Kata Tjuta · Walks
Two walks between the domes, one hard, one short.
Book Your Tour
SEIT collects you from your hotel and walks the full Valley of the Winds circuit with you, with morning tea on the way.
The Experience
The full circuit between the domes of Kata Tjuta with a guide who knows the plants, the geology and the history.
A five-hour morning, three of them on the track.
Choose your day in the booking box. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the hike.
Your guide collects you from Sails in the Desert, Desert Gardens Hotel, the Outback Hotel or Ayers Rock Campground for about an hour's drive to Kata Tjuta.
Walk the full Valley of the Winds loop with your guide, past both lookouts and down through the valley, with morning tea and light refreshments.
The van returns you to your hotel at the end of the five-hour tour.
Photo Gallery
Gorges, domes and the tracks that run between them.
The Valley of the Winds hike against two tours that walk Walpa Gorge. Platform prices in USD from the live listings, October 2026.
| Feature | FULL LOOP Valley of the Winds Circuit Hike | Kata Tjuta Small-Group Sunrise | Uluru Sunrise & Kata Tjuta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $174 per person | From $174 per person | From $130 per person |
| Rating | 4.5 (25 reviews) | 4.7 (135 reviews) | 4.6 (605 reviews) |
| Which walk | Valley of the Winds, full 7.4 km loop | Walpa Gorge | Walpa Gorge |
| Duration | About 5 hours, 3 of them hiking | 5 hours | Morning tour, 5 hours on Viator listing |
| Sunrise and meal | Morning tea and light refreshments | ✓ Kata Tjuta sunrise, picnic breakfast | ✓ Uluru sunrise, tea and coffee |
| Group and vehicle | Small group, van | Max 11 people | Air-conditioned coach |
| Walking level | Grade 4; not for under 5s or low fitness | Grade 3 gorge walk | Grade 3 gorge walk; suitable for all ages |
| Pickup | ✓ Four Ayers Rock Resort stops | ✓ Ayers Rock Resort | ✓ Ayers Rock Resort |
| Park pass | ✗ Not included | ✗ Not included | ✗ Not included |
| Cancellation | ✓ Free up to 24 hours before | ✓ Free up to 3 days before | ✓ Free up to 24 hours before |
| Check Availability | See on GetYourGuide | See on GetYourGuide |
Walpa Gorge Tours
A small-group Kata Tjuta sunrise, a coach morning with Uluru sunrise, and a short afternoon visit. Each card opens our review.
SMALL GROUPA five-hour SEIT small-group tour for no more than 11 people: sunrise over the domes of Kata Tjuta, a picnic breakfast on its western side and a guided walk into Walpa Gorge. It suits travelers who want more time at Kata Tjuta than a combined Uluru tour gives.
WITH ULURU SUNRISEA half-day AAT Kings coach tour that starts with sunrise over Uluru at Talinguru Nyakunytjaku, then drives to Kata Tjuta for a viewing stop and the Walpa Gorge walk. It suits first-time visitors who want both landmarks in one morning without driving.
AFTERNOONA three-hour SEIT afternoon tour to Kata Tjuta for up to 15 passengers, with a guided walk between the domes and Walpa Gorge in the cooler months. It suits travelers who want a short, guided first look at Kata Tjuta and to be back at the resort before dinner.
Kata Tjuta Walks
Lengths, times, grades, the lookouts, the heat rule and who each walk suits.
Pick the Valley of the Winds if you have a cool morning, good legs and three to four hours; pick Walpa Gorge if you have an hour, want an easier track or the day is already hot. The Valley of the Winds is a 7.4 km Grade 4 loop that rises to two lookouts and drops into the valley between the domes. Walpa Gorge is a 2.6 km return walk into a gorge between the domes, graded 3, about an hour there and back. With an early start you can do both in one morning.
