City Spotlight
Adelaide
Adelaide: a 20-minute city
Quick facts
- Name: Adelaide
- Founded: 1836
- Population: 1.7 million
- Area: 3,258 km²
- Known as: Capital of South Australia, 'City of churches'
Adelaide is a diverse cosmopolitan capital of South Australia. Its ring of parkland on the Torrens River is home to renowned museums such as South Australia’s Art Gallery, displaying large collections including well-known Indigenous art, and the South Australian Museum, dedicated to natural history. The Adelaide Festival in the city is an annual international arts festival that is filled with film and fringe activities and events.
In the very city center, there is Victoria Square and the lively Central Market, originating from the 19th century, main place to buy produce and experience Adelaide’s spirit. There are native dolphin and seal colonies in the Glenelg beach area on Holdfast Island, offering hiking and biking trails. Adelaide is also a popular base to explore the wine country of Barossa and Clare Valley, the Adelaide Hills, where the Mt. Lofty Summit overlooks the coast, and the wildlife and beaches of Kangaroo Island.
Main attractions in Adelaide

Belair National Park. Cast in beautiful natural bushland, with multiple picnic areas, tennis courts and a number of walking trails, Belair National Park is an ideal place for outdoor activities. Waterfall Gully. A lovely place for hiking, and just 10 minutes from town! It is situated in the Cleland National Park, at the foot of the Adelaide hills. There’s plenty to look at, from the protected natural landscape to the stunning waterfalls. d’Arenberg. The McLaren Vale d’Arenberg Cube is a multi-functional five-story building set among Mourvèdre vines. Offers wine tasting.
The Beachouse. Entertainment park including: indoor fully enclosed heated waterslides, the Dual Slide, Speed Slide and Raft Slide, Dodgem Cars, Bumper Boats, Play Castle, Carousel, Train, Mini Golf, Arcade Games and Prize & Ticket Games. Penfolds Magill Estate Cellar Door. The new Magill Estate Cellar Door offers amazing views of the iconic Penfolds vineyards, a perfect setting to immerse visitors in Penfolds history and spirit. Adelaide Casino. Located in the beautifully restored Adelaide Railway Station in the heart of the city, Adelaide Casino has some of the finest restaurants, bars and gaming facilities in the city.
Gorge Wildlife Park. Animals and birds on display in a wildlife park, including wombats, dingoes, echidnas and Tasmanian devils. Migration Museum. This museum aims to conserve and help visitors appreciate and experience the diverse cultures of South Australia. It is a place to discover many identities of the people of South Australia through the stories of the individuals and communities. Carrick Hill. The beautiful garden of Carrick Hill is as unique as its collection of art. The view across the gardens to Adelaide and the sea beyond is a spectacular highlight. Nestled in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, is just a 15-minute drive from Adelaide centre.
From other attractions in Adelaide we recommend: National Railway Museum, Glenelg Beach, Big Rocking Horse, Himeji Gardens, Botanic Park, Wirra Wirra Vineyards, Adelaide Gaol, Adelaide Park Lands, Coriole Vineyards and many more.
Top things to do in Adelaide
Adelaide is a city with many attractions to offer. We listed about 30 of them above. As with many cities in Australia, many exciting attractions are located outside of cities, such as national parks and nature trails and wild life reservations.
If you are adventurous, we recommend to take one of those tours and explore surroundings of Adelaide.
For wine lovers, there are many wineries just few minutes drive outside of the city.
Enjoy!
Festivals and events
Adelaide is packed with festivals and events all year around and here are some of the top recommendations.
Adelaide Film Festival (October), Adelaide Fringe (February/March), Adelaide Marathon (May), Australia Day (January), Glendi Greek Festival (November), Royal Adelaide Show (August/September), Christmas events in December and many more.
Interesting facts about Adelaide
Here are some interesting facts about this amazing city:
- Adelaide is the only city in Australia that was not set by convicts.
- It is nicknamed as ’20-minute city’, since it is quite small.
- It was the first city in Australia to give women access to vote, recognize aboriginal land rights, and to eliminate sexual and racial discrimination.
Best time for flights to Adelaide
The peak season for flights to Adelaide is July, November and December. The low season for purchasing tickets is May, June and August.
Adelaide is served by Adelaide Airport (ADL). Direct flights to Adelaide are offered by 8 airlines.
[tp_in_our_city_fly_shortcodes destination=ADL title=”” limit=10 paginate=false stops=0 one_way=false subid=”” currency=”USD”]
Top hotel offers for Adelaide
These are current top hotel offers in Adelaide. The list is updated automatically when page is refreshed.