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Australia
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Northern Territory
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Alice Springs Municipality
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Alice Springs
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Tours & Activities
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West MacDonnell Ranges Day Trip from Alice Springs
1 day
Full Day
Instant confirmation
About this activity
After pickup at your Alice Springs hotel, set off with your guide and small group into West MacDonnell National Park to begin your exploration of the area’s many natural attractions. Throughout the day, your knowledgeable guide shares informative commentary about the natural and cultural history to the region.
Start with a scenic walk at Simpsons Gap, one of the most renowned gaps in the West MacDonnell Ranges. Follow a riverbed to a natural rock amphitheater while looking for endangered black-footed rock wallabies that hop among the boulders.
Then admire the tall rock walls of Standley Chasm as you stroll through trees that line the tracks including acacias, cycads, ghost gums and cypress pines. Have morning tea at Standley Chasm before heading to your next destination, the Ochre Pits.
A short path leads to rock walls that are covered with white, yellow and red layers of ochre. Be sure to bring your camera to snap photos of the shifting hues. Considered a sacred site for the local Arrernte peoples, the ochre pits provided material traditionally used for ceremonies and trading.
Further down the road, stop for a picnic lunch at Ormiston Gorge, which contains a semi-permanent waterhole. Look for waterbirds such as the Pacific heron and white-faced heron, both common visitors to the waterhole.
Next, head to Mt Sonder lookout and admire the spectacular landscape including a towering sandstone wall and views of Mt Sonder, one of the highest points in Central Australia.
Continue to Ellery Creek Big Hole, a significant geological site and one of central Australia's most pristine waterholes and cool off with a swim.
Your final stop takes you to Pyndan Camel Tracks. You can also take an optional sunset camel ride (October to March) soaking up the views of the MacDonnell Ranges atop your trusty humpbacked mode of transportation.
Your guide returns you to your Alice Springs hotel to end the tour.
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Start with a scenic walk at Simpsons Gap, one of the most renowned gaps in the West MacDonnell Ranges. Follow a riverbed to a natural rock amphitheater while looking for endangered black-footed rock wallabies that hop among the boulders.
Then admire the tall rock walls of Standley Chasm as you stroll through trees that line the tracks including acacias, cycads, ghost gums and cypress pines. Have morning tea at Standley Chasm before heading to your next destination, the Ochre Pits.
A short path leads to rock walls that are covered with white, yellow and red layers of ochre. Be sure to bring your camera to snap photos of the shifting hues. Considered a sacred site for the local Arrernte peoples, the ochre pits provided material traditionally used for ceremonies and trading.
Further down the road, stop for a picnic lunch at Ormiston Gorge, which contains a semi-permanent waterhole. Look for waterbirds such as the Pacific heron and white-faced heron, both common visitors to the waterhole.
Next, head to Mt Sonder lookout and admire the spectacular landscape including a towering sandstone wall and views of Mt Sonder, one of the highest points in Central Australia.
Continue to Ellery Creek Big Hole, a significant geological site and one of central Australia's most pristine waterholes and cool off with a swim.
Your final stop takes you to Pyndan Camel Tracks. You can also take an optional sunset camel ride (October to March) soaking up the views of the MacDonnell Ranges atop your trusty humpbacked mode of transportation.
Your guide returns you to your Alice Springs hotel to end the tour.
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Local guide
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Lunch
- Afternoon snacks
- Entry/Admission - MacDonnell Ranges
- Entry/Admission - Simpsons Gap
Not included
- Sunset camel ride (AU$70, payable direct)
- Gratuities
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please wear strong, non-slip walking shoes
- Please bring hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, water bottle and swimwear during the summer months
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
Features
Tourism
95%
Cultural
55%
Reviews
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Excellent bus, courteous knowledgeable and friendly tour guide and so many wonderful places visited.
Travel arrangement was very good.Pick up time was exactly the same as planned, a driver , mr BLUEY, who was also a tour guide has a best knowledge on educating about local culture..Emu Run should be proud of him.
Excellent tour, it was very hot, but our guide, Hannah, made sufficient stops for restroom and food breaks that the heat really wasnt a factor. We visited several beautiful gorges in the ranges. The topography was unbelievably stunning! I highly recommend this tour from Alice Springs. The tour bus was also very spacious and comfortable with great AC. Hannah, our guide, was outstanding!
Many thanks to our tour guide Clive who was very professional and extremely knowledgeable with a touch of humour. Hoghly recommend the tour which provided us with fantastic scenery and a lot of history.
We had to alter our day for this trip as the day we chose did not have enough passengers. I'm glad we did as Clive was a most informative guide, a competent driver and an amiable person. He had to get one passenger to the Camel Farm by 5 pm so we all had to be on the ball to complete the whole journey. We made it by 15 mins!. We could have done with a bigger bus but I understand that they had a breakdown that morning that caused a change to a smaller bus. Clive was most sensitive to aboriginal lore and informed us what we could and couldn't do. In Service terms, he runs a tight but friendly ship.