Adelaide is often overlooked by travellers in favour of Australia’s more famous cities like Sydney and Melbourne. But with its vibrant food scene, historic architecture, natural beauty and packed calendar of festivals and events, South Australia’s capital has far more to offer visitors than may realise.
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Here’s why Adelaide deserves a spot on your Australian travel itinerary.
A foodie’s paradise
One of Adelaide’s biggest draws is its reputation as one of Australia’s gastronomic capitals. The city and its surroundings are full of restaurants, cafes, bars, and wineries serving up delicious local produce.
Several world-class wine regions like the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Adelaide Hills are right on Adelaide’s doorstep, so you can easily indulge in tastings at cellar doors during day trips.
The city centre itself is packed with award-winning eateries putting a creative spin on fresh South Australian ingredients. Adelaide is known as one of the pioneer cities of modern Australian cuisine with restaurants focused on locally sourced ingredients.
Seafood lovers will love the fish markets and beachside restaurants in Glenelg. Popular items to sample include Barossa Valley wines, Adelaide Hills berries, McLaren Vale olives, Coffin Bay oysters, goat cheeses and artisanal baked goods.
The annual events calendar is packed with food festivals like Tasting Australia in Town Square.
Historic architecture
Beyond its flavours, Adelaide wows visitors with its heritage streetscapes. For 19th century architecture, take a stroll down North Terrace to see the University of Adelaide with its gothic stone buildings, Old Parliament House, and the Adelaide Botanic Garden with its impressive palm house dating back to 1875.
Other landmark heritage sites include the art gallery, museum, state library and the Adelaide Oval.
Adelaide has lovingly preserved its old world charm while also embracing modern art and design.
Sports
Of course, no trip to Adelaide is complete without visiting the iconic Adelaide Oval. The redeveloped stadium artfully balances heritage architecture with modern facilities and technology.
Adelaide Oval hosts cricket matches in the summer, including international test matches and Big Bash League games.
In winter it springs to life for Australian rules football, with passionate Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide fans packing the stands. Watching an AFL match is an atmospheric experience you’ll never forget.
On non-event days, behind-the-scenes stadium tours run frequently allowing you to venture through the back end of the epic stadium and find out what makes it tick. Sports-mad or not, a visit to the spiritual home of sport in South Australia is a must.
Nature
Nature lovers will find plenty to admire in and around Adelaide. Belair National Park was established just out of the city in 1891 and protects abundant native flora and fauna.
Meander along shaded walking trails and see wildlife including koalas, echidnas and a wide array of bird species. Cleland Conservation Park in the Adelaide Hills also showcases koalas, kangaroos and wallabies in a natural bush setting.
The Adelaide Botanic Garden right in the heart of the city provides a green oasis with thousands of exotic and native plant species. The Adelaide Park Lands encircle the city centre with hundreds of hectares of open green space.
Those wanting a beach escape can drive to Glenelg – Adelaide’s premier coastal suburb with a lively foreshore, historic jetty and plenty of swimming spots. With so much natural beauty on the doorstep, Adelaide makes it easy to balance urban attractions with outdoor time and fresh air.
Check out some top tips for sustainable travel to help keep this area green as you explore.
Festivals
Adelaide enjoys mild weather for most of the year. This makes it perfect for the busy calendar of festivals happening annually.
The Adelaide Festival each March is one of the world’s great multi-arts events, while the Adelaide Fringe Festival is second only to Edinburgh for live performances.
WOMADelaide in April is one of Australia’s best world music festivals held in the lush Botanic Park. The Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June draws big name acts and emerging talents.
There are also many food and wine festivals, such as the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival and CheeseFest. The Santos Tour Down Under kicks off the cycling season in January, while the Adelaide 500 V8 Supercars rev up the streets in March.
The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is a much-loved family tradition dating back to 1933 with floats, bands and Santa on the parade. With so much on offer, it’s easy to build a trip to Adelaide around one of these mega events.
Accommodation fills fast during the peak festival season – book well in advance to secure prime spots. Visitors can purchase multi-festival passes for savings and immerse themselves in Adelaide’s packed cultural calendar.
Getting to and around Adelaide
Accommodation in Adelaide ranges from luxurious hotels like the InterContinental and Sofitel to quaint boutique stays. Family travellers can choose holiday rentals in the beachside suburbs or spacious apartments in the city centre.
Getting to and around Adelaide is straightforward with an international airport nearby the CBD. Although you can’t fly direct to Adelaide from the UK, regular domestic flights link the city with all major Aussie capitals and regional hubs so you could fly into Sydney or Melbourne instead.
Fancy a road trip? Check out this Melbourne to Adelaide road trip from ROLLiN’ for an epic exploration of southern Australia.
Once in the city, Adelaide Metro operates an extensive network of buses and trams that can get you to most attractions. The free City Connector bus loops around major sights.
The O-Bahn is a unique guided busway accessing the north-eastern suburbs. Taxis and Ubers are plentiful, while cycling is popular along the River Torrens linear park.
Driving is also viable with adequate parking and straightforward connections via roads and motorways.
Often dwarfed on Australian travel itineraries by the big-name cities like Sydney and Melbourne, Adelaide has far more going for it than many visitors realise.
With world-class wining and dining, well-preserved historic streets and buildings, natural attractions like beaches and parks, thrilling sports matches and a packed annual festivals calendar, the city has huge appeal.
Adelaide offers a more relaxed pace than the busy east coast capitals, meaning you can immerse yourself in its many charms without feeling rushed. The locals are famously friendly too.
So next time you’re planning an Australian holiday, be sure to consider adding laidback but vibrant Adelaide to your itinerary. Sampling its fresh flavours, heritage and culture in a sun-soaked, festival-loving city will win you over.
Adelaide deserves more time in the travel spotlight – it might just become your favourite Aussie destination.
