South Australia
AdelaideWith a vibrant cultural calendar, awe-inspiring cathedrals, stunning beaches and world-class wineries on its doorstep, Adelaide will capture your heart.A welcoming city with a wonderful blend of historical architecture, stunning natural beauty, and a thriving cultural scene that makes it a truly special destination.
Adelaide is an ideal city for short stays or weekend getaways, with plenty of unique attractions to explore. From the historic Adelaide Central Market, which dates back to the 1830s, to the city's stunning art galleries and museums, there's something for all ages to appreciate.
For outdoor activities, take a walk along the River Torrens and enjoy the atmosphere of Adelaide's vibrant public parks and gardens. A visit to Mount Lofty Summit provides stunning views of the city, while the deep blue waters of Glenelg Beach are ideal for swimming, fishing and relaxation.
The city also offers some of Australia's best shopping experiences from designer boutiques, eclectic second-hand stores, and farmers' markets, there's always something on offer.
Known as a city that loves to party, there are lively festivals on its calendar celebrating food, culture, sport and the arts, including the country's biggest art festival, Adelaide Fringe. Equally as exciting is the city's thriving food and wine scene, which celebrates the state's passionate growers and producers.
Whatever your reason for visiting Adelaide, you'll be sure to find something to enjoy! Whether you're seeking adventure, relaxation or simply exploring the city, you'll be sure to fall in love with this truly unique destination.
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Dine at Shobosho
Shōbōshō, which literally translates to ‘fire station’ in Japanese, centers itself around fire and flames.
The menu draws its inspiration largely from various Japanese ingredients and cooking styles, including yakitori, as well as other Asian influences including Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese. The menu is personally served by chefs across the bar and features a raw and snack selection, yakitori, noodles, dumplings, bao, robata grilled and spit-roasted meats. The true element of fire speaks through simply seasoned, seared full-blood wagyu beef.
At the bar, Shōbōsho offers an exclusive sake selection. The bar and kitchen operate all day to cater from the lunchtime market, those keen to sip afternoon sakes, right through to late-night revelers.
Dine at Africola
Compact, simple shop with a western soundtrack, African-inspired vegetables, grilled and smoked meats, flatbreads, pickles and natural wine. Blowing up like bubblegum. Africola living. We buy gold. We smoke then baste our foods in their own juices. Our menu changes regularly to reflect seasonality.
Dine at Osteria Oggi
At Osteria Oggi, we cook food that we love to eat using seasonal produce and serve it in a way that is designed to share.
Pasta is made fresh daily, with a carefully chosen wine list to match. ‘Oggi’ is ‘today’ in Italian – this sums up what we offer – sophisticated Italian food, inspired by tradition but in keeping with today’s tastes and best available produce.
We have created an Italian piazza setting in the heart of CBD Adelaide, complete with a cobblestone floor, arches, arbor, meat room, private cellar, intimate booth seating, and a mezzanine-level kitchen. Our 20-meter formed concrete bar is the ideal place to sit and graze on some small dishes (we’re not just about pasta) or just swing by for a drink.
CNN named Osteria Oggi as one of the 10 top new restaurants in the world in 2016. In March 2017, World Interiors News awarded Osteria Oggi the best restaurant interior in the world. Oggi also received a ‘hat’ in the first national Good Food Guide 2018. Our kitchen is open all day: Monday to Saturday, 11.30am-late.
Visit the South Australian Museum
The South Australian Museum is renowned for its world-class natural history and cultural collections.
The Museum is home to the world's largest collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural material, with over 3,000 artefacts on display, and the culturally significant Yuendumu Doors. The South Australian Biodiversity Gallery brings into sharp focus the land and marine wildlife of South Australia, with touch screens, interactive elements and a wealth of information.
Other galleries include the Pacific Cultures, Megafauna, Opalised Fossils, Polar, Ediacaran, Minerals and the Ancient Egyptian Room. The ever-popular Discovery Centre on level one contains a wealth of information and direct access to the collections, with staff available for identification of objects and assistance with research.
A vibrant program of temporary exhibitions includes the prestigious annual Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, the stunning Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition and annual summer blockbuster events that are always a big hit.
Have lunch at the Botanic Gardens Restaurant
The multi-award-winning Botanic Gardens Restaurant is a heritage rotunda with a fresh contemporary interior, spectacular garden and pond views, located within the beautiful Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
The enchanting restaurant is headed up by acclaimed chef Paul Baker. Modern Australian cuisine, the ever-changing seasonal menu is well balanced, innovative and features ethically farmed and sustainable South Australian produce, fresh vegetables and herbs harvested daily from the nearby 51-hectare Botanic Gardens kitchen garden.
In an effort to minimize food wastage, the restaurant follows a “garden to plate” philosophy. Diners can indulge in 3 courses, 4 courses or a delicious degustation menu with matching wines.
Dine and shop in Norwood
Just five minutes east of the central business district, you’ll find one of Adelaide’s most popular shopping and dining destinations – The Parade, Norwood.
Famous for its cosmopolitan café culture and an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and children’s quality shopping outlets, The Parade also offers visitors the choice of gourmet food, books, music, sports and furniture stores, amongst a selection of award-winning hair and beauty salons.
