Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Australia: Darwin, Kakadu, Uluru and the Flinders Ranges
13 days from Darwin to Adelaide: two nights in Kakadu, Litchfield's waterfalls, Kings Canyon, two nights at Uluru, two nights at Wilpena Pound and a last night in the Barossa, with flights over the longest outback roads.
13 days · Darwin to Adelaide · up to 12 guests
Wangi Falls, Litchfield National Park Photo: Carole Mackinney, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wangi_Falls_Litchfield_National_Park_2011_2.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 13 days, 12 nights
- Start and end
- Darwin to Adelaide
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 5 h on day 6
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 1 to 3.5 hours on most days on sandy, stony or rocky paths, several starts before sunrise, and two harder walks you can skip: the Kings Canyon Rim Walk (6 km with a steep climb up rock steps) and the Wilpena Pound walk (about 7.8 km return, with a short climb to the lookout). Every walking day has an easier choice. Three road days of 4.5 to 5 hours (days 6, 10 and 12), each said plainly and broken by stops; the rest are under about 4 hours, and two flights replace the longest outback roads.
- Meals included
- 12 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 8 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,935 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Sunset over the Nadab floodplain from Ubirr, after the rock-art galleries
- The Yellow Water cruise on a Kakadu billabong in the late afternoon light
- An early swim at Litchfield's Florence Falls and Wangi Falls, ahead of the day-trip coaches
- The Kings Canyon Rim Walk at first light, through the Lost City to the Garden of Eden
- Two nights at Uluru: sunrise, the base walk, the Field of Light and Kata Tjuta at dawn
- Inside Wilpena Pound, the great walled basin of the Flinders Ranges, with two nights to walk it
- Yellow-footed rock-wallabies in Brachina Gorge and Aboriginal rock art at Arkaroo Rock
- A last night in the Barossa Valley with a cellar-door tasting and a farewell dinner
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 5 h, on day 6.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,935 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 5 h, on day 6.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Darwin
Darwin International Airport to central Darwin
- Dinner
- Stay in Darwin
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Darwin International Airport (DRW), about 13 km from the city centre, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the short run to our central hotel, a few minutes on foot from the Esplanade. Darwin is the country of the Larrakia people, and much of the city is new for a reason: Cyclone Tracy flattened it on Christmas Day 1974.
Afternoon
The afternoon is yours to get over the flight. Walk the shaded clifftop paths of Bicentennial Park, or go down to the Waterfront, where the Recreation Lagoon is netted for safe swimming. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the twelve days ahead: the two flights, the long road days, the crocodile rules and what to wear for a desert sunrise.
Evening
Then we walk to a welcome dinner together, outdoors if the evening is warm, as it usually is in the dry season.
Included
- Pick-up at Darwin International Airport (DRW)
- Briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in Darwin
Free time: The afternoon is free: the Esplanade, Bicentennial Park and the Waterfront are all a short walk from the hotel.
Activity: Land by about 3 pm to settle in before the 6 pm briefing. If you arrive earlier, we can book an extra night before the trip.
Into Kakadu: Mamukala and Ubirr at sunset
Darwin to Kakadu National Park by the Arnhem Highway, Mamukala and Ubirr, then Jabiru
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Jabiru (Kakadu)
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Darwin at 8 am and head east on the Arnhem Highway, across the Adelaide and Mary river floodplains, into Kakadu National Park, listed by UNESCO for both its nature and its culture and managed with its Bininj and Mungguy traditional owners. A boardwalk at Mamukala leads to a bird hide over the wetland, busy with magpie geese and whistling ducks in the dry season.
Afternoon
After lunch near Jabiru and a rest out of the midday heat at the hotel, we drive about 40 km north to Ubirr, near the East Alligator River, the border with Arnhem Land. In the late afternoon we walk the rock-art galleries with your guide: x-ray fish and turtles, Mimi spirit figures and a painting of a thylacine, an animal gone from the mainland for thousands of years.
Evening
Then a short, steep scramble up to the Nadab lookout for sunset over the floodplain, the best-known view in Kakadu. Back to Jabiru for dinner.
Included
- Kakadu National Park pass
- Mamukala wetlands and bird hide
- Ubirr rock-art galleries with your guide
- Sunset from the Nadab lookout at Ubirr
- Dinner in Jabiru
Easier option: Stay at the foot of Ubirr: the galleries are on a flat loop, and the floodplain is in view from the base.
