Top things to do in Adelaide
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McLaren Vale
Shiraz Blending Class with Degustation Lunch at d'Arenberg Winery
Adelaide Hills
Petaluma Wines Premium Chardonnay Tasting and Seasonal Platter - For 2
Adelaide Hills
The Lane Vineyard Personalised Wine Blending Experience - For 2
Barossa Valley
Barossa Valley Helicopter Flight with 2 Course Lunch and Wine
Adelaide Hills
Golding Wines Luxury Picnic in the Hills - For 2
Other things to do in Adelaide
Explore the best of Adelaide
Explore South Australia’s capital city with all the top things to do in top things to do in Adelaide. Those looking for an unforgettable animal encounter will enjoy swimming with dolphins - a once in a lifetime experience. Blessed with pristine shores and award-winning wineries on its doorstep, a Barossa Valley Food and Wine Tour or a Kangaroo Island day trip from Adelaide is the perfect addition to any itinerary. If you are looking for the best places to visit in Adelaide, you’ve come to the right place with all Adelaide attractions, tours, cruises and Barossa Valley winery tours available to book in one convenient spot.
Top 10 Things to do Adelaide
Adelaide is the South Australian city that is continually gaining an increasing level of exposure on the international stage. Far from its moniker as the city of churches, Adelaide is the gourmet food and wine hub of Australia and the place to visit for an extraordinary epicurean adventure. There are a broad range of things to do in Adelaide to suit every traveller.
Featuring a charming blend of architectural, historical, cultural and culinary delights and with a strong European influence, Adelaide provides a refreshing change of pace when compared to some of the other, larger capital cities in Australia. While the city is quite laid back, there still offers a wide range of things to do in Adelaide, particularly if you're the type who's not particularly interested in the more adrenaline-focused activities.
Blessed with pristine shores, rolling hills and world-famous wine regions, Adelaide is a great place to visit regardless of your desire for an adults-only weekend away or a family adventure. Visitors are spoilt for choice with an array of Adelaide attractions to explore including Gorge Wildlife park or an exciting Adelaide Oval climb at the hallowed sports grounds.
In addition to the city itself, Adelaide benefits by being surrounded by some of the most intriguing sightseeing destinations in Australia's lower half - the majority of which are reachable within a reasonable distance of the city, making for ideal day trips. Kangaroo Island is a haven for wildlife and one of Australia’s best eco-resorts while the Barossa Valley and McLaren produce some of the world’s best wines and their cellar doors situated on the doorstep of the city and are open for cheese and wine tasting day tours from Adelaide.
But with limited time for a visit, what are the best things to do in Adelaide and its nearby regions? We take a detailed look at the places you should visit in Adelaide and surrounds here. Here are the top things to do in Adelaide.
1. Gorge Wildlife Park
Location: Redden Drive, Cudlee Creek SA
Purchase tickets to Gorge Wildlife Park near Adelaide CBD online here for an entertaining and family-friendly day out. This wildlife park is home to an array of exotic and native animals set out over 14 acres of leafy green terrain.
The Gorge Wildlife Park has been operated by the same family since 1965 and is well known across generations in Adelaide. Bring your little ones along to enjoy a koala cuddle or walk amongst the kangaroos in the paddock. There are also unique wildlife to learn about at the Gorge Wildlife Park including cheeky monkeys, lemurs, otters, meerkats and Alligators plus some Tasmanian devils, rainbow lorikeets, dingoes and more many creatures.
2. Do the Adelaide Oval RoofClimb
Location: North Adelaide, SA
One of the newest additions to Adelaide's experience scene, visitors can now take part in one of Adelaide's newest signature experiences and climb to the top of the iconic Adelaide Oval with a RoofClimb experience.
Offering the chance to take in impressive views of the famous oval and the surrounding region with a two-hour climb led by an experienced guide, Sports lovers will revel in the chance to rise above and look down on Adelaide Oval, with all members posing for a group photo once at the top.
The option exists to choose from a day climb or twilight climb, each which offers an entirely different perspective not only on the Oval itself, but the surrounds of northern Adelaide as well.
Perched high above the green, this two-hour RoofClimb experience will take you beyond the grandstands to marvel at the impressive views of Adelaide Oval and the city surrounds during the day, twilight or night.
With a day climb, you'll be able to take in views of the oval and its surrounding region in the best light with the bright green oval looking picture-perfect in front of you.
With RoofClimb's Twilight Climb, you'll embark on around a two-hour journey up the outside of the stadium to the highest point before turning to admire the beautiful colours of the sunset.
