# CooberPedyTours.com - Coober Pedy tours, compared

> Independent guide to Coober Pedy, the opal-mining town of outback South Australia: the tours that stop there,
> the mines and dugouts, the Kanku-Breakaways, the Moon Plain and Dog Fence, getting there and the seasons.
> Independent: not a tour operator, not the District Council of Coober Pedy, and not any business named Coober Pedy Tours.

Site: https://cooberpedytours.com
Language: en. Currency: USD for online tours (local fees and tickets quoted in AUD). Country: Australia (South Australia).

## Verified facts: Coober Pedy

- On the Stuart Highway in the Far North of South Australia, about 850 km north of Adelaide and about 680 km south of Alice Springs (District Council of Coober Pedy). Uluru is roughly 750 km by road.
- Opal was first found in February 1915 by members of the New Colorado Prospecting Syndicate; the field was named Coober Pedy in 1920 (council history page).
- Population 1,437 at the 2021 Census (ABS, urban centre). The Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people are the traditional owners.
- Climate (Bureau of Meteorology 1994-2024): January mean maximum 36.7 C, June 18.4 C; record 48.3 C on 20 December 2019 and 30 January 2026; about 144 mm of rain a year.
- Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park: about 25 km north, 14,300 ha, an Aboriginal heritage site; vehicle permit A$13.50 (A$11.20 concession); dirt road that can close after rain (council).
- Attractions (council brochure, rates from March 2026): Old Timers Mine A$15 adult; Umoona Opal Mine & Museum guided tour A$16 adult; Faye's Underground Home A$20; Serbian Orthodox Church A$5; Catacomb Church free; Public Noodling Area off Jeweller's Shop Road free.
- Fossicking in South Australia: hand tools only, to 1 metre deep, never on a registered claim without permission; camping on opal fields is illegal (Department for Energy and Mining).
- Getting there (council): Rex flies from Adelaide about 4 times a week, about 2 hours; Greyhound daily from Adelaide (about 11 hours) and Alice Springs (about 8). No taxis in town.
- Coober Pedy is a dry town in its designated area: no alcohol consumption there; takeaway wine and spirits limited per person per day.

## Tours listed on this site

Booking links are GetYourGuide partner links (partner_id 7GG5I5H); details at https://cooberpedytours.com/affiliate-disclosure/.
Prices are 'from' prices in USD at the last build and move.

- Adelaide to Uluru: 7-Day Outback Camping Tour (91 Franklin St, Adelaide) - from $1,258 per person, 7 days, in Coober Pedy: Old Timers Mine, a night underground, then the Breakaways; rated 4.9 from 22 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://cooberpedytours.com/tours/adelaide-to-uluru-7-day-outback-camping-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/adelaide-l203/from-adelaide-7-day-adventure-tour-to-uluru-t442577/
- Painted Desert & Moon Plain Day Tour (Coober Pedy, Saturdays) - from $225 per person, 10 hours, in Coober Pedy: Starts and ends in town, 4 guests at most; rated 4.4 from 5 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://cooberpedytours.com/tours/coober-pedy-painted-desert-moon-plain-day-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/coober-pedy-l38110/the-painted-desert-tour-t660190/
- Explorer's Way: Adelaide to Alice Springs (91 Franklin St, Adelaide) - from $1,721 per person, 7 days, in Coober Pedy: 1 night in an underground motel, Old Timers Mine, Josephine's, the Breakaways; a new listing with no reviews yet. Page: https://cooberpedytours.com/tours/explorers-way-adelaide-to-alice-springs-hotel-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/adelaide-l203/explorer-s-way-adelaide-to-alice-springs-accommodated-tour-t1234837/
- Uluru to Adelaide: 7-Day Outback Camping Tour (Desert Gardens Hotel, Yulara) - from $1,257 per person, 7 days, in Coober Pedy: Night 4 underground, Old Timers Mine the next morning; rated 4.7 from 14 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://cooberpedytours.com/tours/uluru-to-adelaide-7-day-outback-camping-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/yulara-l367/from-yulara-7-day-uluru-to-adelaide-tour-t442597/
- Explorer's Way: Alice Springs to Adelaide (Alice Springs or Yulara) - from $1,721 per person, 7 days, in Coober Pedy: The Breakaways, Old Timers Mine, Josephine's and a night underground; a new listing with no reviews yet. Page: https://cooberpedytours.com/tours/explorers-way-alice-springs-to-adelaide-hotel-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/yulara-l367/explorers-way-alice-springs-to-adelaide-accommodated-tour-t1480392/
- Alice Springs to Uluru: 2-Day Camping Tour (Alice Springs start, Yulara finish) - from $538 per person, 2 days, in Coober Pedy: Does not go to Coober Pedy; rated 4.8 from 59 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://cooberpedytours.com/tours/alice-springs-to-uluru-2-day-camping-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/alice-springs-l369/from-alice-springsyulara-2-day-uluru-kata-tjuta-rock-tour-t691377/
- Flinders Ranges & Outback 3-Day 4WD Tour (Adelaide, pickup on request) - from $1,894 per person, 3 days, in Coober Pedy: Does not go to Coober Pedy; rated 4.6 from 9 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://cooberpedytours.com/tours/flinders-ranges-3-day-4wd-tour-from-adelaide/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/adelaide-l203/flinders-ranges-outback-3-day-4wd-tour-from-adelaide-t101741/
- Uluru Field of Light Sunrise Tour (Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara) - from $81 per person, 2 hours, in Coober Pedy: At Uluru, the far end of the road; rated 4.6 from 686 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://cooberpedytours.com/tours/uluru-field-of-light-sunrise-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/yulara-l367/uluru-field-of-light-sunrise-tour-t77236/

