Ayers Rock Resort runs a free shuttle every 20 minutes or so around the resort complex from 10:30am to after midnight, but to get to the Rock or Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), you will need to take transfers, join a tour, or have your own wheels. The shuttle also meets all flights. There are no taxis at Yulara.
By Shuttle
Uluru Express (tel. 08/8956 2152; www.uluruexpress.com.au) provides a minibus shuttle from Ayers Rock Resort to and from the Rock about every 50 minutes from before sunrise to sundown, and four times a day to Kata Tjuta. The basic shuttle costs A$43 for adults and A$30 for kids 1 to 14. To Kata Tjuta, it costs A$75 for adults and A$40 for children. A 2-day pass that enables you to explore Uluru and Kata Tjuta as many times as you wish costs A$155 adults and A$80 children; a 3-day pass costs A$170 for adults and A$80 for kids. All fares are round-trip. A National Park entry pass, if you don't already have one, is A$25 extra.
By Car
If there are two of you, the easiest and cheapest way to get around is likely to be a rental car. All roads in the area are paved, so a four-wheel-drive is unnecessary. Expect to pay around A$120 to A$140 per day for a medium-size car. Rates drop a little in low season. Most car-rental companies give you the first 100 or 200km (63-126 miles) free and charge between A17¢ and A25¢ per kilometer after that. Take this into account, because the round-trip from the resort to the Olgas is just over 100km (63 miles), and that's without driving about 20km (13 miles) to the Rock and back. Hire periods of under 3 days incur a one-way fee based on kilometers travelled, up to about A$330. Avis (tel. 08/8956 2266), Hertz (tel. 08/8956 2244), and Thrifty (tel. 08/8956 2030) all rent regular cars and four-wheel-drives.
The Outback Travel Shop (tel. 08/8955 5288; www.outbacktravelshop.com.au), a booking agent in Alice Springs, often has better deals on car- rental rates than you'll get by booking direct.
By Organized Tour
Several tour companies run a range of daily sunrise and sunset viewings, circumnavigations of the Rock by coach or on foot, guided walks at the Rock or the Olgas, camel rides, observatory evenings, visits to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, and innumerable permutations and combinations of all of these. Some offer "passes" containing the most popular activities. Virtually every company picks you up at your hotel. Among the most reputable are AAT Kings and Tailormade Tours.
Aboriginal Tours
Because Anangu Tours (tel. 08/8950 3030; www.ananguwaai.com.au) is owned and run by the Rock's Aboriginal owners, its excellent tours give you firsthand insight into Aboriginal culture. Tours are in the Anangu language and translated by an interpreter. If you are going to spend money on just one tour, this group is a good choice.
The company does a 3 1/2-hour Kuniya walk, during which you visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre and the Mutitjulu water hole at the base of the Rock, learn about bush foods, and see rock paintings before watching the sun set. It departs daily at 2:30pm March through October, 3:30pm November through February. With hotel pickup, the tour costs A$116 for adults and A$75 for children 5 to 15. There's also a 4 1/2-hour breakfast tour costing A$139 for adults and A$93 for children. It includes a base tour and demonstrations of bush skills and spear-throwing. A standard tour during the day costs A$87 for adults and A$58 for kids. Dot-painting workshops at the Uluru Cultural Centre cost A$87 for adults and A$61 for kids. There are various other combinations of tours to choose from.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
