See the Malls Balls in Rundle Mall on an Adelaide 7 day itinerary

Adelaide is known as the City of Churches for the large number of churches you will find there. But you can get so much more than a religious experience when you visit Adelaide for a week. No matter whether you are travelling solo to Adelaide, coming on a romantic getaway to Adelaide, having a friends week away in Adelaide, on an Adelaide staycation or travelling to Adelaide with kids during your big lap of Oz, there is something for everyone in this Adelaide 7 day itinerary.

Adelaide is smaller than Sydney or Melbourne and often missed in people’s travels as being a bit of a ‘sleepy town’. If you are trying to decide whether or not to visit, it is time to holiday in Adelaide and decide for yourself. To help you make the most of your week in Adelaide, I have put together this itinerary. So get ready to discover Adelaide on a 7 day Adelaide itinerary, particularly if it is your first visit. 

Adelaide Itinerary 1 Week at a Glance

Here is a quick overview of the best way to spend one week in Adelaide, Australia.

Days

1 – Explore Adelaide CBD
2 – More Adelaide
3 – Spend a day at Glenelg
4 – Visit to Hahndorf & Adelaide Hills
5 – Explore Port Adelaide
6 – Visit Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale
7 – Shop till you drop on Rundle Mall

Is a Week in Adelaide long enough?

A one week holiday in Adelaide is long enough to see all of Adelaides’s popular spots plus more. But the longer you can make your stay the better! Adelaide is a great place to base yourself for further day trips in South Australia.

Adelaide Itinerary 7 Days

Get ready to discover Adelaide, see the best things to do in Adelaide and surrounds during your 7 days in Adelaide, with many of them being free to visit. 

Day 1 – Get to Know Adelaide CBD

check out the view over Adelaide from Light’s Vision

Kick off your visit to Adelaide, SA getting to know Adelaide. Did you know that Adelaide is the only capital city in Australia that was not settled by convicts? I didn’t know that until I visited. The city was established in 1836 and it was a planned capital for free British settlers. As a result, no prison was built for some time until criminals started taking advantage of this and a prison was added soon after.

Lucky for you Adelaide is an easy city to walk around. Adelaide is often referred to as the ’20 minute city’. Yep, cause it takes 20 minutes to get to places in Adelaide. And many of the major beautiful old buildings are along one street, North Terrace. If you don’t fancy walking, take one of the free buses around Adelaide.

Ride Adelaide’s Free Buses

Adelaide has two free buses. They aren’t tourist buses persay, but I would suggest you use them to get around Adelaide to help you see the sights while on your 7 day Adelaide holiday. Route 99 takes you to most of Adelaides sights, however, I would hop on route 98 if you can. Route 98 not only takes you along most of route 99 but it will take you through the gorgeous suburb of North Adelaide. This suburb is one of the oldest in Adelaide and has many beautiful old sandstone buildings of varying sizes. There is no commentary on the buses as they aren’t tourist buses. They are buses to get locals around town, but as they are free, they take you to all the best places around Adelaide. I would suggest you do a full loop first to get to know Adelaide, then one of the first places to hop off the bus on route 98 is at Light’s Vision.

Light’s Vision is a lookout on Montefiore Hill, North Adelaide. Colonel William Light was responsible for surveying the site of the City of Adelaide. He would stand on the hill looking out over the land to create what has become Adelaide. It was designed in a grid making easy to get around. There is a life-size bonze statue of Colonel William Light overlooking Adelaide, and visiting this sight will provide sweeping views over parks, Adelaide Oval and Adelaide city.

Visit Adelaide Oval

Adelaide Oval dominates the Adelaide skyline. From Light’s Vision you can walk to the oval or hop on the free bus. Adelaide Oval sits just north of Adelaide city and is separated from it by the Torrens River that runs through the city. It is home to many cricket and AFL matches and brings people from Adelaide together in the one place. It is well worth a visit even if you aren’t attending an event. There is the free Bradman Museum to check out near the South Gate and tours of the oval run throughout the day taking you to the inner sanctum. Visit the change rooms of both the home and away teams including the two home team change rooms of Adelaide and Port Adelaide, these are different to the change room of the visiting teams. There’s also the press rooms, visit inside the old score board and walk around the boundary of the ground. If not afraid of heights, you might want to book on to a walk of the roof of Adelaide Oval for great views over the city.

Book your Adelaide Oval Tour or your Adelaide Oval Climb here.

take a walk through Adelaide Train Station

Walk along North Terrace

After visiting Adelaide Oval, head to North Terrace which is a great place to walk along on your visit to Adelaide on this 7 day itinerary.

