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Itinerary
5-Day Classic Larapinta
Date and group size

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Accommodation options

Price is based on twin-share tents. Choose how many members of your group would like to stay in single occupancy tents during the trip.

Equipment rental

Sleeping bag rentals are available at an additional cost. Price is per person, for the whole trip. You’ll need a sleeping bag for your nights in camp.

Add more flexibility to your trip

Things come up, and sometimes plans need to be changed. Check out our flexible cancellation options. Booking fees are non-refundable after 48hours in all cases.
57hours flexibility options
Deposits

When booking a trip, you can either pay for it in full or reserve your spot with a 30% deposit. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.

Cancellations

After 48 hours, booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. You can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:

Basic
  • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
  • If canceled 60 or more days before departure, a 70% refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • If canceled within 59 days of departure, no refund will be issued.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after a 48 hours grace period.
Flexible
  • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
  • If canceled 60 or more days before departure, a full refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • If canceled 30-59 days before departure, a 50% refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • If canceled within 29 days of departure, no refund will be issued.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after 48 hours grace period.
Super Flexible
  • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
  • If canceled 30 or more days before departure, a full refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • If canceled within 29 days of departure, a 50% refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after 48 hours grace period.
Summary
Walk the Larapinta Trail: All-Inclusive Experience
Itinerary
5-Day Classic Larapinta
Date(s)
--
People
1 Person
  • 5-Day Classic Larapinta - 1
    -
    Subtotal
    Booking fees
    Group discount
    People
    Cancellation policy
Cancel in the first 48h for free
Reserve your spot with a minimum deposit
Travel and medical insurance available

  • This 5-day trip is pure, focused hiking—no hotels, but transfers and food are included just as with the 6-day tour. We'll be based at a stunning campsite at Ormiston Gorge the whole way through.

    Few places on earth feel as ancient and raw as the West MacDonnell Ranges. Stretching west of Alice Springs, this rugged landscape of red quartzite ridges, ochre gorges, and ghost gum-lined waterholes sits on some of the oldest geology on the planet—home to the Western Arrernte people for over 50,000 years. The Larapinta Trail is Australia's great desert walk: remote, dramatic, and deeply rewarding. Over five days, we hike its most spectacular sections — scaling Mt Sonder, traversing hidden gorges, and earning views that stretch for hundreds of miles. Guided, fully catered, and camping in style at beautiful Ormiston Gorge.

    • We meet at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Alice Springs for a pre-tour briefing before heading out to Standley Chasm—a narrow, jagged slot canyon sculpted over millions of years, home to birds, lizards, wallabies, and ancient cycad palms. From there, we drive to Ormiston Gorge, one of the crown jewels of the West MacDonnell Ranges, for an afternoon circuit that climbs to a high escarpment overlooking the Pound, then descends into the gorge itself. Cliff faces rise like red lego blocks above the dry riverbed; river red gums, ancient pines, and the famous Sturt’s Desert Rose dot the way. We walk directly into our campsite at Ormiston Gorge, where the tent is already set up and a dip in the waterhole is waiting before dinner.

      Meals: Dinner
      Hiking: ~9 km (5.6 mi)
      Elevation: +312 m (+1,024 ft) / -306 m (-1,004 ft)
      Accommodation: Camp Ormiston Gorge (walk-in tents)

      Standley chasm sunray

    • We start early—the most challenging day is saved for when legs are freshest. Mount Sonder, the highest point on the Larapinta Trail at 1,380 m (4,528 ft), was made famous in the watercolour paintings of Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira, and the reality more than lives up to the legend. We climb through bushland as trees grow more stunted and the track opens onto sweeping, spinifex-covered slopes. At the summit, we sign the Visitors Book and take in views stretching for hundreds of miles. Those who’d prefer a shorter day can opt for a Redbank Gorge walk or an abbreviated version of the route. We return to camp with time for a swim before dinner.

      Meals: Breakfast, dinner
      Hiking: ~15 km (9.3 mi)
      Elevation: +862 m (+2,828 ft) / -862 m (-2,828 ft)
      Accommodation: Camp Ormiston Gorge (walk-in tents)

      mount sonder larapinta

    • Today’s walk begins with a magnificent red mallee forest—wildflowers if the rains have been kind—and the remnants of an old cattle corral, a nod to the pioneers who once worked this country. We follow an undulating track through Ormiston Gorge, with Mount Sonder looming behind us and plains stretching ahead. The highlight is crossing the Finke River, known as Larapinta (“salty water”) to the Western Arrernte people and one of the oldest watercourses on earth. We cross to the west bank through a stand of river red gums and make our way back to camp, with time for a swim before the evening meal.

      Meals: Breakfast, dinner
      Hiking: 12 km (7.5 mi)
      Elevation: +196 m (+643 ft) / -223 m (-732 ft)
      Accommodation: Camp Ormiston Gorge (walk-in tents)

      finke river

    • Today we walk Section 8 of the Larapinta Trail, and it may well be the finest day of all. A steady climb takes us up to Eagles Landing—named after an Eagle Ancestor Dreaming story connecting Ochre Pits and Serpentine Gorge—before we push on to Counts Point along an exposed ridge with open, rocky terrain. The views here are extraordinary: quartz ridgelines draw the eye to Mount Sonder, and in the distance to the right, the Northern Territory’s highest peak, Mount Zeil, appears on the horizon. After lunch, we descend steeply off the range via switchbacks and rocky steps into mulga scrub, finishing at Serpentine Gorge and transferring back to camp. Those preferring a gentler day can opt for the easy 3 km return walk into Serpentine Gorge and its sheltered waterhole.

