It’s one thing to simply gaze up at the magical sandstone monolith known as Uluru. But to really get intimate with this sacred site of the Aboriginal people, it’s necessary to spend some time walking around Uluru.
Walking around Uluru is what its all about. Hiking is the best way to experience this amazing icon. See Ayers Rock from all sides, and discover the intimate details that make this such an interesting feature of the Australian outback.
There is a lot of controversy over whether it’s culturally insensitive to climb Ayers Rock. But whether you go to the top or simply enjoy the experience from around the base, there are some wonderful walks to be had at Uluru.
Uluru holds tremendous spiritual significance for the local Anangu people. They lead some of the best tours of Ayers Rock but are serious when they request visitors to refrain from actually climbing to the top of Uluru. This experience is something reserved for the Anangu, and even they only climb up there on special occasions.
Visitors are now longer allowed to climb Uluru.
A better alternative, in terms of cultural respect, is to take one of the many walks around the base of Uluru. Most Ayers Rock tour packages incorporate at least one of these wonderful walks, which range from casual strolls between the Cultural Centre and the rock, and major treks circumnavigating the entire base of Uluru.
The Uluru Base Walk is the best of the bunch, running 10kms around the entire base of Ayers Rock. By walking clockwise, the crowds soon thin out, leaving only serious trekkers.
Uluru Guided Walking Tours
Guided hiking tours are a great way to see the best of Uluru, without missing a thing.
How long does walking around Uluru take?
The Uluru Base Walk is a 10km walk on a flat marked dirt path, and can be completed in around 3.5 hours.
The Liru Walk is the second-longest outing, running for four kilometres from the Cultural Centre to the base of Uluru. It takes about 1 hour, 30 minutes and offers a great look at the native flora and fauna along the way.
The Mala Walk is a lovely stroll from the Mala Walk car park to the edge of the gorgeous Kantju Gorge.
Experiencing the natural beauty of the gorge is the highlight of this walk, which makes a nice complement to a walk around Ayers Rock. There are several longer walks to be had within the Kata Tjuta part of the national park, so hikers have days’ worth of trail fun if they can linger here long enough.