Desire road trip inland with the most Aboriginal culture in Central Australia? Grab this drive plan now! This article shows you how to plan a road trip from Adelaide to Uluru and Darwin.
This route is truly a fantastic driving route that allows you to experience the characteristics of Australia’s native Aborigines, especially the heart of Australia. It is the center of the world, Uluru, and almost all visitors will go. For self-driving road trips, you must not miss this plan.
Before You Take Action
I must say that I haven’t been to every attraction on this road. So here I just tried some practical recommendations for road trips by my friends & residents and wrote itineraries using my experience as suggestions.
You don’t need to follow my whole plan; arrange it, add and remove some places in your mind and consider your limited day & budget. So, hopefully, you will enjoy a fun fill & unforgettable road trip of your own!
Adelaide Uluru Darwin Drive Route Map Overview
How Many Kilometers Is This Route?
What a most extended way trip which Distance is 3555 km. Even a long way road trip but worth to be! You will feel your mind open while seeing the vast plain.
How Many Days Are Best For A Road Trip?
Totally 39 hrs showing on Google Map means you need at least five days to complete this road trip. You can add more great attractions in midway Cairns & Brisbane. So what is the best way to travel on this route?
My point is that this road trip will cost you colossal fuel and car rental fees unless you are a resident. For short-term travel, I recommend you join a tour group or rent a car from Adelaide to Uluru until Alice Springs.
Here are some of the attractions worth adding to your list on road trips.
Best Attractions Between Adelaide & Darwin
- Port Augusta
- Lake Hart
- Coober Pedy (Serbian Orthodox Church, Old Timers Mine, Umoona Opal Mine & Museum)
- Kings Canyon
- Mount Connor
- Ayers Rock (Uluru)
- Kata-Tjuta
- Alice Springs (Simpsons Gap, National Road Transport Hall of Fame, Alice Springs Desert Park, ANZAC Hill, Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve)
- United (Dealer) is a petrol station in Davenport on the midway.
- Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve
- Hot springs bathing area
- Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park
- Kakadu National Park
- Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise in Djukbinj National Park
- Litchfield National Park
If you just focus on the Heart of Australia, you can drive to Uluru directly without midway attractions.
Check Over 23 Up Attractions between Adelaide, Uluru & Darwin>>
17 Days Itinerary Adelaide Uluru Darwin Road Trip (Least 2 Weeks More)
As this route map suggested, I preferred you take a two weeks road trip itinerary for this route.
Day 1 – Adelaide City
>>Get Attraction List on Google Map
You have some places worth being:
- Adelaide Botanic Garden
- The National Wine Centre of Australia
- Bicentennial Conservatory
- South Australian Museum
- Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga
- Migration Museum
- Ayers House Museum
- Adelaide Gaol
- Adelaide Central Market
- Malls Balls
- Rundle Mall
- RoofClimb Adelaide Oval
- National War Memorial
- State Library of South Australia (Must Go)
Adelaide city tour whole day, stay in the city.
Day 2 – Adelaide to Port Augusta
- Estimated Distance – 308 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 3 hr 40 min
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Snowtown
- Port Augusta
Leave Adelaide, rest at Snowtown, and stay over in Port Augusta. Preparing your food & drink & fill your fuel before leaving Port Augusta.
Day 3 – Port Augusta to Coober Pedy
- Estimated Distance – 543 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 5 hr 30 min
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Pimba
- Lake Hart Rest Area
- Glendambo
- Coober Pedy
Leave Port Augusta, drive through Pimba, visit Lake Hart and Glendambo, and stay in Coober Pedy. The best place for a camper van is Riba’s Underground Camping & Caravan Park.
Day 4 – Coober Pedy Around
>>Get Attraction List on Google Map
You have some places worth being:
- Welcome to Coober Pedy
- Umoona Opal Mine & Museum
- Old Timers Mine & Museum
- Big Winch Lookout
- Faye’s Underground Home
- Toms Working Opal Mine SA
- Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo orphanage
- Serbian Orthodox Church
- Opalios
- Noble Tours Australia
- Crocodile Harry’s
Tour Coober Pedy, visit Serbian Orthodox Church, Old Timers Mine, Umoona Opal Mine & Museum, Crocodile Harry’s totality of four attractions. Stay over at Riba’s Underground Camping & Caravan Park. The optional attraction near Coober Pedy is Dog Fence & Breakaways.
Day 5 – Coober Pedy to Erldunda
- Estimated Distance – 500 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 5 hr
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Marla
- SA/NT Border
- Kulgera
- Erldunda
Today is a day for moving, leaving Coober Pedy, and driving to Erldunda Roadhouse overnight.
Day 6 – Erldunda to Kings Canyon
- Estimated Distance – 285 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 3 hr
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Kings Canyon
- Kings Canyon Resort
Go to Kings Canyon Resort for rest, prepare for tomorrow’s hiking, or go for Kings Canyon straightly if you feel that there is still physical strength.
Day 7 – Kings Canyon to Yulara
- Estimated Distance – 320 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 3 hr 15 min
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Mount Conner Lookout
- Curtin Springs
- Yulara
Hiking at Kings Canyon, then going to Yulara overnight. For the extra tour, you can book Field of Lights near the Yulara, but you need to go there by bus at a specific time. Stay over in Yulara.