| Valley of the Winds | Walpa Gorge | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 7.4 km full loop; Karu Lookout 2.2 km return; Karingana Lookout 5.4 km return | 2.6 km return |
| Time | 3 to 4 hours for the loop; about 1 hour to Karu and back; about 2.5 hours to Karingana and back | About 1 hour |
| Grade | Grade 4 | Grade 3 |
| Terrain | Loose rock, steps, steep spots, creek beds | A gentle but rocky track into the gorge |
| Water | Drinking water about halfway round the loop | Carry your own |
| Heat rule | Closes at Karu Lookout from 11 am when the forecast or actual temperature reaches 36°C or above | No closure listed by the park |
| What you see | Two lookouts over the domes and the valley floor between them | Sheer rock walls and the plants sheltered in the gorge |
| Best for | Fit walkers on a cool morning | Short visits, families, hot days |
Kata Tjuta is a group of 36 domes, the tallest rising 546 m above the plain, about 50 km by road from Uluru and about 45 minutes’ drive from Yulara.
The Valley of the Winds is the harder and longer of the two, and you can shorten it. The first stage runs to Karu Lookout, 2.2 km return and about an hour, on a moderately difficult track with loose rocks. If you go on, the track rises over steps and steep spots to Karingana Lookout, 5.4 km return and about 2.5 hours, dropping into the valley and along creek beds. The full loop carries on round and back to the car park: 7.4 km, three to four hours, Grade 4. The park’s information panel says four hours, which is the safer figure to plan around.
The heat rule changes the plan in summer. When the forecast or actual temperature reaches 36°C or above, the walk closes at Karu Lookout from 11 am. That means the Karu return can still be walked, but the route to Karingana and the full loop are cut off. On those days, start at sunrise or settle for Karu. From October to March mean maximums at Yulara run from about 32 to 38°C, so the rule comes into play often.
Wear boots or sturdy shoes with grip, carry water even though there is a refill point about halfway, and take a hat.
Walpa Gorge is the walk to choose for a short, steady visit. The track runs 2.6 km return between the rock walls of the domes, takes about an hour, and is graded 3. One operator describes it as a gentle but rocky track into a world of rare plants and spearwood shrubs. You walk in and out on the same path, so you can turn back whenever you like, which makes it the easier choice with children or older walkers. The park lists no heat closure on Walpa Gorge, but the same advice applies on hot days: walk early.
Both walks fit in one morning if you start early. Watch the domes at sunrise from the Kata Tjuta dune viewing area, walk the Valley of the Winds loop while it is cool, then finish with Walpa Gorge, which is short enough for late morning. On a hot day, reverse the logic: Karu Lookout first, before 11 am, then Walpa Gorge. The Kata Tjuta sunset viewing area has water, toilets and a picnic area if you come back in the evening.
Kata Tjuta is sacred to Anangu, and some sites around the domes are sensitive. They are signposted, and photographing them is prohibited. Stay on the marked tracks and leave drones at home; they are prohibited in the park. You need a park pass to walk either track: A$38 per adult for 3 days, under-18s free. See our Uluru park pass guide.
The SEIT Valley of the Winds Circuit Hike walks the full loop with a guide. It is a five-hour tour with about three hours of hiking, hotel pickup, morning tea and light refreshments, from $174 per person, rated 4.5 from 25 reviews. You can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund. It is not suitable for children under 5 or anyone with a low fitness level. The same hike on Viator, Kata Tjuta Valley of the Winds Circuit Hike, is from $177 and lists dates for October 2026 and April to October 2027. Our Valley of the Winds hike review covers the day.
For Walpa Gorge with a guide, the SEIT Kata Tjuta small-group sunrise tour watches the domes at first light, serves an outback picnic breakfast and walks into Walpa Gorge, with a maximum of 11 people. It runs five hours, from $174 per person, rated 4.7 from 135 reviews. Read our review. The AAT Kings Uluru sunrise and Kata Tjuta tour adds Uluru sunrise at Talinguru Nyakunytjaku, then a stroll through Walpa Gorge, from $130 per person, rated 4.6 from 605 reviews. See our review.
AAT Kings also sells a half-day Kata Tjuta and Valley of the Winds tour with a guided hike of about 5 km, from $160 per person, though it has only 18 reviews so far.
For every Kata Tjuta tour, including the afternoon options, see our Kata Tjuta tours page. If you are still deciding how much time to give Kata Tjuta at all, read Uluru vs Kata Tjuta.
Ready for the full circuit? Check availability for the guided Valley of the Winds hike.
