Cheap travel to the Outback

by Caitlyn
(Gold Coast, Queensland)

We are a group of students on the Gold Coast and we want to travel to the outback after our exams in early April. We really want to see all of the touristy sights like Ayer's Rock, Kings Canyon, and Kakadu National Park. We also want to sleep under the stars and do different things and not be confined to a bus. We were looking at tours but they are about $1000 to do all of that. Do you know of anything better we could do in about 6 or 7 days to see all of that area? We also don't want to rent a car or campervan.

Response to: Cheap travel to the Outback

I'm sorry Caitlyn, but if you don't want to rent a vehicle then a budget small group tour is by far the best and cheapest option to see all those places in a limited time.

Be realistic. You will be travelling well over two thousand kilometres, plus food and equipment and a guide.... It's a large country and diesel costs a fortune.

I don't know if it would help to split it in two tours.

The cheapest tour you can get from Alice Springs is Mulga's and it's good value. You'll sleep by the fire under the stars and you'll do all the good and long hikes at King's Canyon, the Olgas and Uluru.

But then you'd have to get to Darwin, and then you'd have to pay for another tour up there. I don't have any specific recommendations for Kakadu, and I would in any way make it a tour that includes Litchfield as well and maybe Katherine Gorge.

It probably won't work out cheaper in the end, but you never know.

In any way, with limited time and limited budget there are only those small group 4WD backpacker tours. There is no cheaper or better option.