Smack in the middle of the Australian Outback is a truly massive hunk of rock—and one of the country’s most iconic landmarks: Uluru. Also known by its Western name (Ayers Rock), the sandstone monolith is the top draw in the vast, desert expanse of the Red Centre. The sacred sight magnetizes travelers eager to see a truly ancient edifice (it’s thought to have started forming 550 million years ago) and its daily light shows: The rock appears to change color—from charcoal to purple to crimson to ochre—with every sunrise and sunset. Some of the best things to do in the area include helicopter rides, camping, and walking the base of Uluru with an Indigenous guide.
Uluru is right in the middle of the Northern Territory desert and experiences a typical outback climate: scorching hot, wet summers and dry, mild winters with warm days and cold nights. Most travelers will find it more comfortable to visit during the cooler months, between May and September. Summers have their own charm, however, as heavy rain and storms fill waterholes and create waterfalls on Uluru’s rock face. As most activities around Uluru are outdoors, avoid the heat of the day in any season.
You’ll need your own vehicle to get around Uluru and the surrounding Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park; most travelers pick up a rental car at the airport unless they’re on a cross-country road trip. The roads around Uluru are all sealed, so there’s no need for a 4-wheel drive for regular on-road sightseeing. If you don’t want to rent a car, guided tours and a hop-on hop-off bus service fill the gap, but there’s no other public transport in the area.
While Uluru is the most famous monolith in this part of Australia, it’s by no means the only interesting rock formation. Don’t miss the red domes of Kata Tjuta (also called the Olgas) in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, hiking in Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park, or taking a 4-wheel-drive tour to Curtin Springs to check out flat-topped Mount Conner.