Places to visit along North Terrace include:

• the Adelaide Convention Centre
• Adelaide Railway Station
• Old Parliament House
• Parliament House
• Government House
• National War Memorial
• State Library of South Australia
• South Australian Museum
• Art Gallery of South Australia
• Adelaide Botanic Gardens
• National Wine Museum

End your first day in Adelaide in a restaurant or pub for a good meal.

Day 2 – More Adelaide

On your second day of your visit to Adelaide, spend the morning revisiting North Terrace. Walk through the Adelaide Train Station, visit Rundle Mall to see the ‘Malls Balls’ and the ‘Pig statues’ and maybe go inside a museum or two. After visiting, head to the Adelaide Central Market to find some sensational fresh produce and gourmet delights. It is a few streets away. You can catch the tram from North Terrace down King William Street to Grote Street where you will find the market. If markets aren’t your thing, why not go for a walk in Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens or spend some time at Adelaide Zoo.

You could see more of Adelaide from the water by sailing on the Torrens River from the Popeye Sightseeing cruise. Check out details of the cruise and to book your ticket here.

End your second day in Adelaide of the 7 day Adelaide itinerary with a good meal in a restaurant along North Terrace, in Rundle Mall or along Hutt Street before returning to your hotel. Perhaps hit some of the pubs and bars if looking to enjoy Adelaide’s nightlife.

Day 3 – Spend the day at Glenelg

Day 3 of this 7 day Adelaide itinerary is a day at the bayside town of Glenelg. Founded in 1836 and just 11km from Adelaide CBD it is easily accessible by tram from Adelaide, taking some 25 minutes or so. Everyone is attracted to Glenelg for its long, sandy beach plus its busy shopping precinct along Jetty Road. Jetty Road houses many boutique shops, several hotels and laid-back restaurants and pubs. Some people say Glenelg to Adelaide is what Bondi is to Sydney and St Kilda to Melbourne.

Looking back at Glenelg from the pier

As well as the beach, take a walk out along the jetty or visit the Beachouse amusement centre, with waterslides, rides and arcade games. If visiting Glenelg with kids they can run off some energy in Glenelg Foreshore Playground with it’s in-ground trampolines, climbing dome, cubby and tunnel. There is also the interesting Bay Discovery Centre in the 1870s Town Hall with local history exhibits – the vintage swimwear collection was a favourite of mine. You can also go on a dolphin-spotting cruise from Glenelg from nearby Holdfast Marina.

End the day in Glenelg with a meal on Jetty Road before returning by tram to Adelaide.

Day 4 – Hahndorf & Adelaide Hills

The biggest rocking horse in the world in Adelaide Hills

Day 4 of this one week Adelaide itinerary sees you heading to Hahndorf and the Adelaide Hills. Hahndorf is some 26km down the M1 from Adelaide taking around 26 minutes to arrive at. Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement with many cute European-style heritage buildings from the 1800s. The streets are leafy and there is a range of German shops and pubs to spend your time in. 

After a few hours in Hahndorf jump back in the car and take the B34 (Swamp Road) to the Adelaide Hills, a 15 minute drive away. The Adelaide Hills has many winery cellar doors, breweries, distilleries, cheese makers, a chocolate factory, museums, galleries, wildlife parks and gardens to discover. You could even see and climb to the top of the Biggest Rocking Horse in the world.

One of the best things to see in the Adelaide Hills is to head to Mount Lofty. Here you can wander around the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens discovering gardens and gullies but it is the view that is a must do on this Adelaide itinerary. Yep, Mount Lofty Summit rise some 710 metres above sea level and provides spectacular panoramic views across Adelaide’s city skyline to the coast.

If you don’t have a car, you can go on a day tour taking in Hahndorf and the Adelaide Hills. Check out tours here.

Day 5 – Explore Historic Port Adelaide and Henley Beach

Set on the Port River, slightly inland from Semaphore Beach, is the historic seaport of Port Adelaide. Only 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northwest of the Adelaide CBD it can be reached by train. There are colonial buildings, heritage pubs and three museums, the South Australian Maritime Museum, South Australian Aviation Museum and National Railway Museum. All this makes it’s an interesting suburb to spend time wandering around on day 5 of your week in Adelaide.

If you visit Port Adelaide on a Sunday or Monday public holiday, you can also visit the enormous Fishermen’s Wharf Markets. The markets sell everything from clothes to bric-a-brac to food.

If you aren’t into museums you could head to Henley Beach, a mere 10km away. The road distance is 11.1 km. How do I travel from Port Adelaide to Henley Beach without a car? The best way to get from Port Adelaide to Henley Beach without a car is to line 653 bus which takes 26 min and costs $3.

Being a beach, there are plenty of beach things to do with crystal clear waters. You could swim all day – depending on the time of year . Or enjoy an Adelaide sunset before a fish and chip dinner before returning to your accommodation.

