10-Nights Outback Safari from $4,723

Trafalgar

OFFER ID 1509074

Outback Safari
If the idea of vibrant sunsets, rusty red deserts, jaw-dropping landscapes, and the Tropical North sound like your idea of a perfect adventure, this Outback safari tour is for you. Discovering the Red Centre, connecting with the local Anangu people, and swimming in lush waterfalls are yours for the taking in just 11 days.

Dining Summary

10 Breakfast (B)
4 Dinner (D)
1 Be My Guest (BMG)
1 Farewell Dinner (FD)

Be My Guest

Alice Springs: Meet the Falzon family, who have entertained and informed visitors for over 20 years in the outback of Australia, for a Be My Guest Outback Dinner and Show. You will hear stories of ecology, culture and astronomy and learn about the sustainable lifestyle the family has created.

Dive Into Culture

Alice Springs: Join a local Aboriginal guide to learn about the culture and traditions of the Arrernte People at the Alice Springs Desert Park.
Kakadu National Park: Get up close to Aboriginal rock art dating some 20,000 years in Kakadu National Park.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

Nitmiluk National Park: Wind through the gorge, carved through ancient sandstone alongside steep cliff walls, watching for lush rainforest gullies in giant cracks, and maybe a freshwater crocodile or two. Learn about the local culture through your indigenous guide’s expertise of the traditional Jawoyn landowners, their stories of how the gorge was formed, and about how the Jawoyn people live and work today.

Must-see Highlights

Explore Alice Springs Desert Park, the School of the Air, and Nitmiluk National Park with a Local Specialist
Discover Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Watarrka, and Kakadu National Parks
Visit historic Telegraph Station, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Mataranka Thermal Springs
View sunset and sunrise at Uluru, crocodiles and birdlife, and Aboriginal rock art
See vast cattle properties, and Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles)
Scenic Cruise on Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge, and Yellow Water Billabong

Trafalgar Difference

Uluru: Discover the stunning heart of the Red Centre at Ayers Rock Resort. Revealing natural beauty of this unique landscape, the accommodation offer incredible views of towering gums, flowering native shrubs and flowing red dunes.

Whats Included

An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
Porterage where hotels provide this service
Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
All land transport shown. All transfers shown
Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
Optional Experiences and free time

10 nights from $4,723 per person

Itinerary

Trafalgar Tours: Outback Safari

Day 1 - Welcome to Uluru
Hello, explorers! Surrounded by rusty earth and brilliant blue skies, you’re right in the heart of Australia to begin your Outback safari tour in the heart of the Red Centre in World Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. (Flights to arrive prior to 3pm). After meeting your Travel Director and new travelling companions, you’ll head out for your first visit through the desert landscapes and iconic, rusty red home of Uluru. Over a sundowner of appetizers and sparkling wine, sit back as the surrounding grasses blow and the sky lights up in red and orange illuminating Uluru, rising 348 metres. It’s the best way to experience the true beauty of mesmerizing Uluru, connect to the land, and kick-off your trip. You’ll get a good night’s rest in your Stays with Stories accommodation at the Desert Gardens Hotel. Surrounded by the red dirt and desert trees, this indigenous owned hotel is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in nature. Stay in or join an Optional Experience Uluru Barbecue Dinner complete with a stargazing tour of the vast Southern sky (please pre-book).
Accommodations: Desert Gardens

