Ayers Rock Airport Parking

Flying out from Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ) soon and you’ve decided to drive there?

Good choice. Once you’ve found the right AYQ parking, you’ll be ready to roll, and we’ve got all the info you need right here. Plus, we’ve also thrown in essential info on making your Ayers Rock Airport pre-flight experience as relaxed as possible.

And if you’re cruising in from elsewhere, you might want to arrive a day early to explore the area, because unless you’ve been living under a big red rock, you’ll know that this is arguably Australia’s most iconic tourist spot.

AYQ is close to Yulara, near the Ulura-Kata National Park, home to two world-famous Aussie landmarks, Uluru (once known as Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (formerly The Olgas).

You can take a guided tour, hike one of the scenic trails, or just chill out and stare in awe at the scenery.

While you’re here, you can also learn more about Aboriginal culture. The Anangu people are the traditional owners of this area, and you can walk with one of their guides or even attend a traditional dance performance.

You won’t want to miss watching the the sunrise or sunset at Uluru, when the rock Uluru is a particularly beautiful sight at sunrise and sunset, when the chameleonic rock changes colour from purple to orange to red.

After that, you’ll want to see Kata Tjuta, a group of 36 domes about 20km west of Uluru. It's not as popular as Uluru but just as beautiful.

Other amazing activities here include camel rides around the desert, viewing the outstanding solar-powered Field of Light installation and stargazing.

After all that adventuring, you’ll need something to eat, and there’s plenty to choose from. For starters (and mains), try Sounds of Silence, a lovely restaurant offering a special dining experience under the stars at Uluru. The menu is modern Australian with local ingredients.

And there’s always the Bough House Restaurant at Ayers Rock Resort, a buffet-style experience with a bit of everything good - think seafood, meat, vegetarian options, and desserts.

Alternatively, the Mangata Bistro & Bar at the Desert Gardens Hotel is a casual eatery with pizzas, burgers, salads, and steaks, and Gecko's Cafe in the Town Square at Yulara specialises in casual dining, with choices like pizzas, burgers, salads, and sandwiches.

There are also plenty of places to slake your thirst. For instance, the Walpa Lobby Bar at the Sails in the Desert hotel is a relaxed place to enjoy beer, wine and cocktails with accompanying bar snacks. And the Outback Pioneer Lodge Bar at the Ayers Rock Resort is a nice spot too.

But how about somewhere to rest your head? Sails in the Desert in the shadow of Uluru rooms, suites, and villas, and has a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, and spa.

Meanwhile, Ayers Rock Resort near Uluru offers a range of accommodation, including hotels, motels, and apartments, and Desert Gardens Hotel in Yulara has rooms, suites, and family rooms, as well as a restaurant, swimming pool, and gym.

Find the best deals at Canberra Airport

What does it take to find a fantastic parking deal at Canberra Airport?

The best place to start is your own requirements – once you’ve worked out whether you need to park super-close to the terminal, don’t mind hopping on a shuttle bus or want to whisk through departures as swiftly as possible, it’s a lot easier to sift out what’s not suitable and narrow down your choices.

But we’ll do the searching for you so you don’t have to – that way, you can compare CBR parking deals quickly, make your choice and get booked. Maybe even picking up an early bird price while you’re at it.

Compare parking at Canberra Airport

With 1000 indoor spaces and 900 indoor spaces, there are plenty of parking berths at Canberra Airport – so provided you book ahead, you’ll pretty much never be stuck.

Handling over 3 million passengers a year, Canberra Airport has humble beginnings – as a paddock in the Majura Valley originally used for grazing animals. Co-opted by the Royal Australian Airforce in 1939, it remained a fully military base until 2003 and still retains an area for the Prime Ministerial aircraft.

Let’s get right on to your official (and alternative) CBR parking options next.

What parking is there at Canberra Airport?

There are lots of official and unofficial parking options at Canberra, so checking a reliable parking comparison site isn’t a bad idea at all when you’re looking for a bargain – Looking4Parking is just one great example.

Now let’s take a look at your official CBR parking options.

