A compact, cosmopolitan city surrounded by natural beauty, Adelaide has so much to entice travellers. It’s a capital city full of cultural appeal with world-class arts and entertainment venues, top-shelf dining, sports galore and a year-round event calendar that’s earned South Australia the moniker of the ‘Festival State’.
From beautiful beaches and islands to expansive parklands and bountiful wine regions, Adelaide has the outdoors right on its doorstep with enviable access to some of Australia’s most lauded gourmet regions, charming towns and vineyard estates.
For inspiration to create your ideal itinerary and sample some of the best-known highlights, we’ve collated the Adelaide's top 20 attractions and must-see sites – from the indoors to the outdoors and everything in between for whenever you visit. Let’s go!
1. Adelaide Central Market
Feast your eyes on the city’s favourite food hall, right in the heart of Adelaide CBD. Adelaide Central Market is a must-visit spot for foodies and families alike with more than 70 traders under the one roof. The historic marketplace opened in 1869 and now features stalls spanning produce to providores plus cafes and eateries across global cuisines that showcase Adelaide’s multicultural influences and tastes.
Browse and fill your recyclable bags with gourmet goodies and fresh fare at leisure or download the free Adelaide Central Market app for a self-guided 50-minute audio tour. You can also join a small-group tour to meet some of the growers and makers in person, or book yourself into a 1.5- to three-hour breakfast, morning or lunch walking tour, complete with plenty of tastings and a cafe dining experience.
2. Adelaide Oval
One of the most popular Adelaide attractions for a few reasons! Hosting sporting tournaments and marquee entertainment events, Adelaide Oval is South Australia’s most well-known stadium with a capacity for more than 53,000 fans. Located within inner-city parklands in North Adelaide, the historic venue is home to AFL (Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide) and cricket teams. It also hosts other sporting codes, music concerts, events and functions and has onsite dining amenities, making it a top spot for fans, families and everyone in-between.
Outside game days, you can explore Adelaide Oval on twice-daily guided Stadium Tours and visit the free Bradman Collection to discover the cricketing legend’s priceless memorabilia. You can also strap in and get a different perspective of the iconic venue with RoofClimb Adelaide Oval on day, twilight and night climbs, offering a sky-high panorama of the cityscape, Adelaide Hills and coastline.
3. Adelaide Botanic Garden
Situated near the city’s cultural quarter on North Terrace, Adelaide Botanic Garden is a verdant oasis for lovers of manicured gardens, rare plants, historic greenhouses and architecture, urban wildlife and blissful water features. The tourist attraction encompasses around 51 hectares in the CBD’s eastern parklands, and is a popular respite in an accessible city setting. You can easily spend a few hours exploring or relaxing here.
Green features that make Adelaide Botanic Garden beloved among locals and visitors alike include the State Herbarium, a hub for plant, fungi and algae science housed in the old Tram Barn; Museum of Economic Botany, one of the last of its kind showcasing historic plant uses; and an Amazon Waterlily Pavilion. There are also collections of native flora and fauna, such as the First Creek Wetlands and the Australian Forest.
4. Adelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo is home to some famous faces, so you’ll definitely want to add it to your must-see Adelaide holiday list and spend at least half a day here. Situated within the eastern CBD parklands just north of Adelaide Botanic Garden, the Zoo’s popular residents include newly arrived giant pandas Xing Qiu and Yi Lan, just two of some 2,400 animals from Australia and around the world housed in the 8ha jungle surrounds.
Be on the prowl for your favourite creatures among the African safari herds, nocturnal animals, Australian native critters, the Reptile House and a Rainforest & Wetlands Aviary. Kids and adults will enjoy free keeper talks into the habits of penguins, Komodo dragons and South-East Asian birds, plus daily animal experiences for a fee, ranging from early morning panda hangs to Sumatran tiger and orangutan encounters.
5. Art Gallery of South Australia
One of Adelaide CBD’s cultural hubs on North Terrace, the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) is one of the top 20 Adelaide attractions to visit, featuring almost 47,000 diverse artworks in the state’s most significant visual arts collection. You can’t miss Australian artist Lindy Lee’s eye-catching The Life of Stars 6m-high perforated sculpture against the 19th-century building for a juxtaposition of old and new.
