What to do in Adelaide: tips and experiences

What to do in Adelaide – Martin & I went to South Australia in december 2019 to visit the beautiful city Adelaide. A city with 1.3 million inhabitants, beautiful sights and a surrounding full of hidden gems. A visit to Adelaide is absolutely worth it. And I often ask myself why I not visited Adelaide earlier. Read all our experiences about Adelaide in this brand new travel blog.

What to do in Adelaide

Adelaide is a nice city with a great city centre with different good restaurants and beautiful sights. There’s also a lot to see outside the city centre, the surroundings of Adelaide is also worth a visit. In this travel blog we share our experiences about what to do in this beautiful South Australian city.

Facts about Adelaide

• Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia.
• The best time to visit this city in South Australia is from november until april, when you have the best chance of good (summer) weather.
• Adelaide is known as a great wine producing center. All suburbs of the city are dedicated to vineyards and plantations. Watch all the great wine tours here!
• Many people combine a visit to the city with a stay at the beautiful Kangaroo Island. Read more about Kangaroo Island
• The average price for a hotel stay in Adelaide is 95 AUD per night. View all hotel possibilities here.

Video about Adelaide

From our hometown Darwin it is a 3.5 hour flight to Adelaide (from Sydney it is only a 2 hour flight). Because it is a domestic flight you don’t have to deal with long waiting queues, so we could board quickly.

The Chancellor on Currie

After leaving the airport we took the bus to the centre, which dropped us off near The Chancellor on Currie, the central located hotel where we stayed for 4 days. The Chancellor on Currie is a beautiful hotel, with a good price and a very good location. We got off the bus at Currie Street in the Central Business District of Adelaide. You can’t be more central, if you ask me. Read more about the Chancellor on Currie

Weather in Adelaide

Upon arrival we had to get used to the weather in Adelaide, it was 17 degrees and a bit rainy. We used to tropical temperatures in Darwin, so this was very cold for us. But good weather for a citytrip. We had already put our jacket and long pants in our suitcase just for sure. Fortunately, the sun came through soon which made it a lot more pleasant.

Christmas in the city

After checking in at the hotel it was time to explore the city. It was december, so Christmas was just around the corner. Many streets in the city were decorated, they kept it pretty limited. But enough to get that ultimate Christmas feeling.

Adelaide is a very easy city to walk in, the streets in the city center are all straight, and if you look on the city map you see that it is all straightforward. So it’s hard to get lost.

Food spots for everyone

We pass many beautiful shops, atmospheric lunchrooms, restaurants and typical Australian cafes when we walk through the main streets. The city has everything what you need. Finding a good restaurant is no problem, there are many good restaurants like Italian, Greek, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian restaurants. And there is so much more to visit.

Blackebys Old Sweet Shop

Tip: for everyone who loves sweet, take a look at Blackebys Old Sweet Shop. This is a store full of candy, like the old famous candies until the new ones. This store is absolutely a photo worthy place. The colorful facade is amazing!

Leigh Street

Tip: our favorite street for lunch or diner is Leigh Street. Here’s a variety of cuisines, such as a good Japanese, Korean and a Spanish restaurant. Leigh Street is also the perfect place to have a drink.

Malt and Juniper

The first morning when we were looking for a breakfast we accidentally ended up at Malt and Juniper. A typical Australian bartender welcomes us with a nice chat. We ordered a coffee and breakfast and enjoyed the nice Indie Rock music what’s playing. We enjoyed the delicious breakfast and coffee so much what they prepared with love. Malt and Juniper is a great place to have a breakfast or to have a drink in the evening.

Hains & Co

Another great place in Adelaide to have a drink is Hains & Co. A cozy bar where you can drink among the locals. Pay attention to the nice details and the large assortment of drinks. Hains & Co is a nice bar to end your day.

Tip:  take a good look in the city and at the buildings around you. You will find a lot of beautiful and colorful street art.

Haighs Chocolates

Tip: if you like chocolate (just like us), don’t miss the Australian family business Haigh’s Chocolates. Haigh’s Chocolates was founded in 1915 by Alfred E. Haigh and now has outlets in four Australian states. Haigh’s Chocolates is a household name in South Australia and worth a visit.

Nature around the city

If we look further than the city centre, we quickly discover that Adelaide is surrounded by beautiful nature. Several city parks can be reached from the heart of the city. We decide to walk along the river first, in the direction of the Botanical Gardens.

When we leave the city behind us, we first see a huge stadium, the Adelaide Oval. When we walk along the stadium we find out there’s a cricket match between Pakistan and Australia.

When we look through the gate we have a view on the field and we can get a bit of the atmosphere.

From the park nearby the Adelaide Oval you have a beautiful view of the St. Peter’s Church.

Karrawirri Parri

The closer we get to the Karrawirri Parri River, the quieter it gets. Except on the water, where we see many active rowers. Along the river there are several rowing clubs.

This is a great area in Adelaide to have a walk, spot birds and reptiles or have a picknick in the park and enjoy the Aussie life.

Botanical Gardens

Another great place to visit in Adelaide is the botanical gardens. Enjoy beautiful walkways surrounded by the most specials plants and trees. All botanical gardens in Australia are well maintained, and this one too.

Except the beautiful nature, you can also visit the National Wince Centre of Australia. So if you love nature and wine the botanical gardens is the place to be.

Port Adelaide

In the afternoon, we decide to take the train in the direction of Port Adelaide to have a lunch and explore this surroundings.

Dolphins and Railway Museum

Port Adelaide is an area that is developing very much, I think this area will be more crowded in the future. In Port Adelaide there is an opportunity to make a boat trip and spot dolphins. There is also a Railway Museum and some good restaurants to have diner. Port Adelaide is an industrial environment and is known of Port Adelaide Football Club (AFL).

It was very quiet on the street when we were there, especially at the harbour itself. Maybe because of the season or time. We were there in the afternoon. The offer of restaurants is great, so probably it’s busier at other times. I recommend this area, but only if you have enough time. I like the beaches of Adelaide more to be honest.

Nice things to do nearby Adelaide

Mount Lofty

If you like hiking and nature, go to Mount Lofty. We did the hike from Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty. It was a tough climb, with a magnificent view of the city of Adelaide at the end. If you don’t like hiking you can drive straight to Mount Lofty only for the view. Watch our video about Mount Lofty now and discover it by yourself.

Brighton (Beach)

Adelaide has several beaches you can visit. We have chosen Brighton Beach, a wonderful place to leave the bustling city behind. Watch our atmospheric video about Brighton Beach above.

Besides Brighton Beach, beach lovers also like to visit Glenelg Beach, Seacliff Beach, Henley Beach and West Beach.

Have a good trip and good time in Adelaide! If you have any questions? Just let me know. Leave your comment below.

Visit Adelaide?

More information about South Australia? Check SouthAustralia.com

Tours in and around Adelaide