Nothing beats a trip to the Red Centre than opting for the incredible Uluru Field of Light dinner experience. It was my first visit to Uluru in 20 years and I couldn’t get over how incredibly amazing this monumental sacred place really is.
How had I forgotten how utterly beautiful Uluru is? Throw in the popular Uluru Field of Light dinner experience and I can honestly say the memories from this experience will stay with me for a long time.
For those of you wondering if the Uluru Field of Lights tour is worth it, the short answer is yes. I’m going to break down the various options to see the famous Field of Light as well as what the dinner experience actually looks like.
What is the Field of Light Uluru?
If you’ve never heard of Field of Light art installation at Uluru before, I’m sure you may recognize an image of the lights spread across the Australian outback before.
The large critically acclaimed and award winning art installation located in a secret location near Uluru has been seen by thousands of people and is one of the must see experiences when visiting Uluru.
British artist Bruce Munro, finished his eight year stint of living in Australia and drove to Uluru in an old Toyota Corolla before heading back to England in 1992. It was here while he was camping that he had a vision of the art installation as he sketched it into his notebook.
As his vision came to life back home in an English field, he eventually brought the 50,000 lights which spans over seven football fields and invites viewers to immerse themselves in a fantasy garden of light, showcasing a spectrum of colors that reflect the desert landscape.
The exhibition titled “Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku” means ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights’ in Pitjantjatjara, the local language.
While it was only supposed to be a temporary art installation, it proved so popular that it has since been extended indefinitely.
Bruce Munro also has a few other exhibitions you can see across Australia, including the nearby Light Towers at Kings Canyon, and at Heide Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne.
Which tour to choose
You have to book a tour to see the Field of Light as it is located in a secret remote desert location and you cannot just turn up by yourself. You’ll get a convenient hotel pick up from your accommodation in Yulara and bring you here depending on which tour you booked.
Field of Light Tours to choose from:
- General Admission for budget friendly – Simply go visit the amazing Field of Light without any frills attached. The tour lasts 1.5 hours and unfortunately isn’t pram friendly. Wear comfortable shoes and you’ll see the desert light up after dark
- Field of Light Uluru Sunrise Tour – a 2 hour tour with an early pick up from your hotel accommodation to see the radiant frosted glass spheres before natural light brightens up the day. You’ll be able to see the famous Uluru sunrise from here as well while sipping on a classic hot chocolate.
- Field of Light Star Pass for the mid range traveller – we asked staff at Ayers Rock Resort which their favourite tour is in the park and some of the mentioned this one before you get 2.5 hours, including access to the Dune Top for raised views of Uluru, and guests enjoy canapés, wine and beer included.
- Field of Light Dinner for the ultimate experience – this is the experience we booked, which includes 4.5 hours, the above (canapes etc) as well as a sit down dinner, didgeridoo playing and much more.
What the Field of Light Dinner looks like
We were picked up from Ayers Rock Resort Campground where we were staying in our amazing Star RV motorhome (Get 10% off your motorhome hire using the code LIS10), before we were whisked away in the coach to a secret location.
Before we knew it, we were on the dune top raised platform being handed chilled sparkling wine and non stop canapes for about 30 minutes to an hour. This is an amazing opportunity to take photos of the famous Uluru while the sun slowly sets around it.
Our fantastic host told us dinner was ready and we made our way along a boardwalk to a hidden spot where white tablecloths draped over big round dinner tables. This dining area is totally hidden and during the course of the evening, we didn’t ever see any other tours from here at all.
When we arrived, we found a dinner table, sat down and introduced ourselves to the other diners. We got really lucky with our table as we all instantly got on which I think really added to the evening (we even created a Whatsapp group because we all got on so well).
As darkness gradually falls, our glasses were constantly topped up, and we were told about the history of the art installation. Powered by solar power and 46 projectors, we were in awe as we saw the lights come to life in the near distance to where we were sitting.
I looked up and saw a star lit sky and the whole experience felt so special, especially when the didgeridoo player, a local Aboriginal man came to play for us.
As the night went on, we were told table by table to go up to the bush-tucker inspired buffet dinner and help ourselves.
Seeing the famous art installation
The food was generally good and before we knew it, we were told to make our way around the Field of Light installation.
We could have spent hours looking at the coloured lights and the truly magical sight, but it felt like a had just twenty minutes to walk around before getting back on the bus to go back to our resort.
As we returned back to our Star RV van, we both said what an amazing night it was. Do we wish we booked one of the other tours to see Field of Light? Not at all. The dinner experience really is exceptional and such a highlight of our entire trip to the Red Centre.
Tip – wear layers and warm clothes. We visited in June and it was really cold, although it didn’t feel too cold sitting outdoors for the Field of Light dinner experience.
Other Uluru tours to consider
If you’re thinking about doing other tours at Uluru, we highly recommend the 15 Minute Helicopter Experience (honestly it’s incredible) as well as the unbelievable Wintjiri Wiru: Uluru Drone Show. We’ve done both and you honestly cannot miss them or the Field of Light Dinner.
Check out our 12 Best Uluru Tours to find out more about the absolute best Uluru experiences.
More Uluru travel guides to read
- Find out more about the amazing experiences at Uluru by checking out our guide: Best Things To Do In Uluru.
- If you’re driving from Darwin, check out our guide, 11 Places To Stop On Your Way From Darwin To Uluru.
- If you’re keen on the helicopter tour, check out our guide: Is the 15 minute Uluru Helicopter Flight Worth it? This includes a lot of tips for when to book, and what you should do before getting on the flight.