AGSA showcases temporary exhibitions and permanent collections, including an impressive array of Australian and Aboriginal works plus European and Asian pieces that will appeal to ardent arts lovers and casual admirers alike. Visitors can enjoy the free Open Late events with talks, workshops and more on the first Friday of the month and join complimentary twice daily 50-minute guided tours to go beyond the canvas and learn more about select works in the AGSA collection.
6. South Australian Museum
Also on Adelaide’s cultural boulevard, the South Australian Museum is situated right next to AGSA and the State Library of South Australia on North Terrace in the CBD. As the state’s natural history repository, it will also pique museumgoers’ interest with the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural materials. There’s something for everyone, from little dinosaur fans to big history buffs.
Across five floors of exhibits, SA Museum must-sees include scientific artefacts, such as items sourced from Australian polar exploration, biological science curiosities and the always-popular fossil and megafauna displays, along with minerals, rocks and meteorites from around the world. The Discovery Centre is also open from 10:30am to 2:30pm on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a deeper dive into exhibits.
7. Rundle Mall
Adelaide’s main pedestrian open-air shopping street, Rundle Mall connects the east and west ends of the CBD, bound by the North Terrace cultural precinct to the north and Grenfell Street to the south. This is the premier spot for retail therapy with more than 700 shops, from popular brands to Adelaide institutions, such as Haigh’s Chocolates.
Rundle Mall is also one of Adelaide’s entertainment and dining hubs, hosting pop-up events and annual festivals and attracting more than 54 million visitors per year. Alongside shopping, dining and diversions, Rundle Mall also has historic landmarks, such as Beehive Corner and the 19th-century Fountain, and outdoor artworks, including The Spheres (dubbed “Mall’s Balls” by locals), bronze pigs and a giant pigeon sculpture.
8. Adelaide Himeji Garden
In the wraparound CBD parklands off South Terrace in Peppermint Park/Wita Wirra Park (Park 18), you’ll find yourself in the serene Japanese surrounds of Adelaide Himeji Garden to while away a few hours with friends, family or for some “me” time. The traditional and tranquil ornamental garden is a gift from Adelaide’s sister city, Himeji, a Japanese town that’s famous for its castle.
Dotted with stone and water features, plus a lake filled with waterlilies, koi fish, long-neck turtles and ducks, sculpted plants and a thatched teahouse facing the Zen ‘dry’ rock garden, it’s a prime spot for reflection and photo opps alike. With greenery considered for the South Australian climate, Adelaide Himeji Garden takes on a slightly different appearance in each season, making each visit memorable and unique.
9. Adelaide Gaol
Located within parklands within coo-ee of Adelaide CBD, this former incarceration institution has serene surrounds that obscure its colonial past and grisly history. Adelaide Gaol was one of Australia’s longest continuously operated prisons until it shut up shop for good in 1988. Now open as a museum, it boasts a suitably spooky and haunted legacy, earning it a place as one of the must-visit Adelaide attractions.
Adelaide Gaol is open daily for self-guided tours as well as escape cell experiences with options geared for adults and children. You can also visit Adelaide Gaol on a guided after-dark tour, which runs the gamut from family-friendly Twilight Tours and Murder & Mayhem guided tours that delve into the tales of notorious criminals for true crime aficionados to Ghost Tours and overnight paranormal investigations – if you dare.
10. National Wine Centre of Australia
Don’t have time to visit the renowned viticulture regions close to Adelaide? National Wine Centre of Australia showcases the country’s wine-growing history and terroir story through tours, exhibits, food and wine pairing and experiences, including the country’s only city vineyard, in a convenient CBD location within Adelaide Botanic Garden.
