Alice Springs sits in the middle of the Red Centre and is the starting point for the classic Uluru tours. Right outside town begin the West MacDonnell Ranges, with gorges, waterholes and rock wallabies. Here you'll find all the checked spots from our map with tips.
You reach Alice Springs by plane, on The Ghan train between Adelaide and Darwin, or by car on the Stuart Highway. In town a lot is within walking distance; for the West MacDonnell Ranges you need a car or a tour. Uluru is about four and a half hours away.
The best time is April to October, with warm days and cold nights — in winter it can freeze at night. In summer it gets very hot, and many walks only make sense early in the morning.
A former YHA in a 1942 cinema with a pool and an open-air cinema screen, under a new name since it was sold in 2025. A popular base before the Uluru tour.
A campground at one of the most beautiful gorges in the West MacDonnell Ranges.
A gorge with a permanent waterhole, about two hours west — one of the most beautiful in the West MacDonnell Ranges. The water is ice-cold. Best time April to October.
A small hill with views over the town and the MacDonnell Ranges, a ten-minute walk from the centre. Most beautiful at sunset.
A gap in the ranges close to town, often with rock wallabies on the rocks. Reachable by bike along the cycle path, best in the late afternoon.
A narrow gorge whose walls glow red around midday, when the sun shines straight in. Small entry fee, Aboriginal-run.
The pedestrian mall has cafés and galleries of Aboriginal art. Buy art directly from art centres so the money reaches the artists.
Three-day camping tours to Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon — the backpacker classic, sleeping under the stars in a swag.
A laundromat in Alice Springs.
By car in about four and a half hours, or on a three-day camping tour to Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon.
The West MacDonnell Ranges with Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm and Ormiston Gorge, plus Anzac Hill and Aboriginal art in Todd Mall.
From April to October. In winter it gets cold at night.
All spots on the Alice Springs map. Nearby: Uluru and Kings Canyon. The route at a glance on the Red Centre Way and Explorer's Way road trips.
Updated September 2026. Checked against official sources and operator websites. Prices, opening hours and seasons change — check before you go.