This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
Experience a superior level of comfort. Our Small Group tours have been crafted for Inspiring Vacations travellers exclusively, with personal and unique experiences in mind. Travel with no more than 26 people, allowing for a more personalised and immersive experience. Please see the Important Information on your selected tour for the exact group size.
This tour features a combination of escorted and independent travel. Part of your journey will be enjoyed as a group experience, led by expert tour leaders or local guides. The remainder is self-guided—whether by rail, cruise, or overland—allowing you the freedom to travel between destinations independently and explore at your own pace.
✓ Small group tour, no more than 20 guests
✓ Incredible sightseeing, including the sacred landscapes of Uluru, explore the MacDonnell Ranges, Kings Canyon, Arnhem Land, Litchfield National Park, Kakadu National Park and the incredible Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge
✓ 5 nights in 3 to 4-star accommodation in Alice Springs and Darwin
✓ Stunning Outback camping experiences, including Kakadu National Park & West MacDonnell Ranges
✓ 7 nights permanent tent with beds, mattresses and linen
✓ One night camping under the stars in a remote bush camp
✓ 27 meals including 8 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 10 dinners
✓ Domestic flight between Alice Springs and Darwin
✓ Transportation in purpose-built, modern 4WD coaches
✓ Escorted by expert tour guides on Days 1–5 and 9–14
✓ All park and entry fees
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Fly into Yulara, where your Australian outback adventure begins. A small town at the southern end of the Northern Territory, Yulara is your gateway to Uluru-Kata Tjuta World Heritage National Park. Make tracks across sunburnt plains to the captivating domes of Kata Tjuta, large red rock formations believed to be about 500 million years old where you will do a walk into the “many heads”.
Wake early to catch an unforgettable Uluru sunrise, then get a closer look at this massive sandstone monolith on an unguided walk around its base. After your stroll, walk to the cave paintings near Mutitjulu Waterhole, where you will be met by an Anangu Aboriginal guide. Your guide will shed insight into the ancient rock etchings and the stories they tell, as well as the traditions of the land’s Traditional Owners.
Next, visit the nearby Cultural Central to browse its extensive collection of Aboriginal arts and crafts.
After lunch, set off on a three-hour drive to your exclusive campsite within Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). Get acquainted with your surroundings, enjoy an on-site dinner and settle in for the night.
After breakfast, pull on your hiking shoes and set off to explore Kings Canyon. Plunging 270 metres/885 feet to the canyon floor, walking its rim reveals incredibly beautiful sandstone formations carved by wind and water.
Discover its Amphitheatre, Lost City, North and South Walls and the surprisingly lush Garden of Eden, which owes its cycads and plant life to a permanent waterhole down in the canyon.
After lunch, there’s time to relax for a bit before heading along an iconic Red Centre dirt track to the Western MacDonnell Ranges.
Spend the afternoon exploring the outback scenery of the Western Macdonnell Ranges. Visit one of the most photographed places in the Red Centre, Ormiston Gorge. Keep your eyes peeled for rock wallabies while admiring the colourful, sweeping walls surrounding its waterhole.
Continue to Ellery Creek Big Hole, a popular spot for a refreshing dip.
After a satisfying day spent exploring the MacDonnell Ranges, your tour leader will find a suitable place to set up your bush camp for the night.
Often overlooked for its western counterpart, the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges just might be one of the outback’s best kept secrets. This is the home of the Arrernte people, the Traditional Owners of the land. Learn about their caterpillar dreamtime story on a short walk to Emily Gap, an important spiritual site to the Arrernte people containing galleries of ancient rock paintings.
Drive to Trephina Gorge, where you’ll set off on a one-hour guided walk to see its quartzite cliffs and rich birdlife.
Afterwards, it’s time for lunch; grab a bite at the historical Ross River Homestead before continuing to the ‘Ghost Town’ of Arltunga where you’ll learn about the mistaken gemstone that lead to a mining rush here in 1887, and also precipitated its abandonment. After exploring the best of the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges, it’s on to Alice Springs where your camping adventure ends upon arrival in the late afternoon.
Enjoy a day at leisure in Alice Springs.
Enjoy a camel ride as the sun sets against the MacDonnell Ranges, a signature Red Centre experience, perfect for all ages. Make friends with your gentle camel during the one-hour tour and learn fun camel facts from your expert guide.
Catch sight of native animals and unwind to desert tranquility. Choose the sunset ride to see the colours of the ranges deepen to a glowing red and the sky shift from cobalt blue to orange pink. What better vantage point than from the top of a camel.
