Drive from Sydney to Alice Springs and experience one of the best Aussie road trips ever!

Ready for one of the best road trips in Australia? The Sydney to Alice Springs road trip is a journey like nothing else on earth. We’re talking nearly 3,000 km of pure Australian adventure.

Sure, you could fly from Sydney to Alice Springs in about 3 hours. But why would you blast past all the good stuff? The real magic happens down on the ground. You’ve got sparkling harbours to waterholes and the red heart of the outback, Uluru, standing tall like the ultimate prize.

Sydney to Alice Springs Road Trip Overview:

• Distance: Around 3,000 km (depends on your route)
• Drive time: 28+ hours behind the wheel
• Days on the road: 7 days to 3 weeks (depending on what you want to see)
• Road conditions: Fully sealed, your campervans got this
• Best time to visit: April to September (trust us, summer is too hot)

We’ve broken this monster trip into bite-sized sections. Do the whole thing and become a road trip legend, or just pick the part that fits your schedule. Each section has the best stops, where to camp for the night, and what you absolutely can't miss. This is the road trip you’ll brag about for years to come!

• Part 1: Sydney to Broken Hill
• Part 2: Broken Hill to Coober Pedy
• Part 3: Coober Pedy to Uluru
• Part 4: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
• Part 5: Uluru to Alice Springs

Before You Blast Off

The Sydney to Alice Springs drive was basically designed for campervans! You’ve got your kitchen, bedroom, and transport all rolling down the Stuart Highway together. No checking in and out of hotels, no hunting for restaurants in small outback towns, in a Spaceships campervan you're completely self-sufficient. Here’s why campervans are the ultimate Aussie outback vehicle:

• Kitchen on wheels - cook delicious meals wherever you park (which is very handy when the nearest town could be 200 km away). You’ve got plates, bowls, cutlery, pots, pans, gas cookers and canisters.
• Unlimited kilometres - drive those 3,000 km without watching the odometer nervously. Travel as far as you like with no extra cost.
• Instant accommodation - pull into the campground and you’re set for the night. Spaceships campervans come stocked with sleeping gear - sheets, pillows, duvet and duvet cover.
• Space for the crew - pick the campervan that suits your trip. With options that fit up to four people comfortably.
• Multiple depots - We’ve got depots in both Sydney and Adelaide (and more), so you can pick up/drop off all over Australia.

Best Time to Launch

April to September is your best travel window. This is outback winter and autumn. You’ll get blue skies, warm days (20-25°C), and cool nights.

Pack Smart, Not Heavy

You’re campervan has got most of what you need, but here is what to bring:

• Sun protection - sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
• Layers - nighttime in the outback can be surprisingly cold
• Plenty of water - even though you have a 10L water tank, it’s best to top it up and keep extra water handy.
• Good playlist - long stretches of road call for good music or podcasts. Connect to the radio via AUX or Bluetooth.
• Camera - your phone will work.
• eSIM - Set up an eSIM on your phone and keep your devices charged using the campervans USB ports. Phone signal is patchy once you leave the cities so make sure to download anything you may need and make the most of roadhouse WIFI.

Fuel Strategy - Know Your Stops

The road is sealed, but fuel stations aren’t everywhere. It’s best to top your fuel up at each of the towns you pass through. On average, expect 150-300 km between stops, so fill up even if you think you don’t need to. It’s also a great chance to grab extra food and water and check things like the vans oil level, window wash, and tyre pressures. Major fuel stops include Broken Hill, Coober Pedy, Yulara, and plenty of roadhouses in between.

Is the Road From Sydney to Alice Springs Sealed?

Yes! The entire route via the Great Western Highway, Barrier Highway, Stuart Highway and Lasseter Highway is fully sealed. You won’t need 4WD, your campervan will handle it like a dream. The highways are well-maintained, wide, and pretty cruise friendly. Just watch for wildlife (kangaroos love to hop out at dawn & dusk) and road trains (give these big rigs plenty of space).

Alternative Route - Adelaide to Alice Springs

Picking up your campervan from the Spaceships Adelaide depot? No problem! Skip straight to Part 2 and start your adventure from Adelaide through Port Augusta (great for fuel and supplies) then continue to Coober Pedy. The Adelaide round trip means you jump straight into the red desert action without needing to tackle the Sydney leg.

