First Choice
Outback Adventure
15 Day Guided Vacation | Adelaide to Darwin
Travel Period
How do you condense South Australia and the Northern Territory into two weeks? With the kind of skill that comes from operating in Australia for more than a century. This epic exploration traverses record-breaking canyons and gorges, national parks and World Heritage Sites. It’s nature writ large – small wonder TV and movie directors find inspiration here, as you will, too. And then there are the cities, from multicultural Adelaide and the wine country it covets, to steamy Darwin, where sunsets are as brash as the characters that call it home.
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Above lowest price is based on 2024-06-11 departure
$7815
Above lowest price is based on 2024-06-11 departure
Single rooms are limited and subject to availability
Child prices may be available on request
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Trip Details
What's included
- • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver that are accredited with Uluru & Kakadu National Parks
• 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park & Kakadu National Park
• Centrally located premium hotels
• Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park & Kakadu National Park entrance fees
Private Arrival and Departure Transfers
Dining
- • 8 Dinners with Wine
- • 15 Full Breakfasts
- • 1 Be My Guest Dinner
- • 1 Farewell Dinner
- • 1 Lunch
- • 1 Dinner
Flight Information
- Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 12.30pm into Adelaide Airport
Day 15 – flights to depart anytime from Darwin Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price
What to Bring
- • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat
- • Water bottle
- • Warm layers in cooler months
- • Camera
- • Comfortable walking shoes
Fitness Requirements
Low level of fitness required.
Kings Canyon Rim Walk: High level of fitness required. Other options available to those with lower fitness levels.
Itinerary Generating PDF...
Outback Adventure (Travel Period: 01 Apr 2024 – 30 Sep 2024)
At once cultured yet cool, Adelaide attracts foodies, historians and art aficionados in equal measure. Explore at your leisure, before meeting a local gourmand to tour the city’s legendary Central Market. This place has been selling cheese, green ant gin and artisan bread for 140-plus years, before joining your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner.
Hotel:
Crowne Plaza Adelaide
Included Meals:
Dinner with Wine
One of Australia’s oldest wine regions, the Clare Valley is all rounded hills, rippling vines and native forest. It’s the postcard-perfect setting for historic Knappstein Enterprise Winery, producing sweet-scented rieslings and mineral-rich reds. The route north lands you at Hawker, the gateway to the Flinders Ranges, but there are plenty of reasons to linger, including well-preserved heritage buildings and the Jeff Morgan Gallery. The best is yet to come, as you arrive at Wilpena Pound Resort in the shadows of a staggering natural amphitheatre. Know that your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience visit to the resort helps by contributing towards the sustainable economic future of the Adnyamathanha who in turn work with the resort to minimize the environmental footprint and participate in the conservation of the region.
Hotel:
Wilpena Pound Resort
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
The river red gums that envelop Hills Homestead will leave you lost for words. You get here on a leisurely walk along Wilpena Creek and continue to Wangarra Hill Lookout for views over the pound’s peaks and curves. The drama is echoed as you climb to Pichi Richi Pass and the historic town of Quorn, where with a Local Guide, you'll hear the importance of this town in the ANZAC's Gallipoli Campaign, before easing into Port Augusta.
Hotel:
Majestic Oasis Apartments
Included Meals:
Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
The main attraction in Woomera is a former rocket-testing site, today stocked with disused rockets and missiles. Speaking of space, you’ll think you’ve landed on the moon as you travel through sun-baked country to Coober Pedy, known as ‘the opal capital of the world’. Things get deep as you travel underground to visit the town’s head-scratching subterranean facilities.
Hotel:
Desert Cave Hotel
Included Meals:
Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Emerge from your cave and cross the border into the Northern Territory. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has World Heritage status for a reason; under the gaze of the world’s mightiest monolith, toast the end of the day with a glass of bubbles and a camera full of sunset photos. Help protect the highlights of Australia's wilderness through your bucket list visit to Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park.
Hotel:
Desert Gardens
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Pre-dawn wake-up calls are worth it when you get to enjoy a Red Centre sunrise. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience you’ll encounter the iconic Uluru, or ‘The Rock,’ half a billion years old, standing 348 meters high and taller than the Eiffel Tower. Marvel at the majesty of Uluru as you circumnavigate its base or join a guided walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole. This landscape takes you back to the beginning of time, a sacred place among the Anangu people. More soul-salving landscapes await at Kata Tjuta, cool relief provided as you walk amid its domes to Walpa Gorge.