This world-class attraction has plenty of immersive experiences for vino lovers and wine-curious visitors, including the Wined Bar with more than 120 drops to try. Explore Australia’s largest open cellar and sample wines from 55 of the country’s 65 wine regions in the Tasting Room on an expertly guided sommelier-led tour. You can also source a souvenir Australian drop to take home from the National Wine Centre store. Drop in for tastings or settle in for a meal and paired wines
11. MOD.
MOD. may be physically found a block away from Adelaide’s CBD cultural precinct on North Terrace, but its focus is firmly on the future. Australia’s forward-thinking art, science and innovation museum is designed to be a place of discovery, specifically geared towards those aged 15 to 25, but also an inspiration for all visitors to explore within a few hours.
MOD. presents an annual themed exhibition complemented by a curated program of workshops, tours, talks and events. Multidisciplinary departments, industries and students come together to deliver thought-provoking exhibitions based on research that invite interaction and exploration for a one-of-a-kind museum experience.
12. St Peter’s Cathedral
In the so-called ‘City of Churches’, St Peter’s Cathedral stands tall as Adelaide’s best-known religious landmark in North Adelaide, just north of Adelaide Oval. The seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Adelaide is not only a beautiful historic building for architecture admirers, but also an important part of the city’s heritage and community.
Constructed between 1868 and 1904, the Gothic Revival church’s exterior features neo-Gothic spires, stained-glass windows and magnificent carvings, while the interior’s pipe organ, acoustics and choral music legacy make it an ideal music venue for the city’s world-renowned annual events as well as performances by international, national and local acts. Visit during open hours or join a free public tour on Wednesdays at 11 am.
13. Migration Museum
Adjacent to the SA Museum in Adelaide’s CBD North Terrace cultural precinct, South Australia’s Migration Museum is worth a visit for a deep dive into the myriad immigrant cultures and communities that have shaped the state. The local history hub is located within the city’s former Destitute Asylum, a historic building with its own story to share.
Visitors can explore South Australia’s cultural diversity and identity, from Indigenous settlements to 20th- and 21st-century immigration and LGBTQIA+ migration to Adelaide, through permanent exhibitions, while temporary shows delve into contemporary local perspectives. The Migration Museum runs free and paid guided tours year-round, including Migrant Heritage Walks of the surrounding area – ideal for those with an interest in art, history, culture and placemaking.
14. Victoria Square
Victoria Square/ Tarntanyangga is the true city centre, near several major hotels and attractions, including Adelaide Central Market and courthouses. The central square stretches across five blocks in the city centre, bisected from north to south by King William Street and through the centre by the East-West Roadway, and was part of a master design of six public squares, of which Victoria Square is the largest at 3.2ha.
For visitors and locals, the diamond-shaped square, overlaid with lawn and trees and featuring a statue of Queen Victoria in the centre, is remarkable as the first place where the Australian Aboriginal flag was unveiled in 1971 and still flies today. Tarntanyangga means “red kangaroo dreaming” and was the site of the Dundgunya people’s central camp. The outdoor space also hosts popular annual events, such as Tasting Australia.
15. Glenelg Beach
Glenelg, in Adelaide’s southwest, is the city’s most popular beachside hotspot overlooking St Vincent Gulf and offers outdoor diversions galore for day trippers, beach lovers and sunset chasers. The inner-city beach’s main attraction is the 215m-long Glenelg Jetty – a prime sunset spot – with restaurants, shops and bars on Jetty Road to also drink in the views with sundowners or fish and chips.
Other things to do at family-friendly Glenelg Beach include splashing around in the calm waters and soaking up the rays on the sandy shore with plenty of public barbecue and picnic amenities available, plus the 35m-high Ferris wheel in summer. Twilight catamaran cruises also depart from Glenelg’s Marina Pier dining precinct, along with dolphin-watching cruises in season.
16. Cleland Wildlife Park
For a wild experience close to the city featuring Australian fauna in their natural habitat, check out the open-range Cleland Wildlife Park tucked into the Mount Lofty Ranges, southeast of Adelaide CBD. You can hand-feed the kangaroos and wallabies lounging around and spy native birdlife, reptiles and even shy, nocturnal animals – if you’re lucky.
Perfect suited for a day out for all ages, Cleland Wildlife Park also has some cool close-up encounters, including breakfast with the birds and koala, echidna, cockatoo and reptile experiences. Grab a map and explore at your own pace or join a guided one-hour tour or talk for more in-depth insights about the residents from the expert keepers.
