3 days: Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon

1. Ayers Rock Airport~30 min at the stop

Land and collect a hire car: Avis and Hertz hand over at the airport.

Tip: Yulara has few hire cars, so book weeks ahead.

↓ drive · 30 min · 30 km

2. Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre~2 h at the stop

Start with the story: Tjukurpa, the Anangu seasons and the galleries of local artists, Maruku Arts and Walkatjara Art. Grab a bite at Ininti café.

Worth knowing: The mud-brick building takes the shape of the two ancestral snakes, Kuniya and Liru.

Tip: Open daily 7:00–17:45, free with your park pass.

↓ drive · 5 min · 3 km

3. Mutitjulu Waterhole~45 min at the stop

The short, shady Kuniya walk, 1 km return, to the permanent Mutitjulu Waterhole and a cave with rock art. It's the setting of the Kuniya and Liru story.

Tip: In the afternoon this is the coolest corner of the rock.

↓ drive · 15 min · 14 km

4. Uluru car sunset viewing area~1 h at the stop

The classic Uluru sunset shot: the sun sets behind you and the rock turns orange, then deep red. The resort is 20 minutes away.

Tip: You can still make Field of Light afterwards: entry from A$50.

5. Valley of the Winds~3 h 30 min at the stop

The full Valley of the Winds circuit: 7.4 km and 3–4 hours over rocks and steep sections between the domes of Kata Tjuta. Start at sunrise while it's cool; there's water at the start and halfway.

Tip: Anangu ask that you don't photograph the domes on this walk. With a forecast of 36°C or more, the track beyond Karu lookout closes from 11am.

↓ drive · 10 min · 6 km

6. Walpa Gorge~1 h at the stop

A level 2.6 km return path between the sheer walls of Kata Tjuta: a short gorge walk before the long drive.

Tip: Refuel in Yulara: Kings Canyon is about 300 km away.

↓ drive · 4 h · 355 km

7. Kings Canyon Resort~1 h at the stop

The closest beds to the canyon: rooms, campsites and cabins. From here you can be first on the trail in the morning, before the heat.

Tip: Do not drive at dusk: kangaroos and cattle wander onto the road.

8. Kings Canyon Rim Walk~3 h 30 min at the stop

A 6 km loop, 3–4 hours: a steep climb, then the canyon rim with 100 m walls and the Garden of Eden waterhole halfway.

Worth knowing: The finale of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) was written for Uluru, but a climb in drag there would have offended Anangu beliefs, so the scene was shot at Kings Canyon instead.

Tip: On days forecast at 36°C or more, start before 9:00 without fail.

↓ drive · 20 min · 21 km

9. Kathleen Springs~1 h 15 min at the stop

A quiet finish: a sealed 2.4 km return path to a spring at the end of a gorge, with signs on Aboriginal culture and cattle-station history.

Worth knowing: The spring lies about 21 km south-east of Kings Canyon. The park's name, Watarrka, is the Luritja word for the local umbrella bush, an acacia.

Tip: From here it is 450 km to Alice Springs or about 300 km back to Yulara for your flight.