Alice Springs Campervan & Motorhome Hire

Day 1: Collect your van in Alice Springs, known as Mparntwe to the Arrernte people, and check your depot's hours first, as some close mid-afternoon. Do a big grocery shop, fill the water tank and climb Anzac Hill at sunset for views over the town and the MacDonnell Ranges. Book a holiday park in town for two nights.

Day 2: Spend the cool of the morning at the Alice Springs Desert Park, where trails wind through desert habitats and the nocturnal house shows animals rarely seen by day. After lunch, visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service tourist facility, then explore the historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station, where the town began, before restocking for the ranges.

Day 3: Head west on Larapinta Drive and Namatjira Drive, sealed all the way to Ormiston Gorge, about 135 km from town. Stop at Simpsons Gap, pay the entry fee at Standley Chasm, run by its Aboriginal owners, and swim at Ellery Creek Big Hole if you can handle the cold water. Camp at Ormiston Gorge, booked online through NT Parks.

Day 4: Walk the Ormiston Pound loop, about 3 to 4 hours, in the cool of the morning, then cool off in the gorge's waterhole, up to 14 m deep at its southern end. Look in at the Ochre Pits on the drive back to Alice Springs, about 1.5 hours, then refuel and restock for tomorrow's long drive south.

Day 5: Allow about 5 hours plus stops to reach Kings Canyon on the sealed route, south on the Stuart Highway to Erldunda, west on the Lasseter Highway and north on Luritja Road. The shorter Mereenie Loop and Ernest Giles Road are unsealed and off limits in many 2WD hires. Book two nights at Kings Canyon Resort or Kings Creek Station.

Day 6: Start the 6 km Kings Canyon Rim Walk at first light, as it takes 3 to 4 hours, opens with a steep climb and must be started before 9am on days forecast to reach 36°C. Look down into the Garden of Eden, where swimming is not allowed, then rest at camp through the afternoon heat before sunset over the George Gill Range.

Day 7: Drive about 3.5 hours to Yulara via Luritja Road and the Lasseter Highway, and check in at Ayers Rock Campground for three nights, as there is no camping inside the national park. Show your Uluru-Kata Tjuta park pass, $38 per adult for 3 days, at the entry station, then visit the Cultural Centre before sunset at the viewing area.

Day 8: Walk the 10.6 km Uluru base walk from the Mala car park in the early morning, or join the daily ranger-guided Mala walk, finishing before 11am on hot days. Aṉangu ask visitors not to photograph signposted sensitive sites, and the climb has been permanently closed since 2019. In the evening, book a ticket for the Field of Light.

Day 9: Drive about 50 km to Kata Tjuta for the Valley of the Winds, a steep, rocky 7.4 km circuit that closes beyond Karu Lookout from 11am on 36°C days. Aṉangu ask that you take no photos of the domes on this walk, as it is a culturally sensitive men's area. Later, walk Walpa Gorge, then watch the sunset from the Kata Tjuta viewing area.

Day 10: Allow about 5 hours back to Alice Springs via the Lasseter and Stuart highways, refuelling at Curtin Springs or Erldunda and stopping at the Mount Conner lookout, a flat-topped mesa often mistaken for Uluru. Spend the night at a holiday park in town, and restock for the long run north towards the Top End.

Day 11: Head north on the Stuart Highway, passing the Tropic of Capricorn marker just out of town, and allow about 4.5 hours to Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles, around 400 km away. The granite boulders are a sacred site for their Traditional Owners, so stay on the marked paths, then camp at the reserve's campground and watch them glow at sunset.

Day 12: Catch sunrise over the boulders, then drive about an hour north to Tennant Creek. Visit the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre to learn about Warumungu culture, checking its opening hours first, and stock up on groceries, water and fuel. Stay at a caravan park in town, ready for a big driving day tomorrow.

Day 13: Allow about 4.5 hours north through Renner Springs and Elliott as the red desert gives way to grassy savanna, around 400 km in all. Take a break at the Newcastle Waters rest area, then turn off to Daly Waters for a meal and a night at the campground behind its historic outback pub.

