At the very heart of Australia lies the historic town of Alice Springs - the pioneering gateway to a mysterious land of natural monuments, colorful outback culture and ancient Dreamtime lore. On this half-day afternoon tour you will visit the School of the Air, the Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service as well as take in spectacular views of the West MacDonnell ranges from Anzac Hill.
Alice Springs is the country's best known 'Outback' town. Originally settled as a post along the Overland Telegraph route, Alice Springs today is a lively town full of things to see and places to go. On your informative town tour, you'll find the locals to be relaxed and friendly, and always keen for a chat.
Start your tour with a visit to the historic Telegraph Station that was first in service in the 1800s to connect Australian towns and cities to each other and bridge the communication gap with other countries.
Visit the base of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and see how medical aid reaches those in remote outback communities. You will also see the School of the Air, and organization that provides education to children over the radio. You may even have the opportunity to listen and observe a class in progress!
Then, make a stop at the Alice Springs Reptile Park and see a collection of snakes and lizards that call the outback home. You will see the Thorny Devil and the larger Perentie Lizard. Get up close to the snakes and lizards and touch them if you dare!
End the day with panoramic views of the town and the rugged West MacDonnell Ranges from Anzac Hill.
Desert Park Option Should you choose to include the Alice Spring Desert Park Option, you will have the morning free to visit the park at your leisure. Rise early for your transfer to the world class Alice Springs Desert Park where you will witness free-flying birds at the Nature Theatre presentation and see rare and endangered animals such as the Bilby. Time at the Alice Springs Desert Park is unguided; you will explore the park in your own time at leisure. The return transfer to your hotel will leave the Desert Park at 12noon. You should then have time to for lunch at your own expense, before you are picked up from your hotel for the ‘A Town like Alice’ Tour.
A lovely guide. The tour was good but probably could have included more about aboriginal culture rather than the reptile centre
Review by: Cindy, November 2017
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Review by: JE D, October 2017
Very nice, do it!
Review by: Eve Rubem, October 2017
O passeio é uma boa opção para quem quer conhecer Alice Springs rapidamente. Os lugares que fomos são legais, mas conta mais histórias de empresas que ajudam as pessoas, mas acaba sendo interessante. O guia da AAT Kings era muito legal e engraçado._br/_ Mas, uma opinião da cidade, é que os aborigenes assustam os turistas, e tem muito deles perambulando pelas ruas de Alice Springs, ficam falando alto, discutindo, e parecem como mendigos. Eu não voltaria para Alice Springs por causa disso.
Review by: Alan Edward P, September 2017
Good opportunity to see the main attractions in Alice Springs in a short time. It was great to see the Old Telegraph station, Reptile park, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the amazing work that they do Anzac Hill and the School of the Air which allows you to see the teacher giving the lessons via an incredible network of computers, reaching some children 1000's kilometres away.
Review by: Christine W, August 2017
We went to School of the Air and saw a lesson in progress. It was very interesting, and as a former teacher, I was amazed at the technology and what a difference it has made to outback students living in remote areas. The Overland Telegraph Station was much more interesting than I expected, but much more time could be spent there. We were amazed by our visit to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. We had no idea they have so many aircraft and are kept so busy, and in far more areas than outback Australia. The story of its founding is just amazing. Rex from the reptile place we visited was a real character, and we learned a lot from his talk and watching him with a crocodile, lizards and a snake he had removed that day. Finally, the visit to Anzac Hill at sunset was a very apt way to finish our stay in Alice Springs. We'd recommend this tour, and our guide, Natasha, whose speech and instructions were very clear. Not a moment was wasted!
Review by: Sandra T, August 2017
A great tour to learn the history and background of what makes Alice Springs unique.
Review by: Edith A, August 2017
Enjoyable and relaxed tour and informative guide.
Review by: Elizabeth O, June 2017
Fantastic and very informative. Rex at the reptile park was amazingly knowledgeable
Review by: William A, April 2017
A very informative tour given at each place we visited, Tour guide was a local lad who also gave us good history and knowledge of the area.
