Tour Type: Self-drive package; Duration: 11 days / 10 nights
Day 1: Fly to Adelaide
Upon arrival at Adelaide Airport, pick up your rental car.
Head to North Terrace to experience one of richest cultural boulevards in Australia, visit to the South Australia Museum, home to an opalised plesiosaur and the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal artefacts. Other places to visit include the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Migration Museum, Adelaide Botanic Garden and National Wine Centre of Australia.
Day 2: Adelaide – Clare Valley (Breakfast)
Drive north from Adelaide to the Clare Valley (140 km), a picturesque drive through farming country. The Clare Valley is one of Australia’s premium wine regions, as well as an important pastoral region.
Enjoy lunch at Skillogalee (one of 40 local cellar doors) or Seed Winehouse + Kitchen.
Visit the heritage village of Mintaro, its remarkable buildings including the magnificent 19th century mansion Martindale Hall. The Riesling and Rattler Trail is an excellent walking and cycling path, and links many wineries and cellar doors between Auburn and Clare.
Day 3: Clare Valley – Wilpena Pound (Breakfast)
After breakfast continue north to the Flinders Ranges (290km). Stop in Melrose for a coffee break, the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges.
Continue to Wilpena Pound in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, an enormous natural amphitheater, the pound offers breathtaking scenery, wildlife and bush walks.
Day 4: Wilpena Pound – Port Augusta (Breakfast)
On the drive through Parachilna Gorge, you will encounter Aboriginal history and wildlife before finding yourself in the wide-open spaces near the famous Prairie Hotel of Parachilna.
Port Augusta sits at the head of Spencer Gulf, it is your last chance to see some sea for a long time. The crossroad’s town is home to The Wadlata Outback Center, a savvy and engaging exhibition that helps you get under the skin of outback, and lovely Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden.
Day 5: Port Augusta – Coober Pedy (Breakfast)
Continue north to Coober Pedy by Stuart Highway (550km). Stop some 12 miles south of Woomera for amazing views over Island Lagoon, a salt-lake with a distinctive shark’s tooth of rock.
Next stop is Woomera Heritage Center and Interactive Rocket Range Museum for an unusual chapter in contemporary British and Australian history stories. Reach Coober Pedy in the late afternoon, marvel at the bizarre opal fields with their cones of excavated dirt.
Day 6: Coober Pedy (Breakfast)
Coober Pedy is Australia’s unique and quirky “underground town” and the largest producer of precious opal in the world. Tour the town and visit underground churches, homes, mines and shops or fossick for opal.
Later in the afternoon head to the spectacular landscapes of the Breakaways and watch the sunset.
Day 7: Coober Pedy – Uluru (Breakfast)
Travel along the Stuart Highway and continue to Uluru (734 km). Arrive Ayers Rock resort in the late afternoon.
Day 8: Uluru (Breakfast, Dinner)
Start the day with an early rise to watch the amazing transformation of colours as the desert awakens on an intimate sunrise.
Make your way to Resort Town Square or Wintjiri Arts & Museum to view works from “Artists in Residence” program.
Your evening begins with a convenient hotel pick up and transfer to the remote desert location with majestic view of Uluru. As the sunsets on the horizon to the music of a didgeridoo, enjoy gourmet canapes and chilled sparkling wine.
As darkness falls and the coloured lights of the 50,000 glass spheres gently come to life, join your table of fellow travellers for an exceptional three course menu infused with bush tucker flavours. As the night ignites with countless stars, settle back and listen to our resident star talker decode the southern night sky.
Your host will provide insights to the art installation that awaits you, before you’re invited to immerse yourself in the Field of Light, its pathways glistening softly with rhythms of coloured light, beckoning you to explore.
Day 9: Uluru – Kings Canyon (Breakfast)
After breakfast, drive to Kings Canyon (330 km).
Kings Canyon is an impressive form of ancient geology with marine fossils embedded into the tops of the escarpment. Watarrka has been home to the Luritja people for more than 20,000 years.
You can try on the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a 6.4km trail with awe-inspiring views of the sheer sandstone cliffs, palm-filled crevices, valley floor and desert. The walk begins with a steep ascent, then follows the canyon’s cliff face before descending to the Garden of Eden waterhole and the weathered rock domes of the Lost City.
Day 10: Kings Canyon – Palm Valley – Alice Spring (Breakfast)
Drive to Alice Spring via Palm Valley (470km). Stop at Palm Valley, a maze of sandstone amphitheaters, pinnacles and gorges and is home to the Red Cabbage Palm.
Continue your journey into Alice Spring.
Day 11: Alice Spring – Sydney (Breakfast)
Drive to the Top of Anzac Hill for best panoramic view of Alice Spring and surrounding.
You can also visit headquarters of the Royal Flying Doctor Service which delivers medical services to those who live and work in remote rural Australia. Then drive to Alice Spring Airport, return your rental car before fly home.
Self-drive Package starts from $2950 per person
Package included:
1. 10 nights’ accommodation with breakfast twin share
2. Intermediate SUV – Nissan or similar 11 days rental
3. Sound of Silence dinner with a night at Field Of Light
Hotel Category: 4 star or Superior Class
1. Adelaide: Hotel Grand Chancellor
2. Clare Valley: Clare Country Club
3. Wilpena Pound: Wilpena Pound Resort
4. Port Augusta: Comfort Inn & Suites Augusta Westside
5. Coober Pedy: Desert Cave Hotel – Underground Room
6. Uluru: Desert Garden Hotel
7. Kings Canyon: Kings Canyon Resort
8. Alice Spring: Mercure Alice Spring Resort
Package NOT included national park entry fees.
