Day 1 in Adelaide
Welcome to Adelaide! Upon arrival at the airport, you will go through customs and immigration. Should you opt to purchase a transfer to your hotel; a representative will be waiting for you as you exit immigration. Arrive at your hotel, check in and do not give in to jet lag! There is so much for you to see and do!
We recommend you get acquainted with the city, an easy starting point to get your bearings is Victoria Square, the heart of Adelaide city. Check out the iconic central fountain and the vibrant surrounding gardens covering 8 acres of green scenery in the heart of the city. Some of the city`s most important buildings are found around Victoria Square including the Supreme Court of South Australia. There are five historic trams that operate on the weekends and provide a family-friendly sightseeing experience.
Head to Adelaide`s Central Market, Gouger Street or ChinaTown, a foodies paradise. Central Market is the largest covered market in the Southern hemisphere filled with extensive aisle of stalls and iconic shops selling cheese, chocolate, wine and more. Gouger Street offers a wide range of restaurants and cafes with food from all over the world and Chinatown is full of restaurants and food halls serving delicious cuisine.
After lunch, do some shopping around Victoria Square on the famous Rundle Street and the massive Rundle Mall, the main shopping hubs in the city. Be sure to stop at Haigh`s Chocolates, home to the best chocolate in Australia. The Rundle Mall boasts over 1000 individual stores including department stores and boutiques offering something for everyone.
Explore one of the many exciting and interesting museum’s in the area including the Migration Museum, the Art Gallery of South Australia and the South Australian Museum which is renowned for its world-class natural history and cultural collections, it is home to the world`s largest collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural material.
Take a leisurely stroll around the beautiful and vibrant Botanic Gardens, this tranquil oasis spans over 125 acres in the Adelaide Park Lands and is free to enter. The scenic atmosphere is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The historic gardens opened in 1857 some of the highlights in the park including the 1877 palm house, the water-lily pavilion, First Creek wetlands, the Museum of Economic Botany and the Bicentennial Conservatory. Visit the cafe on site or the classy Botanic Gardens Restaurants with large grassy areas to sit and relax.
As evening approaches, make your way down to the iconic Riverside Precinct that stretches along the River Torrens and fuses with the beautiful Park Lands as its backdrop. Here you can see some of the most iconic attractions in the city such as the Adelaide Festival Center, Bonython Park, and the Adelaide Casino. Take a river cruise on board popeye and take in a spectacular sunset. The Riverside offers a wide array of unique experiences along with a range of indoor and outdoor dining options with stunning river views.
Enjoy some dinner then explore the hidden bars and pubs dotted around the side streets and laneways of the CBD. Rundle Street is a great location to visit at night with a number of popular establishments. Gouger Street has an increasing number of bars and pubs worth visiting and O`Connell Street is home to some of the most popular bars in the city.
Day 2 in Adelaide
Start your day with a delicious hearty breakfast at one of the alfresco cafes found along Melbourne Street. This artsy street consists of many cafes, restaurants, and boutiques housed in historic colonial-style buildings, including the Old Lion Hotel and the Buffalo Cottage built in the 1800s.
Head up Montefiore Hill and see the famous statue of Colonel William Light that stands atop of the grassy hill. Light, was a British Military officer and the town planner of Adelaide, he designed the layout of its streets and parks from this point in 1836. Enjoy the expansive views from the top which overlook the iconic Adelaide Oval Stadium and the picturesque Riverside.
Take a tour of the Adelaide Oval, 90 minute guided tours are offered daily and take visitors around the iconic stadium and behind the scenes. The stadium is host to many sports including cricket, football, tennis, and hockey and is the host of international cricket matches in the summer and AFL football in the winter with a capacity for 53,000 spectators. Visit the Hill of Grace restaurant found on the grounds and enjoy some lunch, this restaurant is the only one located within a stadium in Australia.
Visit the Adelaide Zoo, located in the parklands just north of the city. The zoo is home to more than 1,800 animals and almost 300 species of exotic and native mammals. This is the only place in Australia and one of the few in the world where visitors can see giant pandas, it is home to Wang Wand and Fu Ni, the only two giant pandas found in the Southern Hemisphere. There are free walking tours offered every 30 minutes along with feeding sessions and a children’s zoo.
