What Is The Best Way To See The Outback?
The best way to see the Outback in Australia depends on your travel style and available time frame, but most travellers prefer either guided tours or epic road trips! Both options provide an immersive Outback experience that is sure to make an impression.
Full of otherworldly landscapes, fascinating wildlife, ancient cultural traditions, and mindblowing adventures, Australia's Outback beckons travellers to explore the wild. Whether you choose to traverse the Outback's wilderness with a knowledgeable local guide, or you choose to road trip across the desert in your own campervan, prepare for the expedition of a lifetime!
What Is The Best Way To Visit The Australian Outback?
The best way to visit Outback Australia is by booking a guided multiday tour or embarking on your own independent road trip adventure. The best option for you will depend on your starting point, how much time you have, and what you hope to get out of your Outback experience!
We're going to discuss the various ways to see the Outback in detail. Hopefully this will help future travellers plan their perfect adventure through the most remote corners of Australia.
Guided Multiday Tours in the Outback
The most convenient way for travellers to see the Outback is guided multiday tours. With an expert guide leading the way, you can explore the wilderness of Australia in a streamlined, hassle-free way. Guided tours are cost-effective, often all-inclusive, and packed full of cool experiences and information. They also provide a social environment that is ideal for solo travellers, and the local experts provide safety and security which is perfect for families and first-time travellers.
Check out these amazing Outback experiences!
Why book a guided tour through the Outback?
Convenience
The biggest perk of guided Outback tours is that everything is organised for you! From transportation, directions, and fuel to meals, national park fees, sleeping arrangements, and more, you can truly sit back and relax on a guided Outback tour. Let the tour company and local guides handle all the logistics as you just live in the moment. All you have to plan is your personal packing list and your transport to and from the pick-up and drop-off locations.
Optimised Schedules
There is so much to see and do in the Outback, with lots of travel time between destinations. Guided tours ensure that you see all the highlights of a given area, and that every location is laid out efficiently. You don't have to waste time picking attractions and fitting them into your schedule! Experts have carefully curated guided tour itineraries to include the top activities in a manageable number of days, which allows you to make the most of your time in the Outback. With tours ranging from 2 days to 5 days to 10 days, you can pick the tour that suits your schedule best.
Local Knowledge
If you're dying to learn more about the wildlife, landscape, and culture of the Outback, a guided tour gives you the benefit of a knowledgeable guide. Most multiday Outback tours include an expert driver/tour guide who can provide fun facts about the area during your adventures. When you embark on excursions like guided Uluru walks or Nitmiluk Gorge boat cruises, you'll have more local guides there to educate you about each specific place. Many guides are First Nations People as well, which gives you an insider's perspective on the rich history and traditions of the Indigenous Australian cultures.
Independent Road Trips in the Outback
Another amazing way to see the Outback in Australia is embarking on your own independent road trip. This is a popular choice among Australian families and backpackers, as well as those travellers who prefer to get off the beaten path. Whether you have your own vehicle or you're planning to rent a car or campervan, there is nothing quite as freeing and humbling as journeying through the remote Outback wilderness on your own.
Why choose an independent road trip through the Outback?
Freedom and Flexibility
Those who crave the freedom to roam will have a blast road-tripping through the Outback. While a tour sticks to a set schedule, a road trip allows you to plan your own adventure and pick your destinations. People who get stressed about trip planning may prefer a structured tour, but those who thrive on independence and last-minute adventures might prefer a flexible road trip. Just remember that the Outback is huge and driving distances between destinations can be vast! An Outback road trip is best for those who have lots of time to spare.
Escape the Tourist Trail
Though the Outback is extremely remote, there are some tourist hotspots such as Uluru, Kings Canyon, Litchfield National Park, Kakadu National Park, Exmouth, Broome, and more. Planning your own independent adventure through the Outback gives you the chance to explore other lesser-known destinations that aren't popular enough for a guided tour. Branch off the tourist trail and check out some true hidden gems. You also have the flexibility to visit popular destinations outside of peak visiting hours if you want to escape the crowds.
Remote Adventures
The Outback compels travellers to cherish the journey rather than the destination. While there are plenty of notable landmarks in the Outback, many travellers are most impressed by the seemingly insignificant portions of their road trips. People rave about long stretches of driving on dusty red roads or the vastness of the stars in the inky black night sky. Camping in a deserted patch of bush, watching the sunrise over a stark landscape, or spotting red kangaroos hopping across the road, these little moments of solitude and serenity with the Outback are a highlight of independent road trips.
Where To Start Your Outback Adventure
The starting point for your Outback trip may also influence your decision about booking a tour or planning a solo road trip. The Outback is such a gigantic area and accessibility is important to consider before you book any tours or vehicles.
Whether you're heading to the Outback from overseas or elsewhere in Australia, your best option is to fly into a convenient city that's near your destination. Most guided tours start in Alice Springs, Darwin, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, or other hotspots with their own airports. Once you've chosen your intended destinations, book your flights to the nearest airport and plan your tour or vehicle hire from there.