Day 14: Drive under 2 hours to Mataranka and float down the clear, spring-fed Bitter Springs in Elsey National Park, about 2 km from town, checking access first, as flooding can close it in the wet season. Visit the Mataranka Thermal Pool nearby too, then stay at a holiday park in town.

Day 15: Drive about an hour to Katherine to restock, then continue about 30 km to Nitmiluk National Park, where 13 gorges are carved into the sandstone. Book a cruise or hire a canoe on Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge, checking conditions first, as river access changes with the seasons. Camp two nights near the visitor centre.

Day 16: Walk up to the lookouts above the first gorge early, before the heat builds, then spend the afternoon on the water or swimming only where rangers say it is safe. Back in Katherine, soak in the Katherine Hot Springs and fill the fuel tank for tomorrow's drive towards Darwin.

Day 17: Head north for about an hour to Leliyn (Edith Falls) for a swim in the plunge pool, if open, as swimming areas can close after the wet season until rangers have checked them for crocodiles. Continue via Pine Creek and Adelaide River to Batchelor, the gateway to Litchfield, about 2.5 hours, and stay two nights.

Day 18: Spend a full day in Litchfield National Park, where sealed roads link the magnetic termite mounds, Florence Falls, Buley Rockhole and Wangi Falls. Swim only where signs say it is open, as rangers monitor the waterways for crocodiles. Leave 4WD tracks, such as the road to the Lost City, to suitable vehicles.

Day 19: Drive about 1.5 hours to Darwin and settle into a holiday park for your last two nights. If you arrive on a Thursday or Sunday in the dry season, head to the Mindil Beach Sunset Market for food stalls, local crafts and a sunset over the water, and leave the van at camp if parking looks tight.

Day 20: Visit the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, whose Cyclone Tracy gallery tells the story of the 1974 storm, then stroll the Darwin Waterfront. Spend the afternoon cleaning the van, emptying the fridge and packing, ready for an easy return tomorrow.

Day 21: Refuel, empty the waste tanks and return the van to your brand's Darwin depot, such as Britz in Winnellie, near the airport. One-way fees apply, for example AU$300 with Britz on pick-ups from Alice Springs up to 31 March 2027, so check one-way availability and the total for your dates before you book.

Day 1: Collect your van in Alice Springs and do a big shop, as range and prices are best in town. Climb Anzac Hill for sunset over the town and the MacDonnell Ranges, then settle into a holiday park for three nights and run through the van's water, power and gas before dark.

Day 2: Spend the morning at the Alice Springs Desert Park, including the nocturnal house, then browse the Aboriginal art galleries of Todd Mall and the free Megafauna Central museum in the heat of the day. Late in the afternoon, wander the native plantings at Olive Pink Botanic Garden, close to the town centre.

Day 3: Drive east on the sealed Ross Highway to Emily Gap (Anthwerrke) and Jessie Gap, sacred sites for the Arrernte people, with rock art at Emily Gap, about 15 minutes from town. Continue to Corroboree Rock if time allows, then return to visit the Alice Springs Telegraph Station, where the town began.

Day 4: Head west on Larapinta Drive to Simpsons Gap, then turn off to Standley Chasm, run by its Aboriginal owners, where the narrow walls glow around midday and an entry fee applies. Continue on Namatjira Drive to Ellery Creek Big Hole for a chilly swim, and camp there, booked and paid online through NT Parks.

Day 5: Drive west past Serpentine Gorge and the Ochre Pits, where Aboriginal people have gathered ochre for generations, to Ormiston Gorge, about 45 minutes from Ellery Creek. Book two nights at the campground and swim in the deep waterhole near the visitor centre, which stays cool even in summer.

Day 6: Start the Ormiston Pound loop at first light, about 3 to 4 hours over rocky slopes and the open floor of the pound, returning along the gorge past the main waterhole. Rest in the shade through the afternoon, then watch the sunset turn the gorge walls deep red. The Larapinta Trail passes through here, so expect to meet hikers.

Day 7: Drive back to Alice Springs, about 1.5 hours, to refuel and restock, then continue south on the Stuart Highway for about 2 hours to Erldunda, at the Lasseter Highway turn-off. Stay at the roadhouse caravan park to break up the journey, as the shorter Mereenie Loop to Kings Canyon is unsealed and banned in many 2WD hires.

