Is a Uluru helicopter flight on your bucket list? Considering it’s one of the best things to do in Uluru, does it live up to the hype?
There are a few Uluru helicopter flights and scenic flights in Australia’s Red Centre to choose from. I oped for the 15 minute Uluru Helicopter tour, even though I wondered if it would be enough time.
If you’re unsure which Uluru helicopter tours to choose from to see the iconic landmark or whether it is in fact worth it, read on.
To be clear, there are so many amazing activities to pick between at Uluru and you could easily spend a lot of money doing them all. I know you have to be quite picky when making that decision, so hopefully this guide will help you in some way.
I’ll also talk about some of the other Uluru tours we did which I would absolutely recommend too. I’ll also share a few other tips to help you plan your once in a lifetime visit.
Helicopter vs small plane flight over Uluru
Considering this was our fourth scenic flight in two months after travelling through Western Australia and Northern Territory, it was in fact our first helicopter tour. The rest were on a small plane over Cape Le Grand National Park, The Bungle Bungles and Kakadu National Park. All of the scenic flights were fantastic, but we know this Uluru tour really had to be in a helicopter.
Regardless of which scenic flight you choose, you won’t get too close to Uluru, nor are you allowed to fly over it out of respect to the Indigenous community.
It really comes down to preference about whether you want to go in a small plane or helicopter. It’s worth noting a helicopter tour will always be slightly more expensive.
What my 15 minute Uluru helicopter experience looked like
We were picked up from our accommodation at Ayers Rock Resort campground as we had been on a road trip for a few months with the incredible Star RV motorhomes (you can get 10% off booking a Star RV Motorhome when using our code LIS10). Within minutes, we arrived at the heli pad.
From here we had to wait a little bit of time as there was a glitch with our helicopter, but after a while we were all good to go. The other tourist with us got the front seat as it’s all dependent on weight. Steve and I sat in the back, obviously next to either sides of the windows.
Our pilot was super friendly and as we took off, he started to point out iconic landmarks including Yulara and the Aboriginal town which is closed off to the public near to Uluru. As we got closer to the amazing views and unparalleled perspective of Uluru, we realised the immense size of it and how impressive it really is.
Is the 15 minute Uluru helicopter flight long enough?
Even though the Uluru helicopter flight was only 15 minutes, it felt much longer. As this was our fourth and shortest scenic flight in Australia within two months, we were expecting it to fly by within minutes. I must admit, it honestly felt like we were up there for much longer.
I think if we had done a longer flight over both Uluru and Kata Tjuta, it would have felt like a much quicker experience because the two sites aren’t next to each other and would take a while to get between the two.
With that being said, I’m glad we were able to fly around Uluru and really appreciate the immense size of the iconic monolith and it is a tour I’ll remember for a long time to come.
Tips before booking your Uluru helicopter flight
I would recommend always booking a scenic flight at the beginning of your trip just in case it’s delayed due to weather conditions. We actually did our tour in the middle of our trip.
We did the Valley of the Winds walk in Kata Tjuta the next day which is really incredible. After we did it, we were thinking how amazing it would have been to see it from the air too.
I would however do the Uluru Base Walk like we did or this popular segway tour around the base of Uluru BEFORE doing the scenic flight as you’ll get a better understanding of how huge and significant this spiritual site really is.
If you’re budget conscious, the 15 minute tour that we did is perfect and worth the money for sure. If we had a larger budget we would have done one of the longer tours.
What time of day to book your tour
People often wonder what is the best time of day to do a Uluru scenic flight, but we did ours around 2pm in the middle of the day. Obviously sunrise or sunset would have been amazing as Ayers Rock changes colour, but you’ll need to book way in advance to get those specific times.
When you do the tour, wear layers as scenic flights tend to get hot regardless of the outside weather. Always bring a water bottle and only your camera as they weigh everything so don’t bother bringing a backpack with you.
If you have an iPhone 15 or newer, put the camera in action mode to get smooth video footage as scenic flights can be sometimes a bit bumpy.
Other Uluru tours you need to consider
There are so many Uluru tours to do, that you could easily spend a fortune here. Here the absolute must do tours I am glad we did and you should do too.
Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner – this is an exceptional experience to see the Mala story told through a drone, light and sound show. The service is impressive, the food is impeccable and it really was a massive highlight for us.
Field of Light Dinner – we had the best time seeing the famous light installation by British artist, Bruce Munro and highly recommend the dinner here. It really is a once in a lifetime experience.
Find out more, by checking out our 12 Best Uluru Tours You Absolutely Must do!
More Uluru travel guides to read!
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