Getting Here | Larapinta Trail Website

One of the great advantages of the Larapinta Trail is its access. Alice Springs is a well serviced regional centre with a wide range of air, road and rail options that can get you here. Most of the main Larapinta Trail Trailheads can be accessed by 2WD vehicles and all of the major highways and roads are in good condition. There are also options of being dropped off and picked up by tourism operators. All major car rental companies are also in town.

	All major cities in Australia have flights to Alice Springs
	Alice Springs can be accessed by road, air or rail
	Trail transfers are available from Alice Springs
	Qantas is the only major airline that flies to Alice Springs
	Alice Springs is more than 500km away from Uluru
	There is a wide range of accommodation options
	There are many other tourism related activities in the area

Getting to Alice Springs

Air Access

Access by air is available only through Qantas which use jet engine aircraft. There are daily flights from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin, Perth and Cairns. Flight times vary, but are generally between 2hrs-3hrs from each major city in Australia.

The Alice Springs Airport is located approximately 16km south of Alice Springs along the Stuart Highway. You have the option of getting a taxi, hire car, airport shuttle bus or a backpacker hostel bus.

Road Access

Access to Alice Springs by road is via the Stuart Highway from both the south and north approach. The nearest city to the north is Darwin approximately 12-15 hours drive away and Adelaide to south, more than 20 hours drive. Note: Uluru (Ayers Rock) is approx 5-6 hours away from Alice Springs.

Regular daily (bus) coach services are available through Greyhound Australia. A number of tour operators also pass through Alice Springs.

Rail Access

Access by rail is with the legendary Ghan, renown as one of the worlds greatest train journeys. The Ghan travels from Adelaide - Alice Springs - Darwin twice weekly.

A Town Like Alice

Image | Looking toward the town centre and Gap from Anzac Hill

Overview

Alice Springs is a modern town of about 23,000 people. There are many media driven misconceptions about the town, but the bottom line is that Alice is a beautiful town with many attractions, facilities and services. The town is an ideal base for adventure, travel and rest while in Central Australia. It has a wide range of stores and shopping facilities and has a number of outstanding festivals throughout the year.

View Larger Map

Where does the Larapinta Trail start from?

Section One, the official start point begins from the Alice Springs Telegraph Station located 4km north of Alice Springs. The Telegraph Station can be accessed by either foot or vehicle. Access by foot can be done via the Riverside Track which starts from the Todd Mall Alice Springs and finishes at the Telegraphic Station. This track basically follows the western bank of the Todd River via Schwartz Creek and is quite scenic and leisurely

Access by vehicle is along the Stuart Highway, also about 4km north in distance. Alternatively you can catch a taxi from town, which takes around 5-10 minutes and costs around $10-$14.

How do I get back from or to the finish point?

The official finish point is Section 12 Redbank Gorge and is located more than 220km west of Alice Springs along the sealed Namatjira and Larapinta Highway. The Redbank Gorge turn off and road is an 8km dirt road. Getting back from or getting to Redbank Gorge will require some forward planning and careful selection. There are only a handful of tourism based operators that offer transfers or pick ups, and their prices can vary considerably. Shop around. Some known prices included variations between $100 to $270!!. See our Pick Ups and Drop Off Page for commercial service providers

What other access points are there along the trail?