Hotel:
Desert Gardens
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Another sunrise excursion awaits, with this morning’s optional tour to Bruce Munro's Uluru Field of Light – a blanket of 50,000 glowing bulbs. Next chance to stretch your legs is at Kings Creek Station, the largest exporter of wild camels in Australia. All your senses will be activated at Kings Canyon, 440-million years in the making.
Hotel:
Kings Canyon Resort
Included Meals:
Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Things are bigger in the NT outback, from the cattle stations to the MacDonnell Ranges, which stretch like a dinosaur spine toward Alice Springs. Aside from its plethora of Aboriginal galleries and art stores, Alice makes Australian history for her 1872 Telegraph Station, one of 12 along the Overland Telegraph Line between Adelaide and Darwin.
Hotel:
Doubletree by Hilton Alice Springs
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Aboriginal culture is strong in Alice, as you’ll fast find on a tour revealing the history of the Arrernte people at the Alice Springs Desert Park. The other thing that’s mighty is community spirit – it’s essential when there are so few people scattered over such a vast area of land. Enter the Royal Flying Doctor Service, its base a museum that goes behind the scenes of the life-saving health services delivered to people in remote realms. One of the benefits of being this far-flung is the lack of light pollution. And at Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre, this equates to epic stargazing. Your Be My Guest BBQ dinner here with the Falzon family is enlightening and uplifting.
Hotel:
Doubletree by Hilton Alice Springs
Included Meals:
Be My Guest Dinner, Breakfast
1.3 million square kilometers – that’s the eye-watering distance the School of Air’s lessons are broadcast across daily. Learn how teachers interact with children who would otherwise have no access to education. It doesn’t
matter how studious you are, you might just believe in aliens when you pass Wycliffe Well, the self-proclaimed ‘UFO capital’ of Australia. It’s the devil (well, his marbles) that awaits at Karlu Karlu, where precariously balanced boulders appear superglued together.
Hotel:
Bluestone Motor Inn
Included Meals:
Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Since the 1930s, the Daly Waters Historic Pub has been dishing up schnitzels, barramundi burgers and hearty steaks. The walls are lined with treasures that passers-by leave behind. ‘Land of the Never Never’ awaits at Mataranka. Visit a replica of the Elsey Homestead, used in 1982 Aussie drama We of the Never Never. Or wander palm-lined walkways to take a dip in the region’s thermal springs.
Hotel:
Contour Hotel Katherine
Included Meals:
Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
The Jawoyn have called Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge home for millennia. You can feel their presence as you cruise the waterway, home to more than a few resident crocs. They’ll make another appearance in Kakadu, when you explore Yellow Water Billabong. You don’t need binoculars to spot the sea eagles, brolgas and kingfishers; they’re everywhere you look.
Hotel:
Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel
Included Meals:
Dinner with Wine, Breakfast
Decisions, decisions: optional morning flight over Kakadu and Arnhem Land, or a sleep in. We vote for the former before you venture toward Ubirr and its ancient Aboriginal rock art. The night is yours in steamy Darwin, where the characters are as large as the shadows cast at sunset.
Hotel:
Hilton Garden Inn Darwin
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Nature rules today, your explorations into Litchfield National Park revealing magnetic termite mounds standing two metres tall. And then there are the waterfalls: Florence, for its dreamy cascades, and Wangi, where you
can cool off in a crystal-clear waterhole (swimming is seasonal). See the NT capital in a new light when you venture out on a Darwin Harbour Cruise, your sparkling wine glass full to toast your last evening on this epic adventure.
Hotel:
Hilton Garden Inn Darwin
Included Meals:
Farewell Dinner, Breakfast
Time to bid adieu and head home to sort through all those photos. Even better are the memories; two weeks of wild outback adventures.
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.
Outback Adventure
First Choice
15 Day Guided Vacation
Adelaide to Darwin
How do you condense South Australia and the Northern Territory into two weeks? With the kind of skill that comes from operating in Australia for more than a century. This epic exploration traverses record-breaking canyons and gorges, national parks and World Heritage Sites. It’s nature writ large – small wonder TV and movie directors find inspiration here, as you will, too. And then there are the cities, from multicultural Adelaide and the wine country it covets, to steamy Darwin, where sunsets are as brash as the characters that call it home.
