Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and has a little over a million people. The centre is a grid surrounded by parks, with beaches to the west and hills to the east. It has free-entry museums on North Terrace, music venues on Hindley Street and a festival season between February and March.
What's in Adelaide
Free
14 places
Nightlife
6 places
Tours and activities
6 places
Museums and galleries
7 places
Attractions
6 places
Nature
5 places
Events and festivals
11 places
Boats and ferries
3 places
SeaLink Kangaroo Island Ferry
Cape Jervis - Penneshaw (Kangaroo Island)
Passenger and vehicle ferry between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw. The crossing takes about 45 minutes and there are sailings every day. Check the fare on its website.
DirectionsTemptation Sailing
Marina Pier, Holdfast Shores, Glenelg
A 58-foot sailing catamaran with trips to see or swim with wild dolphins, and coastal and sunset cruises. Other adult prices (16 years or over): dolphin watching, A$92; swimming with them, A$154. The Tunes on Temptation trip is for ages 18 and over only.
DirectionsPopeye River Cruises
Elder Park, River Torrens
A sightseeing boat on the River Torrens, with a scenic trip and meal cruises. Boarding is at the wooden jetty in Elder Park, near the Festival Centre. Its website warns of surcharges on public holidays.
Directions
Adventure
4 places
RoofClimb Adelaide Oval
War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide
A guided 2-hour climb over the stadium roof, by day, at sunset, at night or at sunrise. Requires climbers to be at least 8 years old, taller than 125 cm and weigh 136 kg or less.
DirectionsWest Beach Adventure
4 Hamra Avenue, West Beach
A high ropes course with five levels reaching 28 metres, a giant swing and a SkyWalk platform. It is about 15 minutes from the centre.
DirectionsTreeClimb Adelaide
Kurangga Park, Greenhill Road at Unley Road
A treetop adventure park, within the city parklands, with ziplines and elevated courses. Sessions vary depending on whether it is a weekend, a public holiday or school term.
DirectionsAdventure Kayaking SA
Port River and Garden Island, Port Adelaide
Kayak and paddleboard hire, and trips around the dolphin sanctuary and the ships' graveyard at Garden Island. It also goes to Rapid Bay, an hour south of Adelaide.
Directions
Tickets
2 places
Moshtix
Online
An Australian ticketing platform. Adelaide venues such as Lion Arts Factory, Jive, Hindley St Music Hall, The Gov and Grace Emily use it. Each event shows its minimum age, and sometimes there is an extra charge per order.
FringeTIX
Online and by phone (13 0062 1255 / 08 8100 2000)
The Adelaide Fringe box office. It sells tickets to its shows through the festival website and by phone.
Where to stay
3 places
YHA Adelaide Central
135 Waymouth Street
A hostel open all year, with 24-hour reception, shared kitchen, barbecue, games room, free wifi and luggage storage. It has private, family and shared rooms; the shared rooms are for ages 18 and over.
DirectionsAdelaide Backpackers
262 Hindley Street and 220 Hutt Street
Two hostels in the centre, with dorm and private rooms. They have a kitchen, TV room and a balcony with a barbecue. They ask for a passport for dorm rooms and, at Hutt Street, for all rooms.
DirectionsTequila Sunrise Hostel Adelaide
123 Waymouth Street
A hostel with capsule-style beds in dorms, free breakfast and dinner, a kitchen, laundry and luggage storage. Reception is open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Directions
Transport
3 places
Adelaide Metro
The whole metropolitan area; central station at 125 North Terrace
A public network of buses, trains and trams. The InfoCentre at Adelaide station handles transport and visitor enquiries. Fares are in this page's guide.
Adelaide Airport
About 6 or 7 km from the centre
The city's airport, with car hire. It has direct flights from several countries, according to the state tourism website.
LinkSA
Regional routes, including Barossa
Buses between regional centres in South Australia, including Barossa. Regional and interstate services use the Central Bus Station, at 85 Franklin Street.
