If you give yourself a week based in the city, it’s a wonderful base to get out to the nearby wine regions and potentially Kangaroo Island. A week-long stay in Adelaide is the ultimate Australian experience as we have everything at our doorstep.

We already have suggestions for one-day and three-day visits to Adelaide, but to recap:

DAY ONE: Start with a tour like Welcome To Adelaide, or take your time exploring the Adelaide Central Market, open Tuesday-Saturday. Head to Rundle Mall for shopping and exploring Adelaide Arcade’s niche outlets, before spending the afternoon along the North Terrace cultural precinct at spots like AGSA (our art gallery) and the SA Museum.

DAY TWO: Start at the amazing Adelaide Botanic Garden, then grab lunch in the East End area around Rundle Street or the National Wine Centre. Then check out Indigenous art at Tandanya before catching a free City Connector bus loop (the 98 buses) from East Terrace up to North Adelaide. Discover Adelaide’s finest cottages and reward yourself at Bakery on O’Connell. North Adelaide is a lovely option for an Adelaide stay at properties like those from Adelaide Style Accommodation, if you want to avoid the city centre.

DAY THREE: A visit to Glenelg beach is an easy tram ride from the city. Swim, take a seaside walk or go for the sunset. Henley beach is also nice, check out Adelaide Beaches for more. If you’re in the city instead, there’s great food court action in Chinatown Plaza for lunch, or for great dumplings visit Star Dumplings nearby. At night, head to the West End precinct. Peel Street and Leigh Street have quirky bars like Pink Moon Saloon. This could be before or after you explore the Adelaide Gaol on a self-guided or night-time ghost tour. Lantern Ghost Tours do an excellent job of those!

DAYS FOUR AND FIVE: Winery time. Any of the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills regions can be done as daytrips. For great tailored tour options try Small Batch Wine Tours or Wine Flight Tours. Great smaller wineries in the Barossa include Two Hands, while in McLaren Vale we love Oliver’s Taranga, and The Lane in the Hills. But you also should taste wines from the Langhorne Creek, Clare Valley and Coonawarra regions further out from Adelaide (Bremerton, Shut the Gate and Wynn’s wineries among some of the best respectively).

Some tours take you through Hahndorf village, definitely worth a visit in the Adelaide Hills for its German heritage and great pub food at the likes of Haus Restaurant and German Arms. But we suggest to give this a full day if you can manage it, as the likes of nearby Stirling (and chocolatier Red Cacao), Crafers and Mt Lofty are also worth a look in if you’re renting a vehicle. 

If wineries or the beach during days three to five don’t suit your interests, explore Port Adelaide with us! It’s full of heritage and culture with an amazing community feel. Our Port Adelaide Walking Tour provides the most comprehensive explanation of the area. Other ways to explore the region include a ride with Port River Cruises and enjoying a good pint of beer at either Pirate Life or Big Shed breweries.

DAYS SIX AND SEVEN: Get across to Kangaroo Island. If you’re going to visit, stay overnight. Why? The island is big – three hours’ drive from one end to the other. The ferry departure point at Cape Jervis is a 1.5 hour drive from Adelaide, and then you add on the travel time of about 45 minutes. Consider staying with the guys at Penneshaw Beach Stay while you’re there.

There are plenty of two-day tours on offer if you choose not to drive yourself which take you through the main town of Kingston as well as Penneshaw (both with all necessary facilities), and usually include walking next to seals at Seal Bay. Only available with a guide (but bookable without a tour), this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sandboarding down the island’s dunes through Little Sahara is fun, while a visit to KI Spirits for award-winning gin is one way to unwind.