is listed at five hours. The operator says the morning fits a same-day flight out of Ayers Rock Airport that leaves after 1:00 pm, or after 1:30 pm in June and July. Read our review of the sunrise and Kata Tjuta half day for the full breakdown.

One combined tour or two separate tours?

The combined morning gives you sunrise at Uluru and a single walk at Kata Tjuta. It does not include the Uluru base, the Mutitjulu Waterhole or the Cultural Centre, and you see Kata Tjuta for the length of one gorge walk. With a whole day free, you can book two half-day tours and cover much more.

The coach pairing is the simplest full day: book the morning tour, rest in the middle of the day, and join the Uluru Sacred Sites and Sunset Tour in the afternoon. It drives around the base of Uluru, walks the Kuniya track to Mutitjulu Waterhole, stops at the Cultural Centre and finishes at sunset with wine and nibbles. Our sunset tours guide compares it with the shorter options.

The small-group alternative from SEIT

SEIT runs smaller vehicles than the AAT Kings coaches and has no single tour that covers both landmarks, so you pair two. The Uluru Highlights Small Group Morning Tour (from $132, 4.7 from 279 reviews) takes up to 15 guests to watch the sunrise, serves an outback picnic breakfast, walks to Mutitjulu Waterhole and drives around the base in about three hours. In the afternoon the 3-Hour Small Group Kata Tjuta Afternoon Tour (from $129, 4.6 from 150 reviews) takes you among the domes and has you back at your hotel in time for dinner. One caution: SEIT’s own listing says it skips Walpa Gorge from December to March because of the heat.

If Kata Tjuta matters more to you than Uluru, start there instead. The Kata Tjuta Small Group Sunrise Tour watches the domes at first light with a group of no more than 11, then serves a picnic breakfast and walks into Walpa Gorge. Our Kata Tjuta tours page covers it in full.

Full-day and sunset combinations

AAT Kings also runs Uluru Culture and Kata Tjuta Trails, a daytime tour that walks Walpa Gorge, stops at the Cultural Centre (lunch at your own expense) and finishes with the Kuniya walk at Uluru. It costs from $108 and rates 5.0, but from only 22 reviews, and its Viator listing shows no departures from November 2026 to March 2027, so check dates before you plan around it. It skips both sunrise and sunset.

For an evening at Kata Tjuta, the AAT Kings Kata Tjuta Sunset and Valley of the Winds Walk combines a 5.4 km section of the Valley of the Winds with sunset drinks. It is listed only from April to September 2027 and has very few reviews so far. The Valley of the Winds vs Walpa Gorge guide explains how the two walks differ.

Full-day Uluru tours with a sunset barbecue, such as the Emu Run day tour, stay at Uluru and do not go to Kata Tjuta. Those dinners are covered on our dinner under the stars page.

Sunrise or sunset for a two-landmark day?

For a combined day, start with sunrise. The walks are cooler in the morning, and from October to March the park asks walkers to finish by 11:00 am. A sunrise tour fits the Walpa Gorge walk into that window and leaves the hot middle of the day free. End the day with a sunset tour if you have the energy. The Uluru sunrise tours guide lists the other ways to see the dawn.

What to know before you book

• Pickup: included from Ayers Rock Resort hotels. Pickup is before dawn, so the time shifts through the year; confirm it with the operator.
• Duration: about five hours, as listed on the Viator version of the same tour.
• Walking: the Walpa Gorge track is short but rocky and uneven. Wear closed shoes and carry at least a litre of water, which the operator recommends. The listing calls the tour suitable for all age groups, but the Viator version asks for a moderate level of fitness.
• Park pass: not included. Adults pay A$38 for a 3-day pass, under-18s enter free, and an annual pass is A$50. Buy it online before the tour or at the entry station; the park pass guide has the details.
• Food: tea and coffee at sunrise only. Eat something before pickup or bring a snack.
• Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before the tour on this listing.
• Best for: first-time visitors with one free morning, travelers flying out in the afternoon, and anyone without a car who wants both landmarks. Travelers who want long walks at Kata Tjuta should book a dedicated tour.

From June to July the mornings are cold, with average lows of about 5°C, so bring a warm jumper for the sunrise. In summer, a fly net helps.

Respecting Uluru and Kata Tjuta

Both landmarks are sacred to Anangu, whose law, Tjukurpa, links them to this country. Aboriginal people have lived in Central Australia for more than 30,000 years. Some sites at Uluru and Kata Tjuta are sensitive, and photographing them is prohibited; they are marked by signs, and your guide will point them out. Drones are banned throughout the park.

If you are coming from Alice Springs for one day, see the Uluru tours from Alice Springs page, and our Uluru itineraries show how to spread both landmarks over two or three days.

When you have picked your morning, check availability for the sunrise and Kata Tjuta tour.