## Guide pages

- https://cooberpedytours.com/guides/coober-pedy-tours-from-adelaide/ - Coober Pedy tours compared: 7-day swag and hotel trips between Adelaide, Uluru and Alice Springs, plus the Saturday Painted Desert day, and who each suits.
- https://cooberpedytours.com/guides/adelaide-to-uluru-via-coober-pedy/ - Adelaide to Uluru via Coober Pedy: about 1,600 km over seven days. The route day by day, distances, fuel stops at Cadney, Marla, Kulgera and Erldunda.
- https://cooberpedytours.com/guides/things-to-do-in-coober-pedy/ - Things to do in Coober Pedy in 2026: opal mines, dugout homes, underground churches, night golf and the drive-in, with prices, hours and one- and two-day plans.
- https://cooberpedytours.com/guides/kanku-breakaways-moon-plain-dog-fence/ - The Breakaways near Coober Pedy: the A$13.50 permit, the dirt road and closures, sunset, the Dog Fence, the Moon Plain films and the traditional owners.
- https://cooberpedytours.com/guides/opal-noodling-coober-pedy/ - Can you find opal in Coober Pedy? Yes, by noodling: the free public area, Old Timers Mine's pits, the fossicking rules, safety on the fields and buying opal.
- https://cooberpedytours.com/guides/sleeping-underground-coober-pedy/ - What an underground hotel in Coober Pedy is like: the steady low-20s, dark and quiet rooms, where the tours sleep, the other dugout stays and how to book.

## Blog posts (dated)

- 2026-10-22: https://cooberpedytours.com/blog/coober-pedy-summer-2026-27/ - Coober Pedy in the summer of 2026-27: the 48.3°C record, what stays open underground, early starts, water, flies, the school holidays and Christmas closures.
- 2026-10-22: https://cooberpedytours.com/blog/getting-to-coober-pedy-2026/ - How to get to Coober Pedy in 2026: Rex flights from Adelaide, the daily Greyhound coach, the Ghan Expedition stop, the Stuart Highway drive and the 7-day tours.
- 2026-10-22: https://cooberpedytours.com/blog/painted-desert-tour-2026/ - The Saturday Painted Desert tour from Coober Pedy in 2026: the Moon Plain, the Arckaringa Hills, a picnic lunch, four seats, the best months and what to bring.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- GetYourGuide lists five Coober Pedy tours: two 7-day camping trips and two 7-day hotel tours between Adelaide and Uluru or Alice Springs that spend one night in town, and one Saturday day tour to the Painted Desert that starts in town.
- No reliable primary source gives Coober Pedy a fixed share of world opal output; this site does not quote one.
- The Breakaways are not free to drive into: the council sells a vehicle permit. The tours include park fees.
- The Uluru 2-day tour, the Flinders Ranges 3-day tour and the Field of Light tour on this site do not go to Coober Pedy.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage or the relevant guide or tour page. Prices, fees and seasons change; verify close to your travel date.