Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and is one of the most beautiful places to live, and home to some of Australia's best wine, restaurants and beaches.

To start planning your stay, the link below contains itineraries and inspiration for the best things to do in Adelaide including restaurants and bars, beaches, events and festivals.

Adelaide | Attractions & Places To Go | South Australia

ADELAIDE

The city centre (which we call 'the City') is about a 10 minute drive from where we live in Edwardstown. There are so many great things to do, places to eat, drink and party so we've listed a few of our favourites as well as tourist attractions:

Shotgun Willies - our #1 bar and Adelaide's version of a honky tonk.

Peel Street & Leigh Street - two laneways filled with bars and restaurants, they're all amazing but visit Shobosho if you love Japanese food.

Rundle Mall - the main shopping mall, loads and loads of fashion stores.

Rundle Street - more upmarket clothing boutiques and a load of restaurants and bars. Check out Mothervine for an extensive wine list, NOLA for late night eats, Africola African restaurant and our absolute favourite, Golden Boy. Bookings are essential at Golden Boy - we spend most special occasions there and it was where we went on our first date.

Tourist things: Adelaide Zoo, Botanic Gardens, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide Central Markets, ride a bike along the River Torrens, play a round at North Adelaide Golf Club and Adelaide Oval tours where you can climb along the roofline of the oval - it's incredible, very high but brilliant views.

If you're staying in Glenelg, you can catch a tram that will take you right into the city and will take approximately 35 minutes; tickets can be on the tram.

GLENELG & SURROUNDING BEACH AREAS

Glenelg is one of the main tourist beaches in Adelaide, it's not the most beautiful to swim in (we tend to head to Glenelg North when we swim locally) but it's close to where we live so we spend a lot of time there. The main street is called Jetty Road. You can catch a tram from Glenelg and head into the city and is probably the place to stay while you're in Adelaide. There are plenty of hotels and airbnb's in the area.

There are dozens of great restaurants and bars, as well as clothing stores and cute little shops to pick up some souvenirs.

Molly's is situated in the Colley Hotel, great food and fun place for some drinks. There is a balcony out front that overlooks the square.

Moseley Beach Club - right on the sand in the heart of Glenelg. You can hire a cabana and spend the day swimming, listening to live music, eating and drinking - right in front of the ocean. The Moseley Bar and Restaurant situated in the main square, also has a restaurant bar and is another great place for dinner/drink options.

Fourth do a great breakfast and excellent coffee, Bomdia Bowls for acai, The Oyster Bar for Coffin Bay oysters overlooking the marina, (also do discounts on a Wednesday night), Oliveti's for the best Italian, Bottega for incredible handmade, artesian gelato (salted pecan is the best flavour!) and Bullet, a 1990's dive bar with late night snacks and drinks.

Henley Beach is a few beaches down from Glenelg and will take approximately 15 minutes to drive there from Glenelg. There are multiple restaurants in the main square, it's a lovely place to have lunch then spend the afternoon at the beach.

Malobo do fantastic breakfast/brunch, Mia Margarita for Mexican and Ocean Bar and Kitchen for views over the ocean and the best tiramisu we've ever had (Tam's cousin and his wife own Ocean Bar & Kitchen, the food is A+).

McLAREN VALE & FLEURIEU PENINSULA

Located 45 minutes south of Adelaide in South Australia, McLaren Vale Wine Region is home to world-class wines and culinary experiences, with the stunning ocean as the backdrop. This region is where our wedding will be held. For more information: McLaren Vale Wine Region - McLaren Vale, Destination Information ...

Star of Greece - an absolute MUST, and one of the best restaurants in South Australia. Modern & contemporary locally sourced food, with an emphasis on local seafood. The views are exquisite, overlooking Pt Willunga Beach. If you plan to stay around McLaren Vale or at The Farm for our wedding, we absolutely recommend you visit Star of Greece. Bookings are essential, especially in the warmer months where it can book out weeks in advance. Try book a table outside either for lunch or dinner to watch the sunset over the ocean.

Alpha, Box & Dice - our absolute favorite winery!

Down the Rabbit Hole - super cute, experience a wine tasting in a converted double-decker bus, fabulous charcuterie boards for an afternoon snack.

Berg Herring Wines | Sellicks Beach, South Australia - pretty as a picture with views over the ocean. It's our go to after spending an afternoon at Sellicks Beach swimming. Other great visits include The Cube at D’arenberg, Maxwell's and Dandelion Vineyards.

Sellicks Beach - our favourite beach down south; you can drive your car onto the beach and set up for the day. We spend a lot of summer days down here swimming and soaking up the sunshine.

Port Noarlunga Beach - fantastic place to swim, snorkel and dive, surrounded by red sandstone cliffs. At low tide, you can walk out to end the of the jetty and climb down the stairs (or just jump) and walk along the coral reef.

Second Valley - for those a little more adventurous, not only is Second Valley a stunning beach, you can kayak, SUP or swim around then cliffs, and into Rapid Bay. If you really want to get a little crazy, you can walk around the cliffs then climb up and cliff jump. It's super fun, but not for the faint hearted.

ADELAIDE HILLS

More wineries and fabulous food as well as the famous German town, Hahndorf. There is so much to do in the Adelaide Hills, see link for more ideas: Adelaide Hills | Attractions & Places To Go | South Australia

The Hahndorf Inn specialises in German food, they offer German beers and the Mainz boys can get their schweinshaxe fix.

Wild Pony - cute little outdoor bar serving mexican snacks and drinks.

Sidewood Estate , The Lane, Bird in Hand, Deviation Road, Golding Wines, Shaw & Smith - all gorgeous wineries with tastings available, some also serve food.

For visits a little further out, we recommend Clare Valley and Barossa Valley, two wine regions with world-class wines, specifically shiraz varieties in the Barossa and reisling in Clare.

Yorke Peninsula is our favourite place to camp, we head over every Christmas and camp out on the beach or on clifftops. You will also find caravan park accommodation throughout Yorkes ranging from camping spots for your tent to basic and deluxe cabins. Yorkes also has some of the best surf beaches in South Australia and is home to Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park.

During the month of January, Adelaide hosts The SANTOS Tour Down Under (the second biggest road cycling race behind Tour de France) as well as the Adelaide International, a tennis event that leads up to the Australian Open, which is held in Melbourne, Victoria from 20 January to 2 February 2026.