Five young doctors have been found safe and well after spending a harrowing 24 hours lost in the central Australian outback.

Northern Territory Police said the group of five doctors were supposed to meet friends at a remote campsite located 150 kilometres east of Alice Springs on Saturday night but the group never arrived.

Ruby Gap is a nature park in the East MacDonnell Ranges and is accessible only by a notoriously challenging four-wheel drive track.

Senior Sergeant Kerr said the group, who worked as doctors in Alice Springs, left on Saturday about 5pm in a white Toyota Hylux.

They never made it to the campsite, becoming bogged in the dry Hale River after taking a wrong turn.

The doctors have been named as Gabrielle Freedman, 29, Shaygun Narula, 27, Haydn Dodds, 29, Renae Walker, 31 and Jessica Kolic, 29.

NT Police launched an aerial search of a vast area including the Ross Highway, the Stuart Highway and Binns Track began at first light on Monday.

They were found at lunchtime on Monday walking along the Ruby Gap Park Road.

Three have been taken to Alice Springs by helicopter, with the other two helping authorities to recover the Hilux.

There are no reports of any injuries.

Ruby Gap is only accessible by a difficult four-wheel drive track. Photo: ABC

Family and friends ‘very concerned’

Senior Sergeant Kerr told the ABC the  people they were supposed to camp with were very concerned.

“We’ve had a number calls from family saying it’s out of character.”