Duration: 1 hour
Includes return transfers from your hotel
Learn how the town of Alice Springs has evolved into the central hub of the Australian outback. Visit historical sites and some of the essential services delivered from Alice to the community of this vast region. The traditional custodians of the land are the Arrernte people, who refer to Alice as ‘Mpwante’. Visit Alice Springs Reptile Centre, home to the largest reptile display in Central Australia, where you'll have lots of fun, particularly during the show.
Duration: Approximately 8 hours
Pick up time: Approximately 7:45am
Today, make your own way to Alice Springs Airport to join your included flight to Darwin. On arrival, enjoy the afternoon at leisure.
Enjoy one of the many things to see in Darwin city or join one of many activities on offer in Darwin, including a visit to the Darwin Museum and the Cyclone Tracy and Sweetheart Exhibits, a Darwin Harbour Jet Ski, Heli Pub Crawl, or Tiwi Island day tour.
Please note, any optional activities are to be arranged independently.
Darwin is Australia’s only tropical capital city and is the largest city in the Northern Territory. It is a former frontier outpost and the gateway to Kakadu National Park. Darwin is treasured country to its traditional owners, the Larrakia people, who are prominent and active members of the local community. A multicultural city, it boasts a population made up of people from more than 60 nationalities and 70 different ethnic backgrounds.
Visit the Darwin Aviation Museum, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, the Darwin Botanic Gardens and various other sights throughout the city.
Duration: Approximately 4.5 hours
Departs at 8:30am from the front entrance of the Mantra on the Esplanade Hotel
Enjoy another day at leisure in Darwin.
Spectacular Crocodile Cruises takes you on the Adelaide River to educate you on crocodile biology, territorial habits, and their value to the eco system. On this cruise your wildlife guide offers the crocs a taste of buffalo meat in return for them swimming out to say hello and show their incredible hunting techniques. Enjoy the views across the Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve.
Duration: Approximately 5 hours
Departs at 1:30pm from the front entrance of the Mantra on the Esplanade Hotel
We hit the road to Wulna Country, where your Limilngan-Wulna hosts, the land’s Traditional Owners, will greet you with a Cul Cul or ‘Welcome to Country’. Learn about their culture during bush tucker talks and didgeridoo and basket weaving demonstrations.
Continue to the border of Kakadu and Arnhem Land for a Guluyumbi cruise along the East Alligator River with a Bininj guide. Learn about the cultural importance of the East Alligator River to the Bininj people and take in the tranquility and rugged beauty while you search for the varied wildlife.
Back on land, jump in a private vehicle and drive to Arnhem Land’s Mawurndaddja. This sacred complex (only recently opened to visitors) has a spectacular series of rock art that research indicates is over 50,000 years old. Spend the afternoon exploring this atmospheric site and learning about its history from your guide.
Head to Kakadu for an overnight stay.
After fuelling up with an early breakfast head to Jim Jim (or Gunlom) Falls, Kakadu’s most iconic natural attractions. Take a challenging walk through monsoon forest and over boulders, then recharge with a cooling dip in the clear waters beneath the falls.
After lunch head to Anbangbang, another incredible site that features ancient art on what was originally Warramal land. Sadly, there are no surviving Warramal people, so the care of the site is maintained by the neighbouring Mirarr and Djok communities.
This afternoon, you have the option of taking a scenic flight over Kakadu or visiting the Bowali Cultural Centre.
After breakfast head to either Gunlom Falls or Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) for a swim in another pristine waterhole. Maguk flows down the steep walls of rugged gorge into a beautiful natural plunge pool, while the steep climb to the Gunlom Falls plunge pool is rewarded with sweeping views of Kakadu and the welcome shade of gum trees. Neither option will disappoint.
After a relaxing morning, it’s time to hit the road again. Stop in the old gold-mining town of Pine Creek for lunch before continuing for another three hours to your private campsite on the doorstep of Nitmiluk National Park.
Once comfortable, have dinner with the group before settling in under the stars for the night.
Spend the day exploring the deep Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge and greater Nitmiluk National Park, a wonderland of colours, ancient rock art, waterfalls and wildlife. While here, you can explore on foot or choose to take a cruise or rent a kayak to get a closer look. Keep in mind that these optional activities and at your own expense.
In the afternoon travel to Edith Falls, a hidden oasis of clear, cool waters surrounded by bronze boulders. After a quick swim in the huge rock pools continue to tonight’s camp located at the edge of Litchfield National Park, where dinner awaits.
After breakfast head to Litchfield National Park. A bit of a local secret, Litchfield is awash with tropical rainforest, gorgeous waterfalls and crystal-clear waterholes.
Visit Florence Falls, Wangi Falls or Bluey Rockholes, then tuck into a picnic lunch.