Day 6 – Day trip to Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale

Orlando Winery – one of the oldest in the Barossa Valley

You cannot come to Adelaide and not visit it’s world-renowned wine regions. You may have discovered wine while in the Adelaide Hills but the premier wine regions in South Australia are the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Unfortunately, they are about 110km away from each other so it is best to choose one of the regions and explore that. If you want to visit both, maybe skip a visit to historic Port Adelaide and have two days visiting the wineries. You can drive yourself through these beautiful wine regions or go on a tour. On a tour you will be able to sample the wine without worrying about being over any alcohol limits. Check out these tours:

Day 7 – Shop till you drop on Rundle Mall

It is your last day in Adelaide on this 7 day Adelaide itinerary so revisit Rundle Mall and shop till you drop. Maybe stock up on supplies for your continuing journey around Australia.

Organise Your Adelaide Holiday

Now you know how to spend your one week in Adelaide, you will need organise it.

Best Time to Visit Adelaide

Anytime is a good time to visit Melbourne as it aint going anywhere but you may be influenced by the seasons and special events you want to attend.

Summer in Adelaide is December to February. This is when the weather is hottest and many people spend their days at the beach. Adelaide is very busy at this time as it is school summer holiday and people are out and about enjoying the great weather. On your first trip to Adelaide, and are here for New Year’s Eve you must find in the city to enjoy the fireworks display. Over the summer months you could see a cricket match at the Adelaide Oval. 

Spring in Adelaide is September to November. The weather is warming up in Adelaide. It can be pleasant walking around the city during this time. 

Autumn in Adelaide is March to May. The weather is starting to cool down during this time, with cool mornings, but mostly pleasant days. This is also when the AFL season starts and is the favourite time of year for AFL footie tragics.

Winter in Adelaide is June to August. The weather can be very cold in Adelaide during this time and you will need a coat to get around in. In fact, the weather can be pretty cool and grey with drizzly rain.

Where to Stay in Adelaide

As you are staying for a whole week in Adelaide, you will definitely want accommodation with cooking facilities available as cooking some meals will help you keep costs down during your week in Adelaide. There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide ranging from hostels for solo travellers to small units for families visiting Adelaide with kids. There are also caravan parks if you need to park up your van for the week in Adelaide, particularly in the beach areas.

For where to stay in Adelaide on your one week holiday I would suggest you stay as close to the city as possible. This is where all the best things to see and do in Adelaide are. On saying this, Glenelg is a great place to base yourself as it has plenty of accommodation options and the tram into Adelaide only takes around 20 minutes or so. Or start your search for accommodation that suits you and your budget on Booking.com. Here, you will find budget hostel options, serviced apartments and hotel rooms from budget to luxury.

How to Get to Adelaide

You can get to Adelaide a number of ways. You can drive as Adelaide is linked to other major South Australian towns and interstate cities by highways. This includes the Stuart Highway from the Northern Territory and from Melbourne via the A8 or for a more scenic option, the Great Ocean Road. You can catch an interstate bus or train or fly into Adelaide Airport from one of Australia’s airports. It will then take about 30 minutes, depending on the traffic to get into Adelaide city. You can book an airport transfer here.

How to Get Around Adelaide

Adelaide is a very easy city to get around. It is easy to walk around but it also has a great metro system compiling of tram, trains and buses. Get details on using public transport around Adelaide at the Adelaide Metro website. However, it is great to have a car to explore the areas of Adelaide like visiting Mount Lofty, Handorf and the wine regions – but you can go on a tour to these places. If you need to rent a car, check out DiscoverCars.

Don’t have 7 days to spend in Adelaide?

If you don’t have a week to spend in Adelaide, then mix and match your days from my itinerary to the time you have available.

1 day Adelaide itinerary – if you only have one day in Adelaide, check out the city.
2 day Adelaide itinerary – follow days 1 and 2 of my 7 day Adelaide itinerary.
3 day Adelaide itinerary – follow days 1, 2 and 3 of my 7 day Adelaide itinerary.
4-6 day Adelaide itinerary – start mixing and matching the days in my 7 day Adelaide itinerary.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

Whether you are spending 7 days in Adelaide or embarking on a lengthy trip around Australia, don’t forget travel insurance. Get a quote for afford travel insurance from WorldNomads or SafetyWing.

Are You Ready for Your Ultimate 7 Day Adelaide Itinerary?

With one week in Adelaide you will get to discover the city and immerse yourself in the local way of life. If you have more time, you could easily visit many other places in Adelaide and surrounds. But first, you need to discover Adelaide, and this 7 day Adelaide itinerary will help you do that.