6 Day Intrepid Travel Premium Red Centre

Please advise us of your flight details at the time of booking so we can organise the arrival transfer for you. It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as your guide will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time.

Welcome to Australia’s Red Centre! On arrival at Alice Springs Airport, you'll be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel. A welcome meeting will take place at 2pm today where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. Commence with a Welcome to Country acknowledgement.
After your meeting, your leader will introduce you to the sights of Alice Springs. Start with a visit to the Araluen Arts Centre, then head out to the historical Telegraph Station, the site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs. Pay a visit to the grave of First Nations artist Albert Namatjira, finishing with a deeper understanding of the town and its history. In the evening, head out for a dinner celebrating local bush foods.

After breakfast, drive up to Anzac Hill and take in panoramic views of Alice Springs and the surrounding landscape. Continue to the Aboriginal settlement of Hermannsburg, where Albert Namatjira once lived. Learn a little more about his life while taking a look around the historic site – you’ll be seeing much of the landscape that inspired him over the coming days.
Hit the road once more and enjoy splendid views of the Western MacDonnell Ranges before eventually stopping at Ormiston Gorge. With a beautiful waterhole as its centrepiece, the gorge is the perfect place to stop for a relaxing lunch. Savour a meal of unusual, delicious, ethically sourced, and organic bush foods enjoyed for over 60,000 years by the local Aboriginal communities in the area.
Take a short walk to a lookout point to appreciate the landscape from a different perspective, then drive on to Ellery Creek Big Hole, where rugged cliffs plunge into a water-filled gorge below. There will be time for a swim here if you’d like to cool off (or just dip your toes if the water is too cold), then pay a visit to the Standley Chasm, a dramatic geological formation that is culturally significant to the Arrernte people.
Return to Alice Springs for an optional dinner at the Northern Territory institution, Hanuman.

Today’s total driving time is approximately 4.5 hours. There are a number of shorter walks today, adding up to approximately 3 hours in total.

Rise bright and early to begin the journey south towards Kings Canyon, one of the Northern Territory’s most spectacular sights. On arrival, get to know the incredible landscape on foot as your leader takes you on the iconic Kings Canyon rim walk, taking approximately 3-4 hours. First, climb the stairs to the top of the canyon (there’s plenty of places to stop for photos or to catch your breath!) then things get a bit easier. Walk through Priscilla’s Crack, made famous after featuring in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, a classic Australian film.
Continue to the sandstone domes of the Lost City, resembling the remains of an ancient civilisation. From here, you can continue to explore the top of the canyon or descend into the Garden of Eden, where a waterhole gives life to abundant flora and fauna. In fact, Kings Canyon is home to over 600 unique species of native plants and animals – your leader will point out some interesting examples as you walk.
Return to your accommodation in the afternoon to get ready for dinner this evening – you’re in for a real treat! Dine under the stars for a true outback experience, and tuck into a fabulous five course meal made with seasonal and locally sourced products paired with complementary wines.

Today’s total driving time is approximately 5.5 hours. Please note that the rim walk at Kings Canyon is graded 4 in terms of difficulty. The 6km loop takes about 3-4 hours to complete.

Say goodbye to Kings Canyon and make the short drive to Karrke on the edge of Watarrka National Park. Here, you’ll gain a unique insight into First Nations culture as you join a guide to learn about the landscapes, bush tucker, bush medicines, how they are used for healing, and their spiritual significance to the Luritja people.
Then, carry on to Mt Conner and stop at a viewpoint where you can admire the flat-top mountain’s unusual shape. Stop off at an ancient salt lake then carry on to Yulara, your gateway to the enormous sandstone monolith of Uluru.
Tonight’s feature stay accommodation is really something special. Modern, bright and airy, the hotel combines first-class service with a relaxed atmosphere, providing a perfect base for your explorations. After settling in, get out to experience the big rock for yourself – your leader will guide you on a 10km walk around its base, explaining the cultural significance of the landscape as you go. Seeing this iconic formation for the first time is a memory that will stay with you. Enjoy a restful afternoon, then make the most of your first night near Uluru. Sample canapes and sparkling wine, while watching the sunset over the majestic Field of Lights. Seeing the colours of the landscape change as day turns into night is really something else. The Field of Lights is an art installation of more than 50,000 artificial lights which illuminate the landscape as far as the eye can see.

Today’s total driving time is approximately 3.5 hours. The base walk around Uluru is flat, approximately 10km in length and will take about 2-3 hours to complete. Please note that there is no shade for the duration of the walk.

This morning, drive to Kata Tjuta, an impressive series of massive red domes. Here, you’ll embark on a fascinating 2-hour walk into the Walpa Gorge, alive with pink flowers and native wildlife. Your leader will be on hand to point out rare plants, and if you’re lucky, you may see wallaroos hopping around the rocks!
Head back to your accommodation to relax and get ready for a dinner experience like no other, the Sounds of Silence. Sit down to a fantastic meal created with native bush ingredients. Set beneath a sky full of stars and to the sounds of the didgeridoo, this is the perfect finale to your Premium Red Centre adventure.

Today’s total driving time is approximately 1.5 hours. Today's walk into Walpa Gorge is an easy 3km return hike.

Before your tour concludes, perhaps take the opportunity to join your leader on a sunrise walk around Uluru, for one last experience of this impressive sandstone formation. Return to your accommodation, at which point your Red Centre adventure comes to an end.

For those departing from Yulara Airport today, your leader can drop you at Yulara Airport before 12pm. If you’d like to arrange a transfer to Alice Springs (approximately 5 hours) please get in touch ahead of time as we can book this for you (at an additional cost).