Highlights
Local Connection
Discover the beauty of the Australian outback over a Be My Guest dinner at Earth Sanctuary, plus tours with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and School of the Air.
Cultural Immersion
From Uluru to Kakadu, nothing puts life in perspective quite like glimpsing 40,000-year-old rock art with an Aboriginal guide.
Sustainable Footprints
Sleep soundly at Wilpena Pound Resort knowing your stay contributes directly to the local Adnyamathanha people and regional conservation projects.
Wildlife & Nature
Ancient red rock cliffs encircle desert palms at Kings Canyon, the spectacular heart of Australia and a place that will make your pulse race.
Accommodation
Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort.
The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes:
Day 1 - Crowne Plaza Adelaide
27 Frome St, Adelaide SA 5000
Enjoy a culturally-rich and inspiring escape at Crowne Plaza Adelaide with stunning views from the city’s tallest building in design-led rooms. Stay in the East End— Adelaide’s sweet spot— close to Lot Fourteen and Adelaide Botanic Garden with easy access to the casino, Adelaide Convention Centre and Adelaide Oval.
Features
- Complimentary WiFi
- Porter / Bellman
- Same-Day Dry Cleaning
- Heated Outdoor Infinity Pool
- State-of-the-art Fitness Centre
- Level 10 Bar
- Restaurant and In Room Dining
1/11
Day 2 - Wilpena Pound Resort
Wilpena Road, Flinders Ranges Via Hawker, South Australia 5434
Wilpena Pound Resort is spectacularly located within the Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia. Enjoy a haven of outback hospitality, stop and stay awhile as you soak up the incredible beauty of one of the earth’s oldest landscapes.
Features
- Ensuite
- Shower and toilet facilities
- Tea & Coffee Facilities
- Refrigerator
- TV
- Iron / Ironing Board
- Hairdryer
- Air-conditioning
2/11
Day 3 - Majestic Oasis Apartments
Marryatt Street, Port Augusta, South Australia 5700
Majestic Oasis Apartments is perfectly positioned overlooking the waters of the Upper Spencer Gulf in sunny Port Augusta, only 3 hours drive North of Adelaide in South Australia. The property comprises 75 self-contained serviced apartments.
Features
- Air-conditioning
- LCD TV
- Austar
- Wi-Fi
- Guest Laundry
- Iron / Ironing Board
- In-room safe
- Electric blankets
3/11
Day 4 - Desert Cave Hotel
3 Hutchison Street, Coober Pedy, SA 5723
Built into a hillside, the Desert Cave Hotel is perfectly located right in the centre of town close to shops and restaurants. Experience subterranean life as you explore the hotels underground shops, bar and opal display. Some rooms are also situated underground however staying in this room type is not guaranteed.
Features
- Colour TV
- In-house movies
- Wi-Fi
- Wireless Internet access
- IDD Phones
- Hairdryer
- Iron
- Mini-bar (surcharge)
- Refrigerator
- Tea & Coffee Facilities
- Room service
4/11
Day 5 - Desert Gardens
Yulara Dr, Yulara, NT 0872
Voyages Desert Gardens Hotel is centrally located to all resort and touring facilities and offers a range of accommodation, from shaded poolside rooms to deluxe rooms overlooking the desert.
Features
- Air Conditioning
- Radio
- Iron / Ironing Board
- Private veranda or courtyard
- Heater
- ISD/STD phone
- Mini Bar
- In-room safe
- In-house movies
- Coffee/tea making facilities
5/11
Day 7 - Kings Canyon Resort
Luritja Road, Watarrka National Park, NT 0872
Retreat to the luxury of Kings Canyon Resort after an active day of hiking through the rugged terrain of Watarrka National Park. The sensitively designed property is located in Watarrka National Park, just nine kilometres from Kings Canyon. Naturally, the Kings Canyon Resort has been built to blend in harmoniously with the surround.
