Things to do in Adelaide

1.  Adelaide Zoo is home to 300 different species of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. The zoo is the second oldest zoo in Australia, is non-profit run is located in central Adelaide.

2.  Barossa Valley is probably Australia’s best known wine region. Barossa Valley is a 3 hour drive from Adelaide. Barossa Valley is named as a top destination to visit by New York Times and Tripadvisor.

3.  Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island. After a 45 minutes ferry ride from Adelaide you step onto an island filled with wildlife, picture perfect scenery, wineries and white sandy beaches.

4.  Glenelg Beach is Adelaide’s most popular stretch of beach. There are heaps of shopping, cafes and restaurants around when you get tired of sunbathing and swimming.

5.  Adelaide Hills is a 20 minute drive east of Adelaide. The Hills is a great way to experience the rural South Australian countryside. Experience breathtaking views, charming villages and breathtaking countryside.

6.  Port Adelaide is a suburb 20 minutes away from Adelaide. Here you find stunning beaches and nature. Port Adelaide is also a great spot for dolphin spotting.

7.  Rundle Mall is Adelaide’s main shopping location. Get a dose of retail therapy in Australia’s first pedestrian street mall.

8.  Victor Harbor is a seaside town 80 kilometres south of Adelaide. Get a chance to see its rugged granite landmark bluff and the popular Granite Island.

9.  Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia 450 and is located kilometres north of Adelaide. Here you find stunning outback scenery.

10.  Adelaide Fringe Festival in February-March every year is a festival with music, arts, dance and culture from all over the world. Supposedly it is the second-largest fringe festival in the world.

Adelaide is much more than just a city of churches. It hosts magnificent arts festivals, serves up some of the best wine, delivers notoriously good food, and it’s countryside can be spectacular. Here’s some of our favourite things to do.

Get wet
Adelaide is lined with fantastic beaches a mere twenty minutes from the city centre. Hitch a ride on the historic Glenelg tram – Adelaide’s only remaining tram – and camp out at Glenelg for the day. When you get tired of sunbaking and swimming, wander down Jetty road and window shop, grab a coffee or lunch at some of the great cafes, or have a quiet drink at the Grand Hotel which has fantastic views of the beach.

Visit the Mall’s Balls
These are two large stainless steel spheres balanced on top of each other installed in 1977 which have become a famous meeting spot for locals. From there, wander up to Rundle St where you will find an eclectic number of pubs, cafes and restaurants. Don’t leave without having a schooner of Cooper’s at the Exeter Hotel, try one of Amalfi's famous pizzas, or sip a latte at Al Fresco’s.

Go to market
The Central Markets are arguably the best markets in Australia. Adelaide’s a multicultural city and its Mediterranean influences are strongly evident here. These markets have a vibrant atmosphere and are enclosed by some of Adelaide’s most favourite eating holes, such as Lucia's. Grab a coffee from here, and then graze your way around the stalls.

Drink beer
No visit to Adelaide would be complete without a visit to Coopers, the product that South Australians hold very dear to their hearts – as far as we’re concerned, it’s the only beer to drink. The brewery runs tours that are designed for beer enthusiasts and will take you through the brewhouse, bottling hall and co-generation plant, finishing with a visit history Museum and some free tastings.

Eat chocolate
Those chocolate enthusiasts out there will not want to miss this Adelaide institution. A tour around Haigh's chocolate factory ends with some of their delicious chocolate on the house. Don’t leave town without sampling a Haigh's chocolate frog.

Guten tag!
Hahndorf is a historic German town situated in the picturesque Adelaide hills. You can sample traditionally made wursts and German smallgoods, and peruse the local museums, galleries, antiques, soap and fabric shops. Eat coffee and cake at The German Cake Shop, or dine at the German Arms. Just out of town is Beerenberg Farm, whose sauces and condiments are delicious and, in season, you can also go and pick your own strawberries.

Ride Popeye
No trip to Adelaide would be complete without a ride on the Popeye, which trips across the River Torrens to the Adelaide Zoo, where you can see Elder Park, and the famous Festival Centre. After the ride, you can picnic in Elder Park – a lush green park by the river in the centre of the city where you can watch the world go by or take a leisurely ride on one of the paddle boats.

Savour some wine
South Australians will happily tell you that their wines are the best in Australia, if not the world, so no trip to Adelaide can surpass a visit to at least one of the
wineries. Think Coonawarra or Wolf Blass. One of Adelaide’s best wine regions can be found in McLaren Vale, which is a short drive out of the city.

Go penguin spotting and whale watching
This is the largest town on the Fleurieu Peninsula and hosts some fine scenery. It’s a great place for relaxing by the beach, walk across the causeway at night to Granite Island and visit the noisy penguin colony that resides here. Victor Harbour is an old whaling town - watch out for whales during the winter months.


Climb a mountain
Start your day at the highest peak of the Mount Lofty Ranges and enjoy the panoramic views all the way to the sea over a sumptuous breakfast at their restaurant.