Day 8: Drive about 3 hours west on the Lasseter Highway and north on Luritja Road to Watarrka National Park, and book two nights at Kings Canyon Resort or Kings Creek Station. In the late afternoon, take the short, flat Kings Creek walk along the canyon floor, then watch the sunset light up the George Gill Range.

Day 9: Start the 6 km Kings Canyon Rim Walk at first light, as it takes 3 to 4 hours, opens with a steep climb and must be started before 9am on days forecast to reach 36°C. Look down into the Garden of Eden, where swimming is not allowed, and carry plenty of water, then spend a slow afternoon at camp.

Day 10: Allow about 3.5 hours to Yulara, refuelling before you leave, and check in at Ayers Rock Campground for three nights, as there is no camping inside the national park. Buy your Uluru-Kata Tjuta park pass online, $38 per adult for 3 days, and catch your first sunset over Uluru from the viewing area.

Day 11: Start early on the 10.6 km Uluru base walk from the Mala car park, or join the daily ranger-guided Mala walk, finishing by 11am on hot days. Spend the middle of the day at the Cultural Centre learning about Tjukurpa, and respect Aṉangu wishes by not photographing signposted sensitive sites. The climb has been permanently closed since 2019.

Day 12: Drive about 50 km to Kata Tjuta at dawn for the Valley of the Winds, a steep, rocky 7.4 km circuit that closes beyond Karu Lookout from 11am on 36°C days. Aṉangu ask that you take no photos of the domes on this walk. In the evening, book a ticket for the Field of Light near Yulara.

Day 13: Allow about 5 hours back to Alice Springs on the Lasseter and Stuart highways, with stops at the Mount Conner lookout and Curtin Springs, a working cattle station. Book a holiday park in town and use the evening to clean the van, empty the tanks and refuel.

Day 14: Return the van to your Alice Springs depot, checking its closing time, as Britz, for example, asks for returns at least an hour before closing. If your flight leaves later, visit the Araluen Cultural Precinct, home to the Araluen Art Centre and the Museum of Central Australia.

Day 1: Collect your van as early as your depot allows, stock up on food and water and allow about 5 hours, around 450 km, to Yulara via the Stuart and Lasseter highways. Refuel at Erldunda or Curtin Springs, then check in at Ayers Rock Campground for three nights, in time for sunset at the Uluru viewing area.

Day 2: Walk the 10.6 km Uluru base walk from the Mala car park in the early morning, or join the daily ranger-guided Mala walk, and finish by 11am on hot days. Spend the afternoon at the Cultural Centre, and respect Aṉangu wishes by not climbing, staying on marked tracks and not photographing signposted sensitive sites.

Day 3: Drive about 50 km to Kata Tjuta at dawn for the Valley of the Winds, a 7.4 km circuit that closes beyond Karu Lookout from 11am on 36°C days, and take no photos of the domes on this walk, as Aṉangu ask. In the afternoon, walk Walpa Gorge, then book the Field of Light for the evening.

Day 4: Refuel at Yulara and drive about 3.5 hours to Kings Canyon via the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road. Book two nights at Kings Canyon Resort or Kings Creek Station, then walk the short, flat Kings Creek walk along the canyon floor in the late afternoon.

Day 5: Start the 6 km Kings Canyon Rim Walk at first light, as it takes 3 to 4 hours, opens with a steep climb and must be started before 9am on days forecast to reach 36°C. Look down into the Garden of Eden, where swimming is not allowed, then rest at camp before sunset over the George Gill Range.

Day 6: Allow about 5 hours back to Alice Springs on the sealed route via Luritja Road, the Lasseter Highway and the Stuart Highway, as the shorter Ernest Giles Road and Mereenie Loop are unsealed. Break the trip at Erldunda, then stay at a holiday park in Alice Springs and refuel, ready for tomorrow's return.

Day 7: Spend the morning at the Alice Springs Desert Park or at Simpsons Gap, about 20 minutes west of town, where rock-wallabies shelter among the boulders. Empty the tanks, refuel and return the van, aiming to arrive at least an hour before your depot closes.