Features
- Ensuite
- Shower
- Air-conditioning
- Wi-Fi
- Direct Dial Telephone
- Insect screens
- Hairdryer
- Tea & Coffee Facilities
- Blankets
- Refrigerator
- Iron / Ironing Board
6/11
Day 8 - Doubletree by Hilton Alice Springs
82 Barrett Dr, Alice Springs NT 0870
Experience eco-friendly luxury and enjoy stunning views of the majestic MacDonnell Mountain Ranges when you stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs. Conveniently located just off of Stuart Highway, the hotel is only 15 minutes’ drive from Alice Springs Airport and within walking distance of downtown. Enjoy easy access to many businesses, government offices and attractions such as Simpsons Gap, Desert Park and Anzac Hill. Ideal for both corporate and leisure guests, this Alice Springs hotel offers fantastic business and recreational facilities and friendly service from our dedicated staff.
7/11
Day 10 - Bluestone Motor Inn
1 Paterson St, Tennant Creek, NT 0860
The Bluestone Motor Inn is the perfect base from which to explore the diverse nature and culture of the Australian outback. Bluestone is the perfect place to stay at the halfway mark along the track from Alice Springs to Darwin and back, or coming west from Mt. Isa.
Features
- Air-conditioning
- Ensuite
- Colour TV
- Internet Access
- Iron
- Tea & Coffee Facilities
- Swimming Pool
8/11
Day 11 - Contour Hotel Katherine
9 Cyprus St, Katherine East NT 0850
Contour Hotel Katherine is situated near Katharine town centre, and offers affordable, comfortable accommodation for intrepid travellers.
Features
- Air Conditioning
- Satellite/cable colour TV
- Swimming Pool
- Barbecue facilities
- Wi-Fi (additional cost)
- Gym facilities
- Coffee/tea making facilities
- Iron / Ironing Board
- Hair Dryer
9/11
Day 12 - Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel
1 Flinders St, Jabiru, NT 0886
The indigenous owned luxury accommodation is uniquely shaped to represent Kakadu's most famous inhabitant, the saltwater crocodile. Relax in the recently refurbished rooms, unwind in your private courtyard, by the shaded outdoor pool or take in the landscaped interior garden view from the balcony.
Features
- Bathtub and shower
- Satellite/cable colour TV
- Broadband Internet access
- Hair Dryer
- Air Conditioning
- Iron / Ironing Board
- Refrigerator
- Ensuite
10/11
Day 13 - Hilton Garden Inn Darwin
122 Esplanade, Darwin, NT 0800
Overlooking the Darwin Esplanade and Darwin Harbour, Garden Inn Darwin is 2 km from Mindil Beach, 3 km from Darwin Convention Centre and 12 km from Darwin International Airport.
Features
- Air Conditioning
- Hair Dryer
- Coffee/tea making facilities
- Radio
- Iron / Ironing Board
- Internet Access
- Phone
- Mini Bar
11/11
Optional Experiences
Please note, prices for Optional Experiences are subject to change.
To ensure your holiday is filled with memorable experiences, we have included a range of quality Optional Experiences for you to choose from and partake in, if you wish, during your holiday. The experiences can be booked on tour through your Travel Director.
Field of Light Sunrise (Ayers Rock)
Adult Price: AUD 89.00
Child Price: AUD 59.00
With just enough time for some background commentary on the internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro, you will arrive very excited to see his latest artistic endeavour. Arriving in complete darkness, you will be able to enjoy the 50,000 spheres of light in the desert, before making your way up the hill to the Field of Light sunrise viewing area.
FIND OUT MORE
Kakadu Air Scenic Flights (Kakadu)
Adult Price: AUD 159.00 (30 Minute)
Child Price: AUD 159.00 (30 Minute)
One of the best ways to experience Kakadu is by a scenic fixed wing flight which allows you to see the amazing escarpments, waterways and wetlands. You will be amazed by the vastness and varied landscape that can be best experienced from the air. An experience not to be missed.
Outback Hot Air Ballooning (Alice Springs)
Adult Price: From AUD 335.00
Child Price: From AUD 274.00
Your adventure begins with the balloons being inflated just as the sun lights up the rugged MacDonnell Ranges. Whilst floating gently in the air you will appreciate the vast remoteness, scenery and wildlife of the Australian outback. The tour includes your return transfers and a light breakfast.
Please note this excursion is not recommended for the elderly or a less agile person. If you are unsure, please discuss your situation directly with Outback Ballooning. A compulsory aviation insurance charge of $30.00 per person is included in the cost.