Free time: An hour or two to rest at the hotel in Jabiru after lunch.
Activity: About 3 hours of driving to Jabiru and 1 hour to Ubirr and back, broken by Mamukala and lunch. The climb to the Nadab lookout is short but steep on bare rock.
Burrungkuy and the Yellow Water cruise
Jabiru to Burrungkuy (Nourlangie), then Cooinda and Yellow Water
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Cooinda (Kakadu)
- Drive about 1.5 h
We are at Burrungkuy, also called Nourlangie, when it opens at about 8 am, while the rock shelters are in shade. A loop of about 1.5 km passes the Anbangbang shelter, used by Bininj people for thousands of years, to the main gallery and its painting of Namarrgon, the Lightning Man, who brings the storms of the wet season. If a ranger talk is running, we join it. Those who want more can walk on to the Gunwarrdehwarrde lookout over the escarpment. Then we drive to Cooinda and the Warradjan Cultural Centre, which explains the six seasons Bininj people recognise and how the land is cared for through them.
Afternoon
Lunch is at Cooinda, and the hottest part of the day is free, in the shade or the pool. In the late afternoon we board a boat on Yellow Water Billabong for the cruise of the trip: saltwater crocodiles on the banks, jabiru, sea eagles and lotus lilies in low golden light.
Evening
Dinner at Cooinda.
Included
- Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) rock art at opening
- Warradjan Cultural Centre
- Yellow Water cruise in the late afternoon
- Dinner at Cooinda
Optional experiences
- Scenic flight over Kakadu's escarpment and floodplains (price shown at booking)
Easier option: The main Burrungkuy gallery only, about 1.5 km on a made path, with the vehicle at the start.
More active option: Add the Gunwarrdehwarrde lookout climb at Burrungkuy for the view along the escarpment.
Free time: The middle of the day is free at Cooinda, in the shade or the pool.
Activity: About 1.5 km of walking at Burrungkuy on uneven rock and steps; the cruise is seated.
Back to Darwin for a free evening
Cooinda to Darwin by the Kakadu and Arnhem highways
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Darwin
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A slow start: breakfast at Cooinda, and anyone who likes can walk the short boardwalk by the billabong while the birds are busy.
Afternoon
We leave at about 9 am and drive west out of Kakadu, about 300 km and three and a half hours on sealed roads, with a coffee stop near the Mary River and a sit-down lunch on the way. We arrive in Darwin by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is yours.
Evening
It is the trip's one evening in Darwin with nothing planned, on purpose: on Thursdays and Sundays in the dry season the Mindil Beach Sunset Market sets up its food stalls on the beach, and the sun goes down over the Timor Sea. On other nights the Waterfront and the restaurants of Mitchell Street are a short walk from the hotel. Your guide will suggest places to eat and is happy to walk down with anyone who would like company. Pack tonight for the Litchfield swim and the flight south.
Included
- Drive from Kakadu to Darwin with a coffee stop and a sit-down lunch
Optional experiences
- Jumping-crocodile cruise on the Adelaide River on the way into Darwin (price shown at booking)
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Darwin: the Mindil Beach Sunset Market on Thursdays and Sundays, or the Waterfront.
Activity: About 3.5 hours on the road, broken by coffee and lunch. Dinner is not included tonight, so you can choose.
Litchfield's waterfalls, then fly to Alice Springs
Darwin to Litchfield National Park, then Darwin Airport, a flight to Alice Springs and Simpsons Gap
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Alice Springs
- Drive about 4.5 h
An early start, at about 7 am, to reach Litchfield National Park ahead of the day-trip coaches. We stop first at the Magnetic Termite Mounds, flat grey slabs up to about two metres tall, all lined up north to south to keep cool. Then it is time to swim: Florence Falls drops into a deep plunge pool at the foot of some 135 steps, and Buley Rockhole is a chain of shallow rock pools just upstream. Last is Wangi Falls, two falls side by side into a wide, clear pool, open for swimming once rangers have cleared it after the wet.
Afternoon
Lunch is a picnic in the shade, then about an hour and a half to Darwin Airport for the flight south, about two hours over the outback. If the confirmed flight leaves earlier, we skip Wangi Falls.
