Things to do in Alice Springs | Northern Territory, Australia (2024)

FAQs

Is Alice Springs, Australia worth visiting? ›

Alice Springs is a perfect town to visit to experience Australian outback adventures. Alice Springs is the best place to visit and to stay for a few nights if you're looking to explore the Red Desert. The town is the biggest in central Australia and is also the closest to Uluru.

Alice Springs is known for being the town in the Centre of Australia. It is a great base point to visit Central Australia and see the surrounding region, including the MacDonnell Ranges, Kings Canyon and Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park.

Alice Springs lies in a desert, surrounded by soaring mountains, dramatic gorges, and stunning nature parks. Aside from the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, visitors are often surprised by the beautiful waterholes and lush greenery that can be found here. The landscape is like no other.

In Alice Springs, stunning scenery is not just the domain of the outdoors. Visit the Araluen Cultural Precinct in town, and you'll encounter an array of galleries, museums, sculptures and sacred sites offering a unique experience of Aboriginal art, culture and heritage.

Best time to visit Alice Springs

Alice Springs is prone to temperature spikes in summer and dips in winter. Prepare well and you'll enjoy your visit to this iconic Australian outback town. If you're sensitive to extremes, the best times to visit are April to September.

Spend More Time in Alice Springs!

If you really want to see Alice Springs in all its beauty, we'd recommend coming for at least 2-3 days, even a week to do some day trips.

During the 1960s, Alice Springs became an important defence location with the development of the US/Australian Pine Gap joint defence satellite monitoring base, home to about 700 workers from both countries. By far the major industry in recent times is tourism.

Getting around Alice Springs

Most things are within walking distance in the town, and there is a public bus available. If you want to venture to the MacDonnell Ranges or other places that are further afield without a car, a diverse range of day tours can be booked.

No, there is no direct train from Sydney station to Alice Springs Station. However, there are services departing from Sydney Central Station and arriving at Alice Springs via Adelaide Parklands. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 2 days 5h.

Public transportation options are limited in Alice Springs there are public buses, a hop-on hop-off bus tour and some taxis found in town. Buses depart from the Yeperenye Shopping Center on Hartley Street and a single bus ticket costs around $3 for three hours of unlimited travel, a one day ticket costs about $7.

Can you walk around Alice Springs? ›

There are plenty of opportunities for walking and hiking in Alice Springs and surrounds on its many walking trails. You can experience 360-degree views of the East and West McDonnell ranges from atop rock-covered hills across town, and you'll find suitable trails for inexperienced and experienced hikers alike.

The American influence in Alice Springs comes from Pine Gap, a US satellite tracking station. It is 19 km south-west of Alice Springs. Pine Gap employs 700 American and Australians. There are about 2,000 people in the Alice Springs region who are US citizens.

Drinking in public is not permitted in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, and some parts of Darwin.

We treat our water to ensure it's safe to drink straight from the tap.

Just for the record, the closest beach is about 1,500km away in Darwin. How long does the journey take from Adelaide to Alice Springs?

I would say that Uluru and nearby Kata Tjuta are uniquely Australian and well worth it. However, you don't see to have the time. I would even drop one or two places from what you already have and concentrate on two destinations, at most three, given the amount of time you have.

Hi, the main road from Alice Springs to Uluru is a bitumen road which is in good condition. It is about 350km and will take at least 3.5 hours to travel. The driving is relatively easy, providing you don't try to drive when as its getting dark (danger of animals on the road).

Safety in Alice Springs to Uluru

Be careful around Alice Springs and the rest of Nothern Territory on your road trip, especially after dark. Don't walk around alone, hide any valuables you have in your car, and lock your vehicle.

It is recommended to have about six days in total to explore both Alice Springs and Uluru. That is about three days in each place. There is so much to do in Alice Springs and Uluru. But if you're limited by time, you could do two days.