Adelaide is a city of great visual harmony and classical elegant style, superbly set beside the River Torrens between the Adelaide Hills and waters of Gulf St Vincent.
The wine and festival capital of Australia, Adelaide is a place to experience the buzz, culture and convenience of a big city without the frustrations. The city centre, surrounded by parklands, is a charming blend of historic buildings, wide streets, groovy shops, street cafes and restaurants. And because Adelaide is known as the 20-minute city, you can experience it all on a series of easy short walks.
Wine & Dine
Your food and wine experience begins right in the city centre with the Adelaide Central Market; the National Wine Centre of Australia; vibrant cafes and restaurants boasting some of Australia’s best chefs; and events such as Tasting Australia.
You'll find a mix of restaurant strips dotted right across the city - Rundle Street East for alfresco dining. The Parade at Norwood for great Italian food. Gouger Street for seafood and Asian fare. And anything goes on O'Connell and Melbourne Streets in North Adelaide. Visit Restaurant & Catering Australia's website for a comprehensive list of great Adelaide restaurants.
Heart of the Arts
The Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts is one of the most innovative arts festivals in the world, while the Adelaide Fringe is now the second biggest in the world after Edinburgh. The Adelaide Festival Centre on the banks of the River Torrens was the first multi-purpose arts centre built in Australia and maintains its status as the creative heart of South Australia.
A hub for events
Festivals and events occur with remarkable frequency for a city of Adelaide's size. The Clipsal 500 Adelaide V8 race annually attracts more than 200,000 people and has been named Australia's best major event. Adelaide's international music festival WOMADelaide has the Adelaide Botanic Garden as its backdrop. And the Tour Down Under is the biggest road cycling event in the land.
Take a Dip with Dolphins
Swim with dolphins just 20 minutes from the city centre on a Temptation Sailing cruise. The 17-metre catamaran, based at Holdfast Shores Marina in Glenelg, is perfect for cruising beside Adelaide's endless sandy shoreline. Afterwards, stick around to explore Holdfast Shores and its many great restaurants, pubs, luxury boats and apartments.
Location: Holdfast Shores, Glenelg
Swing the Bat with Bradman
Pay homage to Australia's cricketing icon, Sir Donald Bradman, at the State Library of South Australia. The Bradman Collection features more than 140 items, from trophies and bats to oral recordings and 52 scrapbooks on The Don's brilliant career. Then take a tour of Adelaide Oval, widely regarded as the most picturesque cricket ground in the world.
Location: North Terrace, Adelaide city centre
Taste the Adelaide Central Market
Join thousands of people buying, selling and tasting the best of South Australia at the Adelaide Central Market, established in 1869 and now the largest undercover market in the southern hemisphere. Nearby China Town is also great for fresh local produce and authentic Chinese food.
Location: Gouger Street, Adelaide city centre
Haigh's: Chocoholic Heaven
Visit Haigh's Chocolates Visitor Centre, home of Australia's oldest surviving chocolate-making company and one of only a handful worldwide still making chocolate directly from cocoa beans. Take a free, 20-minute tour of the factory and check out the heritage displays before getting down to business in the tasting room.
Location: Greenhill Road, Parkside (just south of the city centre)
Tram it to Glenelg
Ride Adelaide’s historic tram from Victoria Square in the city to the beachside suburb of Glenelg. Learn the mysteries of Great White Sharks at the Rodney Fox Shark Experience. Discover South Australia's settlement history at the Bay Discovery Centre and see where the colony's first government was proclaimed under the Old Gum Tree. In Glenelg you'll also find a great beach and wooden jetty and the lively shops, cafes and restaurants of Jetty Road.
Location: Catch the tram from Victoria Square in the Adelaide city centre
Port Adelaide and Semaphore
Head to historic Port Adelaide for a look at the hands-on South Australian Maritime Museum and a short cruise to see the divine dolphins of the Port River. Then delight in the seaside village atmosphere of Semaphore, with its majestic Palais right on the water and a long boulevard of antique shops, cafes, bakeries and pubs.
Location: Port Adelaide (straight down Port Road from the city centre)
Botany Bounty: the Adelaide Botanic Garden
Marvel at native and exotic flora displays and 5000 roses at the International Rose Garden. Stroll through a lush tropical rainforest in the Bicentennial Conservatory (it's the biggest glasshouse in the southern hemisphere). Established in 1857, the 16-hectare Adelaide Botanic Garden is right on North Terrace and still South Australia's most popular attraction.
Location: North Terrace, Adelaide city centre
Aboriginal Culture - South Australian Museum
Explore the world's largest collection of indigenous artefacts in the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, an award-winning exhibition in the South Australian Museum. Delve into the life of Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, or examine the opalised skeleton of a six-metre-long plesiosaur. Free tours run weekdays at 11am and weekends and public holidays at 2pm and 3pm. And for contemporary Aboriginal culture, head a few blocks away to Tandanya, the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute.
Location: North Terrace, Adelaide city centre
Test your skill at virtual wine making; meet the winemakers on the interactive Wine Discovery Journey; and delight in great Australian architecture at the National Wine Centre of Australia. Part of the University of Adelaide, the centre showcases the national wine industry and is a great place to start your journey through South Australia's wine country.
Location: Corner of Botanic and Hackney Roads, Adelaide
