Our Agents

Booval

07 3202 3355

Capalaba

07 3245 4377

Carindale

07 3369 5899

Mt Ommaney

07 3558 1556

Our Agents

Booval

07 3202 3355

Capalaba

07 3245 4377

Carindale

07 3369 5899

Mt Ommaney

07 3558 1556

Lake Eyre and the Painted Hills

8-Day Australia 4WD Tour

  • APT Tours & Cruises

From: $7,695

Save $0 – Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Trip Length: 8 Days
  • Trip Starts: Adelaide
  • Trip Finishes: Adelaide

All prices displayed on this website are subject to availability and may change without notice due to supplier price changes, taxes, fees, or currency fluctuations. Prices are indicative only and are not guaranteed until the booking is confirmed and full payment has been received. While we make reasonable efforts to ensure accuracy, errors may occur and will be corrected when identified. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

Overview

We’ve been guiding travellers to Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre for many years, building a deep understanding of this remarkable, ever-changing landscape. There is always something extraordinary to experience here but right now is different. Floodwaters are predicted to rival those of the 1970s, surpassing even last year’s record. Experience this rare spectacle on a Small Group Tour with a maximum of just 22 guests, as the Georgina, Diamantina and Cooper Creeks flood in unison. From a unique aerial vantage, watch the Outback come alive as these legendary waterways carve a shimmering inland sea across the landscape, attracting an incredible array of wildlife.

Itinerary

Be met at Adelaide airport, where you will meet your Driver-Guide and board your 4WD vehicle. Travel to Port Augusta, situated at the head of Spencer Gulf. This iconic town sits at the crossroads of Australia, where the Sydney-Perth and Adelaide-Alice Springs railway lines intersect. Today you’ll also visit the award-winning Wadlata Outback Centre, where a walk through its ‘Tunnel of Time’ provides the perfect introduction to this magnificent region by introducing you to the fascinating stories from the Dreamtime to the early explorers who embarked on camel-back voyages in search of an inland sea.  

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Port Augusta, Standpipe Motel

This morning, explore the Historic railway town of Quorn, filled with charming heritage buildings that have been a backdrop for films including Gallipoli and Wolf Creek. Traverse the Pichi Richi Pass, a heritage steam railway line. Stop for lunch at Parachilna’s famous Prairie Hotel, a family-owned pub that was first licensed in 1876. Continue to the stunning Aroona Dam and admire its spectacular ochre-coloured pits, then call in at the ghost town of Farina, once a thriving community with around 600 residents, before arriving at Marree.    

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: The Marree Hotel

Set off along the Oodnadatta Track towards Lake Eyre South, where you will admire the dazzling salt flats (subject to weather conditions). Keep an eye out for unique wildlife including the Lake Eyre dragon, as well as a variety of birdlife from corellas to wild emerald budgerigars. Afterwards, enjoy a pub lunch at William Creek before embarking on your Signature Experience.

Signature Experience – Scenic Flight and Guided Tour of the Painted Hills

Take a scenic flight to the Painted Hills, a hidden gem located within the Arckaringa Basin. This surreal landscape, characterised by its vibrant hues of red, pink, yellow, and ochre, is a testament to millions of years of geological history. The hills are composed of ancient siltstones, mudstones and sandstones, shaped by natural forces over a vast period of time. Embark on a guided walk to explore the breathtaking beauty of the Painted Hills while learning about the area’s geology, flora, and wildlife, and how it is a significant paleontological site, with fossils of ancient plants and animals embedded in the layers, offering a glimpse into Earth’s distant past.

(Image courtesy of South Australia Tourist Commission)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: William Creek Hotel

Set off this morning on your signature experience.

Later, relax in the comfort of a 4WD coach whilst you travel to Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert National Park. Witness the sun setting while enjoying drinks and nibbles and watch as nature displays its very own light show. You will spend the night in Birdsville at the famous Birdsville Hotel.

Signature Experience – Scenic Flight Over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre

Board an included scenic flight over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, where you will be able to gain a bird’s-eye view and true appreciation of this magnificent sight. Absorb the beautiful range of vibrant blue and pink hues – even when dry, the lake bed dazzles with its patchwork of geometric patterns. From this vantage point, you will see how it cuts an amazing track though the Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert, all the way from Queensland, as you head for Poeppel Corner and the Big Red sand dune, prior to landing at Birdsville.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Birdsville Hotel

Departing Birdsville, set out for your Signature Experience. 

