Camping at Uluṟu: Is Ayers Rock Campground worth it?

If you’re planning on camping at Uluṟu, one thing quickly becomes obvious. There aren’t many campgrounds to choose from.

For most travellers, Ayers Rock Campground is the obvious base, sitting just 20 minutes from Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and right in the heart of Ayers Rock Resort. But with powered sites costing anywhere from around $58 to $90 per night for a couple, plenty of travellers wonder whether it’s actually worth the money.

Having camped here twice myself with my family, I’d say yes.

No, it isn’t the cheapest campground you’ll ever stay at, but it’s also no more expensive than many popular beachfront holiday parks along Australia’s east coast. And when you consider the facilities, location and everything that’s included with your stay, it offers good value for anyone exploring Australia’s Red Centre.

Location is everything

The biggest reason to stay at Ayers Rock Campground isn’t the facilities. It’s the location.

Being just a 20-minute drive from Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park means you can easily head out before dawn for sunrise, return for breakfast, spend the afternoon either exploring or relaxing, then head back into the park for sunset.

If you’ve ever travelled in Central Australia, you’ll know that driving long distances every day quickly wears thin, especially after early morning starts.

The only other established camping options in the vicinity of Uluṟu are much further away. Curtin Springs Wayside Inn, on a working cattle station, is roughly an hour from the national park, while Kings Creek Station is around three hours away.

If your goal is to experience everything Uluṟu has to offer, staying close makes the most sense.

What does Ayers Rock Campground cost?

Camping at Uluṟu isn’t cheap, but it’s also not outrageously expensive when compared with premium location holiday parks elsewhere in Australia, like the east coast.

Powered sites for a couple generally range from around $58 to $90 per night, depending on the season and length of stay. Unpowered sites typically range from around $45 to $70, while tent-only sites range from approximately $26 to $40.

Travelling with your family? Well, as many travelling families know, that hurts the wallet a bit more. For two adults and two children under 16, expect to pay around $72 to $114 for a powered site, $59 to $94 for an unpowered site and $40 to $64 for a tent only site. 

You’ll notice I’ve included a range of prices. This is because the nightly rate becomes considerably cheaper if you stay longer.

That’s actually good news because one or two nights isn’t enough to properly experience the area anyway. We recommend spending five days at Uluṟu to explore the national park, experience the cultural attractions and enjoy everything Ayers Rock Resort has to offer. 

The facilities make a big difference

One thing I was grateful for during both of my stays was just how comfortable the campground is. After spending days (weeks, even) driving through Central Australia, having access to clean, flushing toilets, hot showers, and a laundry makes a huge difference.

Facilities include:

• Powered and unpowered caravan sites
• Tent camping sites
• Modern toilets and hot showers
• Laundry facilities
• Camp kitchen
• Communal BBQ areas
• Swimming pool
• Water and power connections
• Nearby dump point

The campground is not luxurious, but it does feel much more like a quality holiday park than a basic outback campsite. If you do want luxury, Ayers Rock Resort has plenty of other accommodation options.

The swimming pool is particularly welcome for those travelling with kids or if you’re visiting in the hotter months.

You’re staying at a resort, not just a campground

Ayers Rock Campground isn’t just a patch of red dirt in the middle of nowhere (although that red dirt is everywhere out here). It’s located within the Ayers Rock Resort, giving you access to facilities and experiences that simply aren’t available at most campgrounds.

A free shuttle bus runs approximately every 20 minutes between 10:30am and 12:30am, connecting:

• Ayers Rock Campground
• Resort Town Square
• Visitor Centre
• All hotels
• Uluṟu Camel Farm

That means you can leave the caravan behind and easily visit restaurants, cafés or grab supplies from the IGA supermarket in the Town Square.

Don’t miss the free experiences

Another reason I think the campground represents good value is the range of free experiences the resort offers.

Depending on the daily schedule, you can join in on:

• Guided Garden Walks
• Bush Yarns
• Didgeridoo Workshops
• Bush Food Experiences
• Paint Your Australian Animal
• Gallery of Central Australia experiences
• Astronomy presentations
• Movies

Many of these experiences offer a deeper understanding of Aṉangu culture and the landscapes surrounding Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa.

Special experiences worth considering

While the free activities are of course, a great bonus, staying at Ayers Rock Campground also puts you within easy reach of some of Australia’s most memorable outback experiences.

Because the campground is part of Ayers Rock Resort, you can simply hop on the free shuttle or take a short drive to experiences that would otherwise be much harder to access if you were staying further away.

If your budget allows, consider adding one or two of these to your itinerary:

• Wintjiri Wiṟu: An extraordinary evening experience combining drones, lasers, projections and a soundtrack that shares an Aṉangu chapter of the Mala story against the backdrop of Uluṟu.
• Field of Light: Bruce Munro’s internationally acclaimed installation featuring more than 50,000 illuminated glass stems spread across the desert. It’s available as a self-guided experience or combined with sunrise or dinner packages.
• Sounds of Silence: Dine under a canopy of stars while enjoying native-inspired cuisine and learning about the southern night sky from a resident star talker.
• Tali Wiṟu: The resort’s premium open-air dining experience, offering an intimate evening of fine dining overlooking the desert landscape.

These experiences aren’t essential to enjoying Uluṟu, but they do add that something extra special to your visit. Staying at Ayers Rock Campground makes them incredibly easy to include in your itinerary (bus picks you up from the campground) without the need for long drives before or after dark.

Is Ayers Rock Campground worth it?

After staying here twice, I’d say absolutely.

Yes, it’s more expensive than many country caravan parks, but it’s also one of Australia’s most iconic destinations. When you compare the cost with premium beachfront holiday parks on the east coast, the pricing is on par.

More importantly, you’re paying for far more than just a campsite. You’re paying for the unbeatable location, the facilities in a remote destination (which are few and far between), resort amenities, free cultural experiences and the flexibility to explore Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa at your own pace.

Being so close means you can watch sunrise one morning, ride around Uluṟu on a pushbike another day, return to the resort for lunch, explore Kata Tjuṯa yet another, and head back out for sunset after an afternoon rest.

It means you don’t have to rush and not rushing is, in my opinion, the secret sauce to enjoying camping.

For anyone planning camping at Uluṟu, Ayers Rock Campground remains the best place to stay and, in my experience, it’s money well spent.

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