The Route: Sydney to Alice Springs in 5 Epic Parts

Alright, let’s break down this beast of a road trip. We’ve broken the journey into 5 sections each packed with moments that make the trip better and better. Some stops are right on the highway, others require a little detour, but isn’t that the charm of a road trip? Pick your own pace, choose your own stops and remember there is no such thing as a wrong turn when you’re exploring the outback.

Part 1: Sydney to Broken Hill

• Distance: 1,142 km
• Trip Duration: 2-3 days

The first leg is where the magic starts. As you leave Sydney’s suburbs on the Great Western Highway you’ll cross into farmland, then into the open spaces of western NSW. By the time you roll into Broken Hill, you’ll know you’ve left the coast far behind. Best stops along the way are:

Blue Mountains (1.5 hours from Sydney): Call into Katoomba for the Three Sisters lookout from Echo Point. It’s touristy but iconic and the views over the Jamison Valley are stunning. Katoomba is the main City of the Blue Mountains, so grab a coffee or anything else you need and keep rolling.

Bathurst or Orange: Both towns are good for restocking campervan supplies. Bathurst’s got the famous Mount Panorama race track if you’re into motorsport. Orange is gorgeous in autumn and has that classic country town charm.

Dubbo (5-6 hours from Sydney): Visit Taronga Western Plains Zoo, an immersive zoo experience with open range exhibits. You can bike or drive around the zoo and the animals roam in huge spaces. Dubbo is a great place to stay overnight. It’s a decent sized town with supermarkets and campgrounds. Cadagi Farm has a fantastic campsite next to the Talbragar River or the Kangaroo Creek Camp has just 5 campsites for a private, peaceful retreat.

Cobar (8 hours from Sydney): An outback mining town with character and a history in copper and gold. The Great Cobar Heritage Centre is worth a look if you’re into local history, and the town itself has plenty of heritage buildings.

Broken Hill, the Silver City: Broken Hill is an outback icon with an incredible art scene, mining history, museums, and unique landscapes. Some of the best stops are:

• Living Desert Sculptures - Large stone sculptures on the hilltop overlooking the desert. Go at sunset and watch the rocks glow red.
• Silverton - 25 km from Broken Hill is Silverton, a tiny outback village frozen in time. The movie Mad Max was filmed here. Check out the Silverton Hotel, Mad Max Museum, and quirky art galleries. It’s weird and wonderful!
• Pro Hart Gallery - An outback art legend’s collection. Even if art isn’t your thing, it’s cool to see.
• Line of Lode Miners Memorial - The Miners Memorial stands as a monument honouring the sacrifices and achievements of Broken Hill’s mining community. See panoramic views over the whole town and the mullock heaps (mining waste hills).

There are a number of campsites and holiday parks to choose from in Broken Hill. It’s worth spending a night or two here, you could spend a full day just exploring and you’ll want to be fresh for the next section. It gets even more remote from here.

Part 2: Broken Hill to Coober Pedy

• Distance: 952 km
• Trip Duration: 1-2 days

About 30 minutes into your drive you’ll cross the border into South Australia, and things get seriously outback. The landscape gets more red, the towns get smaller, and you’re officially in the middle of nowhere (in the best way possible). Coober Pedy at the end is one of Australia’s weirdest and most wonderful places. Here is what to see on the way:

Peterborough (3 hours from Broken Hill): Decent sized country town with all the basics. It was once a busy rail town with 100 trains passing through each day - it’s almost impossible to imagine that now.

Pimba: Pimba is a small settlement at the junction of the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs and the road to Woomera. Spuds Roadhouse serves food and drink as well as providing fuel, laundry, and ATM services for those passing through.

Coober Pedy: The underground town - literally. More than half the town lives underground in homes called “dugouts” to escape the scorching heat. It’s bizarre and fascinating but also makes sense when the temperatures can reach up to 45°C. While here, explore:

• Underground homes - Tour real underground houses (some are also museums). The temperature inside stays around 23°C year-round without any heating or cooling, it’s quite impressive
• Catacomb Church - Yep, there’s even an underground church. Beautiful and surprisingly spacious carved right into the rock.
• The Breakaways - Just 30 km from Coober Pedy is the Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park. You’ll see stunning landscapes with flat-topped hills and colourful rock formations. It kind of feels like you’ve landed on another planet. Visit at sunset for maximum wow factor.
• Opal mining - Coober Pedy is known as the ‘opal capital of the world’. Check out the Old Timers Mine or Umoona Opal Mine & Museum. You can even search for your own opals at some spots.
• Movie magic - Plenty of well-known movies have been filmed in Coober Pedy - Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and more. The lunar landscape makes it perfect for sci-fi and apocalypse vibes.

