The 12 Best Attractions in Adelaide (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 12 picks

The best attractions in Adelaide in 2026 are the Adelaide Central Market, the free Art Gallery of South Australia and SA Museum on North Terrace, the Botanic Garden, the Adelaide Oval RoofClimb, the tram to Glenelg beach, and the German village of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills.

Adelaide is compact and flat, laid out in a grid inside a ring of parklands, so most city sights are walkable. The tram runs free within the city centre and on to Glenelg beach. The Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and the Barossa are all within an hour's drive — see our best wineries in Australia for the cellar doors.

1. Adelaide Central Market — Adelaide CBD

One of the great covered food markets in the Southern Hemisphere.

$ BudgetBest for First-timers · Budget · Families

The Adelaide Central Market has traded since 1869 and has more than 70 traders under one roof: greengrocers, cheesemongers, bakers, butchers, delis and cafés, with Chinatown right next door.

Come hungry, graze, and pick up a picnic for the Botanic Garden. It is closed on Mondays and Sundays.

Good to know: Saturday morning is the liveliest time; Friday evening has late opening.

44-60 Gouger St, Adelaide SA 5000

Google Maps Website

2. Art Gallery of South Australia — North Terrace

A major free gallery with superb Australian and Aboriginal art.

Best for Couples · First-timers · Budget

The Art Gallery of South Australia has one of the country's strongest collections of Australian art, from colonial painting to contemporary Aboriginal work, plus European and Asian galleries.

Entry is free. It also runs the Adelaide Biennial and the Tarnanthi festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

Good to know: Combine it with the SA Museum and the Botanic Garden, all on the same stretch of North Terrace.

North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

Google Maps Website

3. South Australian Museum — North Terrace

Free museum with a world-class Aboriginal cultures gallery.

Best for Families · Budget

The South Australian Museum is known for its Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, one of the largest collections of its kind, alongside natural history halls with whales, fossils and minerals.

Entry is free, and it suits families on a hot or rainy day.

Good to know: Start in the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery; it is the museum's highlight.

North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

Google Maps Website

4. Adelaide Botanic Garden — Adelaide CBD

Free gardens with a Victorian palm house and a glass Bicentennial Conservatory.

Best for Couples · Families · Budget

The Adelaide Botanic Garden covers 50 hectares on the edge of the city, with an 1877 Palm House, the Bicentennial Conservatory's tropical rainforest, a rose garden and shady lawns.

It is free and a short walk from the Central Market and North Terrace, which makes it the natural place for a picnic.

Good to know: Pick up lunch at the Central Market and eat it on the lawns.

North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

Google Maps Website

5. Adelaide Oval and RoofClimb — North Adelaide

Australia's prettiest sports ground, with a climb over its roof.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Couples · First-timers

Adelaide Oval hosts AFL football in winter and Test and Big Bash cricket in summer, a short walk across the River Torrens from the city. Stadium tours run on non-event days.

RoofClimb takes you up and over the stadium's roof for views of the city, the Hills and the coast. On game days you can even climb during the match.

Good to know: Book a twilight RoofClimb for the sunset over the Gulf.

War Memorial Dr, North Adelaide SA 5006

Google Maps Website

6. Glenelg — Glenelg

Adelaide's beach suburb, a tram ride from the city.

Best for Families · Couples · Budget

Glenelg is Adelaide's best-known beach, with a long jetty, a sandy beach and Jetty Road's shops and cafés. The tram from the city stops at Moseley Square, a minute from the sand.

Swim in summer, then watch the sunset over Gulf St Vincent from the jetty. Dolphin cruises run from the Holdfast Shores marina.

Good to know: Stay for sunset; Adelaide's beaches face west.

Moseley Square, Glenelg SA 5045

Google Maps

7. Cleland Wildlife Park — Adelaide Hills

Hand-feed kangaroos and meet koalas in the bush.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Families · First-timers

Cleland Wildlife Park sits in bushland on the slopes of Mount Lofty, about 20 minutes from the city. Kangaroos, wallabies and emus roam free through much of the park, and you can hand-feed them.

Koala close-up sessions run at set times. Combine it with the Mount Lofty Summit lookout up the road.

Good to know: Buy a bag of animal food at the entrance; it is the only food you may give them.