Stop by the Ayers House, a historic mansion built in the 1850s, it is named after the original owner Sir Henry Ayers, a distinguished politician, financier and five-time Premier of South Australia. The house is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register since July 24th, 1980 and has been spectacularly restored and is decorated with original paintings, decorative arts, furniture, silver and changing exhibitions. Guided tours are offered of the home, which was Ayers` home from 1855-1987 and learn facts about the history of the home and the work of Ayers.
Stop by the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, an art museum on Grenfell Street specializing in promoting Indigenous Australian Art including visual art, music, and storytelling. The museum was established in 1989 and is the oldest Aboriginal owned and run cultural center in Australia with an exciting program of visual arts, performing arts, workshops, artist/curator talks, forums, cultural presentations, and film screenings.
After a busy day of sightseeing, visit Coopers Brewery for a refreshing pint and take a tour of the Brewhouse, bottling hall and history museum and enjoy some samples of stouts, ales, and lagers.
For the evening, visit the popular cosmopolitan area of Adelaide`s East End, encompassing the retail center of Rundle Street. Stroll along this vibrant, eclectic neighborhood with a historic charm which is home to the largest number of boutiques in the city with some of the best fashion stores, vintage, jewelry and retail shops. Visit some of Adelaide`s best restaurants and wine bars boasting alfresco dining with a hip and quirky atmosphere and a happening nightlife.
Day 3 in Adelaide
This morning take a spin around the city on two wheels, Adelaide is a great city to rent a bicycle and see the beautiful parklands and sights, another bonus is; it`s free! There are numerous locations to pick up a bike found in the CBD. The city is great for a bicycle ride with wide flat paths and bike lanes and plenty of biking trails through the picturesque parklands.
Cycle to the idyllic Himeji Gardens, the traditional Japanese style gardens which celebrate Adelaide`s Sister City relationship with Himeji. The garden is split into a Sansui, a mountain and lake garden, and a karensansui, a `dry rock garden` intended to evoke mountains surrounded by water. Take a stroll around this beautiful, peaceful environment, sit back and enjoy a picnic in this mesmerizing garden setting with an old fashioned teahouse.
Spend the afternoon in the spectacular Adelaide Hills region and explore the picturesque villages, rolling hills covered by wineries and vineyards, and the iconic eucalyptus trees, that were made famous by Australia`s renowned watercolorist, German-born Hans Heysen.
The region`s cool climate provides the perfect grounds for producing wine. There are more than 60 wineries in the region, that specialize in Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Enjoy a delicious lunch at one of the upscale vineyards such as Pike and Joyce, or The Lane Vineyard and spend the afternoon tasting the regions spectacular wines.
Visit Hahndorf, the quaint historic German town settled by the Prussian Lutheran migrants in 1839. The historic town is known for the German Migration Museum and its original German style architecture and artisanal food. Stroll along the historic streets with their picturesque colonial charm, stop into the bakeries, pubs, cafes, and shops to pick up special treats and take home souvenirs.
The Cleland Conservation Park is situated on your route back to the city, stop in and see some of the massive parks with opportunities to see kangaroos, wallabies, Dingoes and hold a Koala. There are some great walking and cycling trails through the native wildlife and natural bushland scenery.
On your last evening in the city check out some of the top restaurants found in Adelaide. The city is a melting pot of different cuisines worth feasting on, some of the iconic establishments such as Peel Street Restaurant or Orana owned by chef Jock Zonfrillo.
Additional Days in Adelaide
If you are able to spend additional days in Adelaide spend a day at the beach, the seaside suburb of Glenelg, is a gorgeous destination that can be reached via a tram, which departs from Victoria Square daily and takes a 20-minute ride out to the beach. The lovely beach neighborhood offers plenty of beachside activities, quaint cafes and boutiques and plenty of live entertainment along with a beachside amusement park complete with a Ferris Wheel.
The city of Adelaide is recognized as one of the best festival cities in the world, the Festival State, with many falling during the months of February and March. The Adelaide Fringe is the second largest Fringe and highest ticket selling multi-arts festival in the country, with programs that cover cabaret, comedy, and circus with more than 900 events staged in pop-up venues all around the city. The Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide all bring world-class entertainment to the city through music, dance, and visual arts.
Your Last Day in Adelaide
Depart from your hotel to the airport for your return flight home. We recommend that you purchase a private transfer to the airport if so the representative will meet you at your hotel with plenty of time to get you to the airport for your flight out.