Melbourne to Uluru drive: ultimate outback road trip

A Melbourne to Uluru road trip is the perfect way to experience the Australian Outback.

Along the way, you’ll take in breathtaking views from atop the Grampians and cruise the Mighty Murray on a paddle steamer. You’ll sleep overnight in an underground campsite and wake to watch the sunrise over the vivid Painted Desert. Finally, you’ll end your road trip in awe as you explore the natural wonders of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and the Red Centre.

Make sure you don’t miss a thing by following our ultimate Melbourne to Uluru road trip guide!

Below, you’ll find information about:

• The best sightseeing and camping spots

• Drive times and distances

• The best season to travel

• The best vehicle for this road trip

• Return routes

• And much more!

Melbourne to Uluru Road Trip Facts

Driving Details

Total Drive Time and Distance:

• One Way: 37 hours (3,447km)

• Return: 60 hours (5,707km)

Total Number of Days:

• One Way: 6 - 8 days

• Return: 10 - 12 days

Route

• Melbourne - Horsham - Mildura - Wilpena Pound - Woomera - Coober Pedy - Uluru - Alice Springs (Optional) - Coober Pedy - Port Pirie - Adelaide - Melbourne

Best Sightseeing Spots

• Grampians National Park

• Murray River

• Flinders Ranges

• Coober Pedy

• Painted Desert (Optional)

• Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

• Kings Canyon and Glen Helen Gorge (Optional)

Best Time to Visit

The best time to do a Melbourne to Uluru road trip is between May and September. During this winter period, daily temperatures are low (20°C - 30°C) and rainfall is at a minimum. However, be aware that night temperatures drop dramatically and you will have to pack some warm clothing for sleeping in.

Best Vehicle for Road Trip

The major roads and highways between Melbourne and Uluru are well sealed. Any 2WD or 4WD camper vehicle will be able to handle this road trip. Search Camplify for affordable and unique campervan hire in Melbourne.

Melbourne to Uluru Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Melbourne to Horsham (via Grampians National Park)

Drive Time: 4 hr

Distance: 325km

Sightseeing Stop # 1: Grampians National Park

The Grampians is a heritage-listed national park. It’s renowned for its waterfalls, mountains, wildflowers and native fauna. It’s also home to the “largest number of ancient Aboriginal rock art paintings and shelters in southern Australia”. The best way to experience the Grampians is to hike to one of its panoramic mountain lookouts.

Camping: Horsham

Relax beside the Wimmera River in the beautiful Horsham Riverside Caravan Park. Take your pick from villa accommodation or powered/unpowered campsites (starting at $28 per night). Facilities include clean and modern amenities blocks, BBQs, laundry and more.

Day 2: Horsham to Mildura

Drive Time: 3 hr 30 min

Distance: 310km

Sightseeing Stop # 1: Cruise the Murray River

Paddle steamers have carried cargo, mail and passengers up and down the mighty Murray River for over 100 years. Whilst in Mildura, take a two-hour cruise on one of these historic vessels and visit the famous Lock 11 Mildura weir. On board, you’ll learn a lot about the area from a local guide and enjoy a light lunch with beverages.

Sightseeing Stop # 2: Australian Inland Botanic Gardens

The Inland Botanic Gardens is home to more than 20,000 semi-arid plants from all over Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Visit the gardens and you’ll be amazed how such a wide array of plants can grow out of such dry desert soil. Pay particular attention to the eucalyptus mallees, thought to be nearly 2,500 years old.

Camping: Mildura

Try either the BIG4 Mildura Getaway Holiday Park or the BIG4 NRMA Mildura Riverside Holiday Park. Both are highly rated and offer a range of camping options upon their lush grounds. They also both feature a massive range of amenities for the whole family.

Day 3: Mildura to Wilpena Pound (via Clare Valley)

Drive Time: 7 hr 20 min

Distance: 671km

Sightseeing Stop # 1: Clare Valley

From Mildura, head west into the rolling green hills of the South Australian wine region. Stop for lunch at one of the many charming pubs, wineries or farmhouse restaurants in the Clare Valley. Don’t forget to try a drop of the region's world-class signature Riesling.

Camping: Wilpena Pound

After a long day on the road, grab a campsite at Wilpena Pound Resort (unpowered sites start from $14 per night). Wilpena Pound is a natural amphitheatre of mountains and forms part of the 800-million-year-old Flinders Ranges. Spend the afternoon watching the sunset over the mountains or take a guided tour to learn about the site's significance as an Aboriginal meeting place.

Day 4: Wilpena Pound to Woomera

Drive Time: 3hr 50min

Distance: 346km

Sightseeing Stop # 1: Port Augusta

You can enjoy a slow start this morning and take in the beauty of Wilpena Pound. Whenever you’re ready, load the camper and head back towards Port Augusta. This coastal town is a good place for a seafood lunch and is also home to a couple of award-winning tourist attractions including the Wadlata Outback Centre and the Water Tower Lookout.