Evening
In Alice Springs your guide takes the group, light permitting, to Simpsons Gap in the West MacDonnell Ranges, where black-footed rock-wallabies come out on the boulders at dusk, then to our central hotel.
Included
- NT Parks pass for Litchfield and the West MacDonnell Ranges
- Magnetic Termite Mounds
- Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole
- Wangi Falls
- Picnic lunch in Litchfield
- Flight from Darwin to Alice Springs
- Simpsons Gap at dusk, when the flight time allows
Optional experiences
- The Ghan from Darwin to Alice Springs, one night aboard, in place of the Litchfield morning and the flight, on the days it runs (quoted on request)
Easier option: Skip the swims and the steps: the termite mounds and the Wangi Falls pool edge are a short, flat walk from the vehicle.
More active option: The loop walk at Wangi Falls, about 1.6 km, through monsoon forest to a viewing platform above the falls.
Free time: The evening is free in Alice Springs: the hotel is within walking distance of Todd Mall.
Activity: About 3.5 hours of driving in the Top End and 45 minutes in Alice Springs, split by a two-hour flight. Bring a swimsuit and a towel in your day bag.
Down the highway to Kings Canyon
Alice Springs to Watarrka National Park by the Stuart and Lasseter highways and Luritja Road
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kings Canyon
- Drive about 5 h
Today is one of the trip's three long road days, about 470 km and five hours on sealed roads, and it is long for a reason: the only shorter link, the Mereenie Loop, needs a permit and is mostly unsealed gravel. We break it every hour or two.
Morning
We leave at about 8:30 after breakfast, run south on the Stuart Highway to Erldunda for coffee, then turn west on the Lasseter Highway and north on Luritja Road through red dunes and stands of desert oak.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at Kings Creek Station, a cattle station on the way in, and we reach Watarrka National Park, Luritja country, by mid-afternoon. After a rest at the hotel, the Kings Creek walk, about 2.6 km return on the flat, follows the shaded creek bed to a platform under the canyon walls, which rise more than 100 metres.
Evening
We watch the George Gill Range turn red at sunset, then eat together.
Included
- Drive from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon with stops at Erldunda and Kings Creek Station
- Sit-down lunch at Kings Creek Station
- Kings Creek walk with your guide
- Sunset over the George Gill Range
- Dinner at Kings Canyon
Free time: An hour or two to rest before the Kings Creek walk.
Activity: About 5 hours of driving on sealed roads, broken by a coffee stop and lunch. The Kings Creek walk is about an hour on the flat.
The Kings Canyon rim, then Uluru at sunset
Kings Canyon Rim Walk, then Watarrka to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park via Curtin Springs
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
A light breakfast before dawn, then we are at the trailhead at first light for the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a 6 km loop of three to four hours. It starts with a steep climb up rough rock steps, the hardest part of the trip, then levels out across the top: through the Lost City, a maze of weathered sandstone domes, down wooden stairs to the Garden of Eden, a permanent waterhole shaded by cycads, and along the south rim with the sheer wall below you. On days forecast at 36 C or more the walk closes at 9 am, one more reason we start early. If you would rather not climb, walk Kings Creek again in the early light.
Afternoon
Late in the morning we drive about 305 km south and west, past the flat-topped mesa of Mount Conner, with lunch at Curtin Springs. In the park we start at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, where Anangu explain Tjukurpa, the law that shapes this country, then watch the sun set on Uluru.
Included
- Kings Canyon Rim Walk at first light with your guide (6 km loop, 3 to 4 hours)
- Lunch at Curtin Springs
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre
- Sunset at Uluru
Easier option: Skip the climb: walk Kings Creek again in the early light, or rest at the hotel until we leave.
Free time: Dinner tonight is not included, on purpose: after a pre-dawn start most guests want an early, simple meal at the resort and an early night before the Uluru sunrise.
Activity: One steep climb at the start of the Rim Walk, then uneven rock and stairs. About 3.75 hours on the road in all, including the park roads to the Cultural Centre and the sunset area.
Uluru at dawn and the Field of Light
Sunrise and the base walk at Uluru, a free afternoon in Yulara, the Field of Light
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
We watch sunrise from Talinguru Nyakunytjaku, the dune viewing area on the east side of Uluru, then walk while the air is cool.