Providing you with a unique view of the region, the approximate 2-hour climb includes a group photo at the top of the climb, a completion certificate and a souvenir cap to help remember this incredible experience. The climb is suitable for kids over the age of 8 years with those between 8 and 15 years requiring adult supervision during the climb.
Day climbs depart on a daily basis at 10am, 11am and 3pm, while twilight climbs start from 4pm onwards, with all climbers taking time to get kitted up in climb suits and harnesses before the climb begins.
It's the ultimate perspective on one of Australia's most iconic sporting venues, and a worthy contender for one of the city's top things to do.
3. Swim with Dolphins with Temptation Sailing
Location: 10 Holdfast Promenade, Glenelg, SA
The waters off the shore of the Adelaide area's Glenelg are rich in marine life, and while the various fish and birds that populate the waters are nice, the area distinguishes itself in large part due to its resident pods of dolphins and colony of sea lions.
The dolphins in particular are a highlight as these playful, inquisitive creatures will often approach boats and other vessels to play in their wake of their own volition - although, given the fact they they're entirely wild, your mileage may vary on just how friendly they are feeling from day to day.
Guided tours are available with operator Temptation Sailing that will take you out on the water from Glenelg aboard sightseeing catamarans with the main goal of seeing the dolphins up close, with options available to swim outside the boat and hopefully come away with a face-to-fin encounter.
These playful, inquisitive creatures will often approach boats and other vessels to play in their wake of their own volition.
The crystal clear waters offshore in Glenelg are rich in marine life and guided tours with Temptation Sailing can see you enjoying a once in a lifetime encounter swimming with dolphins.
The reassurance of a "dolphin sighting guarantee" is also given so that if - on the rare chance you don't see any - you'll be provided with either a refund or at least, a chance to come back again for free. Non-swimmers and first-timers are also generally welcome, as flotation devices provided ensure you'll be able to hop on the water off the back of the boat without much of a struggle.
Aside from the dolphins, the offshore scenery on offer itself is quite striking; you'll come across some great coastal sights as the rugged and rocky shorelines are lashed by the waves, while the region's sea lion colony can be seen bathing in the sunshine at the aptly-named Seal Bay.
A great dose of wildlife and fresh air, don't discount heading out for a day on the water as a suitably enjoyable alternative for some Adelaide-area fun.
4. Tour Hahndorf
Location: 30 minutes from Adelaide, SA
Hahndorf serves as an enjoyable microcosm of the strong European influence that can be found in the majority of regions throughout South Australia, and serves as the oldest German settlement in the country. The town features a cavalcade of Euro-centric specialty and craft shops, German-style pubs, and various bakeries that accurately reflect some of the key staples of German culture.
Hahndorf's pleasant location amongst the Adelaide Hills means that it's not just the architecture and shopping that makes it special, either; the city features a relaxed blend of natural greenery that make for a delightful place to simply walk around and unwind.
The town's German culture is readily apparent upon arrival, as a vast number of its main architectural features that were established when the town was first constructed still stand - particularly its iconic Lutheran churches - so if you're looking to get a taste of Europe without leaving Aussie shores, there are few better places to do so.
Hahndorf is the oldest surviving German settlement with tree-lined streetscapes, German pubs, cuckoo clocks, cellar doors, distilleries and artisan food producers. It's a little corner of Europe right here in Adelaide.
Hahndorf serves as an enjoyable microcosm of the strong European influence that can be found in the majority of regions throughout South Australia.
Like many of the other popular spots in South Australia, wine is a core focus of Hahndorf, and the town and its surrounds feature a variety of quality boutique wineries (such as Hahndorf Hill, The Cedars and Somerled) that are great for indulging the palate.
Hahndorf can be reached in around half an hour's drive to the south-east of the Adelaide CBD and is also accessible by bus (take Bus #864), making it a very viable destination for a day (or at least half-day) trip.
While it's not big on size (it's basically a charming, single glorified street), Hahndorf is certainly big on character, and if you're looking for things to do during your stay in Adelaide, it should definitely be on your list.
5. Day Trip to the Barossa Valley
Any conversation about the "Best Wine Region in Australia" typically starts and ends with three places - New South Wales' Hunter Valley, Victoria's Yarra Valley, and South Australia's Barossa Valley, with the Barossa outside Adelaide generally considered the unofficial "wine capital" of Australia due to the sheer volume of wine it produces each year.
While it is responsible for the production of all the major types of wines, the Barossa's specialty has always been Shiraz - largely a result of the region's warmer continental climate.
The quality of the Barossa Valley's wines has reached a high enough standard to rank it on the global map and make connoisseurs sit up and take notice, and it's largely because of this region that Australia has a growing reputation as a quality wine producer.
