Kings Canyon from Uluru

Can you do a day trip to Kings Canyon from Uluru?

Yes. The Kings Canyon day tour leaves Ayers Rock Resort early and gets back the same evening, about 12 hours in all.

The coach picks up at four points in Ayers Rock Resort: Sails in the Desert, Desert Gardens Hotel, Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge and Ayers Rock Campground. The listing includes a cooked breakfast at Kings Creek Station on the way, then the choice of the Rim Walk (3.7 miles) or an easier walk on the canyon floor, with the Garden of Eden if time allows. Lunch is at your own expense, and the group can be up to 40 people.

Kings Creek Station says it is closed from 1 November 2026 and reopens on 1 March 2027, so for tour dates in that window, check the breakfast stop with the operator. The NT Parks Pass is not included; the listing says to buy it online for AUD 10 per person. The operator also says that from 1 April 2027 the pass will be included in its tour price.

It is a long day, and guests say so with a smile: "Huge day, up early and worth it" (Belinda, Sep 2026). If you only have one spare day at Yulara, this is the way to fit Kings Canyon in.

Hotel pickup at Ayers Rock Resort, breakfast on the way, then the Rim Walk with a guide or the easier canyon-floor walk, back the same night.

★ 4.7 · 12 hours · from $242

Explore the Kings Canyon day tour from Ayers Rock Resort → Tour details

How far is Kings Canyon from Uluru and Alice Springs?

Kings Creek Station, 36 km from the canyon, gives 300 km (186 miles) from Uluru and 450 km (280 miles) from Alice Springs on sealed roads; Tourism NT gives about 3.5 hours from Ayers Rock Airport and about 4 hours from Alice Springs.

The NT Government's all-sealed route uses the Stuart Highway, the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road, all suitable for a 2WD. From Yulara you take the Lasseter Highway, then Luritja Road. From Alice Springs you add the Stuart Highway. The shorter routes through the ranges are dirt.

Can you drive to Kings Canyon in a normal car?

Yes. The sealed route from Yulara or Alice Springs is fine for a 2WD hire car. The dirt routes are the ones that need a 4WD.

The NT Government recommends a 4WD for the Red Centre Way via Larapinta Drive and for the Ernest Giles Road route. It also warns that unsealed roads may become impassable after rain, so check the NT Road Report before you leave the bitumen.

Plan fuel and phone signal. Discovery Resorts - Kings Canyon sells diesel and ULP95 at its general store and has Telstra and Optus 4G. Kings Creek Station says its mobile coverage is very limited, near the main entrance only, and large parts of the outback have none at all. Carry plenty of water in the car as well as on the walk.

What is the Mereenie Loop and do you need a permit?

It is the dirt section of Larapinta Drive between Hermannsburg (or Glen Helen) and Watarrka, and yes, you need a Mereenie Loop Pass to drive it.

The NT Government lists where to buy the pass: Kings Canyon Resort reception, Kings Creek Station reception, Hermannsburg General Store, the Stanley Chasm shop, the Central Land Council office in Alice Springs and the Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre. It costs a small fee. Tourism Central Australia says it is valid for 3 days from purchase and must be carried at all times on Aboriginal land.

A 4WD is recommended. The payoff is the West MacDonnell Ranges on the same trip as Kings Canyon. If you would rather someone else drive it, the 3-day Kings Canyon and West MacDonnell trip runs one way from Yulara to Alice Springs and, per the listing, takes the Mereenie Loop when conditions permit (otherwise Ernest Giles Road), with stops at Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge, the Ochre Pits and Ellery Creek Big Hole. It has only 5 reviews so far, all strong.

Is a multi-day tour better than the Kings Canyon day trip?

If you have three or four days, yes for most people: you see Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon without a 12-hour day, and the park fees are included.

The multi-day trips start in Alice Springs or Yulara and sleep you in the outback, so you reach the canyon fresh and early. On the 3-day camping tour, the listing has Alice Springs pickups at about 6am and Yulara pickups between 1:40 and 2pm; it is not suitable for children under 8, and luggage is limited to 15 kg. One guest put the whole trip in one line: "Walking the base of Uluru, seeing it at its best times, visiting Kata Tjuta and doing the Rim Walk at Kings Canyon were all a WOW for me" (Beverley, Sep 2026).

Uluru at sunrise and sunset, Kata Tjuta and the Kings Canyon Rim Walk in three days, with swags, all meals and park fees included per the listing.

★ 4.8 · 3 days · from $557

Explore the 3-day Uluru and Kings Canyon camping tour → Tour details

Where should you stay near Kings Canyon?

At Discovery Resorts - Kings Canyon or at Kings Creek Station, 36 km away. Overnight camping is not allowed in the national park itself.

The resort, the former Kings Canyon Resort, has rooms from budget to Canyon View, powered camp sites, a bar and grill, a pool, a medical centre on weekdays and fuel. Kings Creek Station is a working cattle station set up in 1981, with camping, bush tents and glamping; its 2026-27 rates start at A$36 per adult for an unpowered site. It is closed from 1 November 2026 to 1 March 2027.

Staying a night lets you start the Rim Walk at first light and fill the evening. The Light Towers at sunset is a ticketed evening at the resort: Bruce Munro's field of 69 lit towers, with canapes and drinks at Luritja Lookout first. Per the listing it starts 45 minutes before sunset, for up to 30 people. Tourism NT also lists scenic helicopter flights over the canyon from A$130 (not bookable on this site).

How do you get from Kings Canyon to Alice Springs without a car?

Take a transfer. The Kings Canyon to Alice Springs transfer picks up at about 12pm and drops you at your Alice Springs accommodation at about 6pm.

Per the listing, pickup is at Kings Canyon Resort at about 12pm or Kings Creek Station at about 12:30pm (the station is closed from 1 November 2026 to 1 March 2027), in an air-conditioned vehicle with a maximum of 16 passengers. It is a new listing without reviews yet.

That timing works well after a morning Rim Walk: walk at dawn, check out, and be in Alice Springs for dinner. It also makes a one-way trip easy: arrive at Yulara, then leave the Red Centre from Alice Springs.

Kings Canyon Resort at about 12pm or Kings Creek Station at about 12:30pm, to your Alice Springs accommodation at about 6pm. A new listing.

New · About 6 hours (12:00 to 6pm) · from $207

Explore the Kings Canyon to Alice Springs transfer → Tour details

Do you need a park pass for Kings Canyon and Uluru?

Yes, and they are two different passes. Kings Canyon needs an NT Parks Visitor Pass (from A$10 per adult per day, 2026); Uluru-Kata Tjuta needs a Parks Australia ticket.

The NT Government sells its pass only online, before you go, and it does not cover Uluru-Kata Tjuta or Kakadu. Tourism NT advises that if you have booked a guided tour, your pass might be included, so check with the operator. On the multi-day trips here, the listings include park entry fees. On the day tour from Ayers Rock Resort, the NT pass is extra.

For Uluru, the Uluru sunrise and Kata Tjuta morning listing says adults pre-purchase the park ticket online for AUD 38 and that it is valid for 3 consecutive days. Prices for the NT pass, and who is exempt, are in our NT Parks Pass post.

Frequently asked questions