Signature Experience – Scenic Flight Over the Outback

Board a scenic flight for the journey south along the Diamantina River to the top edge of Goyder Lagoon. From there, cross the Sturt Stony Desert to reach Coongie Lakes, a vast wetland reserve home to thousands of migratory birds. Continue downstream along Cooper Creek past Lake Hope to the Cooper Creek and Birdsville Track Crossing. Here, the floodwaters rejuvenate the landscape into a picturesque scene of flowing rivers and green vegetation, providing a temporary haven for wildlife. This once-in-a-lifetime experience offers an unforgettable perspective on the natural wonders of South Australia’s outback. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Two Nights, Discovery Resorts – Wilpena Pound

This morning is yours to explore at leisure. Perhaps take a scenic flight over Wilpena Pound to gain a true appreciation of this natural wonder (additional expense). Or alternatively embark on a self-guided walk to the spectacular Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre of mountains in the heart of the national park. After Lunch, venture into Flinders Ranges National Park and follow in the footsteps of Douglas Mawson as you spend the afternoon in the geological site of Brachina Gorge, an important refuge for the endangered yellow-footed rock wallaby.

Enrich Your Experience – Wilpena Pound Scenic Flight

Perhaps take a scenic flight over Wilpena Pound to gain a true appreciation of this natural wonder. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, drive to the world-renowned wine growing district of the Clare Valley. This afternoon, savour a Signature Experience. Later, return to Adelaide, where you will enjoy a Farewell Dinner at your hotel.

Signature Experience – Dine at the Watervale Hotel

Visit the highly acclaimed Watervale Hotel for a delightful meal featuring locally grown produce from the hotel organic, bio-dynamic farm in one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, the Clare Valley. It’s the ideal setting to enjoy a glass of wine and catch up with your fellow guests.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Adelaide, The Playford

After breakfast, be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.

Meals: Breakfast

Trip Inclusions

Board an included scenic flight over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre to gain a bird’s-eye view of the beautiful range of vibrant blue and pink hues – even when dry, the lake bed dazzles with its patchwork of geometric patterns.

Visit the highly acclaimed Watervale Hotel for a delightful meal featuring locally grown produce from the hotel's organic, bio-dynamic farm in the Clare Valley.

Fly to the Painted Hills in the far northern corner of South Australia, a striking cluster of rocky hills splashed with striking layers of red, orange, and purple hues from oxidisation over an endless period of time.

(Image courtesy of South Australia Tourism Commission)

Dates & Pricing

  • Saturday

    18 Apr 2026

    Adelaide

    Saturday

    25 Apr 2026

    Adelaide

    Our Price

    AUD $7,695

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Tuesday

    28 Apr 2026

    Adelaide

    Tuesday

    05 May 2026

    Adelaide

    Our Price

    AUD $7,695

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Friday

    01 May 2026

    Adelaide

    Friday

    08 May 2026

    Adelaide

    Our Price

    AUD $7,695

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Wednesday

    13 May 2026

    Adelaide

    Wednesday

    20 May 2026

    Adelaide

    Our Price

    AUD $7,695

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Thursday

    18 Jun 2026

    Adelaide

    Thursday

    25 Jun 2026

    Adelaide

    Our Price

    AUD $7,695

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Friday

    24 Jul 2026

    Adelaide

    Friday

    31 Jul 2026

    Adelaide

    Our Price

    AUD $7,695

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Saturday

    26 Sep 2026

    Adelaide

    Saturday

    03 Oct 2026

    Adelaide

    Our Price

    AUD $7,995

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Monday

    05 Oct 2026

    Adelaide

    Monday

    12 Oct 2026

    Adelaide

    Our Price

    AUD $7,995

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Tuesday

    09 Nov 2027

    Tromso

    Wednesday

    01 Dec 2027

    Budapest

    Retail Price: $23,395

    Our Price

    AUD $22,445

    Save $950

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Tuesday

    23 Nov 2027

    Tromso

    Wednesday

    15 Dec 2027

    Budapest

    Retail Price: $27,695

    Our Price

    AUD $26,745

    Save $950

    Twin Share (Per Person)

  • Tuesday

    07 Dec 2027

    Tromso

    Wednesday

    29 Dec 2027

    Budapest

    Retail Price: $27,695

    Our Price

    AUD $26,745

    Save $950

    Twin Share (Per Person)

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