Evening
The full base walk is about 10.6 km on flat, sandy paths, around three and a half hours, past caves, rock art, waterholes and the folds and gullies you never see from the sunset area. Uluru rises about 348 m above the plain, and up close it is a landscape of its own. Some places along the base are sacred sites: signs ask you not to photograph them, and we ask the same. If you would rather walk less, your guide leads the Mala walk to Kantju Gorge, then the short Kuniya walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole, the rock's permanent water. Lunch is together in Yulara, then the afternoon is free. In the evening we share a dinner to close the outback half of the trip, then walk among the more than 50,000 solar-powered lights of Bruce Munro's Field of Light under the desert stars.
Included
- Sunrise at Uluru from Talinguru Nyakunytjaku
- The Uluru base walk with your guide, or the Mala and Kuniya walks
- Lunch in Yulara
- Dinner in Yulara
- Field of Light
Optional experiences
- Sounds of Silence dinner among the dunes, in place of the group dinner
- Camel ride at sunrise or sunset
- Helicopter flight over Uluru and Kata Tjuta
- (prices shown at booking)
Easier option: The Mala walk to Kantju Gorge and the Kuniya walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole, about 3 km in all, with the vehicle between them.
More active option: The full 10.6 km base walk around Uluru.
Free time: Afternoon free in Yulara: the pool, a rest or the resort's shops.
Activity: The base walk is flat but long and has little shade after mid-morning; carry about a litre of water for every hour.
Kata Tjuta at sunrise, then fly to Adelaide
Kata Tjuta at sunrise and the Valley of the Winds, then Ayers Rock Airport and a flight to Adelaide
- Breakfast
- Stay in Adelaide
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
An early start for sunrise at Kata Tjuta, about 50 km west of Yulara, so pack a warm layer. From the dune viewing area you watch first light reach its 36 domes of conglomerate rock; the tallest, Mount Olga, stands about 546 m above the plain, some 200 m higher than Uluru. Kata Tjuta means many heads in the Pitjantjatjara language. Then we walk while it is cool: the Valley of the Winds trail to Karingana Lookout, about 5.4 km return over loose stones, looks down into a valley ringed by domes. On very hot days the trail beyond Karu Lookout closes early. For a gentler walk, Walpa Gorge is about 2.6 km return up a stream bed between two of the highest domes.
Afternoon
Back in Yulara for a shower and check-out, then Ayers Rock Airport, ten minutes away, for the afternoon flight to Adelaide, direct or with one connection depending on the season's schedule. A driver meets us in Adelaide for the short run to our central hotel.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Sunrise at Kata Tjuta
- Valley of the Winds walk to Karingana Lookout, or the Walpa Gorge walk
- Flight from Ayers Rock (AYQ) to Adelaide (ADL)
- Transfer to our hotel in Adelaide
Easier option: Walpa Gorge, about 2.6 km return on a gentle stream bed, or the Valley of the Winds only as far as Karu Lookout (about 2.2 km return).
More active option: The full Valley of the Winds loop, about 7.4 km, when the forecast allows.
Free time: The evening is free in Adelaide: Rundle Street's restaurants and the riverbank are a short walk from the hotel.
Activity: A long day with an early start, but the driving is short; the flight takes the afternoon. Dinner is not included.
North through the Clare Valley to Wilpena Pound
Adelaide to the Clare Valley, Hawker and Wilpena Pound in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Wilpena Pound (Ikara-Flinders Ranges)
- Drive about 5 h
Morning
A slower morning, then we leave Adelaide at about 8:30 for the second long road day, about 430 km and five hours. There is no shorter sealed road to Wilpena and no scheduled flight, so we break the drive with stops. The first hour and a half runs north through wheat country to coffee in Auburn, at the south end of the Clare Valley, known for its Riesling.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the valley. In the afternoon the land dries out and the ranges rise ahead; we stretch our legs in Hawker, an old railway town, then drive the last hour into Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, co-managed with the Adnyamathanha people, whose name for Wilpena Pound is Ikara, the meeting place. We arrive by about 4 pm, with time to settle in for two nights.
Evening
Before dinner, your guide walks with anyone who likes to the edge of the resort grounds, where western grey kangaroos and emus come out to graze in the last light.