Uluru Barbecue Dinner (Ayers Rock)
Adult Price: AUD 195.00
Child Price: AUD 135.00
Enjoy a sparkling wine on arrival at this unique and exclusive dining experience with Uluru as your stunning backdrop. Enjoy wine and beer with a classic barbecue of beef steak, lamb sausages, skewered chicken and garlic prawns, as well as a selection of fresh salads and a tasty dessert. There’s even time for stargazing.
Uluru Scenic Flights (Uluru (Ayers Rock))
Adult: $130.00
Child: 130.00
A 20 minute, fixed wing scenic flight is a great way to take in the amazing landscape of Uluru. This small plane operator offer extended flights that include both Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Wilpena Pound Half Day 4WD Tour (Flinders Ranges)
Adult - AUD 158.00
Child - AUD 98.00
Explore more than 800 million years of geological history in the “Corridor Through Time”. Marvel at the rugged beauty of Brachina and Bunyeroo Gorges. Search for Yellow Footed Rock Wallabies and enjoy sweeping views of Bunyeroo Valley and the eastern wall of Wilpena Pound.
Tiwi Islands Aboriginal Cultural Experience (Darwin)
Adult Price: From AUD 375.00
Child Price: From AUD 259.00.00
Enjoy an Aboriginal cultural experience on the Tiwi Islands. You will travel to and from the Island by ferry. Once there you will learn about the Tiwi people’s unique and rich culture as they introduce you to their traditional art displays and ceremonies. Enjoy lunch with your local guide and the local community as they teach you more about their culture and rituals. To partake in this experience you will require an additional post tour night accommodation or a flight that departs after 8pm on the day of the tour.
FIND OUT MORE
Uluru Helicopter Scenic Flight (Uluru (Ayers Rock))
Adult: $180.00 AUD
Child: $180.00 AUD
Experience a unique view with a scenic helicopter flight over the Red Centre and see Uluru from the Air. You might choose the 15 minute flight to appreciate Uluru from the air or the recommended longer flight to witness Uluru as well as the extraordinary Kata Tjuta.
Wintijiri Wiru After Dark Show (Uluru (Ayers Rock))
Adult: $190.00 AUD
Child: $95.00 AUD
Wintjiri Wiru, which in the local Pitjantjatjara language means ‘beautiful view out to the horizon’. This breathtaking sound and light show brings to life the ancient Mala story of the Anangu people, a story passed on for thousands of generations. With the use of ground-breaking technology, choreographed drones, lasers and projections illuminate the night sky. Wintjiri Wiru takes place at Ayers Rock Resort, in the spiritual heart of Australia and is an immersion into Anangu culture. The experience begins with a transfer from Resort hotels to a sustainably-built platform where you will take a seat in the intimate amphitheatre.
Kings Canyon Light Towers by Night (Kings Canyon)
Adult: $30.00 AUD
Child $30.00 AUD
Kings Canyon Light Towers at Sunrise (Kings Canyon)
Adult: $45.00
Child: $45.00
Start your day immersed in magic. Awaken your senses to the mystery of the outback as you wander among the Light Towers maze of sound and light. Enjoy coffee and pastry at the Luritja Lookout once the sun is up. From the butterfly mind of internationally renowned light and sound artist Bruce Munro, ‘Light Towers at Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon’ will immerse you in the pure magic of light, sound and landscape in this iconic location. Consisting of 69 two-metre towers of light, which change colour in response to a celestial soundscape by Orlando Gough, guests are invited to wander amongst the maze of Light Towers.A local guide will greet and introduce guests to the Light Towers at Lurijta Lookout where you will receive a session wristband, before following a lit path into the field of red earth where the Light Towers experience takes place. STARTS: This experience commences 30 mins before sunrise. Meet at the Luritja Lookout 5 minutes before your ticketed session start time. EXPERIENCE INCLUDES: Introduction to the Light Towers by a local guide. Post sunrise coffee and pastry on the Luritja Lookout.
20 Minute Scenic Flight - Wilpena Pound (Flinders Ranges)
Adult Price: From AUD 186.00 Child Price: From AUD 142.00
This flight provides a fantastic view of our surrounds where you will see Wilpena Pound from the air with the resort nestled in among the River Red Gums just near the Pound Gap. You will also see the Elder Range, Edeowie Gorge, Lake Torrens, the Heysen Range and St. Mary Peak.