Day 8 – Yulara Around
- Estimated Distance – 47 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 1 hr
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Mala Uluru Walking Point
- Mutitjulu Waterhole
- Talinguru Nyakunytjaku
- Yulara
- Field of Light Uluru (Tour, booking require)
Go to Ayers Rock (Uluru) for hiking or drive around and go to platforms for sunset views or sun rising views in the early morning. Stay over in Yulara.
Day 9 – Yulara to Kata Tjuta
- Estimated Distance – 110 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 1 hr 30 min
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Kata Tjuta – Valley of the Winds
- Kata Tjuta / Mount Olga
- Kata Tjuta Sunset View Area
- Uluru Sunset Viewing Area
- Yulara
Go to Kata-Tjuta for hiking, go-to platforms for sunset views, or sun-rising opinions in the early morning. Do the same as Uluru. Stay over in Yulara.
Day 10 – Yulara to Alice Springs
>>Get Attraction List on Google Map
You have some places worth being:
- Alice Springs Desert Park
- Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve
- ANZAC Hill
- Pyndan Camel Tracks Alice Springs
- Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility
- Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre
- Olive Pink Botanic Garden
- Simpsons Gap (Must Go)
Leave Yulara, go to Alice Springs. You can visit Simpsons Gap, National Road Transport Hall of Fame, Alice Springs Desert Park, ANZAC Hill, and Telegraph Station Historical Reserve. Of course, the best attraction worth going to is Simpsons Gap, Alice Springs Desert Park, but just choose one of them because you need hiking.
On this day, either decide what you want, keep heading north till Darwin, and return your camper van & depart Alice Springs.
It means for short-travelers who rent cars, the trip is accomplished, and it’s time to return the vehicle to Alice Springs and take an airplane back to the city.
Let’s keep going for backpackers who own the car if you want to head north.
Day 11 – Alice Springs to Warumungu
- Estimated Distance – 534 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 6 hr
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Ti Tree
- Wycliffe Well Holiday Park
- Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve
- Tennant Creek
- Warumungu
Head north, rest at the fuel stop of United (Dealer), which is in Davenport, visit Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, and stay over in Warumungu.
Day 12 – Warumungu to Katherine
- Estimated Distance – 666 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 7 hr 40 min
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places drive-through:
- Pamayu
- Elliott
- Birdum
- Daly Waters
- Larrimah
- Mataranka Thermal Pool and Rainbow Springs & Hot springs bathing area
- Katherine
Go through Daly Waters, rest at Daly Waters Historic Pub, enjoy swimming at the Hot springs bathing area, and stay in Katherine.
Day 13 – Tour at Nitmiluk National Park
- Estimated Distance – 28.2 km
- Estimated Drive Time – 22 min
>>Get Navigation on Google Map
In this part route, you have these places walkthrough:
- Katherine Gorge
- Baruwei Lookout
- Southern Rockhole
- Butterfly Gorge
Visit Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park, book a yacht tour and have a great view of Katherine River.
Day 14 – Kakadu National Park
>>Get Attraction List on Google Map
You have some places worth being:
- Yellow Water (Ngurrungurrudjba)
- Anbangbang Rock Shelter
- Nawurlandja Lookout
- Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge)
- Barramundi Gorge (Maguk) Waterfall
- Gunlom Waterfall Creek
- Ubirr (Rock Art)
- Gunwarddehwarde Lookout
- Jim Jim Falls
- Twin Falls
Tour Kakadu National Park.
Day 15 – Djukbinj National Park
>>Get Attraction List on Google Map
You have some places worth being:
- Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise
- Window on the Wetlands
- Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve
Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise in Nitmiluk National Park.
Day 16 – Litchfield National Park
>>Get Attraction List on Google Map
You have some places worth being:
- Magnetic Termite Mounds
- Buley Rockhole
- Florence Falls Waterhole
- Sandy Creek Falls
- Wangi Falls
Tour at Litchfield National Park.
Day 17 – Darwin City
>>Get Attraction List on Google Map
You have some places worth being:
- Crocodylus Park
- Crocosaurus Cove
- Aquascene
- RFDS Darwin Tourist Facility
- Darwin Waterfront Precinct
- Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
- George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens
- WWII Oil Storage Tunnels
- Mangrove Boardwalk
- Darwin Military Museum
- Charles Darwin Lookout (Charles Darwin National Park)
- Darwin Wave Pool
- Nightcliff Beach
- Nightcliff Jetty
Arrive in Darwin, and the trip is complete.
Add another seven days from Alice Springs to Darwin; there are many places worth being. Well, I have to say there are many national parks midway to Darwin after Alice Springs, those parks of Nitmiluk, Kakadu, Djukbinj, Litchfield, etc.
You just choose one to visit enough if you consider the budget. But which park is best for you? In my experience, Litchfield National Park is the most popular, then Kakadu. But you need a 4WD vehicle for those unsealed roads in Kakadu; this’s different.
As per your budget, I recommend you go to Litchfield National Park because you can enjoy the natural swimming pool & waterfalls low risk of crocodiles. After all, many crocodiles appear in forests & rivers in Northern Territory.
Want to know more attractions?
Check Over 23 Up Attractions between Adelaide, Uluru & Darwin>>
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy this road trip, and you already know the best route for the Adelaide Uluru Darwin road trip. Now, get your belongings ready, get food and a map, turn on your car engine and start it!
By the way, besides the Adelaide Uluru Darwin trip planner, I recommend these route planners for your next road trip:
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