The spectacular Valley of the Winds walk in Kata Tjuta National Park

by ling and jace

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is on Anangu land. We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and celebrate the ongoing connection of Aboriginal people to the land and water of Australia.

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Sunset over Kata Tjuta from scenic flight — *Sunset over Kata Tjuta, shot from scenic flight*

We spent most days hiking in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and the Valley of the Winds circuit was easily our favourite trail.

Kata Tjuta is one of the most dominant rock formations in the national park, reaching well over 500 metres at its highest peak. The Valley of the Winds trail passes between some of the domes that make up the Kata Tjuta rock structure.

Summary of the Valley of the Winds walk

Distance: 7.4km loop
Time: 3-4hrs
Difficulty: mostly moderate, with some steep sections of incline
Type: circuit loop
Cultural sensitivity: yes, Anangu ask that you do not take any photos of the rock in the valley while you are on the walk (photos permitted from one lookout).

Sunset view of Kata Tjuta from sunset viewing area — *Sunset from the Kata Tjuta sunset viewing area*

*Sunrise from the Kata Tjuta sunrise dune viewing area*

This post includes everything you need to know to walk the Valley of the Winds circuit. We’ve included links throughout—click below to jump to each section.

If you want to find more walks or things to do in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, we’ve put up a complete guide here.

Our full guide and vlog are linked here:

Complete guide to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

HOW TO GET TO THE VALLEY OF THE WINDS

There are a few options for getting to the Valley of the Winds in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park:

By tour

Sunrise and Valley of the Winds tour: for the most convenient way to see more of Kata Tjuta and hike through the Valley of the Winds, we’d recommend this tour. It includes transport, sunrise from the most beautiful lookout over Kata Tjuta and breakfast before the walk.

BY CAR

The start of the Winds walk is about 50 minutes’ drive from Yulura to Kata Tjuta.

Hop-on hop-off bus

A hop-on hop-off bus runs daily in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and can get you to the start of the Valley of the Winds walk. We’ve linked pricing and timetables for this bus here.

Sunrise view of Kata Tjuta from sunrise dune viewing area — *Sunrise from the Kata Tjuta sunrise dune viewing area*

BEST TIME OF YEAR TO WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE WINDS

The better time of the year to walk anywhere in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is from April to September. The peak season for visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is in the middle of winter, with clear skies and temperatures reaching the low 20s°C.

In the summer months, it’s common for daily temperatures to be well over 36°C. When the temperature gets this high, many trails, including the Valley of the Winds, are closed after a certain time in the morning.

During the warmer months, it’s highly recommended that you finish before 11am as large sections of the walk is exposed to the sun.

Wildlife on the Valley of the Winds Hike — *Wildlife on the Valley of the Winds hike*

CULTURAL SENSITIVITY AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE VALLEY OF THE WINDS WALK

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is an important cultural area for Anangu. There are a number of rock details and features in the National Park that are sacred to Anangu, and should only be viewed at their original location and by certain people. Taking photos, filming, or painting these details and features is not permitted.

Indigenous elders ask visitors not to photograph most parts of Valley of the Winds walk as it passes through sacred areas. Photos are permitted at Karingana Lookout, which is where this incredible view of the valley is taken from. Photos are also permitted of flora, fauna and people (close up) that block the details of the rocks.

Karingana Lookout during the Valley of the Winds hike — *Karingana Lookout (photos permitted), Valley of the Winds*

WHAT TO TAKE ON THE VALLEY OF THE WINDS WALK

For this walk, make sure you have plenty of water and sun protection (hats and SPF 50+ sunscreen at a minimum) as the trail is very exposed. We recommend taking at least 1.5L of water per person, and there are 2 points on the circuit where you can refill water too.

To access this walk you’ll also need to purchase a National Park permit. Passes cost $38 per person and are valid for 3 days. At the gate, park rangers can extend the passes to 5 days (free of charge) if you’ve planned for two more days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. You can purchase entry passes online, or at the gate on the day.

Sunrise over Kata Tjuta from the sunrise dune viewing area — *Sunrise over Kata Tjuta from Kata Tjuta dune viewing area*

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE VALLEY OF THE WINDS WALK

The terrain on the Valley of the Winds walk is a mix of dirt and rocky paths. It’s a mostly moderate walk, however there are some steep sections of incline as you walk over large rock formations.

The full circuit is a 7.4km loop, which we’d allow around 3-4 hours to complete. There are also two lookouts along the way which you can optionally return from if you don’t want to complete the full circuit:

Karu Lookout (about 1hr, 2.2km return)
Karingana Lookout (about 2.5hrs, 5.4km return)

We highly recommend you continue to Karingana Lookout, as it gives the most spectacular view of a hidden landscape in the distance between the dome walls.

It’s also generally worth completing the hike as the first part of the trail is mostly descending into the valley, so if you turn back early from either of these lookouts, a large portion of the return trip will be uphill.