Review by: Mrs_twitter, March 2017
Fantastic tour! We added Alice Springs to our trip as a little extra and were not disappointed. The School of the Air was a true pioneer in long distance education and it was great to watch teachers delivering their lessons to their students. The Reptile House was remarkable as the owner took us through each critter and even explained how to survive a deadly bite. Learning about the long distance medical services was also extremely interesting and gave you a good sense of the struggles living remotely can bring. Easy hotel pickup and we were offered delivery back or optionally downtown drop off with dinner suggestions.
Review by: Alicia C, March 2017
If you are in Alice Springs for a short period of time, this is a great way to see and learn a lot quickly. The small group makes it personal which is really nice, and the stops are all really interesting. The Reptile Center was especially fun! Definitely recommend!
Review by: yva, January 2017
Half of this was really interesting - The school of the air and the Royal flying doctors service. _br/_ The telegraph station was dull and unduly time wasting and the reptile centre was just time-filling, although the guy in it was like Steve Irwin and kept us all awake with his abundance of enthusiasm._br/_ Driving around in circles for locations which were really close together was pointless. _br/_ Driver dull to lifeless. But that's AAT Kings for you.
Review by: Doris H, December 2016
Really good tour to see Alice Springs if you dont have a lot of time for the town, but still a very relaxed tour that brings you to all the important places. Very interesting to watch a live school lesson at the school of the air as well as seeing the base of the Flying Doctors . The guides at the Reptile Park were very enthusiatic and gave excellent information about the animals. Finally from Anzac Hill you get a fantastic view of the whole town and the ranges, which were especially beautiful and green after a wet winter 2016.
Review by: Frances O, November 2016
Great way to see Alice if you have restricted time and no car.
Review by: gregory m, October 2016
A lot packed in here, tanya was great .. Each stop was well thought out to give a great and #34;taste and #34; of alice.
Review by: gillpennock, September 2016
This tour was great. A small group with our expert guide James. We visited the School of the Air, the Telegraph Station, The Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Reptile Centre, and Anzac Hill. My personal favourites were the RFDS and Anzac Hill. Anzac Hill is not only the War Memorial but a lookout with 360 degree views of Alice Springs and the surrounding Ranges. We were fortunate enough to be there when the storm was approaching and got some amazing photos! James regaled us with history and anecdotes as well as recommended some pubs and restaurants. I would definitely recommend this tour!
Review by: Pip, August 2016
Excellent tour - very informative guide, Byron, and excellent tour of School of the Air, Telegraph Station and Reptile Centre in particular.
Review by: Gaye W, August 2016
Wonderful and informative half day tour of the Alice. A must do experience if in Alice Springs to get the full story and history of the area.
Review by: Stephen B, July 2016
Excellent guide who showed us many interesting sights around Alice Springs
Review by: Julie R, July 2016
A must do when visiting Alice Springs. We were able to send a telegram from the original station. Good to know facts from the reptile centre. School of the air very impressive as is the flying doctors.
Review by: Christine T, June 2016
Very informative and very enjoyable. The driver was knowledgeable about the area and very helpful. I would definitely recommend it. We saw much more than we would have going around on our own.
Review by: anneandfrank88, June 2016
Highly recommend
Review by: John M, May 2016
Hits all the important historical places and more. We didn't expect a drive-through of the town, but we got that, too. Jim, our driver/guide, was wonderful.
Review by: kedwards01, May 2016
At first I was skeptical about this tour and regretful about booking it as it took place in the afternoon however, at the end of the day I couldn't have asked for a better and more interesting tour. It visited the most interesting sites of Alice Springs including the reptile center, the post office, the school of the air, and the Royal flying doctor service. The tour ended at the veterans memorial monument that provided a panoramic view of Alice Springs making an enjoyable afternoon and a great introduction to Alice Springs.