Included
- Drive from Adelaide to Wilpena Pound via the Clare Valley and Hawker
- Sit-down lunch in the Clare Valley
- Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park entry
- Dusk wildlife walk at Wilpena with your guide
- Dinner at Wilpena
Free time: Late afternoon free to settle in at Wilpena.
Activity: About 5 hours of driving on sealed roads, broken by coffee in Auburn, lunch in the Clare Valley and a stop in Hawker.
Inside Wilpena Pound and Brachina Gorge
Walk into Wilpena Pound to Hills Homestead and Wangarra Lookout, then Brachina Gorge and Stokes Hill
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Wilpena Pound (Ikara-Flinders Ranges)
- Drive about 1.5 h
Wilpena Pound is a huge oval basin, about 17 km long and 8 km wide, ringed by ridges of tilted quartzite, and the best way to understand it is to walk in.
Morning
We start after breakfast while it is cool, following Wilpena Creek under river red gums, about 3.9 km each way, to Hills Homestead, where a farming family tried and failed to make a living inside the pound in the early 1900s. From there a short, stony climb leads to the Wangarra lookouts, with views across the floor of the pound to the ranges.
Afternoon
Lunch is back at Wilpena, and the early afternoon is free. Later we drive about 30 km north to Brachina Gorge, where the geological trail passes rocks laid down over hundreds of millions of years, and yellow-footed rock-wallabies, rare elsewhere, often sit on the ledges in late light.
Evening
We finish at Stokes Hill lookout for sunset over the eastern wall of the pound, then dinner at Wilpena.
Included
- Guided walk into Wilpena Pound to Hills Homestead and Wangarra Lookout
- Lunch at Wilpena
- Brachina Gorge and its geological trail
- Sunset at Stokes Hill lookout
- Dinner at Wilpena
Optional experiences
- Scenic flight over Wilpena Pound (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Walk only as far as Hills Homestead, about 7.8 km return on a gentle track, or take the shuttle partway when it runs.
More active option: Climb on to the upper Wangarra lookout for the widest view across the pound.
Free time: The early afternoon is free at Wilpena.
Activity: About 7.8 km of walking with a short, stony climb at the end; we go at an easy pace with long stops. About 1.5 hours of driving in all.
Arkaroo Rock, Burra and the Barossa
Wilpena to Arkaroo Rock, then Hawker, Orroroo and Burra to the Barossa Valley
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Barossa Valley
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
We leave Wilpena after breakfast and stop almost at once at Arkaroo Rock, about 15 km south, for a walk of about 3 km on a loop path to a rock shelter whose walls carry Adnyamathanha paintings in red and yellow ochre and charcoal; your guide tells the story the site holds of how Wilpena Pound was made. Then the last long road day, about 390 km and four and a half hours in all, half an hour over our usual limit because there is no shorter road south.
Afternoon
We break it with coffee in Orroroo and lunch in Burra, a copper-mining town of the 1840s with stone miners' cottages and a main street that has hardly changed. By mid-afternoon we are in the Barossa Valley, among the vineyards around Tanunda, for a tasting at a family cellar door.
Evening
A free hour at the hotel, then a farewell dinner together, built on Barossa produce, where your guide closes the trip.
Included
- Arkaroo Rock walk and rock art with your guide
- Lunch in Burra
- Cellar-door tasting in the Barossa Valley
- Farewell dinner in the Barossa
Easier option: Skip the Arkaroo Rock climb and wait at the start of the track, where the plain and the ranges are in view.
Free time: An hour free at the hotel before the farewell dinner.
Activity: About 4.5 hours of driving, broken by Arkaroo Rock, coffee in Orroroo and lunch in Burra. The Arkaroo loop is about 3 km with a rocky climb to the shelter. Wine is offered at the tasting, never required.
Adelaide and home
Barossa Valley to Adelaide, the Central Market and Adelaide Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A last unhurried breakfast among the vines. We leave at about 9 am for Adelaide, about an hour's drive south.
Afternoon
On Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday the group stops at the Adelaide Central Market, more than 150 years old and one of the largest covered produce markets in the southern hemisphere, for an hour among its stalls of South Australian cheese, fruit and bakery goods, a good place to pick up lunch for the plane. From Sunday to Wednesday, when the market is closed or only partly open, your guide walks the group through the city's North Terrace instead, past the Art Gallery of South Australia and the state library. Then your guide sees you to Adelaide Airport (ADL), about 20 minutes from the city, or drops you at a central hotel if you are staying on. Book a flight leaving after about 3 pm. If you would like longer in South Australia, ask about the Kangaroo Island and Great Ocean Road trip, which starts in Adelaide.
