Complete 3 Days In Adelaide Itinerary

How To Spend 3 Days In Adelaide

When we were in Melbourne, I distinctly remember a guy I was working with laughing when I said we planned to go to do a long weekend in Adelaide. ‘I’ve been once, it was closed’ was his reply.

It set us up with really low expectations and while I can’t say Adelaide is our favourite city in Australia, because it’s really not, I also think it gets a bad wrap for no reason.

Adelaide has its own unique charm with a bold mix of old buildings full of history, and newer builds that we have all come to expect from cities, so we think you should spend at least a weekend in Adelaide to experience it properly.

Also before we launch into this Adelaide travel itinerary by saying I haven’t included the best places to eat throughout the city because, in all honesty, Dec and I aren’t foodies and are guilty of simply snacking our way around a city then eating wherever is closest/most convenient in the evening.

So, let’s take a look at our 3 days Adelaide itinerary;

Explore The CBD

Our first day in Adelaide was spent in the CBD, wandering the streets and seeing what we came across.

It’s one of our favourite ways to get to know a city, helps us get our bearings, and when done right it allows you to see most of the main city highlights.

If you don’t want to risk getting lost or ‘wasting’ time trying to find your way, joining a guided walking tour is a great way to see it all and learn about the city’s history at the same time.

These are some of the highlights you’ll see while wandering around Adelaide CBD

Adelaide Central Market

We might not be foodies but we love a good city market and Adelaide Central Markets didn’t disappoint.

While it doesn’t share the same fame as Melbourne’s Victoria Market, it’s still an impressive place to walk around and has been ranked the largest undercover fresh produce market in the Southern Hemisphere.

Try some of the local cheeses, or maybe a different mix of coffee while you’re here!

Explore the Architecture

Standing in the middle of the business district made us realise Adelaide really was tiny: Peppered with around 5 tall buildings it’s a whole world away from the skyscrapers that crowd Melbourne.

What gives Adelaide its homey feeling for us though is the amount of cute English style old buildings, most are still in great condition too!

Seeing the old buildings standing strong next to the more modern ones gives this city a real edge, there might not be much going on in Adelaide, but if you’re a photo enthusiast there’s sure to be a lot to snap.

Some of the key buildings to look out for:

• Pilgrim Uniting Church
• Parliament Of South Australia
• Torrens Building
• Government House
• Adelaide Town Hall

Don’t forget to look out for the old shopping malls as you walk through the main shopping district.

Adelaide Arcade is by far the cutest, and has some really unique little stores inside too; resisting the urge to spend $$$$’s on one of the vintage style jointed teddy bears was so hard!

Adelaide Gardens

What I really love about Adelaide is how the main city centre is surrounded by gardens, part of which includes the Adelaide Botanical Gardens.

The whole green area of Adelaide would probably take a day to explore in itself but to get the highlights we really recommend checking out the Botanical Garden, near the university.

Although well maintained year-round, through the summer it’s beautiful with really well landscaped areas and walking tracks guiding you through each section.

In the centre of Adelaide is Victoria Square, the designated city picnic area and our go-to place for gathering our barings before heading off again.

Find Adelaide’s Sculptures

No Adelaide itinerary would be complete without finding at least one of the many fun and historic sculptures scattered around the city centre.

The most iconic, and probably most photographed, are the Rundle Mall Pigs which can be found near the Rundle Mall scavenging through the bins.

After them you have the Mall’s Balls, two perfect spheres perched on top of one another. You can’t miss them, making them a great meeting place along the shopping stretch.

For a glimpse of history, the Anzac Centorial Memorial Walk travels between both city war memorials and pays homage to the soldiers and animals who lost their lives.

You’ll likely come across all of these as you spend the first of this 3 day Adelaide itinerary but if you wanted to see even more of the city landmarks and monuments, there’s a full list of them here.

West Terrace Cemetery

A 20 minute walk from Victoria Square, West Terrace cemetery was our final stop of day one on our weekend in Adelaide.

Walking around a graveyard is perhaps not for everyone, but WTC is the resting home to hundreds of influential people from the colonial days, as well as a small percentage of the Australian WW2 veterans.

There are two options for experiencing West Terrace Cemetery, a self-guided tour, which is what we chose, or you can do an after-hours ghost walk with a tour group.

Although the ghost walk sounded amazing, we were in the market for free things to do in Adelaide and this fitted perfectly (You can pick up maps for this at Adelaide Central Market, or at the visitor centre at the main entrance.)

Like every cemetery, there’s an eerie feeling hanging over WTC; and this doesn’t go away the more you learn about the people here. From young men who died during WW2, to women who put their lives at risk for the rights of others, there’s a lot of history to be learned here and, if you’re anything like us, it will probably be the highlight of your 3 days in Adelaide.

Port Adelaide

So, to kick off day 2 of this 3 day Adelaide Itinerary, we’re going to take you to Port Adelaide, one of the historic suburbs of South Australia.

Port Adelaide has a great pub and brunch culture, so even though we’re not foodies, I’m confident in saying you’re sure to find some good food here.

That’s not all there is to do here though.

This is an historic area where the first settlers arrived in 1837, so alongside doing a tour of Port Adelaide’s street art, it would be amiss to not visit some historic locations too.

The world’s oldest clipper ship is currently being restored in Port Adelaide and is open to the public from 10-3pm. Named The City of Adelaide, it was launched in 1864 to transport people and goods between the UK and Australia.

It’s a really important part of Australian history so if you have the time, don’t miss this one.

Dolphin Spotting

Did you know Adelaide is home to the only species of Dolphins who have made inland waterways their home?

