What the New Uluru Kakararra Trail Involves

Australia's Red Centre has a new multi-day walking route: the 34-mile Uluru Kakararra Trail. Developed over about a decade with the Anangu traditional owners, it starts at Kata Tjuta and crosses desert oak woodlands, spinifex plains and sandy ridges before finishing at the base of Uluru. The first departures began in April, with a maximum of 16 walkers per group.

The trail is operated only by the Australian Walking Company. It lets visitors camp inside the national park around Uluru for the first time, staying in simple off-grid eco-camps and, on the final two nights, a bush lodge with views of the monolith. The five-day signature itinerary is priced from $5,395 per person and runs from April to September.

The experience is also a cultural one. Walkers meet Anangu guides such as Tjiangu Thomas, hear about the meaning of Country, and are asked not to repeat certain creation stories outside the landscape where they are told. The climb route on Uluru itself has been closed since 2019, reinforcing a leave-no-trace approach.

Why the Walk Changes the Uluru Experience

The Route: Kata Tjuta to Uluru

The trail makes a deliberate counterpoint to the coach-and-viewpoint tourism that has long dominated Uluru. Instead of arriving by road and seeing the rock as a backdrop, walkers spend days watching it grow from the horizon. That slower approach is the product itself: it shifts the visit from a photo stop to a multi-day desert encampment.

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The Anangu Partnership and the Limits of Access

The involvement of traditional owners is central. The article makes clear that Anangu cultural knowledge is layered and partly restricted; walkers are asked not to repeat certain stories. This is not a full cultural immersion, but a controlled encounter intended to protect sacred material while giving Anangu guides a role in shaping how visitors understand the landscape.

The Closure of the Climb

The 2019 ban on climbing Uluru is referenced as the end of a harmful practice. The new walk extends that logic: tourism around the site is now more about proximity and restraint than conquering or scaling the rock. There is no suggestion in the piece that the trail replaces lost visitor volume; instead it offers a smaller, more considered way to visit.

Planning the Uluru Kakararra Trail

For travellers considering the route, the practical details are clear.

  • Book through the Australian Walking Company — it is the exclusive operator, and independent hiking is not permitted.
  • Plan for the April-to-September season, the only departure window mentioned.
  • Budget from $5,395 per person for the five-day Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk, including stays and meals.
  • Fly to Ayers Rock Airport: Jetstar serves it from Melbourne and Sydney, and Qantas from Sydney.
  • Expect a small group of up to 16 walkers and basic off-grid camps, with the final two nights in a bush lodge near Uluru.
  • Respect cultural restrictions: do not repeat Anangu creation stories told along the route, and note that climbing Uluru has been closed since 2019.