Take a road trip from Adelaide to Uluru (previously known as Ayers Rock) for a once-in-a-lifetime travel venture. Experience the historical and culture-filled city of Adelaide, then drive to the amazing Uluru, set in the “Red Centre” — the geographic centre of Australia. This iconic Aussie road trip is full of stunning scenery and breathtaking adventures. Book your car hire with VroomVroomVroom for an epic Adelaide to Uluru adventure today!
Day 1: Adelaide to the Clare Valley
Day 2: The Clare Valley to Melrose & Mount Remarkable National Park
Day 3: Mount Remarkable National Park to Woomera & Glendambo
Day 4: Glendambo to Coober Pedy
Day 5: Coober Pedy
Day 6: Coober Pedy to Moon Plain, Marla, Kulgera & Erldunda Roadhouse
Day 7: Erldunda to Kings Canyon
Day 8: Kings Canyon to Uluru & Kata Tjuta
Adelaide is South Australia’s capital. Set by the coast, this stunning city is full of culture, history and things to do. We recommend visiting the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, South Australian Museum and the Central Markets. Depending on how much time you have, Victoria Square, Adelaide Zoo and the Maritime Museum are definitely worth a visit.
Discover the hidden wonderland that is the Clare Valley. This valley is well known for its stunning nature, eclectic markets, world-class wineries and hikes.
Check out the Watervale, Leasingham and Penwortham wine regions and try the fresh produce locals rave about.
If you are an avid biker rider, Melrose is the place to be — make sure to ride or walk the Melrose to Wilmington Rail Trail. You’ll also find many historic buildings throughout the town.
Mount Remarkable National Park is home to Alligator Gorge! This national park is where you will find stunning red rocks, creeks and impressive gorges. This place has everything, from walking trails, scenic lookouts and camping spots and everything in between.
With over 117 native bird species and Aussie wildlife like koalas, kangaroos and echidnas, the park is well supplied with flora and fauna. We recommend Ali Lookout, the Melrose Nature Hike and the Alligator Gorge Hike as belonging on the top of your list.
Known for being an isolated experimental ground for rocket testing, Woomera is an interesting outback town full of weird and wonderful quirks. The most popular attraction in the town of Woomera is the Aircraft and Missile Park — a great starting point to learn about Woomera’s history.
If you are wanting to experience a true Aussie outback town, Woomera is for you. You’ll find a rustic roadhouse, awesome pub and a service station to fuel up at.
Your next stop should be Glendambo. Take a break and stretch your legs in this small town of just 50 people — though it gets far busier during Glendambo’s annual Bachelor and Spinster Ball. At this point of your road trip you should notice that you are well and truly in the middle or rural Australia! Enjoy the wide open road and the peaceful surroundings.
Known as the Opal capital of the world, Coober Pedy is a town that is primarily underground! With only 1,762 people living in the area, this location is full of interesting things to see and discover.
Spend your first day in Coober Pedy at the Breakaways Conservation Park. This is a stunning park that covers 15,000 hectares of rich and colourful scenery. This park is owned by the Antakirinja Matuntjara Yankunytjatjara people and has over 60 native flora species.
Keep an eye out for the 5,600 km long dog fence that runs for more than half of Australia! This fence was first built in the 1880s and has been maintained here ever since.
From here you might want to check out the Umoona Opal Mine and Museum, and go on a guided tour of the mines.
While being guided through the mines, will be taught about how opal is formed and mined. You will also learn about the underground dug out homes and see them for yourself.
Drive up to the Big Winch Scenic View Cafe to enjoy a 360 degree views of Coober Pedy. Watch the sunrise or sunset and see the stunning colours cascade over the town.
Like its name states, Moon Plain is an area just out of Coober Pedy that resembles the vast and expansive moon landscape. Due to its rocky landscape, this location has been used as a set for many movies, including Mad Max.
Drop by Marla, the last settlement on the Stewart Highway in South Australia. Have a picnic lunch under the gorgeous gum trees and relax.
Stop in at the Kulgera Roadhouse — the closest hotel and pub to the centre of Australia.
After your long trip, there is nothing quite like a home-style meal. Erldunda Roadhouse is located 260 km southeast of Uluru and is known as the centre of the centre. You can also see their Kangaroo Farm and Emu Enclosure.
For a truly memorable experience, climb Kings Canyon and watch the Sunrise spanning over the Watarrka National Park.
Go glamping at Kings Creek Station and thanks to those amazingly clear outback night skies, enjoy the vibrant stars.
Try a helicopter ride over Kings Canyon to see it from a whole other perspective.
You have made it to the magnificent Uluru! Start your Uluru experience by stopping in at the Cultural Centre where you can talk to visitor guides and learn more about Uluru itself, the best places to visit and the traditional owners of the land.
Famous for its breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, there are many places to go in order to experience this must-see vision. In order to see the sunset, the best location is the Car Sunset Viewing location. If you are wanting to see both Uluru and Kata Tjuta, Talinguru Nyakunytjaku delivers amazing sunrise views.
There are many tours that you can go on depending on your interests — from private to group tours, the choice is yours! For an unforgettable memory, the Desert Awakenings tour takes you on a pre-dawn experience to see the transformation of Uluru from under the stars to a vivid sunrise in the morning. Bird-watching is also a popular activity here as there are about 178 species living around Uluru.
It is recommended to stay around Uluru for two nights to make the most of the area and then continue driving to Alice Springs or even Darwin.