Indoor Parking

The two multi-level indoor car parks at Canberra Airport have quick access to the departures and arrivals zones and are colour-coded green and blue. Car height restriction is 2.3m in both these car parks and a high-tech parking guidance system precisely calculates the number of free spaces on each level. For your convenience, red and green LED ceiling lights clearly indicate where you can find vacant spaces.

Outdoor Parking

Colour-coded red and yellow, CBR Outdoor Parking has two lots located near the terminal which are a very economical choice for long-stay and weekend flyers. With 900 spaces (across 2 lots) there’s planet of room and this area offers a great combination of low-cost and high convenience.

Accessible parking

Every car park at Canberra Airport offers accessible parking and these bays are always located nearest the entrance to the terminal. Pay machines are also designed for easy use by disabled passengers, but if you have any problems whatsoever, push the help button and airport assistance staff will help you on your way.

Passenger pick-up

When you’re picking up friends and rellies, the CBR passenger pick-up zone offers 10 minutes of free parking in the red zone, only a couple of minutes’ walk from arrivals.

Express Passenger pick-up

Located on the ground floor of the green indoor car park, Express Pick-up is a 20 minutes’ scroll from arrivals and there’s a comfy waiting lounge in case you have to hang around for longer than expected.

Special deals

Book through the official Canberra Airport and you can enjoy significant discounts on weekend and long stay car parks.

As you can see, CBR offers several superb parking choices which are all conveniently close to the terminal. There’s also no obligation to book ahead – just make sure you get your ticket and pay by cash or credit card at pay stations. Car parks open every morning at 4am and close half an hour after the last flight.

Getting to Canberra Airport

CBR is around 20 minutes from the centre of Canberra.

If you’re driving in to the airport, the address for SatNav is Canberra Airport, Terminal Cct, Australian Capital Territory 2609.

Facilities at Canberra Airport

As you might expect, facilities and amenities at CBR are top class.

If you need to check your emails or social media, free Wi-Fi is available on the ‘Fly CBR’ network in the departures lounges and waiting lounge and if you need some quiet time for spiritual contemplation, there’s a multi-faith prayer room in the main terminal ground floor.

If you’re travelling with tiny tots, you’ll find several baby care rooms, and other services include public phones, Travelex foreign exchange services, and of course, toilets.

And if you fancy a little more luxury, there are lounges aplenty at CBR. The Qatar Airways Chairman’s Lounge has high-end food, flight monitors, telephones, internet terminals and more, while Qantas Airways Domestic Business Lounge has showers, alcoholic drinks, internet booths, and a children’s area. There are also two well-appointed Virgin Lounges at CBR.

If you’re arriving at Canberra Airport from further afield and want a more relaxed pre-flight experience, there are several great hotels close by, including Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport, East Hotel, Hotel Kurrajong Canberra, and Garden City Hotel. Especially if you’re travelling with young kids or elderly relatives, spending a laid-back evening in a comfy hotel the night before you fly can be a joy.

Chances are that you’ll want to dine and perhaps shop at the airport and there’s plenty to choose from. If you want to pick up something local to take to rellies elsewhere in Australia or even abroad, you should definitely check out Merchant – from wine to chocolate and homeware, it’s a great place to pick up a unique gift. Meanwhile, NEWS@CBR is the place to pick up bestselling books, brilliant magazines and the latest newspapers.

When you want to relax with a few beers before your flight, there’s nowhere better than The Capital Brewing Bar at Canberra Airport – you can sample specialities like Trail Pale Ale and Coast Ale. And if you’re peckish, Noodles XO will definitely tempt your taste buds, with bao, sushi, dumplings and spring rolls, as well as appetisers like pot stickers and edamame. Alternatively, Baker’s Cut takes the classic Aussie sandwich back to its roots, with a focus on fresh ingredients and bread straight from the local Three Mills Bakery. There’s more to this emporium than sandwiches too – it’s a popular breakfast spot and salads are also popular. Finally, if you need a caffeine fix, Cityhill coffee serves high-grade brews created from local ONA coffee, as well as an all-day menu peppered with farm fresh eggs and local honey and bread.

Canberra Airport might not exactly be the world’s biggest but as you can see, it’s well-designed and has all the modern conveniences you expect when you fly. Whether you’re flying solo or leaving for a family holiday in a large group, you’ll be well looked-after by the friendly and professional staff at this top-notch air hub.