To reach Arltunga, fortune seekers travelled 600 km from the Oodnadatta railhead in South Australia, a journey often made on foot with equipment and possessions transported on wheelbarrows. The route followed the Overland Telegraph Line from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs, then followed the MacDonnell Ranges east for around 120 km. Upon arrival, life on the Arltunga goldfields was very difficult. The town was isolated, lacked water and basic food supplies, suffered extremes of temperature, and the cost of living was very high. Limited water supplies were drawn from wells and water soaks in creeks. The scarcity of water meant that fresh vegetables could not be grown locally, while transportation costs for food were very high because of a lack of feed and water for stock. These costs were passed onto the Arltunga residents.

The most interesting section of Arltunga today is probably the Government Works, constructed during the second phase of settlement in the area from 1896. This area included offices, a battery shed, assay and bullion rooms and residences. Most structures at Arltunga were built of stone, schist and quartzite rocks usually being chosen and stacked together to form dry walls or cemented with mud or lime mortar. Other building materials included timber, corrugated iron or canvas.

Many buildings at Arltunga demonstrate innovations designed to assist habitation in hot climates. Some buildings were built partially underground for insulation and orientated towards the cooler south-easterly winds, a technique now common in other outback Australian mining towns such as Coober Pedy and Andamooka. The entire Arltunga area is preserved as though the original inhabitants had left just a few years ago. Apart from the buildings, more mundane signs of previous habitation, such as old pieces of meat safes, pieces of rusted wire, rusted cans, and pieces of broken glass, abound in Arltunga. While not of great importance in themselves, such items are nevertheless a reminder of the people who once lived and worked in Arltunga.