365 Mount Lofty Summit Rd, Crafers SA 5152

Google Maps Website

8. Hahndorf — Adelaide Hills

Australia's oldest surviving German settlement, in the Adelaide Hills.

Best for Couples · Families

Hahndorf was settled by Prussian Lutherans in 1839, and its tree-lined main street still has old stone and half-timbered buildings, bakeries, butchers, galleries and cafés.

The Adelaide Hills wine region is all around, with cellar doors for cool-climate wines a few minutes' drive away. It is about 25 minutes from the city on the freeway.

Good to know: Visit on a weekday; the main street is busy on weekends.

Main St, Hahndorf SA 5245

Google Maps Website

9. Haigh's Chocolates Visitor Centre — Parkside

See Australia's oldest family chocolate maker at work.

Best for Families · Couples

Haigh's is an Adelaide chocolate maker, family-run since 1915. At its Parkside visitor centre you can watch the chocolate being made through viewing windows and taste samples.

Guided tours run on set days; check times and book ahead. The shop sells the full range, including the famous frogs.

Good to know: Book the tour ahead; places are limited.

154 Greenhill Rd, Parkside SA 5063

Google Maps Website

10. National Wine Centre of Australia — Adelaide CBD

A one-stop introduction to Australian wine on the edge of the city.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Couples · First-timers

The National Wine Centre, next to the Botanic Garden, has an interactive exhibition about Australian wine and a tasting area where you can try wines from all over the country.

It is a good start if you can't get out to the wine regions, or want to plan which to visit.

Good to know: Try the self-pour tastings to compare regions side by side.

Cnr Hackney Rd & Botanic Rd, Adelaide SA 5000

Google Maps Website

11. Adelaide Zoo — Adelaide CBD

A historic city-centre zoo on the banks of the River Torrens.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Families

Adelaide Zoo is a leafy, historic zoo on the River Torrens, a short walk from the city. It has a big collection of Australian and South-East Asian animals in a compact site.

Walk along the river through the parklands from the city, or take the Popeye boat in summer.

Good to know: Check the keeper talk times on arrival and plan around them.

Frome Rd, Adelaide SA 5000

Google Maps Website

12. South Australian Maritime Museum — Port Adelaide

Ships, a lighthouse and maritime history in historic Port Adelaide.

$ BudgetBest for Families

The South Australian Maritime Museum in Port Adelaide is the oldest maritime museum in Australia, with ships to climb aboard, a lighthouse and stories of migration and the sea.

Port Adelaide's heritage streets, street art and the dolphins of the Port River make it worth a half-day.

Good to know: Climb the lighthouse for a view over the port.

126 Lipson St, Port Adelaide SA 5015

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is Adelaide best known for?

Wine, food and festivals. The city is close to the Barossa, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills, has one of Australia's best covered food markets, and hosts the Adelaide Fringe and Festival every February and March.

Are Adelaide's museums free?

Yes. The Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the Botanic Garden on North Terrace are free to enter, with fees only for some special exhibitions.

How do you get from Adelaide to Glenelg?

Take the tram from the city; it takes about 30 minutes and ends at Moseley Square, a short walk from the beach and jetty.

Where can I hold a koala in Adelaide?

Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills offers koala holds at set times and lets you hand-feed kangaroos. Rules change, so check the park's site before you go.

Is Hahndorf worth visiting?

Yes, for a half-day. It is Australia's oldest surviving German settlement, about 25 minutes from the city, with a main street of old stone buildings, bakeries and cellar doors nearby. Combine it with Mount Lofty and Cleland.

1. Adelaide Central Market — Adelaide CBD

2. Art Gallery of South Australia — North Terrace

3. South Australian Museum — North Terrace

4. Adelaide Botanic Garden — Adelaide CBD

5. Adelaide Oval and RoofClimb — North Adelaide

6. Glenelg — Glenelg

7. Cleland Wildlife Park — Adelaide Hills

8. Hahndorf — Adelaide Hills

9. Haigh's Chocolates Visitor Centre — Parkside

10. National Wine Centre of Australia — Adelaide CBD

11. Adelaide Zoo — Adelaide CBD

12. South Australian Maritime Museum — Port Adelaide

Frequently asked questions

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