Food and markets
2 places
Adelaide Central Market
22-60 Gouger Street
An indoor market with more than 70 traders of fresh produce and food. Open Tuesday 7:00 am to 5:30 pm, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, Friday 7:00 am to 9:00 pm and Saturday 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.
DirectionsAdelaide Showground Farmers' Market
Rose Terrace, Wayville
A farmers' market every Sunday, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Entry is free.
Directions
Useful services
3 places
State Library of South Australia
North Terrace
The state library with free entry and free wifi. Open every day; the longest hours are on Friday, from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Service SA
30 Currie Street and other centres in the metropolitan area
State Government offices, with services such as driving licences. The Adelaide city centre office is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; on Wednesdays, from 9:30 am. Phone: 13 10 84.
Consumer and Business Services (CBS)
4-6 Chesser Street
A State Government agency with information on rentals, bonds and boarding houses. You can check the status of a bond online. Open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Phone: 131 882.
Living in Adelaide
Getting around
Adelaide Metro runs the buses, trains and trams. You can pay with a metroCARD, a Visa or Mastercard card, or the Buy & Go app. Since 20 February 2026, paper tickets are no longer accepted. Adult fares from 1 October 2026, according to Wikipedia: two-hour trip with Buy & Go, A$4.75 at peak times and A$2.70 off-peak; Daytrip, A$12.90; 3-day visitor pass, A$29.90; 14-day pass, A$74.20; 28-day pass, A$123. Some services are free: buses 98A, 98C, 99A and 99C, the tram between the Entertainment Centre and Botanic Gardens, and the tram between Brighton Road and Moseley Square in Glenelg. The tram links the city and the coast in about 20 minutes. The airport is about 6 or 7 km from the centre. Interstate and regional buses use the Central Bus Station, at 85 Franklin Street. To drive as a visitor, the state government asks for a current foreign licence in English, with an English translation, or an international permit.
Areas
City centre (CBD): a grid of streets surrounded by parks. North Terrace: home to the South Australian Museum, the Art Gallery, the State Library, MOD. and the Botanic Garden. Hindley Street, in the West End: music venues such as Jive and Hindley St Music Hall. Rundle Mall and East End: a shopping area and bars on Vardon Avenue; Peel Street and Leigh Street also have a cluster of bars. North Adelaide: north of the river, next to Adelaide Oval. Glenelg: beach, Holdfast Shores marina and the end of the tram line. Henley Beach and Semaphore: other city beaches. Port Adelaide: historic port, museums on Lipson Street and the dolphin sanctuary near Garden Island. Adelaide Hills: hills 20 to 30 minutes by car, with Hahndorf and Mount Lofty. Barossa (Tanunda) and McLaren Vale: wine regions outside the city.
Weather
A Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers and cool winters with more rain. From December to February, the average maximum is around 26 to 29 °C and the minimum 15 to 17 °C. There are spells of 35 to 39 °C and the odd day above 40 °C. From June to August, the average maximum is around 15 to 16 °C and the minimum 7 to 8 °C. June is the wettest month, with about 80 mm. Annual rainfall is around 536 mm (1991-2020 averages from the airport, quoted by Wikipedia).
Work
The state tourism website lists these jobs for travellers: hospitality (bars, cafes and kitchens), fruit picking in the Riverland, grape harvest and winery jobs in the Barossa, farm and station work, cleaning and childcare. As job boards it names Seek, CareerOne, Indeed, Regional Work SA, SA Jobs Board and Backpacker Job Board. Adelaide's economy is also linked to defence, manufacturing, and food and wine. This list describes sectors and does not guarantee work. The rules on work that counts towards another visa are published by the Department of Home Affairs.
Next step
Other cities
Details and prices seen on official websites on 5 Nov 2026. They may change, so check before booking. No link on this page pays us. Own a business here? For businesses.