Well, we didn’t either, but as luck would have it we were parked near to where they have been spotted all year round, so first thing in the morning we took a stroll to Port Adelaide waters to see if we could spot any of these intelligent animals for ourselves.

Unfortunately I think we hit a bad day as we saw zero, BUT if you’re ever in the area and have the patience to wait, head for the port and grab a good spot, there’s no rhyme or reason to where they’ll pop up so as with all wildlife there are no guarantees, but you never know!

You might be luckier than us – failing that there’s also plenty of companies who organise boat trips to popular spots just off the coast if you want a higher chance of seeing them and have the money to spend. You can also pair it up with a trp to see the ship graveyard at the same time.

Museums

Port Adelaide is home to several museums that are great options if you get rain during your weekend in Adelaide.

These include the National Railway Museum, South Australian Maritime Museum, Port Adelaide Historical Society Museum and the South Australian Museum of Aviation which houses an F-111 fighter jet!

Prices and opening times vary with the seasons so be sure to check the website, or TripAdvisor, for the most relevant details.

Glenelg

If you still have time to kill on day 2 of your 3 days in Adelaide, travel South from Port Adelaide to the coastal suburb of Glenelg.

Glenelg is the most popular beach area in Adelaide and compares in some ways to St. Kilder in Melbourne, or Manly in Sydney.

It’s here where we saw cheeky seals stealing fish and crabs from the fishermen at the pier!

The general vibe of Glenelg is relaxing on Glenelg beach, shopping and soaking up the sun.

This is a fantastic place to watch the sunset with some great places to grab fish and chips along the seafront too.

Adelaide Hills

The final day of your long weekend in Adelaide is reserved for exploring the surrounding areas of Adelaide. Including Mount Lofty in the Adelaide hills.

The Mount Lofty summit is easily accessible by car, with parking being just a short walk from the top where there’s a cafe and shop. Alternatively there’s a network of walking tracks that you can explore to really fill out the day.

It was at Mount Lofty where we saw wild koalas quite close to the trails. There’s a huge population here so make sure to keep your eyes open for them.

Within the suburb of Mount Lofty are the Mount Lofty Botanical gardens which opened in 1977 and offers over 100 hectares of manicured and wild-kept land to explore. It’s a nice place to retreat to if you want to escape the crowds for a bit as there’s plenty of space that allows for it.

On the other side of Mount Lofty summit is Cleland Wildlife Park where you can meet and have photos taken with (not holding) Koala and Kangaroo as well as see the elusive Tasmanian devil.

Mclaren Vale

If you fancy experiencing some of Australia’s wine country, hear to Mclaren Vale, either on a self guided day out from Adelaide or a guided wine tasting tour 

It’ll come as no surprise to anyone that this isn’t something that Declan and I did ourselves, we explored the region for sure but we didn’t go to any of the best Vineyards or do tastings. It’s really not something we’re into, but it would be amiss of me to leave it off of this 3 days in Adelaide itinerary since it’s such an iconic thing to do while you’re there.

Extra Things To Do

If you find yourself spending more than a long weekend in Adelaide, or you want to squeeze in a few extra things to do while you’re there, maybe check out these popular attractions;

Adelaide Gaol

This was once a notorious prison but now it’s open to the public for self guided tours between 10 and 3. If you want to see a spookier side of this disused penitentiary, they run after hours Ghost Tours.

  Ps. That’s not a misprint. They spell jail, gaol, in Australia.

Adelaide Zoo

Want to see giant pandas? Adelaide zoo is home to the only breeding pair in the Southern Hemisphere. This was something we really wanted to do but we just couldn’t fit it in whenever we passed through.

If, like me, you’re always a bit worried about visiting zoos because of the welfare concerns, Adelaide’s one has won awards and is considered one of the most ethical zoos in Australia. You can read more about their not for profit conservation efforts here.

Hahndorf

Marked as Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, this bustling tourist town is a must if you have the time. 

Perfect for trying German cuisine, enjoying the local wines and exploring further into the Barossa Valley.

Either park up and wander at your own pace, or take a food and wine tour that includes this historic town and the surrounding vineyards.

Adelaide Oval

If you’re a fan of cricket, visiting the Adelaide Oval is likely already at the top of your list, but don’t worry if there’s no matches on when you visit (is it even called a cricket match? Cricket game?… Can you tell I’m not into sports?)

Everyday they open up the stadium for guided tours of the grounds as well as give people the opportunity to climb the stadium for incredible views of the area.

You can book your guided tour here.

National Wine Centre

If you enjoy wine, there’s plenty of wine related things to do in Adelaide when you’re there for three days. Head to The National Wine Centre to learn about regional and national wines as well as sample a few!

Where To Stay In Adelaide

When we road tripped from Darwin to Adelaide, we were in desperate need of accommodation with showers, laundry and somewhere to reorganise Mo (our self build camper).

We ended up staying at Windsor Gardens Holiday Park for one night and highly recommend it. Every other time we’ve been to Adelaide, we’ve free camped using the WikiCamp app.

Use the map below to find available accommodation in Adelaide for your chosen dates

Is 3 Days In Adelaide Enough?

If you’re limited on time but want to see Adelaide’s highlights, we would say that yes, 3 days or a long weekend in Adelaide is enough.

However, as with many of the cities in Australia, a week would be better. This would give you more time to explore the suburbs, and do things at a slower pace.

Is Adelaide Worth Visiting?

Despite having preconceived low expectations for Adelaide, we actually really enjoyed our time there and feel like we should have spent longer in the area.

The city is rich in history, has a really relaxed vibe and plenty of things to do for couples and families.

However you’re travelling, Adelaide should definitely be on your itinerary!