Day 2 - Uluru Sunrise and Kata Tjuta
It’s a beautiful start to your first full day with a special sunrise in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Grab a good spot, hot cocoa in hand, and watch the sun light up Uluru and the sprawling desert. Then learn more about the park on a guided walk with your Travel Director to Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of Uluru. You’ll appreciate your guide's passion for the area and understanding on the ancient rock art rich with history and lifetimes of stories that have been preserved for hundreds of years. After a fascinating morning, kick back at the pool or visit the art galleries and Town Square shopping village. Later in the day you’ll get to enjoy even more of the National Park with a guided walk through through Walpa (meaning “wind”) Gorge to a lookout at Kata Tjuta’s thirty-six domes of red-hued sedimentary rock. End your day of stunning natural surroundings with another memorable Red Centre sunset paired with canapés and sparkling wine in a tucked away, secret spot. Taking in the still magnificence of Kata Tjuta, it’s ‘cheers’ to the Outback!
Accommodations: Desert Gardens
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 - To Towering Kings Canyon
Sunrise fans have another opportunity to greet the dawn at Uluru with an Optional Experience at the Field of Light installation of artist Bruce Munro. As the sun rises in the distance, you’ll make your way through 50,000 frosted glass spheres lighting up the desert in violet, blue, and white like a field of flowers, with Uluru as your backdrop. You’ve never seen anything like it, and it will make you appreciate Uluru and the land it occupies in a whole new way. Next up is a gorgeous desert drive from Uluru to Watarrka National Park (named for an Indigenous word meaning “umbrella bush”) to the ancient walls of Kings Canyon. Now, lace up your hiking boots and, accompanied by your Travel Director, climb to top of the canyon for a walk around its semi-circular edge. After your ascent, leave the sandstone formations behind to drop into the Garden of Eden’s shaded, lush oasis of greenery. Or take it easy on the creek bed walk. Your stay in Kings Canyon is at Kings Canyon Resort, and you’ll end the day swapping stories with the group over a relaxing dinner and desert surrounds, topped off with a magical sunset over Carmichael Crag.
Accommodations: Kings Canyon Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4 - Alice Springs, Town of Indigenous Art
This morning you're on your way through the Outback to central Australia’s Alice Springs. Learn all about the history of the town at the circa 1871 Telegraph Station. This important site has a deep history of sending messages between Darwin and Adelaide with a single wire, not only connected Australia’s north and south, but also the first communication link between Australia and England. End your first day Alice Springs with 360-degree views of Alice Springs from the best vantage point, Anzac Hill. Take it all in, from the Anzac Memorial to the panoramic views of the Western and Eastern MacDonnell ranges.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 - Meet the Locals in Alice Springs
Start your day with a Dive Into Culture and history, as a local Aboriginal guide shares the traditions of the local Arrernte People in Alice Springs Desert Park. You’ll also learn about the local desert birds like the Barn Owl, emu, Princess Parrot, and animals including the dingo, red kangaroo, and Western Quoll. Then get a fascinating window into the Outback meeting a Local Specialist at the Royal Flying Doctor Service centre, learning how they provide emergency medical assistance. You can even peek inside a replica of one of their small planes! For the big finish, Connect With Locals over a starlit Be My Guest dinner at the Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre. The Falzon family will tell you all about their sustainable, wind and solar powered lifestyle as you’re treated to a home-cooked Aussie BBQ. They’ll share stories of ecology, culture, and life on the farm as well as an astrology talk under the starry night sky. Top it off with songs on the guitar accompanied sing-a-long, and you have a night to remember in the Outback.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton
Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest

Day 6 - Tennant Creek, the Territory's Heart of Gold
Rise and shine to your last day in Alice Springs visiting “the world’s largest classroom” at the School of the Air. Tour the school with a Local Specialist, and if you are lucky enough to be there during school term you might see a live session with kids in some of Australia’s most remote reaches. After an insightful morning, get out and adventure in Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles), an amazing outcrop of precariously balanced granite boulders. These massive rocks of up to six metres high, believed by the Warmungu Aboriginal people to be the fossilised eggs of the Rainbow Serpent, continue to crack and change shape even today. Walk among them experiencing their majesty before reaching your home for the night in the former 1930s gold-mining town of Tennant Creek, “the Territory’s heart of gold.” Enjoy dinner with your travel mates in this history-rich spot sharing the highlights of your Outback travels.
Accommodations: Bluestone Motor Inn
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 - Katherine and its Magical Gorge
It’s hard to believe it’s only been one week, but there is so much more to see. Enjoy a change of scenery in the Outback today on a visit to the quirky Daly Waters Pub. As soon as you step inside and see the collection of memorabilia on the walls, you’ll understand this pub’s encouragement to patrons to “leave something behind.” Take in its history from the days when Qantas pilots stopped to refuel on the nearby dirt runway as you sip on a cold schooner and maybe leave one of your own treasures behind. Your next “watering hole” is Mataranka’s hot springs to go for a refreshing dip in its crystal-clear, thermal springs. These healing waters show you another side of the Outback and are a relaxing stop on your way to Katherine, where the Outback meets the Tropics. Settle into your centrally located hotel, enjoy dinner with the group and maybe go for another swim in the pool.
Accommodations: Contour
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8 - Timeless Kakadu National Park
Get ready for a big day in Nitmiluk National Park, where, on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, you’ll team up with a Local Specialist for an Indigenous-owned two-hour boat cruise along the Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge’s ancient waterway of steep cliff walls, and maybe a freshwater crocodile or two on the banks. You’ll have a chance to take a closer look at the indigenous rock art before continuing your exploration on a second boat to the even bigger cliffs of the deep river gorge. Every stop is stunning and enhanced by your guide’s knowledge of the traditional Jawoyn landowners and their stories of how the gorge was formed. Next up is Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and cultural jewel also known for its wildlife. Cruise the Yellow Water Billabong as your Local Specialist points out the diverse species of birdlife including magpie geese, and perhaps more crocodiles. Your crocodile adventures continue during your stay in the heart of Kakadu at the Aboriginal owned hotel, whimsically designed in the shape of a crocodile.
Accommodations: Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Jabiru
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9 - Darwin in the Tropical Top End
Go big on a day of history and culture before making your way to Darwin. You’ll begin at Ubirr, one of Kakadu’s, and Australia’s, renowned Aboriginal rock art sites. Dive Into Culture at this rocky landscape as your Travel Director shares the history and the stories behind these illuminating images. Explore the loop trail past caves and overhangs before a stop at Nadab lookout at Ubirr for the most endless view over the wetlands of Kakadu - the filming location for Crocodile Dundee. Soak in the vistas and get ready for a change of scenery as you travel to our home for the next two nights, Darwin. Check into your hotel on the centrally located Darwin Esplanade and head out to explore the city. You could catch a movie under the stars at the Deckchair Cinema or call in at the Mindil Beach Sunset Market and then enjoy a stellar sunset.
Accommodations: Hilton Garden Inn
Meals: Breakfast

Day 10 - The Top End, Yours for the Day
Australia brings new sights and traditions with every step of your journey. Today is yours to unlock the best of the Top End with your choice of two Optional Experiences. Head to Litchfield National Park to take in thundering waterfalls, a rainforest, and historic sacred sites. Or join a Tiwi Islands Day Tour to visit a modern-day Aboriginal community. After soaking up the sun on your last big day, it's time for a celebratory evening over dinner with your travel companions. It’s a magnificent final full day of your Outback Safari.
Accommodations: Hilton Garden Inn
Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner

Day 11 - Farewell Darwin
After a wildlife and adventure filled trip in the Outback, it’s time to say farewell to your fellow travellers this morning over breakfast before your transfer to Darwin Airport for your onward flight (flights anytime).
Meals: Breakfast

Featured Destinations

Kakadu

Darwin

Darwin

Soak up Darwin's balmy weather and the melting pot of food and cultures in the city's many outdoor festivals and markets. Then explore the region's dramatic history - from World War II air raids to Cyclone Tracey - in the museums and galleries. Sail Darwin harbour at sunset, cruise next to crocodiles and bushwalk through monsoon forest. Swim in the crystal-clear waterholes of Litchfield National Park and visit the colourful communities of the Tiwi Islands. This vibrant, tropical capital has a youthful energy you'll find hard to resist.

Five ways to discover Darwin and its surrounds:

1. At festivals, markets and on the harbour In Darwin, the action happens outside - in markets, parks, by the beach or on boats. You can join the locals with a crate and a plate of sizzling satay at The Mindil Beach Sunset Markets from May to October. Or watch them build boats out of beer or soft drink cans at the annual Darwin Beer Can Regatta in July. At the Deckchair Cinema from April to November you can watch movies under a canopy of stars with a drink from the bar and a picnic dinner. Soak up Darwin's tropical weather with a harbourside dinner at Cullen Bay Marina or a sunset harbour cruise complete with a history lesson.

2. With wildlife and in tropical parklands

Cycle past orchids and bromeliads and traditional Aboriginal plants in George Brown Botanic Gardens. Swim, have a sunset barbecue and explore sacred Aboriginal sites at Casuarina Coastal Reserve. In Berry Springs Nature Park, you can spot birds in monsoon forest and fish in the crystal clear swimming holes. Get up close to fish, birds-of-prey, nocturnal animals and reptiles in the Territory Wildlife Park, a 45-minute drive from Darwin. Have a close crocodile encounter at Crocodylus Park, the Darwin Crocodile Farm or on a crocodile cruise along Darwin's coastal fringe and rivers.

3. Hot on the heels of history

Learn more about Darwin's rich Aboriginal heritage in the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Here you can also relive the tragic Cyclone Tracy which hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974. See the Chinese Temple it nearly destroyed in Litchfield Street. Darwin endured 64 Japanese air raids in World War II, and you can watch dramatic footage of the bombings and visit the bunker where Top End defense strategy was planned at East Point Military Museum. See original B52 bomber planes at the Aviation Heritage Centre and a network of walking trails leading to World War II oil tunnels around the Wharf Precinct. In Myilly Point Historical Precinct you can see some of the few surviving cottages designed by architect B.C.G Burnett in the colonial style popular before World War II.

4. Under the waterfalls of Litchfield National Park

Make time for a day trip to the waterfalls and plunge pools, wildlife and birdlife, ranges and rainforest of Litchfield National Park, a one-and-a-half hour drive from Darwin. Swim in the crystal-clear swimming hole at the base of Florence Falls and bush-walk through monsoon rain-forest to Walker Creek. Picnic next to roosting fruit bats at Wangi Falls and see sweeping valley views at Tolmer Falls. Take a wildlife cruise on the Reynolds River, part of a working cattle station. Explore this Tarzan landscape with traditional Aboriginal owners the Wagait people or peer into a pastoral past in the ruins of Blyth Homestead.

5. On a trip to the Tiwi Islands

Join in the excitement of the Tiwi Islands Grand Football Final, held every March in Nguiu. Browse and buy Tiwi art, distinctive for its strong design, decorative features and vivid colours. Take billy tea and damper tea with Tiwi ladies as they demonstrate traditional weaving and painting. Then watch them perform a traditional dance and a smoking ceremony to clear bad spirits. Catch big barramundi on a fishing tour on the Tiwi coast. You'll find a warm welcome and a lush landscape of rainforest, beaches and rock pools on Melville and Bathurst Islands, together known as the Tiwi Islands. Explore them on a day or overnight tour, traveling a 20-minute flight or two-hour ferry from Darwin.

Katherine

Tennant Creek

Alice Springs

Kings Canyon

Uluru

The world's largest monolith, located 280 mi/450 km southwest of Alice Springs, is a truly stunning sight, especially at sunset when its burnt-orange glow seems to set the desert on fire. Called Uluru by the Aborigines, the sandstone rock is huge (1,140 ft/350 m high, 9 mi/13 km around) and reddish brown most of the time, taking its color from iron oxide, or rust. Its presence is made more powerful by the mostly barren plain that surrounds it and disappears into the horizon. In 1985, ownership of the rock was returned to its traditional owners. It is rarely referred to as Ayers Rock anymore.

Considered sacred by the Aborigines for thousands of years, the rock is now part of the expansive Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, one of the country's biggest tourist attractions. The park includes the Olgas/Kata Tjuta, a cluster of 36 giant domelike rock formations about 20 mi/35 km west. If you want to visit both, plan to spend at least one night. You'll want to see Uluru at both sunset and sunrise. The Olgas are equally magnificent at both times of day. (But be prepared to jockey for position at either place; tour buses disgorge hundreds of visitors laden with binoculars, cameras and video equipment.)

Start your visit to the park with a stop at the cultural center. Run by the Anangu (a local Aboriginal clan), the center is a wonderful introduction to the unusual rock formations and to the people who lived in their harsh shadows for centuries. Aboriginal artwork and artifacts are on display. You can also see re-enactments of life in the bush and watch informative videos. Most visitors explore the rock as part of a tour led by park rangers, Anangu guides or private tour companies. But you can also pick up a printed walking guide at the cultural center and set off on your own.

Only one trail leads to the top of the rock, and it's fairly steep—those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, asthma, fear of heights or the like should remain earthbound. The Anangu prefer you walk around—not on—the rock because of its spiritual importance. If you do decide to climb it, allow two to three hours and take along a snack and plenty of water. The view from the top is spectacular, but hiking around the base is more educational and less strenuous. We suggest taking one or more of the shorter walks that pass water holes and rock paintings, allowing you to observe the rock's many faces at a leisurely pace. (Walking around the entire base of the rock takes about three hours.)

Allow at least an afternoon to visit the Olgas/Kata Tjuta. A frequent debate among visitors is whether the Olgas outshine the rock. It's a close call—the Olgas are taller, reaching 1,790 ft/545 m at the highest point. Made of conglomerate (pebbles and boulders cemented together by mud and sand), they are off-limits to climbers, but you can explore some of the valleys and chasms between the rocks.

Most visitors fly to Uluru or drive from Alice Springs. About the only place to stay in the area is the Ayers Rock Resort, or Yulara, whose five hotels and a campground can accommodate visitors in all price ranges. Longitude 131 is a magnificent safari camp with 15 luxury tents. Dozens of tours leave from Ayers Rock Resort, including sunrise camel rides around the rock, sunset champagne dinners in the desert, Aboriginal culture tours and stargazing. You can also rent a car there and explore on your own.

Because of the excessive heat in summer, the best time to visit is April-November (winter in Australia). Always take along plenty of drinking water. If you are flying to the Outback, we suggest going overland one way from Alice Springs (four to five hours) but flying the other way—the desert drive is scenic, but it can be tedious the second time around. http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru.

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

04/26/2025 - 05/06/2025

from $4,723 per person *

06/28/2025 - 07/08/2025

from $4,723 per person *

08/23/2025 - 09/02/2025

from $4,723 per person

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

from $4,723 per person

Length

10 Nights

Air City

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Vacation Rating

Deluxe
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.

Remarks

Trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discounts. Trip prices and discounts are subject to change. Airfare is additional. Tour prices, dates and itineraries are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. Other restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1509074

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Rio Grande Travel Centers, Inc.

6500 Holly Ave. NE Suite A-2
Albuquerque, NM 87113
USA

(505) 292-7044
(877) 768-7913