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The distant ridges of the West MacDonnell Ranges beyond dry scrub and trees, seen from Larapinta Drive

Sample journey · 8–10 days

The Larapinta Trail, on foot through the West MacDonnell Ranges

Alice Springs, Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge & Mount Sonder

Photo: Christian Bass / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

On a classic Australian journey the Red Centre gets two or three days at Uluru. This journey looks at the desert differently: close up and slowly, at walking pace. The Larapinta Trail runs for more than two hundred kilometres west from Alice Springs along the ridges of the West MacDonnell Ranges, on Arrernte country. It passes through some of the oldest mountains on Earth, gorges that hold water even in the dry, and views you will never see from a car.

We don't walk the whole trail: over six days, with a small group and a local guide, we walk the finest sections, carrying only a day pack. In the evenings there are camps with tents already set up or simple cabins, a hot dinner and firelight. The journey is for people who have done multi-day walks before: 10 to 16 km a day on stony, sometimes steep ground, and on the last day a climb of Mount Sonder in the dark to meet sunrise at the summit.

The route

The journey

  1. Alice Springs
  2. Simpsons Gap
  3. Standley Chasm
  4. Ellery Creek Big Hole
  5. Serpentine Gorge
  6. Ormiston Gorge
  7. Glen Helen
  8. Mount Sonder
  9. Alice Springs
  1. Red rock walls and sparse plants at Simpsons Gap under a clear sky

    01Days 1–2 · Alice Springs & Simpsons Gap

    First steps from the telegraph station

    Alice Springs is reached via Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide, and the first day is for rest: in the afternoon, the Desert Park on the edge of town, where you see up close the animals and plants you will meet on the trail, and in the evening, a meeting with your guide and group. On day two the trail begins where the town began, at the old Telegraph Station. The first kilometres follow low ridges, past ghost gums and hummocks of spinifex, to Simpsons Gap, where a high red wall is split by a narrow cleft. In the evening, as the light fades, black-footed rock-wallabies often appear on the rocks. Two nights in Alice Springs, so feet and pack have time to settle.

  2. High red rock walls in the narrow cleft of Standley Chasm

    02Days 3–4 · Standley Chasm

    Midday light in a narrow cleft

    On day three the group moves further west and walks one of the finest sections, across ridges and dry riverbeds to Standley Chasm, which the Arrernte people call Angkerle Atwatye. It's a narrow cleft a few metres wide in a high quartzite wall that, around midday, glows bright orange for a short while. The chasm is on local Aboriginal community land and cared for by them, so we visit on their terms. A night in camp under the stars, and the next day the steep climb to Brinkley Bluff or a similar ridge section, with views of the ranges running west in parallel lines. It's one of the hardest days, with plenty of climbing and loose rock, so the pack is light and the pace steady.

  3. A green waterhole among large boulders in Serpentine Gorge

    03Days 5–6 · Ellery Creek & Serpentine Gorge

    Water in the middle of the desert

    On day five the trail drops to Ellery Creek Big Hole, a deep, cold pool beneath a red cliff, where the bravest swim after a long day. These waterholes have always been vital to the Arrernte people, and some are sacred sites, so the guide explains where swimming is welcome and where it is not. On day six, a ridge section above Serpentine Gorge with views to both sides of the range, ending in a narrow gorge with a waterhole between high walls. In camp in the evening, the guide talks about spinifex, bush foods and the birds that gather at the water. Nights in the dry season are cold, sometimes with frost, so a warm sleeping bag and gloves are essential.

  4. Still water and trees between rock walls in Ormiston Gorge

    04Days 7–8 · Ormiston Gorge & Glen Helen

    A rock amphitheatre and an ancient river

    Day seven brings the Ormiston Pound loop, one of the finest sections of the whole trail: the path climbs through hills into a broad pound ringed by rock walls and returns through the gorge past waterholes and red cliffs that look almost violet in the morning light. In the afternoon, rest by the water. Day eight is shorter, to Glen Helen Gorge, where the Finke, thought to be one of the oldest rivers in the world, cuts through the range. The evening is best given to the sky: there's almost no light here, and the Milky Way is bright enough to cast a shadow. Dinner is early, because tomorrow we rise well before dawn.

  5. Still water between rocky cliffs at Redbank Gorge, where the climb to Mount Sonder begins

    05Days 9–10 · Mount Sonder & the return

    Sunrise at the end of the trail

    On day nine the alarm goes off at about three. By head torch we walk from Redbank Gorge up the steep path to Mount Sonder, Rwetyepme in Arrernte, one of the highest peaks of the West MacDonnells and the final point of the Larapinta Trail. The walk there and back is about 16 km, usually six to eight hours. At the summit we wait for dawn: first the horizon reddens, then, one after another, the ridges you've walked all week catch the light, and to the south you can sometimes make out the crater of Gosse Bluff. Tired but down, we have lunch and drive about two hours along Larapinta Drive back to Alice Springs. A final night in town, and on day ten a flight onward or an extension to Uluru.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Sunrise on Mount Sonder

    A climb in the dark and a dawn that lights every ridge you've walked that week.

  2. 02

    With only a day pack

    Camps with tents and dinner are waiting for you, so all your energy goes into the walking.

  3. 03

    Ormiston Pound

    A loop through a rock amphitheatre and a gorge full of waterholes, one of the trail's best days.

  4. 04

    Arrernte country

    Gorges and waterholes that your guide presents as a living, sacred landscape.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With Uluru

    From Alice Springs you can continue to Uluru and Kata Tjuta, by road via Kings Canyon or by a short flight, for three more nights.

  • Longer or independently

    Experienced walkers can tackle the whole trail in about two weeks, carrying more gear and using food drops along the way.

  • More comfort

    Instead of tents, camps with permanent cabins and hot showers, and dinners of local produce with wine by the fire.

  • A gentler pace

    Shorter days driving between gorges with 5–8 km walks instead of full sections; Mount Sonder can be swapped for sunrise at the Ormiston lookout.

Practical considerations

  • The walking season is roughly April to September. Days are usually warm and sunny, but nights are cold, sometimes with frost; in summer the heat is dangerous, and some trails close on the hottest days.
  • You'll walk 10 to 16 km a day on stony, sometimes steep ground with a day pack; before travelling, it's worth doing a few long days in a row in the footwear you'll use on the trail.
  • Some parts of the trail and park require permits or fees, and Standley Chasm is on Aboriginal community land; we check the current arrangements before you travel.
  • In the desert, water comes first: your guide says how much to carry each day, and a hat, sun protection and a fly net are useful even in winter.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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