Review by: Linda B, March 2016
Small tour of about 14 people. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable of the area. The School of the air was particularly excellent as was the flying doctor museum.
Review by: kathysapp, December 2015
This was a very interesting day ---- especially liked visiting the School of the Air and the Royal Flying Doctors.
Review by: Ruenella C, November 2015
Very informative. Our guide was great! She gave us great insight into the culture and history of the aboriginal people. I loved this tour.
Review by: Paul F, November 2015
Excellent tour, the driver Graham was particularly friendly and knowledgeable. There was sufficient time at each of the attractions that we visited. To have done that on our own would have been much more difficult as we didn't have to worry about where places were. Great value trip.
Review by: bing, October 2015
very well organized trip! very informative. Our guides James and Eric are awesome!
Review by: John M, October 2015
After finishing at Uluru, we decided to spend a day at Alice Springs before heading down to Perth. Glad we did. Alice Springs is a little bit of the Wild West. Our guide Peter took us on an enjoyable ride to the old Telegraph Station: the headquarters of the Royal Flying Doctors Service: and even to the Reptile Park the crocodile show was super. It was a fun afternoon.
Review by: Darla H, October 2015
Our family enjoyed this tour. The bus was really comfortable and we managed to see quite a few things in just an afternoon. Our kids enjoyed learning about The School of the Air and the RFDS, and they really enjoyed the reptile center. It was nice to learn that although Australia has 20 of the 25 most poisonous snakes, it is really easy to avoid getting bit by a snake and surviving if you actually do. We also visited Telegraph Station and Anzac Hill so alot of ground was covered.
Review by: Elizabeth J, August 2015
Excellent organization and great choice of places to visit. Good value and very interesting.
Review by: Juliet P, August 2015
Very interesting
Review by: colladon, November 2014
Good tour taking in all the interesting sites (and there are many) at Alice Springs. Unfortunaately the guide had a strong Australian accent and I (English mother tongue) didn't understand much of what she said.
Review by: Shirley G, October 2014
A good way to get a bit of history about Alice and the role it plays in Central Australia. The definite highlight was the reptile park - he was a great presenter who provided extremely useful information about snakes and crocs in Australia but did so through humour and by keeping his audience totally engaged. I learnt more than I ever have thanks to the way he presented the information.
Review by: Deborah Simone T, April 2014
Great trip and a good chance to really see Alice Springs. In half a day you see everything without feeling rushed. The reptile park is a highlight and Rex the guide is hilarious. Well worth the money and time
Review by: Philip John B, February 2014
We were disappointed by this tour, not with the content but with the short time we spent at the School of the Air, the Telegraph Station and, in particular, the Reptile Centre where we were raced through at a rate of knots and did not even catch sight of the salt water crocodile. Leaving the visit to the Anzac Memorial until last on a very hot day wasn't the best idea either. Our lady guide was almost disinterested in the trip and this coupled with the fact that there were at least two families with bored,crying children who were far too young for some of the venues left us glad to get back to the hotel,
Review by: Ceris H, February 2014
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Alice with our guide Jenny from AAT KIngs. She was great company and very knowledgeable about the area. We enjoyed the school of the air, telegraph station, flying doctors museum and reptile centre visits. We delighted in seeing kangaroos at the telegraph station and the stunning views of Alice from the Anzac Memorial. Thanks Jenny for a great introduction to Alice. This was a great way to spend an afternoon before heading to Uluru! Highly recommended
Review by: Philip John B, February 2014
We were disappointed by this tour, not with the content but with the short time we spent at the School of the Air, the Telegraph Station and, in particular, the Reptile Centre where we were raced through at a rate of knots and did not even catch sight of the salt water crocodile. Leaving the visit to the Anzac Memorial until last on a very hot day wasn't the best idea either. Our lady guide was almost disinterested in the trip and this coupled with the fact that there were at least two families with bored,crying children who were far too young for some of the venues left us glad to get back to the hotel,
Review by: Philip John B, February 2014
