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This itinerary is valid for all 2019 departures. To view the itinerary for departures beginning in January 2020, click here.
Outback to the Red Centre–Adelaide to Alice Springs
9 days, Adelaide to Alice Springs
Itinerary Notes
Please note that most 18-to-Thirtysomethings accommodation in Australia is multi-share. For more info, see our Trip Details.
Itinerary
Day 1Adelaide
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities during the day, so check in and explore the city. Opt to go for a cruise to swim with dolphins (seasonal), take the tram to Glenelg beach, visit a nearby winery, grab lunch at the Central Market, or enjoy time getting lost in the city.
Ever wanted to swim with wild dolphins? Now's your chance, by adding the 'Dolphin Swim and Cruise' extra to your tour. Head out from Adelaide and search for these majestic creatures, before hopping into the water and going for a swim as they play around you. Available mid-Sept to May.
PLEASE NOTE: If booking this extra, a pre-night in Adelaide is highly recommended as this activity starts early on Day 1.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Optional Activities - Day 1 HideShow
Adelaide Central Market
Looking for a bite to eat? Head over to Adelaide Central Market, the city's premiere fresh food and produce market since 1869. Wander the stalls and meet some of the locals – just don't forget to grab some snacks from one of the 80 vendors at the market.
Dolphin Swim and Cruise
120-130AUD per personThere are very few places in the world that you can swim with dolphins in the wild, so don’t miss the opportunity to get close to these majestic creatures. Watch them interact and play around you while you swim in their natural habitat. Available mid-Sept to late-April.
Kangaroo Island Day Trip
283AUD per personRemote, wild, and stunning, Kangaroo Island is the perfect mixture of all things Aussie. Hop over to the island for a day exploring the coastline and creatures that call it home. Prepare for a full day (up to 16 hours) that will leave you enchanted and in love with this slice of paradise just off the mainland.
Day 2Adelaide/Quorn
Enjoy a local food experience in the Clare Valley, then it's on to Quorn.
Hit the road in the morning. Admire scenic views across the Clare Valley and enjoy a local food experience featuring South Australia's best regional produce. Travel to the town of Quorn for the night.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Foodie Moment: Local Food Experience
South Australia is a region renowned for its local produce, which makes it the perfect place to sample local delicacies such as cheeses, olives, pickles, chutneys, jams and other baked goods. Try a few of these tasty treats and learn more about the food culture in this unique part of the world!
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 3Quorn/Ikara-Flinders Ranges
Head to Wilpena Pound for a walk to a natural amphitheatre sacred to the Aboriginal Adnyamathana people. Learn about Aboriginal art and early settler history.
Take the day to explore the amazing scenery of Flinders Ranges.
Wilpena Pound Hike
Enjoy nature's 800 million-year-old natural amphitheater carved out of the mountains in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges NP. Visit Indigenous art sites and learn more about the history and customs of the Adnyamathanha people who have lived here for tens of thousands of years. Keep an eye out for emus, kangaroos, and if you are lucky, the threatened yellow footed rock wallaby.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 4Ikara-Flinders Ranges/William Creek
Travel along the Old Ghan Railway route. Marvel at ruins of early settler sites and opt for a scenic flight over the great salt lake of Lake Eyre.
We follow the Oodnadatta Track, strewn with ruins of failed early settler activity, along the route of the equally unsuccessful original Ghan Railway route. Visit the dry salt lake of Lake Eyre.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Optional Activities - Day 4 HideShow
Lake Eyre Scenic Flight
150-260AUD per personSoar above Australia's largest inland lake on this 60-min flight in the north of South Australia. Typically, Lake Eyre is dry, so prepare to see a vast white salt plain shimmering in the sun. Following monsoon rains in the north, the lake fills and becomes a breeding site pelicans, gulls and terns. Enjoy a bird's-eye view and enjoy the flight.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 5William Creek/Coober Pedy
Travel to the town of Coober Pedy, the world's opal mining capital. After a guided tour of a mine, escape the heat like the locals by spending the night underground.
