Alice Springs Tours

Alice Springs tours head out to the West MacDonnell Ranges, Uluru and Kings Canyon, stay in town for history and Aboriginal art, or go up in a hot air balloon before sunrise. Most collect you from your Alice Springs accommodation, so the choice comes down to how far you want to travel and how much time you have. The wider list of things to do in Alice Springs includes the attractions and activities that sit around these tours.

Half-day Alice Springs tours in town

The Alice Springs historical town tour is a half-day guided loop that leaves at about 1pm and returns around 5.30pm. It visits the old Telegraph Station, the School of the Air, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Anzac Hill lookout, with afternoon tea and all entry fees covered.

The Alice Springs Aboriginal art tour is a 3-hour tour of four to eight art centres, some of them off the usual trail. Your guide gives a briefing on Aboriginal art, culture and Country first, and you can buy artworks from ethical sources along the way. It's usually on Fridays at 10am with pick-up from your accommodation.

To go inside rather than around, the Royal Flying Doctor Service facility and museum is the original working base, with a virtual reality patient flight and a holographic show of founder John Flynn.

Sunrise hot air balloon tours over Alice Springs

Balloon flights leave Alice Springs hotels about an hour before first light and are the earliest start of any tour here. The 60-minute hot air balloon flight over Alice Springs and the 30-minute hot air balloon flight with sparkling wine both drift over red desert towards the MacDonnell Ranges, with sparkling wine, juice and a flight certificate afterwards. Allow a 4-hour morning at most. Flights don't run on 25 December, 26 December or 1 January.

Full-day tours to the West MacDonnell Ranges

The ranges are the classic day out from Alice Springs. The Emu Run Tours West MacDonnell Ranges tour leaves around 7.45am and returns at about 5.30pm, visiting Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, the Ochre Pits and Ellery Creek Big Hole for a swim, with a Bushman's Lunch at the gorge.

The Autopia Tours West MacDonnell Ranges tour runs from 7am to 6pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. It adds a guided walk at Ormiston Gorge and a picnic lunch, with Standley Chasm entry included.

Tours from Alice Springs to Uluru and Kings Canyon

Uluru is the long one. The Uluru day tour from Alice Springs with sunset BBQ leaves at about 7am from March to November (8am from December to February) and gets back around midnight, with a guided Mala Walk, the Mutitjulu Waterhole and a sunset BBQ. The 3-day Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon tour spreads the same distance over two nights at outback campsites, with a Bush Swag or Twin Tent, a Valley of the Winds or Walpa Gorge walk and time at Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park.

One-way transfers to Ayers Rock Resort are on the Alice Springs transport page.

Choosing between Alice Springs tours

If you have a morning, a balloon flight fits. A half-day trip suits the town tour or the art tour, and a full-day trip suits the ranges. Uluru and Kings Canyon need a very long day or three.

Heat can change the plans. The Emu Run Tours trips run all year, and in extreme heat a walk may be swapped for an alternative one.

Frequently asked questions

Which Alice Springs tour should I choose?

The West MacDonnell Ranges full-day tours suit a day out of town, the Uluru day tour and 3-day tour suit Uluru, a sunrise balloon flight is the shortest outing, and the historical town tour and Aboriginal art tour suit a half-day trip in Alice Springs.

Can you do Uluru as a day trip from Alice Springs?

Yes. The Uluru day tour from Alice Springs with sunset BBQ leaves at about 7am from March to November and returns around midnight, and it includes guided Uluru base walks and a visit to the Cultural Centre.

Is there an Alice Springs tour to Kings Canyon?

Yes. The 3-day Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon tour from Alice Springs visits Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park, with a choice of the Valley of the Winds or Walpa Gorge walk.

Do Alice Springs tours pick up from your accommodation?

Most do. The Emu Run Tours day tours and the Aboriginal art tour collect you from your Alice Springs accommodation, balloon flights collect from hotels, and the 3-day Uluru tour collects from selected Alice Springs locations.

What should I bring on a West MacDonnell Ranges tour?

Strong, non-slip walking shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a fly net and at least 1 litre of water. The Autopia Tours trip also suggests swimwear and a towel, and the Emu Run Tours trip asks for an NT Parks Pass.

What should I wear on an Alice Springs hot air balloon flight?

Long pants, a hat or cap and enclosed flat-heel shoes, avoiding light-coloured clothing because of the dust. In winter, from May to September, take warm clothing, as the temperature can drop below 0 degrees.

Pick the length of day first and the place second, and the right Alice Springs tour is usually the one that fits both.