Sightseeing Stop # 2 and Camping: Woomera

Woomera is an isolated outback town that was purpose-built for testing rockets and long-range weapons. Visit the Heritage Centre and Missile park to learn more about the pivotal role that this town played in Australia’s military history. You can also see artefacts from local Aboriginal tribes and learn about the man that built many of the roads through Australia’s central outback - Len Beadell.

Woomera is also one of the only places between Port Augusta and Uluru where you can stay overnight. The Woomera Caravan Park offers a range of camping options starting at just $10 a night.

Day 5: Woomera to Coober Pedy

Drive Time: 4hr

Distance: 374km

It’s towns like Coober Pedy that make this Melbourne to Uluru road trip one of a kind. This quirky place in the middle of the outback is packed with attractions that you’ll struggle to find anywhere else in the world.

Sightseeing: Coober Pedy

Visit some of the famous underground buildings like Faye’s Underground Home or the Catacomb church. Then take an interactive tour at one of the town's 70 opal mines, responsible for producing 95% of the world’s commercial opal supply. Finally, end the day with a driving tour of the Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park and its moon-like environment.

Camping: Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy also offers the rare opportunity to stay in underground accommodation. Riba’s Underground Camping is highly rated and offers a range of both above and below ground camping options (prices start at $16 per night)!

Day 6: Coober Pedy to Uluru

Drive Time: 10hr

Distance: 842km

Sightseeing Spot # 1: Painted Desert Lookout (Optional)

Leave Coober Pedy as early as possible and continue your road trip to Uluru. Instead of taking the Stuart Highway though, try taking the scenic road to the Painted Desert Lookout. It’s a 2.5-hour drive from Coober Pedy and is the perfect place to catch an outback sunrise. The Painted Desert is famous for its vivid rainbow-coloured hills, which can only be found in a handful of places around the world.

Sightseeing Spot # 2 and Camping: Uluru

After leaving the Painted Desert, you’ve got a 7.5-hour drive to Uluru. There aren’t many towns to stop at along the way but that’s what makes this road trip so unique - wide-open landscapes and vast blue skies. Along the way, you’ll pass several sites that are remarkable in their own right. See if you can spot Mt Conner, a landmark many tourists mistake it for being the Big Red Rock itself.

While you can’t camp within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Ayers Rock Resort is a crowd-favourite with an awesome campground with a swimming pool.

Day 7: Uluru National Park

Drive Time: 2hr

Distance: 135km

Sightseeing Spot # 1: Uluru (Ayers Rock)

You’re going to want to catch the sunrise over Uluru, so wake up early enough to make the 20-minute drive into the National Park. The Park opens at 5 am in summer and 6.30 am in winter, so be sure to get down there early and take your pick of the sunrise viewing spots.

Once you’ve snapped a few shots, park at the base of the rock and make the most of the cool morning temperatures. There are several walking options, including a 10km loop track for those who are up for a challenge.

Sightseeing Spot # 2: Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)

Uluru isn’t the only famous rock formation in the Red Centre. Only 40km away is Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), another monolithic site of great spiritual importance to the local Aboriginal people. Head there in the afternoon and walk between the massive ochre domes before watching the fiery red sunset glow off of the rockface.

Day 8 (Optional): Uluru to Alice Springs via Kings Canyon

Drive Time: 7hr

Distance: 656km

Sightseeing Spot # 1: Kings Canyon

If you want to explore the Red Centre beyond Uluru, consider adding an extra day to your trip and heading further north to Alice Spring. Along the way, stop at the iconic Kings Canyon - an ancient oasis hidden amongst the rugged Watarrka National Park. Take a walk amongst the Canyon’s sheer red sandstone cliffs that have been slowly formed over the course of 440-million years.

Sightseeing Spot # 2: Ellery Creek Big Hole

Continue towards Alice Springs and you will come upon Ellery Creek Big Hole in the West MacDonnell National Park. This is one of the most popular swimming holes in the Outback and it’s not hard to see why. People flock here to take a dip and snap a pic of the soaring red cliffs that surround the oasis. You can even camp at the site if you want (fees apply).

Camping: Alice Springs

After a few days in the desert, you’ll be glad to see Alice Springs at the end of your Melbourne to Uluru road trip. This is the third-largest town in the NT and has everything you need to restock for your return trip. Check out the highly-rated BIG4 MacDonnell Range Holiday Park which has a heap of camping sites.

Returning From Your Melbourne to Uluru Road Trip (Days 9 - 12)

When returning from your Melbourne to Uluru road trip, detour via Port Pirie and Adelaide. This return trip normally takes about 4 days but you get to see a few new sights (24 hours drive time / 2,331km).

Alternatively, you could also:

• Continue north from Uluru to Darwin and explore Kakadu National Park (adds another 4 days to your road trip).

• Head west from Uluru to Broome and explore the Western Australian coastline (adds another 7 - 14 days to your trip).

• Return from Uluru to Sydney via Broken Hill and Dubbo (adds another 5 - 6 days to your trip).

• Drive from Uluru to Brisbane via Longreach (adds another 6 - 7 days to your trip).

Check out some more Australian Outback road trip ideas! Or stay relatively close to the city and discover these road trips around Melbourne.