2 days in Adelaide

Day by day

1. Day 1: Adelaide Central Market and Art Gallery of South Australia

   Adelaide Central Market, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide Oval and Glenelg Beach and Jetty, then River Torrens and Elder Park in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Adelaide Central Market

      Chinatown's restaurants are next door in the Moonta Street arcade.

   2. Late morning

      Art Gallery of South Australia

      The Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art is held here in some years, and general entry is free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pie floater

      Pie carts and bakeries; the Adelaide pie-cart tradition dates back to the late 1800s.

   4. Afternoon

      Adelaide Oval

      It hosts Test cricket in summer and AFL football in winter, and RoofClimb tours take visitors over the stand roofs for city views.

   5. Late afternoon

      Glenelg Beach and Jetty

      On summer evenings families stay on the sand until sunset over the gulf.

   6. Evening

      River Torrens and Elder Park

      Hire a paddle boat or walk the riverbank at dusk, when the Festival Centre and Adelaide Oval are lit up.

2. Day 2: South Australian Museum and State Library of South Australia

   South Australian Museum, State Library of South Australia, Adelaide Botanic Garden and Adelaide Zoo, then Peel Street and Leigh Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      South Australian Museum

      A giant squid model hangs in the atrium.

   2. Late morning

      State Library of South Australia

      It is free to visit and sits next to the museum on North Terrace.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Frog cake

      Bakeries and cafés around the city and Central Market.

   4. Afternoon

      Adelaide Botanic Garden

      Lawns, a lake and the National Wine Centre sit on the eastern edge of the city.

   5. Late afternoon

      Adelaide Zoo

      It is run by the conservation charity Zoos SA.

   6. Evening

      Peel Street and Leigh Street

      West End laneways packed with small bars, wine bars and late restaurants.

Before you go

• Adelaide Oval: RoofClimb and match tickets for Test cricket and AFL finals sell out; book ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in South Australian Maritime Museum (Port Adelaide): Combine it with a Port River dolphin cruise and lunch in the old pubs on Lipson Street.
• Swap in Haigh's Chocolates Visitor Centre (Parkside): Book a free factory tour in advance and try the frog-shaped chocolates, an Adelaide favourite.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–19 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.8 hours in June to 14.5 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Tram. The tram runs from the Entertainment Centre through the city along King William Street to Glenelg; travel within the city section is free.

More or fewer days

• One day in Adelaide
• 3 days in Adelaide
• 5 days in Adelaide

Questions travellers ask