Last updated 30 June 2026 · Reviewed by the StaycationOz team
Uluru is 3.6 kilometres long, 348 metres high, and — this surprises most first-time visitors — extends several kilometres underground, since what's visible above the desert floor is only a fraction of the total rock formation. It sits within Anangu land, and the way you experience it is shaped heavily by that context rather than just its size.
Quick Picks
- Best for
- Culture, landscape, sunrise/sunset
- Ideal trip length
- 2–3 nights
- Getting there
- Ayers Rock Airport (Connellan), direct flights from major cities
- Temperature swing
- Up to 25°C between day and night in winter months
Climbing Uluru has been permanently closed since October 2019, at the request of the Anangu traditional owners, who have always considered the climb culturally inappropriate. The Uluru Base Walk — a flat 10.6km loop around the rock itself — is the main way to experience it up close now, and it's a genuinely better experience than the climb ever was, showing rock art sites, waterholes and details invisible from a distance.
Sunrise and sunset are when Uluru does its famous colour-shifting trick, cycling through ochre, burnt orange and deep red as the light angle changes. The Cultural Centre near the base is worth visiting before you walk the base track, not after — it gives context for specific sites along the way that otherwise just look like rock formations.
Kata Tjuta, 40km from Uluru, gets a fraction of the visitors despite being arguably just as impressive — a cluster of 36 domed rock formations rather than one monolith. The Valley of the Winds walk through them is one of the best short hikes in Central Australia and is consistently underrated next to its more famous neighbour.
The nearby resort town of Yulara is the only accommodation base for the whole area — there's no town at Uluru itself, just the resort precinct a short drive from the rock, built specifically to service visitors without development encroaching on the site itself.
💡 Insider Tip
Visit the Cultural Centre before you walk the base track, not after. Several sections of the walk pass sites with specific cultural significance that are easy to miss or misread without that context first — and some sections are actually closed to photography for cultural reasons, which the centre explains.
Worth Knowing
Uluru is genuinely remote — Yulara is the only accommodation base, prices reflect that limited supply, and there's no way to "stay outside town for less" the way you can at more accessible destinations. Budget accordingly, and book well ahead in peak season (May–September).
❓ Uluru FAQs
Can you still climb Uluru?
No — climbing has been permanently closed since October 2019 at the request of the Anangu traditional owners, and this is not expected to change.
What should you pack for Uluru?
Layers. Days can hit 40°C in summer while nights drop below 5°C, especially June to August — the temperature swing is bigger than most visitors expect.
Is Uluru worth the trip?
Yes — seeing it up close and walking the base with cultural context from the Centre gives a very different experience than the postcard view alone.
Is Kata Tjuta worth visiting too?
Yes, and it's often underrated — the Valley of the Winds walk through the domes is one of the best short hikes in the Red Centre.