Guest Reviews
Ratings and review counts are each platform's live figures (GetYourGuide or Viator) as of October 2026 and may shift slightly day to day.
"We had a wonderful time walking through this magical place. Our guide Jose was exceptional. He was very knowledgeable, a great story teller and make the whole journey very enjoyable. We were lucky to have great weather and the wild flowers were incredibly beautiful. The walk could be challenging in wet or hot day. We highly recommended the experience to everyone,"
"It was a stunning walk. Our guide Jackie, was wonderful. It was great to get the geological background and also learn about the local plants."
"Ali was a great guide. She answered all my questions and I had many of them :)"
"Beautiful walk in amazing landscape. Thank you to our guide who shared some interesting info on the plants and their uses for indigenous people. In all a great day."
Read all 25 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the guided circuit for a cool morning, or pick a Walpa Gorge tour if you have an hour and want the easier walk. Starting from $174 per person.
Check Availability & BookCan't Make These Dates?
Other Uluru and Kata Tjuta tours, each with its own review, price and booking link.
Lengths, times, difficulty, the heat rule and how to fit both walks into one visit.
It depends on your time, fitness and the weather. The Valley of the Winds is the bigger walk: a 7.4 km Grade 4 loop with two lookouts, three to four hours. Walpa Gorge is 2.6 km return, about an hour, Grade 3, into a gorge between the domes. Fit walkers on a cool morning should do the Valley; on a hot day or a short visit, pick Walpa Gorge.
The full Valley of the Winds loop is 7.4 km and takes three to four hours; the park's information panel says four. You can shorten it: Karu Lookout is 2.2 km return, about an hour, and Karingana Lookout is 5.4 km return, about two and a half hours. Drinking water is available about halfway round the loop.
Allow about an hour. The Walpa Gorge walk is 2.6 km return on the same path in and out, graded 3, so you can turn back at any point. Add time for the drive: Kata Tjuta is about 45 minutes from Yulara. Guided tours such as the SEIT Kata Tjuta sunrise include Walpa Gorge; see our Kata Tjuta tours page.
It is graded 4, the harder of the two. The track to Karu Lookout is moderately difficult with loose rocks, and beyond it you meet steps and steep spots on the way to Karingana Lookout before dropping into the valley and along creek beds. Good shoes with grip, water and a cool start make a real difference.
It is the easier of the two Kata Tjuta walks: 2.6 km return, about an hour, graded 3 on a gentle but rocky track. Because you walk out and back on one path, you can stop and turn round whenever you need to. The Valley of the Winds loop is Grade 4, and the guided Valley hike is not suitable for children under 5.
When the forecast or actual temperature reaches 36°C or above, the walk closes at Karu Lookout from 11 am. The Karu return stays open, but Karingana Lookout and the full loop are cut off. From October to March mean maximums at Yulara run from about 32 to 38°C, so start early in those months. Check uluru.gov.au/news for other closures.
Yes, with an early start. Watch the domes at sunrise from the Kata Tjuta dune viewing area, walk the Valley of the Winds while it is cool, then finish with the hour-long Walpa Gorge walk. On a day forecast to hit 36°C, walk to Karu Lookout before 11 am and then do Walpa Gorge. Our Uluru itinerary shows how it fits a longer stay.
The park lists drinking water about halfway round the Valley of the Winds loop. It lists none for Walpa Gorge, so carry your own on both walks. The Kata Tjuta sunset viewing area has water and toilets. Wear a hat and sunscreen, and in summer finish walking before 11 am, as the park advises for hot weather.
Yes. SEIT runs a guided Valley of the Winds circuit hike, from $174 per person with hotel pickup and morning tea. For Walpa Gorge, the SEIT small-group Kata Tjuta sunrise and the AAT Kings Uluru sunrise and Kata Tjuta tour both walk into the gorge. Compare them in the table on this page.
Yes. Kata Tjuta is in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and the same pass covers both. Adults pay A$38 for a 3-day pass or A$50 for an annual pass, and under-18s enter free. None of the guided Kata Tjuta walks on this site includes the pass. Where to buy it and the park hours are on our Uluru park pass page.
Still have questions? Email us at info@ulurukatatjutatours.com
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