      Meals: Breakfast, dinner
      Hiking: ~15.6 km (9.7 mi)
      Elevation: +647 m (+2,123 ft) / -590 m (-1,936 ft)
      Accommodation: Camp Ormiston Gorge (walk-in tents)

      eagles landing larapinta

    • Our final morning follows the Arrernte Walk from the Ochre Pits—an important cultural site for the Western Arrernte people, used for ceremony and pigment for thousands of years—through Inarlanga Pass, where smoky-green Macdonnell Ranges cycads glow against red sandstone walls formed around 300 million years ago. We connect onto the Larapinta Track for the final 4 km, following high ground with some of the best views of the whole trail. Afterwards, we transfer back to the DoubleTree by Hilton in Alice Springs, arriving at approximately 2:40 pm—tired, satisfied, and full of stories.

      Meals: Breakfast
      Hiking: ~8 km (5 mi)

      larapinta serpentine gorge

    • Included:

        • Experienced hiking guides with extensive knowledge of the area
        • 5 or 6-day Larapinta trail trekking tour, depending on your selected itinerary
        • Accommodation
          • 5-day itinerary: 4 nights of camping at the magnificent Ormiston Gorge (walk-in tents with off-the-ground beds & deluxe camping mattresses)
          • 6-day itinerary:
            • 1 night at the Doubletree Hilton Alice Springs Resort
            • 2 nights camping at Ormiston Gorge
            • 2 final nights at Doubletree Hilton (or, if open, Glen Helen Homestead)
        • All meals (breakfasts, packed lunches, and dinners), as in the itinerary
        • Australian wine served during dinner each night at camp 
        • Fresh fruit and trail mix during the walks
        • Luggage transfers
        • National Park Pass
        • Return transfers
        • With the 6-day tour only:
          • Helicopter flight over Section 1 of the Larapinta (for a unique view of the MacDonnell ranges)
          • Nocturnal experience in Alice Springs

      Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout):

        • Sleeping bag rental
        • Single occupancy room 

      Not included:

        • International or domestic flights
        • Airport transfers, taxes, and excess baggage charges
        • Sleeping bag
        • Meals not indicated in the itinerary
        • Visa and passport fees
        • All personal expenses
        • Guide gratuities — optional
        • Insurance — available to add at checkout

    • This Larapinta trail trekking tour is ideal for hikers with a good-to-excellent level of fitness. You should be able to walk in all weather conditions. Still, you’ll have the option to opt out of any day’s walking and relax at the campground or homestead. On Day 3, you can also do an alternative easier walk for those not wanting to walk to Mount Sonder.

      Expect hiking of up to 16 km (10 mi), and up to 8 hours per day, while gaining up to 500 m (1,640 ft) in elevation. Check out the itinerary for day-by-day distances and elevation changes.

      The Larapinta Trail stretches 223 km (139 mi) from Alice Springs to Mt Sonder—a full traverse takes around 16 days, though most walkers choose to focus on the finest sections rather than tackling it end to end. Our handpicked 5-day & 6-day itineraries cover the trail’s standout highlights, giving you the best of Larapinta without missing a thing.

      For more hiking adventures in Australia, click here!

    • Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

        • A backpack large enough to carry your personal items (around a 25-40L bag)
        • Travel insurance, passports, indemnity form, and visa
        • Sleeping bag — can be rented for an additional cost
        • Hiking poles — optional
        • Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
        • Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
        • Comfortable hiking clothes 
        • Spare clothes for layering
        • Waterproof rain jacket
        • Sunhat
        • Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, tissues, etc.)
        • Headlamp or flashlight
        • Sunglasses
        • Swimsuit
        • Camera — optional (but recommended)

      Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans. Please note that the full packing list will be sent after booking.

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    • Group sizes and pricing

        • For this Larapinta trail trekking tour, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 4:1. 
        • It takes a minimum of 4 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 12 participants.
        • Private tours for a minimum of 10 people are available! Let’s get in touch if interested.

      A Larapinta trail trekking tour can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

      Min. age requirements

        • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
        • Minors older than 8 may be permitted to join the Larapinta trail trekking tour on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

      If your group has participants under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

    • The price for this Larapinta Trail is based on twin-share rooms and/or tents, but a single occupancy room/tent can be arranged at an additional fee. You can add it to your booking at checkout.

      If you’re a solo traveller happy to share, we’ll do our best to match you with another solo traveller of the same gender. If we’re unable to find a suitable match closer to departure, the single supplement will apply.

    • The starting point of your Larapinta trail trekking tour is Alice Springs. To get there, most people fly into Darwin International Airport (DRW), and then fly from there into Alice Springs Airport (ASP). From there, you can take a shuttle service or rent a car to reach Alice Springs.

      It’s best to book your own flight to arrive anytime in Alice Springs, and then make your own way to the Doubletree Hilton Alice Springs Resort, where the accommodation for the first night has been booked and settled. Your guide will provide more details about the group meeting before the adventure begins.

    • We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.

      Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

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