Included
- Adelaide Central Market (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday), or a walk along North Terrace
- Drop-off at Adelaide Airport (ADL) or a central Adelaide hotel
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 3 pm. We can book extra nights in Adelaide.
- Darwin1 night
- Jabiru (Kakadu)1 night
- Cooinda (Kakadu)1 night
- Darwin1 night
- Alice Springs1 night
- Kings Canyon1 night
- Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)2 nights
- Adelaide1 night
- Wilpena Pound (Ikara-Flinders Ranges)2 nights
- Barossa Valley1 night
- Adelaideend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: We run from May to September, the dry season in the Top End: days around 30 to 32 C, low humidity, and the roads to Ubirr and the Litchfield pools open (some pools open only once rangers clear them after the wet, which can be later in May). In the Red Centre the days are clear and near 20 C, and nights fall near or below freezing in June to August, so the sunrises are cold. The Flinders Ranges are cool, sometimes frosty at night, with green hills and wildflowers coming in late winter. Wildlife is reliable: saltwater crocodiles, jabiru and sea eagles at Yellow Water, magpie geese on the floodplains, black-footed rock-wallabies at Simpsons Gap, yellow-footed rock-wallabies in Brachina Gorge, and red and western grey kangaroos and emus around Wilpena.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Kakadu, Uluru and the Flinders Ranges in one trip, without days on the highway
- Anyone who wants hotels with their own bathroom every night, not swags or hostels
- Early risers: the outback is at its best at sunrise and the hardest walks close in the heat
- Travellers who like walking a few hours a day with an easier choice when they want it
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want an overland camping trip that drives every kilometre from Darwin to Adelaide
- Anyone who wants to climb Uluru: the climb is closed for good
- Step-free access on every walk: the Rim Walk, Ubirr and Arkaroo Rock are rough and rocky
- Travellers who want the Great Barrier Reef or Sydney: see our east-coast trips instead
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
12 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Darwin1 night
- Jabiru (Kakadu)1 night
- Cooinda (Kakadu)1 night
- Darwin1 night
- Alice Springs1 night
- Kings Canyon1 night
- Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)2 nights
- Adelaide1 night
- Wilpena Pound (Ikara-Flinders Ranges)2 nights
- Barossa Valley1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 12 nights in comfortable hotels and resort rooms, each with its own bathroom: 2 in central Darwin, 1 in Jabiru and 1 at Cooinda in Kakadu, 1 in central Alice Springs, 1 at Kings Canyon, 2 at Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara, 1 in central Adelaide, 2 at Wilpena Pound and 1 in the Barossa Valley
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Airport transfers at Darwin (DRW), Alice Springs (ASP), Ayers Rock (AYQ) and Adelaide (ADL)
- Scheduled flights from Darwin to Alice Springs and from Ayers Rock to Adelaide, economy, with checked bag
- A private air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed local driver, for our group only, in the Top End, the Red Centre and South Australia
- The Yellow Water cruise boat in Kakadu
Your guide
- The same See Sight Tours guide with the group from Darwin to Adelaide, flying with you, trained in the plants, animals and Aboriginal culture of the Top End, the Red Centre and the Flinders Ranges
Activities
- Kakadu National Park pass
- Mamukala wetlands and Ubirr rock art and sunset (Kakadu)
- Burrungkuy rock art and the Warradjan Cultural Centre (Kakadu)
- Yellow Water cruise (Kakadu)
- NT Parks pass for Litchfield, Tjoritja-West MacDonnell and Watarrka national parks
- Magnetic Termite Mounds, Florence Falls, Buley Rockhole and Wangi Falls (Litchfield)
- Simpsons Gap (Alice Springs), when the flight time allows
- Kings Creek walk and the Kings Canyon Rim Walk (Watarrka)
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass, Cultural Centre, sunset and sunrise at Uluru, the base walk or the Mala and Kuniya walks
- Field of Light (Uluru)
- Sunrise at Kata Tjuta and the Valley of the Winds or Walpa Gorge walk
- Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park entry, the Wilpena Pound walk, Brachina Gorge and Stokes Hill (Flinders Ranges)
- Arkaroo Rock (Flinders Ranges)
- Cellar-door tasting (Barossa Valley)
- Adelaide Central Market (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) or North Terrace (Adelaide)
Meals
- 12 breakfasts
- 10 lunches: near Jabiru, Cooinda, on the road to Darwin, a picnic in Litchfield, Kings Creek Station, Curtin Springs, Yulara, the Clare Valley, Wilpena and Burra
- 8 dinners: a welcome dinner in Darwin, Jabiru, Cooinda, Kings Canyon, Yulara, two at Wilpena and a farewell dinner in the Barossa