Overnight, Riba’s Caravan Park offers a true Coober Pedy experience. You can park your camper above ground and explore shared underground spaces like the TV room, or choose to book one of the underground single or double rooms. You could also camp at the resort style Stuart Range Caravan Park or go all out and book at one of the underground hotels for the night.

Part 3: Coober Pedy to Uluru/Yulara

• Distance: 733 km
• Trip duration: 1-2 days

This is it! The real deal outback driving. It’s long, remote, and absolutely beautiful. Here are some of the best stops:

Cadney Homestead (1.5 hours from Coober Pedy): A roadhouse in the middle of nowhere. Fuel, food, cold drinks and clean bathrooms.

Northern Territory Border: Welcome to the NT! Grab a pic at the border sign, you’ve earned it. The speed limit changes here too (130 km/h on some stretches), just be careful and watch for wildlife.

Erldunda (at the Stuart Highway junction): This is where you turn off the Stuart Highway and onto the Lasseter Highway toward Uluru. The roadhouse here has been serving travellers for decades.

Curtain Springs: About 90 km from Yulara, Curtain Springs Cattle Station offers accommodation, meals, and a chance to engage in activities like tours, stargazing, and papermaking from local grass.

Mount Conner (Artilla/Atila): Keep your eyes to the right and you’ll spot this massive flat-topped mountain rising out of the desert. Heaps of people mistake it for Uluru at first, it's that impressive. The mountain itself is actually older than Uluru and just as sacred to the local Anangu people. There is also a scenic roadside lookout where you can pull over for photos.

Yulara: Your base camp for Uluru. The town of Yulara is a purpose-built resort town that serves Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. It’s got everything from budget-friendly camping to fancy resorts, all designed to blend into the landscape. What’s here:

• Town square - Shops, restaurants, cafes, a supermarket (pricey but handy)
• Field of Light - A stunning art installation by internationally celebrated artist Bruce Munro. Thousands of solar-powered spindles of light cover over 7 football fields of the desert. It’s a magical sight.
• Cultural Centre - Learn about the local Anangu culture before you visit Uluru (definitely do this). 

Ayers Rock Campground has full campervan facilities, a pool, and BBQ areas. Everything in Yulara is within walking distance from this campground. If you can, aim to book your campground spot ahead, especially in peak season (June-August) as Yulara gets very busy.

Part 4: Exploring Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

This section is all about slowing down, exploring, and soaking up one of the most incredible places on earth. Park your campervan, lace up your walking shoes and prepare to be amazed. This land is sacred to the Anangu people (the traditional owners), so start your visit at the Cultural Centre in Yulara to learn more about the significance of this place. It’ll make your time here way more meaningful. Also, climbing Uluru is permanently closed out of respect for Anangu culture.

You’ll need a 3-day (or annual) pass to enter Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The 3-day pass costs $38 AUD per adult, and those 17 and under can enter free. You can buy tickets online or at the entrance to the park.

Uluru: The big red rock, and wow, is it big. Rising 348 metres above the desert and stretching 9.4 km around the base, Uluru is even more impressive in person than in photos. There are a bunch of walks and sights to see, such as:

• Base Walk - 10.6 km loop, 3-4 hours walking right around the base of Uluru. You’ll see caves, rock art, waterfalls and get close to the rock. It’s mostly flat and definitely worth doing, but start early to avoid the heat and be sure to bring water.
• Mala Walk - 2 km return, 1 hour walk. You can choose from ranger-guided or self-led walks. Enter the caves and learn about rock art.
• Kuniya Walk - 1 km return, 45 mins easy walk to the Mutitjulu Waterhole, one of the few permanent water sources around Uluru.
• Sunrise - Set your alarm stupid early and head to the sunrise viewing area. Watch the rock change from purple to deep red to orange as the sun comes up.
• Sunset - The official sunset viewing area gets packed with tour buses and all, but it’s popular for a reason. The rock glows incredible shades of orange and red as the sun drops.

