One day 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

      Go on a weekday morning for space to browse, and on Saturday afternoon look out for end-of-day markdowns on fruit and bread. Allow 1–2 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Art Gallery of South Australia

      Start with the Elder Wing of Australian art, then cross the courtyard to the South Australian Museum next door. Allow 2 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pie floater

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

   4. Afternoon

      Adelaide Oval

      Walk there from the city across the Riverbank footbridge, and book a stadium tour on a non-match day to see the museum and players' areas. Allow 2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Glenelg Beach and Jetty

      Take the tram from Victoria Square, which takes about 30 minutes, and stay for sunset at the end of the jetty. Allow Half a day.

   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.

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 Museum (North Terrace): Children enjoy the megafauna and fossil displays; allow extra time for the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, which is the highlight.
• Swap in State Library of South Australia (North Terrace): Climb to the upper balcony of the Mortlock Wing for the classic view down the length of the hall.
• 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.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–11 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Adelaide
• 3 days in Adelaide
• 5 days in Adelaide

Questions travellers ask