The locals know the joy of strolling The Parade, deciding which cuisine to choose. Will it be Nepalese, Thai, Italian, or Tapas tonight? With more than 30 restaurants and cafés to choose from, The Parade is a regular venue for those who love endless opportunities to eat out.
And during the day, you’ll find plenty of alfresco café spots for a coffee revival, before hitting the shops. There are high street retailers, designer fashion houses and one-of-a-kind exclusive boutiques - all within easy reach. There are hair and beauty salons, ensuring plenty of opportunities to be pampered before or after shopping.
Don’t forget the diversity of ethnic food you’ll find. Reflective of Adelaide's multicultural, cosmopolitan population – it’s a cook’s heaven.
Visit the waterfront city of Port Adelaide
Welcome to Port Adelaide, South Australia’s great waterfront city. It is a perfectly located destination which is only 20 minutes from both the Adelaide Airport and CBD, and offers the convenience of city life in a picturesque setting truly unique to South Australia.
Port Adelaide was founded in 1840 as the major port into South Australia and was operational until the 1960s. Today it is a cultural hub and is an excellent gateway to the world-famous Barossa wine region. Port Adelaide is in the grips of a foodie movement with the opening of a brand new craft brewery catering to lovers of all things beer. Combined with its growing number of cafes, award-winning restaurants and funky wine bars, Port Adelaide has cemented itself as the newest food capital of South Australia.
Port Adelaide plays host to the world’s only inner-city dolphins in the renowned Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Here you will also find stingrays, long-nosed fur seals, Australian Sea Lions and a 10,000-year-old mangrove forest. These natural wonders are best experienced from the water and you can choose from either a kayak, riverboat cruise or a self-drive donut boat.
Having been founded in 1840, Port Adelaide is home to some of South Australia’s oldest buildings, located in the first appointed State Heritage Area. There are guided and self-guided walks to help find your way around and to learn more about the unique history of Port Adelaide. On your travels, you’ll notice Port Adelaide is home to three premier museums; Aviation, Railway & Maritime.
If maritime history is you thing, you can visit the two tall ships, the historic ketch Falie and the One & All, or get on board the City of Adelaide, the world’s oldest existing Clipper Ship.
Shop and eat at the Adelaide Central Market
On Saturday the 23rd of January 1869 at about 3:15am a small but noisy procession of market gardeners found their way from the East End Market to the site between Gouger and Grote Street. In only a few hours about 500 customers quickly bought out the entire stock of goods for sale. So on the Grote Street site, without any structure other than a fence and a couple of gas lights, began the first day of the Adelaide Central Market (then called the City Market.) And the rest, as they say, is history!
The Market offers a huge range of fresh food including fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood, cheeses, bakery, smallgoods, and health foods, along with some of Adelaide's most popular cafes and eateries. With more than 9 million visitors every year, the Adelaide Central Market has remained the food mecca for multicultural cuisine and fresh produce for over 150 years.
Adelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo, one of Adelaide’s most iconic attractions, is home to more than 2,500 animals and 250 species of exotic and native mammals, birds, reptiles and fish exhibited over eight hectares of magnificent botanic surroundings. It is the second oldest zoo in the nation and represents a significant part of South Australia’s heritage and social history.
Since Adelaide Zoo first opened to the public in 1883, generations of South Australians have shared in the wonder of a visit to the zoo. It’s a relaxing green city oasis and vibrant sanctuary that gives you the feeling of stepping into another world. It’s full of diversity, colour and unique things to see and do. It offers an intimate zoo experience speckled with elements of curiosity, fantasy, fun and surprise.. There a range of extra things to do at Adelaide Zoo.
You can enjoy one of the free daily keeper tours, an exclusive behind the scenes animal experience and keeper talks or join an Adelaide Zoo free walkabout tour throughout the day - tours depart from various locations every half hour.
Glenelg Beach
Glenelg Beach is Adelaide's most popular city beach, offering a buzzing vibe and a great atmosphere for all to enjoy. Renowned for its wide beach, stunning sunsets, rich heritage, charming hotels and bustling shops, sidewalk cafés and loads of entertainment.
Take a dip, stroll the jetty, grab a bite to eat, and watch the sunset over the ocean. No trip to the beach is complete without an ice-cream or gelati - or two - and you'll find plenty of opportunities to treat yourself at Glenelg. The Glenelg Foreshore playground are hives of activity throughout the summer months, offering a huge range of family-friendly entertainment and sporting activities. Look out for the bungee trampoline, pedal cars, and talented buskers. Hire a bike or just walk the coast path.
The coastline has a number of user-friendly foreshore parks and reserves. Most have large, grassed areas that are great for picnics and are equipped with BBQ facilities, playgrounds, and public toilets.
South Australian Maritime Museum
Explore the human histories of our oceans and rivers. Located in the historic Port Adelaide precinct, the South Australian Maritime Museum preserves, explores and celebrates the human history of our oceans and rivers.
Renowned for its innovative approach to maritime history and education, the Museum incorporates the historic Bond Store with three floors of exhibitions, the Port Adelaide Lighthouse from South Neptune Island, and the much-loved steam tug, Yelta.