5-Day Family Adventure itinerary
If you are looking for things to do at Uluru with kids, this five-day family itinerary helps children experience Uluru properly while keeping the total holiday cost in check. Stay in a self-contained apartment at Emu Walk, stock up at the Town Square supermarket, hire a car for the national park and make the most of free Resort activities, then save your spend for a stargazing tour and an evening walk through Field of Light.
Day 1: Arrive, settle into Emu Walk Apartments, stock the fridge at the Town Square IGA and enjoy pool time before an easy dinner in the apartment.
Day 2: Collect your hire car, start at the Cultural Centre, cycle around the base of Uluru with Outback Cycling, walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole and watch the sunset.
Day 3: Recharge at the Resort with pool time, free movies, Paint Your Own Australian Animal and Bush Yarns, then stargaze on Outback Sky Journeys.
Day 4: Drive to Kata Tjuta for Walpa Gorge with older children, or stay close to the Resort with the Camel Farm, GoCA and free movies, then walk through Field of Light.
Day 5: Enjoy breakfast in the apartment, take final family photos, pick up souvenirs in Town Square and head to Ayers Rock Airport.
Things to do at Uluru with kids when you want value and flexibility
Make Emu Walk Apartments your family base. The one- and two-bedroom apartments include a fully equipped kitchenette and separate living area, so you can prepare breakfasts, pack lunches and cook simple dinners instead of eating out for every meal. Town Square, with its supermarket, cafes and shops, is a short walk away, and the complimentary Resort shuttle connects you to the rest of Ayers Rock Resort. Emu Walk guests can also use Resort facilities and join the free guest activities.
From Ayers Rock Airport, take the complimentary transfer to your apartment. Over the next five days, this itinerary protects the family budget with self-catering, car hire and free Resort activities, while still giving children hands-on time at Uluru, Kata Tjuta and the Cultural Centre. Two evening experiences give the trip standout moments without adding a high-cost dinner or another early start.
Day 1: Arrive, set up and settle in
Morning: Take the complimentary airport transfer to Emu Walk Apartments. Check in, or leave your luggage with reception if your apartment is not yet ready, then take a short walk to Town Square.
Lunch: Visit the IGA Supermarket in Town Square for an easy lunch and a proper shop. Stock the fridge with breakfast staples, snacks, drinks and packed-lunch basics for the park days ahead. The supermarket is open daily and also carries basic medical supplies and general goods.
Afternoon: Unpack, then cool off with a swim. Ask reception which Resort pool is most convenient for Emu Walk guests, and let the kids burn off some travel energy.
Evening: Keep dinner simple with a self-catered meal in the apartment. Before bed, purchase your park passes online and confirm your car hire and bike bookings for tomorrow.
Day 2: Explore Uluru the best-value way
Morning: Collect your hire car. Avis and Hertz offer pick-up options at the Resort and Ayers Rock Airport. Drive to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, where adults need a park pass and children under 18 enter free, and start at the Cultural Centre to introduce the kids to Anangu culture. Then hire bikes with Outback Cycling from the Cultural Centre car park. With adult bikes, kids' bikes, tag-alongs and toddler seats available, the whole family can ride part or all of the 10-kilometre path around the base of Uluru within the three-hour hire, using bike racks at key sites to walk in for a closer look.
Lunch: Stop in the shade for the packed lunch and snacks you brought from the apartment, with Ininti Cafe at the Cultural Centre as a back-up for cold drinks. Before heading off, browse Maruku Arts and Walkatjara Art.
Afternoon: If the kids need a break, drive back to the apartment for a rest and a swim. Your park pass lasts three days, so there is no extra cost to return later. When you are ready, head back to the Kuniya car park.
Evening: Take the Kuniya Walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole, an easy one-kilometre return. Finish at the Uluru car sunset viewing area to watch the colours change across the rock, instead of booking a paid evening experience. Drive carefully on the way back, as wildlife can be active at dusk.
Day 3: Enjoy a Resort recovery day with free activities
Morning: Sleep in and have breakfast in the apartment. Join Bush Yarns, a free 30-minute session where kids can learn about hunting tools, bush tucker gathering and the local Pitjantjatjara language. Check the free guest activity timetable, as days and times vary, then spend the rest of the morning at the pool.
Lunch: Head back to the apartment for sandwiches and snacks from your IGA shop, keeping lunch easy and inexpensive.
Afternoon: Get creative at Paint Your Own Australian Animal, held behind the Gallery of Central Australia. Kids can decorate a wooden kangaroo, koala or echidna to take home, with no booking needed. Afterwards, settle in for one of the Free Daily Movies, screened daily at 10:00am and 3:20pm on a 200-inch screen.
Evening: After an early dinner in the apartment, the family can enjoy Outback Sky Journeys. Meet at Town Square for a short walk to the viewing site, where guides share the story of the universe and ancient Indigenous stories connected to the night sky, with telescopes to explore the stars. The one-hour experience is designed for all ages, and children 15 and under go free.
Day 4: Pick your adventure, then see Field of Light
Morning: Families with older children can use the hire car to drive about 45 minutes to Kata Tjuta. Walk into Walpa Gorge, an easy 2.6-kilometre return walk between towering domes that takes about an hour. Start early to avoid the heat, carry plenty of water and follow all park signage. For younger families, visit the Camel Farm instead, where kids can wander the saddlery, meet the camels at the petting farm and hear stories of Australia's cameleers.
Lunch: Older-child families can enjoy a packed lunch before driving back to the Resort. Younger families can return to the apartment, then visit the Gallery of Central Australia to see works by Central Australian Indigenous artists.
Afternoon: Regroup at the pool. Younger children may also enjoy another free afternoon movie while parents take a break.
Evening: Share an early, casual dinner at Outback BBQ & Bar, where you choose steaks, sausages, kangaroo or barramundi and cook it yourselves, with a salad bar and jacket potatoes on the side, or grab pizza or pasta at Geckos Cafe in Town Square. Then head out for Field of Light General Admission, a self-guided walk through Bruce Munro's installation of more than 50,000 glowing spheres, now in its 10th year. The site can only be reached on a booked tour, so leave the hire car at the Resort. The experience takes about 1.5 hours, prams are not permitted due to uneven terrain.
Day 5: Wrap up with photos, souvenirs and home
Morning: Use up the last of your groceries with breakfast in the apartment, pack your bags and take some final family photos around the Resort or venture to Mangata or Ilkari buffet breakfast. Optionally, you can take part in Sunrise Journeys, but be ready for an early start.
Lunch: Return your hire car as arranged, leave your luggage with reception and visit Town Square for souvenirs.
Afternoon: Return to reception for the complimentary transfer to Ayers Rock Airport. Check the departure time with reception and leave enough time to collect your luggage.
Uluru Accommodation: Your Outback Base
Ayers Rock Resort offers stays for a variety of travel styles, blending comfort, style and convenience with close proximity to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Wherever you stay, you'll have access to services including free guest activities, tour pick-ups from your accommodation, shops and cafes in Town Square, and complimentary shuttle bus transport around Yulara.
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