Outback to the Red Centre — Self-Launched Adelaide to Alice Springs
9 days · Australian Outback & Red Centre
G Adventures charges £1,699
No-markup version: ~£1,120 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, budget-friendly run from Adelaide through the Flinders Ranges, the opal town of Coober Pedy and deep into the Red Centre, ending in Alice Springs. You'll swap G Adventures' private vehicle and swag camps for a mix of public coaches, a Ghan train option, hostel dorms, underground digs and a commercial swag camping tour through the desert — hitting the same big hits (Wilpena Pound, Lake Hart, Coober Pedy's mines, Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta's Valley of the Winds and Uluru at sunset) for a fraction of the group-tour price. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP and assume you book coaches and Uluru park passes in advance.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Adelaide — settle in and meet the hostel crew
Adelaide, SA
Land in Adelaide and check into a CBD hostel. Grab a MetroCARD (about £3 plus top-up) for the tram and buses. Spend the afternoon exploring the Central Market and North Terrace museums (free), then join your hostel's bar crawl or head to Peel Street for local ales — a low-key way to meet other travellers before the Outback run starts tomorrow.
🚌Airport bus or shuttle to CBD, ~£5; tram within the city centre is free
🛏Adelaide CBD hostel dorm (e.g. Adelaide Central YHA or similar), £22-28
- →Central Market wander
- →North Terrace museum trail (free)
- →Hostel bar crawl / Peel Street ales
Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges via the Clare Valley
Clare Valley & Ikara-Flinders Ranges, SA
Take an early coach or the Stateliner/Premier service north towards Port Augusta and the Flinders Ranges (book ahead, it's a long haul). Break the trip with a self-guided Clare Valley wine-tasting stop — the Riesling Trail and cellar doors are easy to reach by taxi or a short detour. Continue on to Rawnsley Park or Wilpena Pound area and check into a hostel/cabin for the night.
🚌Coach Adelaide to Port Augusta/Flinders area, ~£35-45; local shuttle to accommodation
🛏Flinders Ranges hostel or cabin dorm (e.g. Wilpena Pound Resort budget rooms / Rawnsley Park), £28-35
- →Clare Valley cellar-door tasting (self-guided)
- →Riesling Trail walk
- →Sunset over the Flinders
Wilpena Pound and Indigenous rock art
Ikara-Flinders Ranges, SA
Self-navigate the Wilpena Pound day walk — the 7km Wangara Lookout circuit climbs to a natural amphitheatre sacred to the Adnyamathana people. Add the short Hills Homestead walk and, if you have a car-share or shuttle, the Sacred Canyon rock-art site. Buy a Flinders Ranges National Park pass on arrival. Dinner is self-catered at the hostel kitchen.
🚌Walk from accommodation; shuttle or shared 4WD to trailheads, ~£10-15
🛏Flinders Ranges hostel or cabin dorm, £28-35
- →Wangara Lookout hike
- →Hills Homestead walk
- →Sacred Canyon rock art
- →Flinders Ranges NP pass (~£7)
Flinders Ranges to Glendambo via Lake Hart
Glendambo, SA
Head back to the highway and north to Glendambo, the tiny roadhouse town in the middle of nowhere. Break the drive with the surreal detour to Lake Hart — a stark white salt lake with old railway ruins, worth the photo stop. Glendambo has a pub, a roadhouse and basic accommodation; refuel, eat and watch the stars come out over the desert.
🚌Coach or shared vehicle Flinders to Glendambo, ~£30-40; note services are limited, book early
🛏Glendambo roadhouse budget room or cabin, £30-40
- →Lake Hart salt-lake stop
- →Roadhouse dinner
- →Outback stargazing
Glendambo to Coober Pedy — opals and underground living
Coober Pedy, SA
Continue north to Coober Pedy, the world's opal capital. Book an underground mine tour (the Old Timers Mine or Umoona Opal Mine are self-bookable) and then do as the locals do — sleep underground in a dugout hostel to escape the heat. Wander the town's oddities: the underground church and the golf course played at night on oil-soaked sand.
🚌Coach Glendambo to Coober Pedy, ~£35-45
🛏Coober Pedy underground hostel dorm (e.g. Radeka Downunder / Lookout Cave), £28-35
- →Old Timers / Umoona mine tour (~£20)
- →Underground church visit
- →Noodling for opals
Coober Pedy to Kings Creek — driving the Outback and a swag night
Kings Creek / Kings Canyon area, NT
This is the big crossing into the Northern Territory and the Red Centre. Coaches run Coober Pedy–Alice Springs via Marla and Erldunda; you'll hop off at Kings Canyon. Tonight, join a commercial swag-camping experience (offered by operators like Adventure Tours Australia) — padded canvas bedroll, campfire dinner and the full Southern Hemisphere sky above you.
🚌Coach Coober Pedy to Kings Canyon/Erldunda, ~£55-70; you'll need to pre-book a Kings Canyon leg
🛏Swag camping under the stars near Kings Creek (commercial tour), £35-50 including dinner
- →Outback campfire dinner
- →Swag camping
- →Milky Way stargazing
Kings Canyon rim walk, then Uluru sunset
Watarrka / Kings Canyon & Uluru, NT
Start early for the Kings Canyon Rim Walk — the 6km loop up the famous 'staircase' to the Garden of Eden and the Lost City, best done before the heat. Afterwards transfer to Yulara (Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park), check into the Ayers Rock Resort hostel, and head to the sunset viewing area for Uluru glowing red, ideally with a bottle of something bubbly bought in town.
🚌Shared shuttle/tour vehicle Kings Canyon to Yulara, ~£45-60
🛏Ayers Rock Resort hostel dorm (Yulara), £35-45
- →Kings Canyon Rim Walk (~£8 park fee)
- →Uluru sunset viewing area
- →BYO bubbly sunset picnic
Uluru — Mala Walk and cultural centre
Uluru, NT
Buy your 3-day Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass (about £20) and walk the Mala Walk at the base of the rock to hear its Indigenous significance. Visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre to learn about Anangu art and lore, then choose an optional sunset camel ride or the free ranger talk. Respect signage and don't climb — it's closed permanently.
🚌Free resort shuttle to Uluru viewing areas and cultural centre
🛏Ayers Rock Resort hostel dorm (Yulara), £35-45
- →Mala Walk
- →Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre
- →Optional camel sunset ride (~£75)
- →Ranger talk (free)
Kata Tjuta Valley of the Winds, then Alice Springs
Kata Tjuta & Alice Springs, NT
Make an early start for Kata Tjuta and hike the Valley of the Winds — a 7km walk through dramatic domes with sweeping desert views. Afterwards take the long road to Alice Springs (about 5 hours), where the Outback run ends. Check into a hostel, and if you have time, catch the sunset from Anzac Hill overlooking the MacDonnell Ranges.
🚌Uluru to Alice Springs coach, ~£75-95; shuttle to Kata Tjuta trailhead, ~£15
🛏Alice Springs hostel dorm (e.g. Alice Springs YHA), £25-32
- →Valley of the Winds hike
- →Kata Tjuta dune viewing
- →Anzac Hill sunset (free)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,120 | £1,699 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £579 per person (34%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,120
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Outback to the Red Centre — Self-Launched Adelaide to Alice Springs cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,120 per person for 9 days in Australian Outback & Red Centre. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,699 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,120 — a saving of roughly £579 (34%) per person.
How long is the Australian Outback & Red Centre trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Australian Outback & Red Centre.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, budget, backpacker trip through Australian Outback & Red Centre, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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