Adelaide travel, what to see and do — guide & itinerary

Museums, art galleries and funky shops,  Adelaide is a cultural binge destination often overshadowed by its bigger neighbours, Sydney and Melbourne.   Adelaide with its city sophistication yet small town vibe is walkable, a weekend destination or a detour from your planned itinerary.  Rural Australia, the great outdoors is immediate and permeates Adelaide spaces.  Adelaide is where town and country meld together.  And then, there are world class vineyards to wander among, Barossa and the Clare valley are must do destinations for lovers of wine tours.

What is the best time to visit?

The best season is late summer between February and May, as the average temperatures of around 24 degrees allow for every outdoor (and must-do) activity and also attending interesting events such as the Adelaide Fringe Festival.  While early February, in particular, can experience heat waves the cooler temperatures set in early March through to May.

Weather

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Awesome journeys and day trips from Adelaide

museums and galleries

festivals

• Adelaide Festival of Arts.  A visual arts feast, layered with theatre, music and dance acts from around the world converge on the Adelaide Festival.  Booking is essential.  TIP:  Festive highlights will need to be pre-booked due to popular demand. 
• WOMADelaide Colour, costume and music in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.  Bookings are essential.
• Adelaide Fringe More colour, more costumes, music and drama in various locations and street venues.    Pop up venues in laneways, warehouses and parks stimulate the senses with the ad hoc nature of staging and events.  Bookings are essential.

There are two areas for your Adelaide shopping experience, and the first is around Rundle Mall and down to Grenfell Street where you will find a mix of high-end and local shops. The second area is focused on food, artisan goods and individual pop up stalls.  This area is to the southwest of the central grid of streets, between Grote and Gouger Streets, where you will find the iconic Adelaide Central Market, known as one of the oldest food markets in Australia. This area is reflects the melting pot of cultures that make up Adelaide today, with the sights and smells of Italian, Vietnamese spices, Lebanese, Greek, Chinese and Japanese specialities  to savour

• Let’s start with breakfast at the iconic Adelaide markets. Home – Adelaide Central Market: The City of Adelaide’s premier food destination. Over 70 traders under one roof. is a must see food market.  If you want to choose just one market then Adelaide Central Market will tick the boxes for food, produce, locally produced artisan products, quirky and funky objects for sale.
• Fisherman’s Wharf Market for early morning risers.   
• There are numerous pop up weekend markets.  Check with the visitor information centre for the latest advice around opening hours. 
• Adelaide Arcade  Adjacent to Rundle Mall, is the heritage-listed Adelaide Arcade and the Regent Arcade.   The Arcades offer boutique shopping, aboriginal crafts and jewellery stores specialising in opals.
• The Treasury is a trendy, boutique market eatery. Located in a beautifully restored South Australian Treasury building, the bar caters to a finance and government clientele but also serves breakfast and lunch, being open nearly all day long.

• Adelaide Hills with Mount Lofty, provide panoramic views of Adelaide.  In the Adelaide Hills is Hahndorf, with its German heritage.  The town is a hive of German style produce, galleries and gift shops.  If you were hankering after a cuckoo clock Hahndorf has one in stock.  Hahndorf does have numerous tourist bus loads all vying for space on the pavement.  This can be off putting for some people.  Vineyards thrive in the cool climate of the Adelaide Hills with classic established brands such as Penfolds Grange.   Adelaide Hills,  being 30 minutes drive from central Adelaide makes a vineyard tasting at Penfolds an option. 
• Barossa Valley is an ideal location for a weekend getaway with a plethora of choices to relax on a vineyard tour, indulge in a spa resort or enjoy the brisk activity of a cycling weekend
• Clare Valley offers the opportunity to explore South Australia’s heritage and history with a few days exploring historic towns such as Burra and Minato. 
• York Peninsula is a great place to escape and explore South Australia’s coast and mining heritage. 

For more information check out our articles and South Australian itineraries.

Travel pack information

Oficial websites:

Adelaide focus official South Australia visitor website.

The journey is worth it.