Kata Tjuta - The Olgas
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Why go
- Walpa Gorge trail: 2.6 km, about one to two hours.
- Valley of the Winds trail: 7.4 km, about three to four hours, with two viewpoints.
- Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park was recognised by UNESCO for its natural values in 1987 and as a living cultural landscape in 1994.
Don't miss
- Kata Tjuta Dune Viewing AreaWatch the domes appear grey, brown or red as sunlight and atmospheric conditions change their colours.Kata Tjuta Dune Viewing Area
With kids
- Family activities elsewhere in the national park include school-holiday educational activities; no booking is needed for these activities.
- Children can join a Junior Ranger fauna survey at the Cultural Centre’s Inma Ground.
- The Cultural Centre’s Nintiringkupai Room has a flora and fauna display, colouring and craft activities.
- The daily Mala Walk includes a ranger’s story about the Mala people and Aṉangu rock art.
- A guided two-hour student walk follows part of the Uluṟu Base Walk, with Tjukurpa stories, rock art and learning about culture and connections to place.
Tips for your visit
- Plan your drinking-water supply for the Valley of the Winds walk: there are only two places to obtain drinking water along the trail.
Best time to visit
- Visit Kata Tjuta Dune Viewing Area at sunrise or sunset.
Know before you go
- Tourist access at Kata Tjuṯa is restricted because Aṉangu use the site for rituals.
- Most mythology associated with Kata Tjuṯa is not shared with outsiders.
- The Valley of the Winds trail closes when temperatures reach 36°C.
History
Aṉangu have lived around the domes for at least 30,000 years. They understand the landscape as the work of Ancestral Beings, with its formations providing physical evidence of events recounted in Tjukurpa stories. Aṉangu are the ancestral descendants and protectors responsible for these lands, and jointly manage the park with Parks Australia.
- c. 550 million years agoKata Tjuṯa’s domes formed around the same time as Uluṟu.
- 1872Ernest Giles was the first recorded non-Aboriginal person to see the domes. He named the largest Mount Olga after Queen Olga of Württemberg.
- 1958Kata Tjuṯa became part of the national park.
- 15 December 1993The official dual name became Mount Olga / Kata Tjuta.
- 1995Cultural ceremonies resumed at the site.
Show all
- 6 November 2002The official name order changed to Kata Tjuta / Mount Olga.
- 1987The park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List for its natural values.
- 1994The park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a living cultural landscape.
How to get there
- CarFrom Ayers Rock Airport, drive 55 km south, then west.
- 270 minCarFrom Alice Springs, drive about 495 km via Stuart Highway and Lasseter Highway; the trip takes about 4 hours 30 minutes.
- CarRoad access is via the paved Lasseter Highway, which branches off the Stuart Highway.
- CarKata Tjuṯa is about 51 km from Yulara.
- CarThe site can also be reached from Laverton via Great Central Road.
Shorts
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Trip to Uluru - helicopter tour of Uluru & Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)Journey with Jerrii
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Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)Lap Year Gap Year - Caravanning Australia
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Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) in Australia's Outbackgood_trips tv
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Uluru and Kata Tjuta (Ayers Rock and the Olgas)CatBirdFish
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Kata Tjuṯa / The Olgas 15 October 2022Me & Australia
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Kata Tjuta (Olgas) in Northern Territory, AustraliaFoxRoo
Interesting facts4
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21.68 km²
The domes cover 21.68 km².
Kata Tjuṯa/Monts Olga - Wikipedia -
The domes consist of conglomerate, with varied rock fragments held together by coarse sandstone.
Kata Tjuta - Wikipedia -
Mount Olga, the highest dome, rises about 1,070 m above sea level.
Kata Tjuta - Wikipedia -
Kata Tjuṯa means “many heads” in the Aṉangu language.
Kata Tjuṯa - Wikipedia
Sources: Kata Tjuta - Wikipedia · Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park | Parks Australia · History of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park | Ulu… · Muṯitjulu community | Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National… · Kata Tjuṯa - Wikipedia · Kata Tjuṯa/Monts Olga - Wikipedia · School holiday activities | Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Na… · Schools | Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park | Park… · checked 1 Oct 2026
Plan from here: Evening walk →
Questions and answers
Why are they called The Olgas?
The English name comes from the tallest dome, Mount Olga.
Is there another road approach to Kata Tjuṯa?
The site can also be reached from Laverton via Great Central Road.
Are there learning experiences for school groups near Kata Tjuṯa?
Aṉangu Traditional Owners welcome school groups. Guided experiences explore Tjukurpa and connections among people, plants, animals and Country, including a one-hour introduction and a two-hour walk along part of the Uluṟu Base Walk.
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