12 Top-Rated Places To Visit In Adelaide
Looking for great things to do in Adelaide? This lively city in South Australia has plenty to offer, whether you’re here for a short trip or a longer stay. We’ve put together a list of our top picks for things to see and do in Adelaide.
Adelaide’s best attractions
Adelaide Central Market
Since 1869, the Adelaide Central Market has been a standout spot in the city.
As one of the largest indoor markets in the southern hemisphere, it features over 70 vendors from more than 40 different backgrounds. Each month, the market sells around a million kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables, plus a wide range of meat, cheese, seafood, coffee, spices and small-goods. You’ll find diverse food options, like Lucias Fine Foods, which might have been the first place in Australia to serve pizza, and Real Falafel, known for its amazing Middle Eastern falafel wraps. Simply stroll through the market, and you’re sure to find something delicious!
Adelaide Zoo
One of Adelaide’s favourite family spots, the Zoo, is famous for being home to Australia’s only giant pandas - Funi and Wang Wang - which, let’s face it, is more than enough reason to visit.
If watching these adorable pandas munch on bamboo isn’t enough for you, the Zoo offers exciting ‘animal experiences’. You can hand-feed Sumatran tigers and African lions, give Aonika the Aldabra Tortoise her daily veggies, or get up close with the zoo’s many primates.
Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Walk
This trail takes you to Adelaide’s highest point, offering stunning views all the way to the coast.
The Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Summit Hike is a local favourite for a reason — it’s breathtaking. Just a short drive from Adelaide, you’ll feel miles away from the city once you start the walk.
It’s a challenging hike, but the views from the top make it worth the effort. Plus, you can enjoy a treat at the Summit Cafe and restaurant when you reach the top. The return trip usually takes between one and a half to three hours, depending on your fitness level.
Adelaide Botanic Garden
Established in 1855, Adelaide Botanic Garden is a beautiful spot featuring themed plant displays, including medicinal plants, a Mediterranean garden, Australian natives, and a wetland area designed to collect water for the whole garden.
The Santos Museum of Economic Botany shows how plants are essential to our daily lives through various collections. Other highlights include the palm house, the Bicentennial Conservatory with its lowland rainforest plants, the stunning Amazonica water lilies that bloom at night, and Australia’s oldest avenue of Moreton Bay fig trees. Kids will enjoy the Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden, which has fruit, veggies, compost, and a worm farm.
Art Gallery of South Australia
Located in Adelaide’s cultural hub, the Art Gallery of South Australia exhibits one of Australia’s finest art collections. The building itself, with its elegant Victorian design from 1881, sets the stage for the impressive artworks inside.
The gallery’s collection spans 2,000 years and includes all types of art, from sculpture and paintings to textiles, metalwork, and photography. You’ll find Australian art from colonial times to the present, including works by Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander artists. European pieces range from the Renaissance to modern times, and the gallery features Asia’s only dedicated Islamic art collection in Australia. You can also see notable North American works and some striking avant-garde sculptures.
Glenelg
In the calm, surf-free waters of Gulf St. Vincent, the seaside village of Glenelg is a popular getaway from city’s hustle and bustle. Most visitors take the 25-minute tram ride from Victoria Square in the city centre to reach this charming spot.
Glenelg offers more than just its beautiful beach and attractions. It has a rich history as the site where the first group of free settlers arrived from the HMS Buffalo, making it the oldest European settlement on the mainland of South Australia.
The village has a relaxed holiday vibe with its sidewalk cafes, boutique hotels, and lively summer events. If you’re visiting with kids, they’ll love The Beachhouse amusement park, which features rides like a giant waterslide, bumper boats, and a Ferris Wheel.
For a more laid-back experience, you can relax on the beach, fish off the pier, or enjoy sailing and swimming with dolphins.
Cleland Wildlife Park
Cleland Wildlife Park is home to a delightful collection of Australian animals in a natural setting. Instead of traditional enclosures, you’ll find Kangaroos, Wallabies, Potoroos, and Emus roaming freely. You can walk among them, feed them, and have close-up encounters.
Photographers will particularly enjoy this park as you can capture great shots and with interactive keeper presentations offer fascinating insights into the animals and their habitats. For an extra fee, you can cuddle a Koala and take home a souvenir photo.
Cleland Wildlife Park is just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, nestled on the northwestern slopes of Mount Lofty. It’s a top attraction in the Adelaide Hills.
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a popular tourist destination with museums, restaurants, and historic buildings. It’s located about 14 kilometres northwest of Adelaide’s city centre.
Much of Port Adelaide is a State Heritage Area, showcasing impressive 19th-century buildings that reflect its early success as a busy port. Notable landmarks include the 1879 Customs House and the Courthouse.
Port Adelaide offers exciting attractions like dolphin-spotting cruises and several interesting transport-themed museums. You can explore the National Railway Museum, South Australian Aviation Museum, and South Australian Maritime Museum, which highlights the region’s seafaring history.
Seafood enthusiasts should check out the Fishermen’s Wharf Markets on Sundays, where you can buy fresh-caught fish straight from the boats.
The Migration Museum
The Migration Museum, located in a beautifully restored building behind the State Library, explores South Australia’s immigration history over the past three centuries. The museum covers everything from Aboriginal history before colonisation to how immigration has shaped local communities and culture.
The museum offers personal stories from immigrants, adding a touching element to the exhibits, and interactive displays that will engage kids. Admission is free, with some exceptions for special events and exhibitions.
Barossa Valley or Clare Valley
Settled by Prussian and English immigrants, the Barossa Valley is about an hour’s drive from Adelaide airport and is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions. Foodies will be in heaven here with the plethora of fresh produce and fabulous restaurants.
Beyond the amazing food, the Barossa Valley offers heritage trails, cooking schools, craft shops, galleries and museums. A bit further away, the Clare Valley also boasts a rich grape-growing history and a vibrant gourmet food culture.
Fleurieu Peninsula
Less than hour’s drive south of Adelaide’, the Fleurieu Peninsula is a favourite spot for coastal fay trips. With its rolling hills, farms, beautiful surf beaches, and high-end dining, it’s perfect for foodies and those looking to escape the city. one of Adelaide’s most popular coastal day trip destinations. Rolling hills, farms, fantastic surf beaches, and upscale dining lure foodies and city slickers looking for a slower pace.
Victor Harbour is the largest and most popular town on the peninsula. Here, you can go whale-watching or fishing, surf one of the south coast swells, fish from the beaches, or take a horse-drawn tram to Granite Island to see the Little Penguins.
Goolwa, located by the Murray River, is another sought-after town on the peninsula, along with the inland towns of Strathalbyn and Mount Compass.
Hahndorf
In the beautiful Adelaide Hills, about 20 minutes from the city centre, Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. Founded in 1839 by German Protestants from East Prussia, the town boasts tree-lined streets, charming half-timbered houses, and steeple-topped Lutheran churches, giving it a distinct European village feel. Food lovers will enjoy the local farms and German restaurants.
A great starting point for exploring Hahndorf is the old 1857 schoolhouse, which now serves as the visitor centre and the Hahndorf Academy, an art gallery featuring local artists.
Hahndorf is also know for Sir Hans Heysen (1877 - 1968), a German-born landscape artist who came to Australia in 1883. He built an Alpine-style house, called The Cedars on the town’s outskirts. You can take a guided tour of his home and studio, wander through the beautiful gardens, and see some of his paintings.
You can easily spend a relaxing day in this charming village, enjoying sightseeing, fruit picking at nearby farms, browsing craft shops and galleries, and dining at excellent restaurants.