Uluru
A single rock in the red centre of the continent, thirty-six domes on the western horizon, and a tented camp where the windows run from floor to ceiling.
- Arrival
- Ayers Rock · AYQ
- To the lodges
- About 6 km from the airport to Longitude 131
- Private jets
- At Ayers Rock (Connellan)
- Best time
- May to September
The city
Country, rock and sky.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is Anangu country, listed by UNESCO for its culture as much as for its geology. The rock stands alone on the plain; to the west, the domes of Kata Tjuta rise up to 546 metres and cover more than twenty square kilometres. The Cultural Centre near the base is where to begin, with its galleries and the Tjukurpa Tunnel.
Come between May and September, when the days are mild and walking is a pleasure. From October to March the heat often passes 35 °C and rangers advise finishing walks by eleven. Summer storms, when they come, fill the waterholes and send water down the face of the rock.
- Uluru base walk The full circuit of the rock, with the Mala walk and the Kuniya walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole as shorter sections.
- Kata Tjuta Thirty-six domes, with Walpa Gorge cutting between two of the largest, a refuge for wallabies and wildflowers.
- Cultural Centre Galleries and the Tjukurpa Tunnel, telling the law and stories of the Anangu who hold this country.
Arriving
Straight to the red centre.
Ayers Rock Airport, also called Connellan, sits on the northern edge of Yulara, the resort village outside the national park. The lodges send cars to meet every guest.
- Perth 2 h 30
- Melbourne 2 h 45
- Bali 3 h 35
- Singapore 5 h 40
- Abu Dhabi 13 h 05 long-range jet
When to go
May to September.
The desert is dry all year, hot in summer and crisp at night in winter. May to September brings average highs of about 19 to 26 °C, and Parks Australia puts most days between 20 and 30 °C, the easiest weather for walking. From October the heat climbs towards forty degrees.
- 37° J 43
- 35° F 33
- 33° M 38
- 28° A 23
- 23° M 21
- 19° J 16
- 19° J 11
- 22° A 13
- 26° S 15
- 31° O 22
- 34° N 24
- 36° D 29
Where to stay
A tented camp and a desert hotel.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Dinner under the desert sky.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Australia. Tali Wiru holds an AGFG Chef’s Hat for 2026; Table 131° is the dinner of the Longitude 131° lodge, included in the stay.
- Tali Wiru AGFG Chef’s Hat 2026 Four courses, native ingredients $$$$ Ayers Rock Resort, on a dune near Yulara
- Table 131° Signature restaurant, Longitude 131° Contemporary Australian Longitude 131°, Yulara, for lodge guests
Elsewhere in Australia
More reasons to come.
- Sydney Bondi and the northern beaches, and a harbour crossed by ferry.
- Melbourne Coffee, theatre, and the Australian Open in January.
- Hamilton Island A resort island with its own airport, and Heart Reef a seaplane ride away.
- Port Douglas The Daintree to the north, and the outer reef an hour away by boat.
- Perth The most isolated big city in the world, on the Indian Ocean.
Flying to Uluru?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.