- Duration
- 4 days, the city on foot plus ~300 km by car
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- walk, drive
- Start
- Adelaide Central Market
- Finish
- Glenelg
- Pace
- moderate pace
- Best time
- October–April
- Budget per adult
- zoo A$49.50; Cube A$20; horse tram A$30 returnPrices as of: October 2026
Getting there
Day one is on foot in the city, then a hire car. At cellar doors you need a sober driver; South Australia's limit is 0.05.
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
Day 1. The city
Day in Google Maps ↗1. Adelaide Central Market~1 h at the stop
Start with breakfast at the 1869 covered market and pick up cheese and fruit for the day. On Tuesday, Friday and Saturday it opens at 7am.
Tip: The market is closed Sunday and Monday; shift the day if needed.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 20 min · 1.4 km
2. Art Gallery of South Australia~1 h 15 min at the stop
The free gallery on North Terrace, next to the free South Australian Museum.
Worth knowing: The gallery was founded in 1881. Today it holds one of the country's largest art collections, and the permanent galleries are still free.
Tip: Both are open daily 10:00 to 17:00.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 20 min · 1.4 km
3. Adelaide Zoo~2 h 30 min at the stop
The city zoo by the Botanic Garden, home of the only giant pandas in the Southern Hemisphere. Adult A$49.50, child A$27.
Worth knowing: Adelaide Zoo opened in 1883, making it Australia's second-oldest zoo after Melbourne's. In December 2024 new pandas Yi Lan and Xing Qiu arrived to replace Wang Wang and Fu Ni.
Tip: Head to the pandas right after the 9:30am opening: Bamboo Forest opens at 9:45. There's a panda keeper talk daily at 1:15pm. The walk-through Rainforest & Wetlands Aviary is currently closed.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 25 min · 1.8 km
4. Adelaide Oval~2 h at the stop
In the evening, RoofClimb Twilight over the stadium roof: 2 hours, ages 8 and up.
Worth knowing: The hotel opened on 25 September 2020. It was built into the existing facade so it would not block spectators' views of the field and the stadium roof.
Tip: Prices show when you book on roofclimb.com.au; match days have their own packages.
Open on the map ↗
Day 2. The Barossa
Day in Google Maps ↗5. Seppeltsfield~1 h 30 min at the stop
The palm avenue and the 1878 cellars, plus the JamFactory studios.
Worth knowing: Every year the estate releases a 100-year-old Para Tawny; the 2026 release is the 1926 vintage.
Tip: Book a tasting ahead on the estate's site.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 12 min · 7 km
6. Maggie Beer's Farm Shop~1 h at the stop
Lunch and produce tastings by the pond, daily 10:00 to 16:30.
Worth knowing: The shop stands on Pheasant Farm, where Maggie and Colin Beer bred pheasants in the 1970s; their farm restaurant made Maggie one of Australia's best-known cooks.
Tip: Have the quince ice cream for dessert.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 20 min · 14 km
7. Mengler Hill Lookout~30 min at the stop
Sunset over the valley and the sculpture park; stay the night in the Barossa rather than driving back.
Tip: After tastings, only a sober driver takes the wheel.
Open on the map ↗
Day 3. The Adelaide Hills
Day in Google Maps ↗8. Cleland Wildlife Park~2 h at the stop
Kangaroos roam free and koalas live in the new Koala Loft. Open daily 9:30am–5pm, last entry 4:30pm.
Tip: Because of bird flu the bird aviaries are temporarily closed. Mount Lofty Summit lookout is close by, so stop there on the way.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 20 min · 20 km
9. Hahndorf~2 h at the stop
An 1839 German village: half-timbered houses, bakeries and schnitzel pubs. Lunch and an unhurried stroll down Main Street.
Worth knowing: Prussian Lutherans who sailed out on the ship Zebra founded the town in 1839. Hahndorf is named after the ship's captain, Dirk Hahn.
Tip: November to April, add strawberry picking at Beerenberg on the edge of town.
Open on the map ↗
Day 4. Chocolate, Grange and the sea
Day in Google Maps ↗10. Haigh's Visitor Centre~45 min at the stop
A free chocolate factory experience at 154 Greenhill Road, Parkside.
Worth knowing: Haigh's has made chocolate in Adelaide since 1915 and is still family owned. Its chocolate Easter bilby, sold instead of a bunny, helps raise money to save the real, endangered bilby.
Tip: Booking is required; the guided version is for ages 12 and up, so take the self-guided one with small kids.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 20 min · 9 km
11. Penfolds Magill Estate~1 h 15 min at the stop
Penfolds' suburban winery at the foot of the hills: cellar door and restaurant.
Worth knowing: This is where Max Schubert created the famous Grange in the 1950s.
Tip: Book tastings and tours ahead on penfolds.com.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 30 min · 19 km
12. Glenelg~1 h 30 min at the stop
The jetty over Gulf St Vincent, the beach and Jetty Road with ice cream and fish and chips. A sunset over the gulf to end the trip.
Worth knowing: The colony of South Australia was proclaimed at Glenelg, under the Old Gum Tree, on 28 December 1836. The day is still marked as Proclamation Day.
Tip: If you've returned the car, take the tram from the city.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.