The Barossa Valley is home to over 80 cellar doors that have thrown their doors open to the public. In short, if you've got an affinity for a drop of the red or amber stuff, the Barossa makes for an ideal day trip from Adelaide.
The Barossa Valley can be reached in around an hour's drive from the Adelaide CBD, and once there you'll come across some of the largest winemakers in the country such as Penfolds, Wolf Blass and Peter Lehmann as well as a huge array of smaller, boutique cellar doors.
In short, if you've got an affinity for a drop of the red or amber stuff, the Barossa makes for an ideal day trip from Adelaide - although you'll most likely want to take a winery tour to avoid needing to worry about your alcohol intake in regards to driving back. You can either opt for a guided tour or explore the different wineries yourself, both of which will allow you to some of the best wines in Australia and learn more about how they are made.
Wine isn't the only focus of the Barossa Valley, however; its variety of locally-produce foodstuffs are also a huge drawcard, with some of the best and richest cheeses, dried fruits, fresh meats and pastries (a direct result of the area's strong German heritage) also a must-try for visitors. Generally, if a food comes from the Barossa, you can be assured that it's of an almost universally high quality (although the price may reflect this, too).
6. Murray River Lunch Cruise
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Enjoy a buffet lunch as you travel down Australia’s most iconic waterway during a Murray River cruise. Learn about the unique river system while observing the rugged landscapes and spectacular cliffs that pass by.
7. Adelaide City Sightseeing Tour
Discover the best of Adelaide on this half-day city highlights tour, perfect for first-time visitors and those wanting to explore South Australia’s vibrant capital. Travel in comfort as your expert guide shares fascinating stories about Adelaide’s history, architecture, and culture. Visit iconic landmarks including Victoria Square, St. Peter’s Cathedral, and the elegant Terrace streets. Stroll through the picturesque Botanic Gardens, admire heritage buildings along North Terrace, and take in views of the River Torrens. The tour also includes stops at bustling markets and cultural precincts, giving you a taste of Adelaide’s unique charm. Ideal for families, couples, and solo travelers, this experience combines sightseeing with insider knowledge for an unforgettable introduction to the city.
8. Adelaide Central Markets Tour
Discover the flavors of South Australia on the Adelaide Central Market Lunch Tour, a foodie experience in the heart of the city. Explore one of the largest undercover fresh produce markets in the Southern Hemisphere, home to over 70 traders offering gourmet delights, artisan goods, and local specialties. Your expert guide will lead you through vibrant stalls, sharing stories of the market’s history and introducing you to passionate producers. Sample a variety of tastings, from cheeses and cured meats to seasonal fruits and handmade treats, before enjoying a delicious lunch showcasing the best local ingredients. Perfect for food lovers and culture seekers, this tour combines culinary indulgence with insider knowledge, making it a must-do Adelaide experience. Book now and savor the authentic flavors of South Australia at the iconic Adelaide Central Market!
9. Adelaide Wilderness & Wildlife Hike
Escape the city and immerse yourself in nature with the Morialta Wilderness and Wildlife Hike, a guided adventure through one of Adelaide’s most scenic conservation parks. Just 10km from the CBD, Morialta is famous for its rugged gorges, cascading waterfalls, and diverse wildlife. Your expert guide will lead you along picturesque trails, sharing stories of the park’s history, geology, and native flora. Keep an eye out for koalas resting in gum trees, colorful birdlife, and breathtaking views from dramatic cliff tops. This small-group experience offers a peaceful escape and plenty of photo opportunities. Perfect for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, this hike combines exercise, education, and stunning scenery. With return transfers, refreshments, and knowledgeable commentary included, it’s an ideal way to explore Adelaide’s natural beauty. Book now for an unforgettable wilderness adventure in the heart of South Australia!
10. Mt Lofty Mountain Bike Tour
Location: 22 Willunga St, Eden Hills, South Australia
Get ready for an adrenaline-filled adventure with the Lofty Descents Mountain Bike Day Trip, the ultimate way to explore the stunning Adelaide Hills. Starting from the summit of Mount Lofty, you’ll enjoy a thrilling downhill ride through native bushland, winding trails, and scenic fire tracks. Led by experienced guides, this small-group experience combines excitement with breathtaking views of the city and coastline. Along the way, spot local wildlife such as kangaroos and koalas, and learn about the region’s unique environment. The tour includes quality mountain bikes, helmets, and safety gear, plus return transport from Adelaide CBD. Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers, this ride offers a mix of nature, fitness, and fun. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or a beginner, the pace is tailored to suit all skill levels. Book now for an unforgettable mountain biking experience in South Australia’s spectacular hills!
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