How much I spent in 2 days in Uluru

 

When planning my trip to Australia, one of the places I debated going to was Uluru  (Ayers Rock). It was extra expense of travel and the resort itself and extra travel time of a 6 hour round plane trip to essentially see a big rock. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Even though I can't choose my favourite part of the trip to Australia, Uluru would definitely be in the top 5 experiences. 

How much I spent for 48 hours in Uluru per person- exchange rate £1= $1.8 AUD (May 2023)

Flight Melbourne to Uluru- I can't be exactly sure of the price of this flight as it was incorporated into our ticket from London, but a quick google has a flight with JetStar costing between £112 and &170 GBP.

Flight Uluru to Melbourne- £176

2 nights at Pioneer Outback and Lodge in a standard Queen room- £311 This is one of the budget range hotels along with the campground but the rooms were massive and clean. There are hostel rooms available here too.

Uluru Pass- £41 Annoyingly we only got asked for our passes once and it wasn't even properly looked at but passes are needed to enter the National Park, but  not for the Ayers Rock resort.

Uluru Base Walk- £122

Field of Light Star Pass- £63 We went for the 'bouji' option of the viewing platform of Uluru with canapes and drinks but there is a cheaper option of just walking among the lights. Would highly recommend the star pass though.

Food- In the town square, there are a few restaurant options. We went for the 'pub' style dinners both nights and then a continental breakfast on our last morning. (Breakfast was included on our base walk around Uluru) £52

Souvenirs- £10 on a magnet and keyring

Total= £925

So essentially, a quarter of the cost of my trip to Australia was spent on Ayers Rock 😬, however, it was absolutely worth it. The majestic atmosphere the rock creates is something I can't explain and the photos I took don't do the place justice. Plus, it was quite nice to have somewhere 'luxurious' to stay knowing the rest of our trip would be spent in hostels. Perhaps we should have done this at the end of the trip. 

There are ways to potentially minimise costs:

Use the free viewing platforms: While these don't offer as good a view as the escorted tour to the sunrise and sunset viewing point, there are 2 lookout points (The Imalung lookout in the middle of the resort and the Pioneer lookout behind the Pioneer Outback Lodge) throughout the parks that offer a great view of the rock. 

Compromise on accommodation: While there are some more high end hotels (Desert Gardens and Sails in the Desert), the cheaper accommodations of the Emu Walk Apartments, Pioneer Outback and Lodge and the campground are more than sufficient. There's so much to do at Uluru that time spent in your accommodation is minimal.

Make your own food: The supermarket in the village is the perfect place to pick up snacks and food at a more budget friendly price. Our room in the pioneer hotel had a kettle which could have been used to heat up food such as dried pasta and there are sandwiches available in the supermarket too. Plus this is the only place in the resort that accepts cash. 

Use the free activities in the resort: The resort offers free activities such as a didgeridoo show, cinema showings and a painting class. While this class is aimed at kids, my cousin and I were definitely tempted but we just ran out of time. 

Uluru is expensive but is 100% worth the visit. 2 days is enough to do a range of activities, but you could absolutely stay for longer.