Tasmanian Walking Company has introduced a second way to experience the Red Centre: a four-day, 35km highlights journey that complements its five-day, 54km Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk.

Billed as the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Lodge Walk, the new itinerary is designed for travellers seeking the emotional impact and cultural richness of a walk through Australia's desert heart in a shorter, more accessible format. It reduces physical demands by cutting the daily walking distance and offering overnight stays in lodge-based comfort. The new itinerary also comes at a lower price point of $3,995 per person, twin share.

As with the full Signature walk, guests are led by two expert guides, participate in cultural workshops with Traditional Owners and stay at the only accommodation within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Heath Garratt, Head of Delivery at Tasmanian Walking Company and long-time steward of the project, said the shorter itinerary was developed to meet demand from international visitors short on time and Australians booking their first multi-day walk.  

“This new itinerary opens the door to two growing audiences - international visitors juggling multiple bucket-list destinations in a single long-haul trip and Aussies short on time or dipping their toes into multi-day walking holidays.

“The five-day Signature Walk, which joins the Great Walks of Australia collection, remains our most immersive and active journey. The four-day Lodge Walk is a softer, shorter adventure that still delivers a powerful connection to Country, expert storytelling, and lodge-based comfort. Guests can now choose the walk that best suits their holiday schedules, fitness levels, and preferred style of accommodation.” Mr Garratt said.

Comfort Without Compromise

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta Lodge Walk pairs one night at Desert Gardens Hotel in Yulara with two nights at the chic lodge, the only accommodation within the National Park. It skips the permanent safari tent experience and centres around the fully off-grid, low-impact lodge, newly built in close collaboration with Anangu Traditional Owners and Parks Australia.

At its heart, the Lodge features a private dining room serving restaurant-inspired meals with uninterrupted views of Uluru, alongside a spa for soothing massages and post-walk treatments. An unexpected feature is the corrugated-iron plunge tank, positioned for cooling dips and wraparound desert views. Guests can immerse themselves in the water and enjoy the shifting hues of Uluru at sunset - an unmistakable Australian moment.

A cultural welcome under the Yulara sky

A signature inclusion of the shorter walk is the Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner, available on the first night and presented by Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia. Set against the desert at dusk, the experience combines contemporary Indigenous cuisine with high-tech laser and drone choreography to share the ancient Mala story of the Anangu people.

“It's a powerful way to begin the journey,” said Mr Garratt. “Guests move from big sky, storytelling on the first night, then step away from all forms of modern infrastructure and into vast outback silence. That contrast will really stay with people.”

Itinerary at a glance:

• Day 1: Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner and overnight at Desert Gardens Hotel, Yulara
• Day 2: Uluru Base Walk with optional Gorge walk (10.7km). Overnight at Uluru Kata Tjuta Lodge
• Day 3: Camp to Camp walk (16.5 km). Overnight at Uluru Kata Tjuta Lodge
• Day 4: Karingana Lookout at Valley of the Winds Walk (5.4km)

The four-day Uluru-Kata Tjuta Lodge Walk launches in May 2026 and is scheduled around weekends.

• Price: From $3,995 per person, twin share (compared with $5,395 for the five-day Signature Walk).
• Departures: One departure per month from May until September 2026

For more information on both walks, visit https://www.taswalkingco.com.au/.

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Media Contact:

Shelley Winkel / PR Consultant

E: Shelley.Winkel@taswalkingco.com.au

M: 0409757503

Images and Vision: HERE
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YAXdfjH5i4Z-M6lLFda8_D0ERfk6Xewk?usp=sharing 

About Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk

Commencing in April 2026, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk will take visitors on a fully guided, five-day, 54 km walk that starts at the foot of the giant red domes of Kata Tjuta and arcs east over storied landscapes until coming into proximity with Uluru. Guests will stay overnight inside the Park in two spectacular, eco-sensitive camps and lodge accommodations, along the way learning about the history and culture of the Anangu people. The development of the new walk has been guided by extensive collaboration with Traditional Owners, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Board of Management, Parks Australia, and the Central Land Council.

About Tasmanian Walking Company

The Tasmanian Walking Company (TWC) creates opportunities for people of all fitness levels to connect with nature through small-group, fully guided multiday walks that feature light-pack walking, restaurant-inspired meals and premium accommodation. Founded in Tasmania nearly 40 years ago, TWC offers eight award-winning walks across Australia, and has the only private hut accommodation along the world-famous Overland Track through its Cradle Mountain Huts Walk and the only private lodges in the Tasman National Park through its Three Capes Walks. In 2023, TWC expanded its reach to a global scale through a partnership with Guided by Nature to craft extraordinary small-group hiking experiences to breathtaking destinations worldwide.

A recognised leader in sustainable, carbon-neutral travel, TWC operates the Tasmanian Walking Company Foundation. The company holds six of the 15 Great Walks of Australia and is a Qantas National Tourism Awards Hall of Fame inductee.