Not included
- International flights, and your flights to Darwin and home from Adelaide
- Australian ETA or eVisitor
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed: lunch on days 1, 9 and 13, and dinner on days 4, 5, 7 and 9
- Drinks, beyond the tastings at the Barossa cellar door
- Optional experiences, such as the Ghan, scenic flights over Kakadu or Wilpena Pound, the Adelaide River crocodile cruise, the Sounds of Silence dinner, a camel ride or a helicopter flight
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Extra baggage on the two internal flights
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,935 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Twelve nights in hotels with your own bathroom, the flights from Darwin to Alice Springs and from Ayers Rock to Adelaide, airport transfers, a private vehicle with a licensed driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, every park pass, the Yellow Water cruise, the Field of Light, a Barossa tasting, 12 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 8 dinners. Flights to Darwin and home from Adelaide are not included.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one vehicle, so everyone hears the guide on the trail and we are never one of several coaches unloading at the same viewpoint. Private departures are for your party only.
Who leads the trip?
The same See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from Darwin to Adelaide, flying with you on both internal flights, and is trained in the plants, animals and Aboriginal culture of each region. Licensed local drivers handle the road, so your guide is free to walk and talk with you.
Why do you fly part of the way instead of driving?
Because the road from Darwin to Adelaide is about 3,000 km, and the stretches from Katherine to Alice Springs and from Uluru to Adelaide take several days of six hours or more in a vehicle. Two flights skip those days so the time goes to Kakadu, Uluru and the Flinders Ranges. If you would like to see the outback from a train, we can quote the Ghan from Darwin to Alice Springs.
How fit do I need to be?
Reasonably fit for walks of up to three or four hours on rough ground. The two hardest are the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, which starts with a steep climb up rock steps, and the Wilpena Pound walk, about 7.8 km return. Each has an easier choice, such as Kings Creek or the walk to Hills Homestead only.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, from CAD 1,935 more. If you are happy to share, ask us when you book and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller of the same gender; we cannot promise a match. You are a full member of the group either way, with the same seat, meals and walks as everyone else.
When is the best time to go from Darwin to Adelaide?
May to September, which is when we run. It is the dry season in the Top End, when Kakadu's roads and Litchfield's pools are open, the Red Centre is cool by day, and the Flinders Ranges are green. Desert and Flinders nights can be near freezing, so bring a warm layer.
Can we swim in Kakadu and Litchfield?
In Litchfield, yes, where rangers have opened the pools: Florence Falls, Buley Rockhole and Wangi Falls usually open during the dry season, though some can stay closed into May after a big wet. In Kakadu we do not swim, as saltwater crocodiles live in its rivers and billabongs. Your guide will tell you what is open on the day.
Can we climb Uluru?
No. The climb closed permanently in October 2019, at the wish of the Anangu traditional owners, for whom Uluru is sacred. We walk around the base instead, after visiting the Cultural Centre, and your guide explains which sites must not be photographed and why.
Do I need a visa for Australia?
Yes. Canadians and Americans both need an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), applied for in the official AustralianETA app before you fly; many are approved within a day, but allow a few days. Many European passport holders use the free eVisitor. Check the current rules for your passport, and that it is valid for your whole stay, before you book flights.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 20,510 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the hotels, flights and guided days for you. You can also book the Top End, Red Centre or South Australia trips on their own.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and nothing is charged until then. Tell us about dietary needs, allergies or mobility in your request, and we pass them on to every hotel and restaurant before departure. The small group starts from CAD 11,395 per person sharing, with taxes; prices are indicative until we confirm your dates.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
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