Travel to the unique opal mining town of Coober Pedy, where people live underground to avoid the heat. A guided mine tour gives insight to the mining process and the importance of opal to the area. Overnight like the locals by sleeping in an underground hostel, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Guided Mine Tour
Learn about opals and Coober Pedy's mining history on a tour of an old opal mine. See examples of both hand-dug and machine-dug underground homes, which are a popular way to escape the heat.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 6Coober Pedy/Kings Creek
Take in the vastness of the Outback on a driving day, then bed down in a swag (padded canvas bedroll) around a campfire and sleep under the Outback sky.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Optional Activities - Day 6 HideShow
Kings Canyon Helicopter Ride
95-285AUD per personGet a birds-eye view of Kings Canyon from the large bubble windows of a 4-passenger helicopter.
Quad Biking Around Cattle Station
105AUD per personMeals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 7Kings Creek/Uluru
Enjoy a morning walk through the gorges and valleys of Kings Canyon. Drive to Uluru, where Australia's most iconic view awaits. Experience the colourful sunset at Uluru while enjoying a glass of bubbly.
Enjoy the morning taking in the scenery or by going on an optional 4km walk through the gorges and valleys of Kings Canyon of Watarrka National Park.
Kings Canyon Hike
HIke through beautiful Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park on this walk that visits the natural amphitheatre, the North and South walls, and the Garden of Eden.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Uluru at Sunset
Enjoy a glass of bubbly, and watch the setting sun transform Uluru into a glowing monolith bathed in deep reds and oranges. Capture the moment with your camera but also take a moment to soak in the serenity of the scene just with your own eyes. Magic!
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 8Uluru
Enjoy the Mala Walk at Uluru to learn the importance of the rock to Indigenous Australians.
The next morning, awake before sunrise to do the Mala Walk around part of the base of Uluru (Ayers Rock) while learning its significance to the local Aboriginals. Visit the cultural centre to get a better understanding of the area.
Uluru Mala Walk
Take a guided walk along the northwest side of Uluru to learn about the history of the area, hear the stories of the Anangu people and gaze upon these awe-inspiring uplifted sandstone rock formations.
Indigenous Cultural Centre Visit
Learn about Indigenous Australian culture in the area to get a better perspective of the history, beliefs and present-day life of the Anangu people. Discover the wild world of bush tucker (indigenous food), find out which plants are used in bush medicine, and hear creation stories.
Optional Activities - Day 8 HideShow
Outback Astronomy Tour
60-70AUD per personEnjoy a tour of the night sky, learning how Indigenous people of Australia used the stars for mythology and seasonal predictions while getting a chance to stargaze through telescopes and binoculars. The Outback is one of the best places to stargaze, with low humidity and surrounding light - take a peek and see whats out there!
Uluru Helicopter Flight
180-360AUD per personSee some of the highlights of the red centre from a bird's-eye view. Take to the air and choose between a 15-minute loop around Uluru, or opt to also see Kata Tjuta on a 25-minute flight.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 9Uluru/Alice Springs
Discover more of the Red Centre with a hike through the beautiful Valley of the Winds in Kata Tjuta. Transfer to Alice Springs, where the tour ends upon arrival in the early evening.
Travel to the rock formations of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and, heat permitting, walk through the Valley of the Winds to explore the surrounding area before continuing onto Alice Springs.
The tour ends upon arrival to Alice Springs in the evening.
Valley of the Winds Walk
Walk through the Valley of the Winds to explore the beautiful, red, domed rocks that comprise the site. Visit two separate lookouts for great views over the area.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.
Optional Activities - Day 9 HideShow
Camel Ride
7-15AUD per personSpend 45 minutes on a guided camel ride with incredible views of Uluru and Kata Tjutas. Learn about the Outback landscapes and the importance of camels to the history of the Red Centre.