Tips for a Trip to Adelaide

Needless to say I was very excited to have my first friend from the U.K. visit recently! We had five days to play with but you could pack this itinerary into three, so if you’re after some tips for a trip to Adelaide look no further…

(1) Beautiful Beach Walks

South Australia has some stunning beaches but I have to say the Adelaide city coastline is beautiful in and of itself. I don’t think there are many places in the world this untouched so close to a city centre. You can get the tram from the city centre out to Glenelg in around 30 minutes. From there walk along the beach where you’ll find white sands, clear waters and plenty of lovely coffee shops to stop at en route (try The Broadway Kiosk or Brighton Jetty). Your route will take you all the way down to Seacliff (approx. 1.5 hour walk) where you’ll find an excellent pub for an Aussie essential…a parmi and a pint. You can catch the train from here directly back into town for a great circular route.

(2) Head for the Hills

The Adelaide Hills is only a 25-minute drive from the city centre and is a must-do for any trip to Adelaide. The views from the top of Mounty Lofty are breathtaking and there are plenty of gorgeous walks, the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens are beautiful at any time but the Autumn colours are particularly spectacular. If you want to see some of the native wildlife Clelland Wildlife Park is your answer – within 5 minutes of entering the park we had cute wallabies hopping all around us and it was amazing to see the koalas relaxing in their miniature gum trees. The villages of Stirling and Hahndorf are great spots for a coffee stop or even a German pretzel but if you’ve got more time it’s well worth checking out the wineries and some of the pubs up here too, you can read more here.

(3) Wine, wine and more wine!

Adelaide is all about wine – if you’re very short on time head to the National Wine Centre in the City Centre where you can explore wines from all the regions without having to travel. But to really experience it you need to get out to the regions themselves. The closest and most easily accessible are The Barossa Valley (1 hour), The Adelaide Hills (30 minutes) and McLaren Vale (45 minutes). There are plenty of tour companies but I’ve used Trailhoppers recently, who offer great prices and enable you some flexibility to choose your route for the day. I have plenty of recommendations from these regions so check out my region research section for more details.

(4) The City itself

It was very hard to narrow down our evening meal options to a few choices as there are so many fantastic restaurants and bars in Adelaide – with more opening all the time! I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface in the year I’ve been here. But two key areas that will keep you busy with delicious food, wine, craft beer, cocktails and more are:

The East End

An almost Mediterranean vibe in the summer with pedestrianised streets and twinkly lights