17. State Library of South Australia
Located next door to the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) within the CBD’s North Terrace cultural precinct, the State Library of South Australia (SLSA) makes it onto the top 20 list of Adelaide attractions due to the bibliophile appeal of one of its chambers. The Mortlock Chamber may be Instagram-famous for its real-life Hogwarts aesthetic, but there’s lots more for visitors to discover within the interconnected buildings.
As well as the Mortlock Wing, there is the Institute Building and Spence Wing, as well as permanent and temporary exhibitions, easily explored within a few hours. Twice-daily, free ambassador-led tours of the buildings and exhibitions at 11am and 2pm will share some of the secrets and stories of the State Library that have helped shape South Australia’s history and people.
18. Hahndorf
Settled by German Lutherans in the 19th century, Hahndorf has small-town charm and a distinctly European-flavoured experience in contrast to Adelaide’s cosmopolitan attributes, making it a must-visit during your Adelaide city escape. Just 25 minutes away from the city centre in the Adelaide Hills, make a day of it, combining both areas on a full-day tour that pairs German-influenced gourmet provisions, produce and wine.
There are also many delicious ways for couples and groups of friends to explore the verdant countryside and vineyards, from a guided e-bike tour of cellar doors to farm-to-table dining experiences, gin tasting and even a cheese-making class in a craft brewery. Beyond the gourmet finds, there is also an art trail, galleries and boutiques on the European-style High Street. Bring a bag to tote your goodies back to your hotel.
19. Morialta Conservation Park
For a rugged recreational outdoor experience, only 10km northeast of Adelaide CBD, pop Morialta Conservation Park on your must-do list to view cascades, wildlife and birdlife and soak up the sights on a relaxing picnic. It also contains Adelaide’s largest playground with five areas to explore. Hike on walking tracks, go mountain biking, try guided abseiling and rock climbing or join a small-group tour for an active day out.
The protected reserve spans woodlands, gorges and creeks with seasonal waterfalls and wildflower blooms – best seen in winter and spring, respectively. Lace up your sturdy shoes for the popular 1.6km First Falls Walk trail, which yields koala sightings, while the longer and more adventurous 7.3km Third Falls Hike covers all three waterfalls plus Deep View Lookout for stunning views over Morialta Gorge.
20. d’Arenberg Cube
With its striking, multifaceted façade, the d’Arenberg Cube is a clear standout attraction rising high among the vineyards in South Australia’s McLaren Vale wine region – just 45 minutes’ south of the CBD and a must-do addition for any Adelaide itinerary. Situated within the d’Arenberg winery, the mirrored five-storey cube-shaped building reflects the complexities of winemaking and the five senses, housing a wine sensory room, a virtual fermenter, panoramic viewing area and other immersive experiences.
It's an epic playground for adults, and entry to the d’Arenberg Cube includes a self-guided Alternate Realities Museum tour and samples at the Tasting Room. Oenophiles can also get hands-on with self-guided curated wine tastings from the historic cellars and play winemaker and take home a Shiraz souvenir after a wine-blending experience.
The best Adelaide attractions for kids
Adelaide abounds with family-friendly attractions and activities that will suit all ages and stages. Here are some top suggestions to check out.
- MOD.
- Cleland Wildlife Park
- Beerenberg Farm
- TreeClimb Adelaide
- Glenelg Beach
The best Adelaide attractions for adults
With an ideal location close to some of Australia’s renowned wine regions, Adelaide has plenty of attractions for adults that will fill your cup.
- Adelaide Central Market
- Barossa Valley
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- Adelaide Hills & Hahndorf
- d’Arenberg Cube & McLaren Vale
The places to visit in Adelaide for free
Looking for free things to do in Adelaide? These indoor and outdoor attractions are just the ticket and will cost you nix.
- Glenelg Beach & Jetty
- Adelaide Himeji Garden
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- Rundle Mall
- Adelaide Botanic Garden
Flights to Adelaide
Virgin Australia offers direct flights to Adelaide from major Australian cities, including:
