Tasmania Walking Company has unveiled a world-first five-day fully guided walk inside the grounds of the World-Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Developed in consultation with Anangu Traditional Owners, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Board of Management and Parks Australia, the all-inclusive experience unites two of the world’s greatest natural wonders, Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Small groups of up to 14 people will spend five days and four nights inside Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park learning about ancient Anangu culture and history, connecting with nature, and staying exclusively in environmentally sustainable accommodations.
Tasmanian Walking Company co-owner and respected tourism leader, Brett Godfrey, whose nine-year journey to bring the 54km walk to market, describes the experiences as “a desert journey into the heart of Australia and a trail that unites two geological icons, Kata Tjuta with Uluru”.
“This journey started in 2015 when I walked with Traditional Owners for 150km from the South Australian border to touch Uluru seven days later. It was one of my life’s great experiences, and it made me want to share this cultural phenomenon sensitively with anyone prepared to tackle the desert and immerse themselves in Anangu history,” Godfrey said.
“In my view, it will attract an international market and become one of the great walks of the world.”
The multi-day Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk starts in the shadows of Kata Tjuta’s giant dome formations and arcs east, traversing an extraordinary landscape along remote desert trails, cresting red dunes, and through mulga woodlands. Over five days, there are art workshops, lessons in land management practices, and daily three-course meals, many under night skies lit up by stars from the Milky Way.
“For most of the journey, visitors will trek in full view of the two rock formations, both remnants of millions of years of Earth’s history. Carrying only a day pack, they will stay in spectacular eco-sensitive retreats and be guided by the knowledge of those who have walked the land for tens of thousands of years before them,” Godfrey added.
“The ultimate destination is Uluru, a geological wonder deeply associated with Aboriginal culture and intrinsically etched into the Australian identity.
“This walk has been a decade in development, but 500 million years in the making.”
Anangu Steering Committee chair, Tapaya Edwards, said the walk would prompt people to slow down.
“My people have lived on this land for more than 30,000 years and we welcome visitors from all over the world,” Edwards said.
“This walk invites them to slow down, to look beyond the physical beauty of our home and to take time to learn about the customs that are so important to us.
“We hope that over five days, they will better understand our stories and our art, respect our traditions and land management practices and help us protect the environment. By walking in our footsteps and on our trails, they will also come to see that our ancient culture is still very much alive today.”
Tourism Australia managing director, Phillipa Harrison, said international travellers are increasingly on the lookout for tourism offerings with a focus on wellness, adventure and cultural experiences.
“The opportunity for a multi-day walk through the heart of Australia will no doubt be highly sought after,” she said.
“When the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk launches in 2026 it will provide a unique five-day experience that combines learning about the world’s oldest living culture with the experience of one Australia’s most recognisable natural wonders.
“Uluru and Kata Tjuta are bucket list experiences for so many international travellers and there is no doubt many will be keen to see these iconic sites as part of the new walk through the World-Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.”
Northern Territory minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Marie-Clare Boothby, said about 1.6 million people travelled to the Northern Territory last year including almost 191,000 international visitors, with more than half visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta to experience its natural beauty and connect with Aboriginal culture.
“Congratulations to the Tasmanian Walking Company on launching the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk, it will be sure to be a popular hiking trail for adventure visitors to the Territory and marks the second offering in the NT joining the Larapinta Signature Walk that opened in 2022,” Boothby said.
“The Territory Government through Tourism NT is delighted to be able to work alongside Anangu and Tasmanian Walking Company to market this exciting new world-class, nature-based experience.
“The five-day walk will create a platform to promote the Northern Territory’s ancient culture in Central Australia and drive direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local Anangu community.”
The Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk commences in April 2026 and marks the second offering in the Northern Territory for the Australian Walking Company, after the company launched the Larapinta Signature Walk in 2022.