We were disappointed by this tour, not with the content but with the short time we spent at the School of the Air, the Telegraph Station and, in particular, the Reptile Centre where we were raced through at a rate of knots and did not even catch sight of the salt water crocodile. Leaving the visit to the Anzac Memorial until last on a very hot day wasn't the best idea either. Our lady guide was almost disinterested in the trip and this coupled with the fact that there were at least two families with bored,crying children who were far too young for some of the venues left us glad to get back to the hotel,
Review by: Philip John B, February 2014
We were disappointed by this tour, not with the content but with the short time we spent at the School of the Air, the Telegraph Station and, in particular, the Reptile Centre where we were raced through at a rate of knots and did not even catch sight of the salt water crocodile. Leaving the visit to the Anzac Memorial until last on a very hot day wasn't the best idea either. Our lady guide was almost disinterested in the trip and this coupled with the fact that there were at least two families with bored,crying children who were far too young for some of the venues left us glad to get back to the hotel,
Review by: Ann H, January 2014
This was an excellent way to get to see Alice Springs on a very short stop over. My driver arrived within minutes of my arrival at my Motel and was well knowledged about the area and extremely helpful as well. View of Alice Springs from Anzac Hill was breath taking and one had plenty of time to take photos as well on this tour. I found visiting the Historical Telegraph Station was excellent this I probably enjoyed the most coming from a farming back ground. They truly have restored this site so one could clearly see how things were during the early days of people manning this station. Visiting the School of the Air was very interesting and gave one the full history of how it all came about as well as how large an area this school covers. We also had the opportunity to watch teachers work over the air as well which now is mostly done on computers. There was also. the chance to contribute by buying books for the school. The Royal Flying Doctors Centre enlightened one about the wonderful work this team does for our very remote residents living in rural Australia. Found this very interesting as it now has grown over the years and man 68 planes throughout rural Australia helping people to get urgent medical assistance when needed. The Reptile Centre was also very interesting and the staff member knew his stuff as well about the various reptiles they had on show. We also got the chance to have a quick drive around Alice Springs which showed us that Alice Springs now has just about everything in the way of stores. Seeing the dry Todd River was amazing especially if you saw a follow up photo of it in flood times which is extremely rare. This was a wonderful tour to take for an afternoon in Alice Springs had plenty to show the group as well all entrance fees were covered in the one price. Had plenty of time to walk around and see things at our own leisure as well. This tour was very well presented and certainly gave me a lot of information about the area in a short time.
Review by: Ramesh s, December 2013
very good tour if you want to see something different compareed to high rise buildings and the desert environment.
Review by: Clarence W. L, December 2013
First, our compliments to AAT tour operators. Due to a late flight arrival at Alice Springs and a 1 1/2 hour transfer from the airport to Chiffley Hotel, we missed our scheduled tour pickup. We thought about trying to take a cab to catch the tour at one of the scheduled stops, but the hotel clerk said, "no worries" and called AAT who sent a driver over to pick us up and overtake the tour. He even provided insightful commentary that we would have otherwise missed. Tour driver/guide was great and provided interesting commentary that added to appreciation of the Alice Spings area. All five scheduled tour stops were very worhwhile; however, the curator's commentary at the reptile house was too lengthy.
Review by: Neoma S, December 2013
This was a great overview for the time-constrained, and was very enjoyable. We found the town interesting and the guide informative.
Review by: heidi, December 2013
Very interesting good afternoon visiting places of interest locally in Alice springs
Review by: Sharon D, October 2013
This was an excellent tour. Myles our driver/guide was extremely informative. We visited five different locations and even though I must admit I thought a couple of them would be boring they were all extremely interesting. Especially the school of air and the owner of the reptile centre was so passionate about his animals it made it even more enjoyable.
Review by: Donna S, September 2013
Learned a lot about Alice everyone was great
Review by: Mrs Intan M, August 2013
Excellent tour! I loved the School of the Air tour. Highly recommended!
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