Kata Tjuta (The Olgas): 50 km from Uluru is Kata Tjuta. A collection of 36 massive domed rock formations. Less famous than Uluru but equally as mindblowing. The name means “many heads” in the local language. What to do:

• Valley of the Winds Walk - 7.4 km loop, 3-4 hours of the best walk in the park, hands down. It winds through the domes with incredible viewpoints such as the Karu lookout and Karingana lookout. The walk is moderately challenging with loose rocks and steep sections but so worth it.
• Walpa Gorge Walk - 2.6 km return, 1 hour short walk into a gorge between two of the domes. Shaded, peaceful, and beautiful.
• Sunset - Different vibe from Uluru. Often quieter and more intimate.

Other experiences include the Sounds of Silence Dinner, a fancy outdoor dinner under the stars - people rave about it. Helicopter and plane flights to see Uluru and Kata Tjuta from above. Camel riding at sunrise or sunset with Uluru in view, touristy? Yes. Fun? Also yes! And stargazing up at the Milky Way with zero light pollution, you’ll see more stars than you thought existed.

Part 5: Yulara to Alice Springs

• Distance: 445 km (direct route)
• Trip duration: 1-3 days

The final stretch up to Alice Springs! You could blast straight through, but why rush now? There’s one epic destination that most people consider essential - Kings Canyon. Your call on whether to take the scenic route or go direct.

Direct route, 445 km: Yulara, Erldunda, Stuart Highway north to Alice Springs. Quickest route but still beautiful desert driving.

Scenic route, 774 km: Yulara, Kings Canyon, Erldunda, Stuart Highway north to Alice Springs. Longer route but includes one of Australia’s most spectacular gorges. Highly recommended if you’ve got time.

Best stops along the way:

Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon): Towering red rock walls, lush hidden valleys and views that’ll make your jaw drop. Take the Lasseter Highway east from Yulara, then north on the Luritja Road, both well-maintained and sealed roads. What to do:

• Kings Canyon Rim Walk - 6 km loop completed in 3-4 hours. This truly is the best walk. It starts with a steep climb up “Heartbreak Hill” but it’s worth every huff and puff. Once at the top, you’ll walk along the canyon rim with insane views.
• Kings Creek Walk - 2.6 km, 1 hour walk if the Rim Walk feels too intense.
• Kathleen Springs Walk - 2.6 km return, 1 hour easy walk along a path to a waterhole.

You can stay the night here at Kings Canyon Resort Campground. There are good facilities and a pool that you’ll definitely need after that rim walk!

If you choose to skip Kings Canyon and head straight from Yulara to Erldunda, then north on the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs. You'll save a day but miss out on one of the territory's best walks.

Stuart’s Well (90 km from Alice Springs): A quirky roadhouse that seems to be straight from an adventure novel complete with camels! Stop for a safari, a bite, or supplies.

Henbury Meteorite & Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve: Craters where heaven met earth and the outback's wild natural diversity.

Alice Springs: The Red Centre’s capital that locals simply call “Alice”. The town is bigger than you may expect with about 29,000 people calling it home. You should visit:

• Alice Springs Desert Park - Incredible wildlife park showcasing desert animals and ecosystems.
• Anzac Hill - Drive or walk up for views over Alice and the MacDonnell Ranges.
• Telegraph Station Historical Reserve - The birthplace of Alice Springs.
• Todd Mall & Local Art Galleries - The main street is full of amazing Aboriginal art.
• Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum - Learn about the medical service that covers remote Australia. It’s interactive and fascinating.
• Reptile Centre - Home to over 100 reptiles including massive saltwater crocodiles.
• Olive Pink Botanic Garden - Native gardens with great walking tracks and views.
• The Ghan Train Museum - Learn the history of the Ghan railway line (the passenger train that runs from Adelaide to Darwin).

If you have the time, Alice Springs is the perfect base for exploring the MacDonnell Ranges. To the west, you’ve got Tjoritja National Park with gorges, waterholes and swimming holes. Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge and Glen Helen are all incredible. To the east, visit Trephina Gorge, N’Dhala Gorge and Ross River.

You Made It!

You’ve just driven across the heart of Australia. From Sydney’s harbour to the Red Centre of Alice Springs. It’s the kind of road trip that some people only dream about. With many, many miles under your belt, you’ve earned every wide-open road, every sunset and every “I just did that” moment. So, where to next? For the journey home you could:

• Drive back the way you came, dropping your camper back to Sydney
• Keep going north to Darwin or Cairns (another epic road trip)
• Head to Adelaide via the Stuart Highway south and return your Spaceships campervan

Whatever you choose, you’ve just completed one of Australia’s greatest road trips. Legend status achieved!

Book a campervan

Compare all campervans