Enjoy a stroll through the steamy rainforests and refreshing dip in one of the park’s gorgeous swimming holes.
In the afternoon, make the 2-hour drive back to Darwin, where you will arrive by approximately 6pm.
Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognized and awarded for its handling of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The safety and well-being of our guests are our highest concern during this time of uncertainty, and we are continuously monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation.
We have adopted the advice of the WHO to ensure all customers can travel with the knowledge of how to travel safely and with confidence.
Australian owned and operated
We are proudly 100% Australian-owned and now operating across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada. Our head office is located in Melbourne, Victoria, with offices around the globe to provide you with 24/7 support while you travel. When you book with Inspiring Vacations, you'll receive the support of travel professionals who are committed to the mission of inspiring people everywhere to experience the world.
Cooling off period
If you change your mind within 7 days of making your booking online, you can request a refund of your initial deposit payment as part of our cooling-off period. Once your purchase date falls outside of the 7-day period, our standard terms and conditions will apply.
Please ensure that any request to cancel your booking is received via email to [email protected], including the reason for cancellation.
We offer two payment options – the choice is yours. Our advertised price is based on our 'Pay in Full' option, which includes a discount by making full payment at the time of booking. Alternatively, choose our 'Installment Payment Plan' option for the flexibility of incremental payments, beginning with a low deposit.
Please click 'Book Now' and proceed to the payment page to select your preferred option under the heading ‘Choose how to pay’. The total due will be reflected accordingly.
Pay In Full Option:
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Booking Process
Booking On Request
COVID-19
Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be effected a substitute will be confirmed prior to departure. Travellers are required to produce proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity.
These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers. As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $688.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
Visa & Passport information
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return.
Visas may be required.
Please note that these details are subject to change without notice. We recommend visiting https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html for up to date information in terms of entry requirements.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation including e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Group Size
Maximum of 20.
Bedding requests
We do our best to meet your bedding preference, however, bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only and cannot be guaranteed. All efforts will be made to meet your preference, however, any changes are beyond our control and limited by the hotel facilities and availability.
Tour Styles - This package is a Partially Escorted style.
A portion of these packages runs as a small group tour where you will be escorted by an expert tour leader. Another portion is independent, whether conducted by rail, cruise or land, and you will travel between destinations on your own, with free time to explore at your own pace.
Children
This tour is not suitable for children under 12 years of age.
Camping Facilities
You’ll spend some nights of the trip sleeping in outback camping grounds. While conditions can be basic and facilities are minimal, this is all part of the adventure. You’ll need to pitch in with preparing meals and cleaning.
Red Centre – 3 nights are spent in permanent tents with stretcher beds, sleeping bag, lighting and a fan. One night is spent in a swag with a 5cm high density mattress but no tent included.
Top End – All four nights are spent in permanent tents with stretcher beds, sleeping bag and lighting.
Please note, a sleeping bag is included for the duration of the trip.
What to Bring
Due to limited space on the vehicle please restrict luggage to one day pack up to 10kg and one soft overnight bag/backpack with a maximum of 15kg (Top End). No hard suitcases are allowed on this tour.
To enhance your journey, we are offering guests a choice of the following optional activities (prices are per person):
Optional tours can be selected once you have finalised your tour purchase and paid your deposit. When completing your Passenger Booking Form, you will be asked if you would like to add Optional Tours, where any applicable cost will be added to your final balance. If you choose not to select them at this time, you can choose to add them later by logging in to your Account online.
Please note that you must select your Optional Tours no later than 70 days before departure, after which you will be required to purchase them on tour. Please keep in mind that anything purchased on-tour is subject to availability and prices may vary as you will be paying in local currency. We appreciate your understanding.
You can enhance your holiday by arriving or departing before or after the tour. On this tour you can choose from the following options:
Pre Tour Accommodation
Post Tour Accommodation
Please select the number of extra nights required in the 'Additional Nights Accommodation' field when making your purchase. The additional cost for these arrangements will be added to your final payment invoice and are subject to availability.
This package is sold as land only, however you do have the option of adding international airfares to your booking. Simply click on’ book now’, and under upgrades , you will be asked “Would you like us to contact you around our flight service?”
By selecting this option Inspiring Vacations will contact you to discuss adding flights to your chosen destination. We can assist with flying the airline of your choice to turn your booking into a flight inclusive package.
We would be more than happy to provide you with a quote for the following requests:
We are currently unable to provide a quote for the following requests:
Online check-in
Some airlines may not permit online check-in where flights have been booked by a travel company. Where unavailable to do so online, you will be required to check-in at the airport. Inspiring Vacations cannot check-in online on behalf of our customers.
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