Red Centre loop: Alice Springs, Uluru and Kings Canyon
A six-day loop south on the Stuart and Lasseter Highways to Uluru and Kata Tjuta, then Kings Canyon and back via the unsealed Mereenie Loop and Hermannsburg.
- Distance
- 919 km (571 mi)
- Driving
- 10 h 01 min
- Suggested days
- 6
- Stops
- 12
- States
- Northern Territory
- Updated
- April 27, 2026
At a glance: 6-day road trip of about 919 km (571 mi) with 12 stops, from Alice Springs to Palm Valley. About 10 h 01 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Northern Territory
Route description
Leave Alice Springs south on the Stuart Highway. Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve is a short, unsealed detour about 130 km out. Erldunda is the roadhouse at the junction, around 200 km from Alice Springs, where you turn west on the Lasseter Highway. Fill the tank here: it is about 245 km to Yulara, with fuel again at Curtin Springs.
Along the Lasseter Highway you pass the lookout for Atila (Mount Conner), often mistaken for Uluru. At Yulara, the resort village, base yourself for two nights. Uluru's base walk is about 10.6 km; the rock cannot be climbed, as the Anangu closed the climb permanently on 26 October 2019. Go at sunrise or sunset, and buy your park pass.
Spend the second morning at Kata Tjuta, about 50 km from Yulara (40 minutes), and walk at dawn: the Valley of the Winds loop closes in extreme heat. Then drive Luritja Road to Kings Canyon, about 305 km from Yulara (around three and a half hours), refuelling at Kings Canyon Resort or Kings Creek Station. Start the six-kilometre rim walk at first light.
The return north uses the Mereenie Loop, roughly 200 km of mostly unsealed road to Hermannsburg, crossing Aboriginal land. A Mereenie Tour Pass is required in advance, a high-clearance vehicle is advisable and rental contracts often restrict it. Fuel up first; the road passes Gosse Bluff (Tnorala). From Hermannsburg, Palm Valley is 4WD only; Alice Springs is about 125 km east.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Alice Springs
Northern Territory - 2147 km
Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve
OdditiesAlice Springs, Northern TerritoryTwelve small craters formed when an iron meteorite broke up and struck the ground a few thousand years ago, the largest about 180 m wide. Reached by about 16 km of unsealed road off the Stuart Highway south of Alice Springs.
- 384 km
Erldunda
Northern Territory - 4162 km
Atila (Mount Conner)
ViewsYulara, Northern TerritoryA flat-topped mesa on a pastoral lease, often mistaken for Uluru by drivers on the Lasseter Highway. A signed lookout lets you see its red walls and the salt lake behind. It is on private land, so you can only view it, not climb.
- 5115 km
Yulara
Northern Territory - 615 km
Uluru
NatureYulara, Northern TerritoryThe huge red sandstone monolith, sacred to the Anangu, who own the park. Climbing was permanently banned on 26 October 2019. Walk the 10.6 km base track, join a ranger talk or watch the colours change at sunrise and sunset from the viewing areas.
- 737 km
Kata Tjuta
NatureYulara, Northern TerritoryThirty-six domed rock formations about 25 km west of Uluru, with the short Walpa Gorge walk and the longer Valley of the Winds loop. The longer loop closes in extreme heat, so go at dawn; the sunrise light on the domes is superb.
- 8169 km
Kings Canyon
Northern Territory - 95 km
Kings Canyon Rim Walk
NatureKings Canyon, Northern TerritoryA 6 km circuit above 100 m sandstone walls in Watarrka National Park, with domes known as the Lost City and the green Garden of Eden waterhole. The steep start is demanding; on hot days the rim route is closed from mid-morning, so begin at dawn.
- 10108 km
Gosse Bluff (Tnorala)
OdditiesHermannsburg, Northern TerritoryThe eroded remnant of a crater formed by a comet or asteroid impact about 142 million years ago, a ring of ridges around 5 km across. It sits on Aboriginal land and is seen from the Mereenie Loop; the track from there needs a high-clearance vehicle.
- 1161 km
Hermannsburg
Northern Territory - 1217 km
Palm Valley
NatureHermannsburg, Northern TerritoryA gorge in Finke Gorge National Park where a stand of red cabbage palms, found nowhere else, survives as a relic of a wetter age. Access is only by 4WD along the sandy Finke riverbed; high clearance and recovery gear are advisable.
Suggested stages and overnight stops
6 days, split by driving time. Campsites from OpenStreetMap: check opening dates before you go.
- Day 1: Alice Springs → Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve · 147 km · 1 h 36 min
- Day 2: Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve → Erldunda · 84 km · 0 h 55 min
- Day 3: Erldunda → Yulara · 276 km · 3 h 01 minOn the way: Atila (Mount Conner).
- Day 4: Yulara → Kata Tjuta · 52 km · 0 h 34 minOn the way: Uluru.
- Day 5: Kata Tjuta → Kings Canyon Rim Walk · 174 km · 1 h 54 minOn the way: Kings Canyon.
- Day 6: Kings Canyon Rim Walk → Palm Valley · 186 km · 2 h 01 minOn the way: Gosse Bluff (Tnorala), Hermannsburg.
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May–September. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and October. Hot in November–March. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early.
Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons
FAQs
How long is Red Centre loop: Alice Springs, Uluru and Kings Canyon?
6-day road trip of about 919 km (571 mi) with 12 stops, from Alice Springs to Palm Valley. About 10 h 01 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Red Centre loop: Alice Springs, Uluru and Kings Canyon?
We suggest 6 days: about 10 h 01 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Red Centre loop: Alice Springs, Uluru and Kings Canyon start and end?
It starts in Alice Springs and ends in Palm Valley.
Which states does Red Centre loop: Alice Springs, Uluru and Kings Canyon pass through?
Northern Territory.
When is the best time for Red Centre loop: Alice Springs, Uluru and Kings Canyon?
The most pleasant months are usually May–September. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and October. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
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