Attractions Nearby Alice Springs, Day Trips and Excursions

(Alice Springs, Northern Territory - NT, Australia)

The Northern Territory is filled with interesting attractions and many of these are quite reachable from Alice Springs, being suitable for day trips or longer excursions. A total of four main roads head out of Alice Springs in different directions, linking the main attractions.

Do bear in mind that much of the Northern Territory consists of remote desert areas, and so you should always plan your route carefully when venturing outside of Alice Springs, and also consider whether or not you will need to take a 4WD car or jeep for dirt trails. If in any doubt, then consider joining one of the available tour companies, who visit the most noteworthy attractions and also offer bush walking trips, camping excursions and more.

General Information

The Stewart Highway heads in a northerly direction to Darwin and southwards, where it leads to the Old South Road and Port Augusta. Attractions directly north of Alice Springs include Katherine, Tennant Creek and a series of fascinating gem fields, while to the south you will discover the Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve, the Aboriginal community of Maryvale, the Mount Conner plateau, Rainbow Valley, Wattarka, (King's Canyon), and some intriguing petroglyphs at Ewaninga.

If you are planning to visit attractions to the east of Alice Springs, then you will need to take the Ross Highway. This prominent thoroughfare links the Emily Gap and Jesse Gap, Corroboree Rock, the John Hayes Rock Hole, Trephina Gorge and also the ghost town of Arltunga. Westwards, the Larapinta Drive is the way to reach attractions such as the Simpsons Gap, the Stanley Chasm, the Serpentine Gorge and the Ochre Pits.