We rounded off our Australian road trip with a couple of days in Adelaide, capital of South Australia. Here is is my pick of the Top 10 things to do in Adelaide.
How to get to Adelaide
We drove from Melbourne to Adelaide, which by the fastest route is approximately 450 miles. If, however, you take the infinitely more scenic route along the Great Ocean Road, this brings the total to more like 650 miles. A further, well worth it, detour is to approach Adelaide via the Barossa Valley for some vineyard visiting and wine tasting. This adds around a further 100 miles to the journey.
We departed Adelaide by plane. Adelaide Airport is 3 miles west of downtown Adelaide, easily reachable by public transport – buses J1/J2.
Getting around Adelaide
We did most of our sightseeing on foot, with the occasional use of public transport, mainly to get into town from our motel in the suburbs. Adelaide, with its proliferation of parks and gardens is a pleasant city to explore on foot.
Where to stay in Adelaide
We stayed at the Princes Lodge Motel in North Adelaide. This former Edwardian mansion has been converted into a 23 room hotel. The decor is somewhere in between grand Edwardian and shabby chic. But it is in a lovely location overlooking the park with plenty of bars and restaurants nearby. The hotel had everything we needed, including free parking, wifi and a laundry room. From here, it is 2 miles to downtown Adelaide. The walk into town is a pleasant one, through a series of parks. Alternatively, bus No 98a stops in Lefevre Terrace, just next to the motel.
Adelaide: Top 10 Things to do
| 1 | Enjoy a stroll round Adelaide Botanic Garden |
| 2 | Learn about and sample wine at the National Wine Centre |
| 3 | Ponder the art in the Art Gallery of South Australia |
| 4 | Visit the South Australian Museum |
| 5 | Admire the grandeur of St Peter’s Cathedral |
| 6 | Visit the iconic Adelaide Oval |
| 7 | See the State Library of South Australia |
| 8 | Delve into the history of Australian immigration at the Migration Museum |
| 9 | Shop and have lunch in the food court at Rundle Mall |
| 10 | Take a wander round Victoria Square |
No 1 – Enjoy a stroll round Adelaide Botanic Gardens
The Adelaide Botanic Garden consists of 50 hectares of beautiful gardens which run round the northeast corner of the city. It is more informally planted than the other antipodean gardens we visited in Australia. As well as the external gardens, there is the 19th Century Palm House and the 20th Century Bicentennial Conservatory.
My favourite was the Cactus Garden, where I encountered a group of school children competing to see who could get the most cactus spikes in their hands. I wonder if that featured in the school’s risk assessment?
The gardens are a great place for a picnic. If you don’t fancy a picnic, there are several dining options available.
The gardens are open daily, with opening times varying by season. Entry is free.
No 2 – Learn about and sample wine at the National Wine Centre
Next to the Botanic Gardens is the National Wine Centre. This combines a wine museum with a vending machine style tasting room. It’s a tad expensive, but obviously popular. I hadn’t seen so many ATMs in one room since Las Vegas.
The Centre is open daily from 8.30 am (9 am at weekends) until 5 pm (8 pm on Friday). Entry to the building is free.
No 3 – Ponder the art in the Art Gallery of South Australia
In my opinion, the Art Gallery of South Australia is basically, 3 floors of seriously weird stuff. Even the old man, who usually moans about contemporary art, is mesmerised by its weirdness. Weirdest of all: ‘We are all Flesh’ – a dead horse strung up by its hoof.
The gallery is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm. General entry is free. Charges may apply for some exhibitions.
No 4 – Visit the South Australian Museum
We found the South Australian Museum somewhat disappointing due to the proliferation of taxidermy. Tucked in a corner, however, its redeeming feature was: ‘Milerum and and Me: The Art of Jacob Stengl’ some great paintings by an Aboriginal artist taken from his family aged 3 and raised in a children’s home.
The Museum is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm. Entry is free. Note: The Stengl exhibition formed part of the museum’s calendar of changing exhibitions. For details about current exhibitions, check here.
No 5 – Admire the grandeur of St Peter’s Cathedral
The Anglican St Peter’s Cathedral was built in 1896, although it took almost a decade to complete.
Inside, you can admire the ornate stained glass which depicts stories of South Australia and the Bible.
The cathedral can usually be visited Mondays to Fridays between 10.30 am and 3.30 pm (1 pm on Mondays). Entry is free, although donations are welcome.
No 6 – Visit the iconic Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval sports ground sits on the edge of the city surrounded by parkland. The stadium dates back to 1871. It hosts various sporting events, predominantly cricket and Australian Rules Football.
It is possible to visit the stadium. Tours usually run twice daily (11 am and 2 pm) and cost $28.
No 7 – See the State Library of South Australia
In addition to books, the State Library of South Australia has some interesting exhibits on South Australia, family history and war & democracy.
The library is open daily, timings can be found here. Entry is free.
No 8 – Delve into the history of Australian immigration at the Migration Museum
At the Migration Museum you can ‘explore the rapid changes in Australia through 20th and 21st-century migration, as well as gain an understanding and appreciation of how migration continues to change and shape our communities today‘.
You can follow a timeline through this former Destitute Asylum learning about the various groups of people who have migrated to Australia and how this has impacted the country they have chosen to call home.
The museum is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm. Entry is free but donations are welcome.
No 9 – Shop and have lunch in the food court at Rundle Mall
Stop for lunch at the food court in Rundle Mall. This pedestrian shopping street has plenty of shops and restaurants as well as entertainment venues, a fountain and various sculptures. My favourites were the life size bronze pigs, including this one rooting around a rubbish bin.
No 10 – Take a wander round Victoria Square
Victoria Square is the central square of five public squares in the city centre.
When we visited, it was hosting Tasting Australia, an annual food festival. It sounded like a good idea, but the wind picked up and there were several outlets cooking food on an open fire. Thus, the square was so full of smoke that it was difficult to breathe.
I hope you found the above information useful. For more top picks from other destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full Top 10 Things To Do list here.
- Trip taken: April 2018
- Updated: January 2025
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