Adelaide

North Terrace is definitely one of the most important places to see in Adelaide. Graced by the cultural and historic treasures along with handsome tree-lined boulevard, North Terrace is the best place to kick start the city tour. Just at the intersection of the North Terrace and the King William Street lies the Parliament House which is unsurprisingly the most imposing building of Adelaide. Going down the street, you’ll come across the Art Gallery of South Australia, State Library of South Australia and the South Australian Museum which will offer you a triple dose of the art and culture of the city. These are also the three principal tourist attractions here. Other treasures of the North Terrace include the Adelaide Botanic Garden, green thumb's dream, Ayer's Historic House and the Migration Museum.   

Located in proximity to the North Terrace is the Adelaide Botanic Garden which was established in the year 1855. It features educational themed paintings such as the Mediterranean garden, medicinal plants, Australian native species along with a wetland which is designed to insulate enough water needed to irrigate the entire grounds. The Santos Museum of Economic Botany offers information on the pivotal role that the plants play in the everyday life by way of a series of permanent collections. Other favourites here include the Bicentennial Conservatory with lowland rainforest plants, Australia's oldest avenue of Moreton Bay Fig trees, palm house and the night-flowering Amazonica water lilies. Once, you are done strolling the gardens and the museums, you can enjoy a hearty lunch at the café or restaurant here. It is a great sightseeing attraction of Adelaide.   

Located in the centre of the Adelaide's cultural precinct is the Art Gallery of South Australia. The gallery houses some of the finest exhibits of the art collections of Australia. The magnificent Victorian building was established in the year 1881 and the collection housed here crossed every medium be it paintings, sculptures, metalwork, photographs, textiles, jewelry, ceramics or furniture. This collection spans right from the colonial days to the present including the indigenous and Torres Strait Islander art.

Lying adjacent to the State Library is the South Australian Museum. It is one of the most renowned research facility in Adelaide that is known for its aboriginal heritage collections. Besides stocking the phenomenal Australian collection, visitors coming here can also peruse the artefacts from the South Pacific Islands. You can also browse through the Egyptian antiquities and educate yourself about the local flora and fauna in the South Australian Biodiversity Gallery. If you are with your children, they can enjoy the history exhibits like skeletons, stuffed specimens and the fossils.   

The State Library of South Australia has the ability to surprise the first time visitors with its dramatic blend of old and new. Here the contemporary Spence Wing with its glass-fronted entrance and sharp lines presents the visitors with an array of modern facilities and free Wi-Fi. From here, you can directly head to the original library that is housed in the Mortlock Wing which is the 1884 French renaissance building. When you enter this grand old space you’ll experience a strange time travel.  The place also deserves a visit given its special collection of art pieces projecting the history of South Australia.  

Seeking an escape from hustle bustle of the city? It is time you head to Glenelg which is a beautiful seaside village located in the protected and surf free Gulf St Vincent. To reach the place, you’ll have to take a 25 minute trip on the only surviving tram of Adelaide that departs from the Victoria Square. Besides the abundant tourist attractions and the beaches, Glenelg is also known for its fascinating history. Kids can enjoy the thrills at the Beachouse which is an amusement park assuring several thrilling rides including bumper boast, Ferris wheel and a giant waterslide. Sailing and swimming with dolphins are other water sports that you can enjoy.

Located in proximity to the Adelaide Botanical Gardens is the Adelaide Zoo. The zoo has been in existence ever since the late 19th century and is highly loved for its charismatic collection of animals and educational focus. Star focus of the zoo are the giant pandas which are loved by both young and the old. Other prominent attractions of the place include the orang-utans, Envirodome and aviaries. Kids will particularly enjoy here as they can cuddle, kiss and feed the pandas as well as the wallabies, kangaroos and quokkas.

A mere 20 minute drive from the city center is the Cleland Wildlife Park. On visiting the park, you can fin the freely roaming potoroos, emus, wallabies and kangaroos. The park is an excellent tourist attraction for the nature lovers and the photo lovers who have a chance to capture some fascinating shots here. Just at an extra fee, the visitors can cuddle a koala here.

The Adelaide Central Market is one of the most loved shopping spot amongst both the locals and the tourists. It is also one of the oldest indoor markets of the world that has been in existence ever since the 1870. These colourful markets feature an array of fresh vegetables, baked goods, fruits, flowers and cheeses. You can also find a mouth watering range of multi cultural culinary retreats here. Once you are done with the browsing of the produce, you can enjoy a wholesome meal at one of the several cafes that are located in this area. If you are a lover of Asian food, you can can head to the Chinatown. Take note when you go there, you must carry with you your own shopping baskets or bags. The best time to visit the market is on the Saturday afternoon as this is the time when the vendors slash the prices to move their produce faster.

Just a 5 minute walk from the Rundle Mall and the North Terrace is the Adelaide Festival Centre. It is the first multi-functional arts venue of Australia. Known to be visited by both locals and tourists, the art centre will never fail to surprise you with its lively cultural calendar. Besides having the huge 2000 seat Festival Theatre, the venue also houses several small theatres, an amphitheatre, a banquet room, light-filled gallery and a venue for organizing recitals and concerts. Largely, known for its Adelaide Arts Festival, visiting the centre during the festival can be a great fun. During this, you can enjoy the exhibitions, theatre performances, lectures, opera, readings by writers and ballet.

An exemplary of the Regency architecture in Australia, Ayers House is a modest house that was constructed in the year 1846. Initially owned by the prime minister of South Australia, Henry Ayers between the period from 1855 to 1878, today the house has been significantly transformed. At present, the Ayers House comprises of exquisite 40-room mansion that has a ballroom and a new dining room. This house is now owned and operated by the National Trust of South Australia. Though a popular event venue, visitors can also take a guided tour to the house. During the tour, you’ll learn about the fascinating things about the social history of the place. The interior of the house is adorned by paintings depicting the life and work of Sir Henry Ayers. You can find a magnificent collection of decorative art pieces, silver, furniture and artwork along with changing exhibitions. This can be a fantastic sightseeing tour in Adelaide.

Adelaide may not have that stunning wow factor of Sydney but it definitely has a softer gentle beauty with its fringing hills to the east, wide-open spaces, luxuriously wide boulevards, enormous skies, humongous gardens and parks and beautiful beaches to the west. Unlike Melbourne and Sydney, Adelaide offers you with exceptional place to breathe. Everything that you’ll need here is just 20 minutes away. With a population of just 1 million, you can swing and spin with your arms wide open while appreciating all that is on offer.

Adelaide is the food capital of Australia. Spend an hour in the Adelaide Central Market which is 143 year old and you’ll be convinced about thus status enjoyed by Adelaide. The city has more than 80 cafes, restaurants and stalls that showcase the local produce. You can actually watch the cheese being made here. Further, enjoy coffee from an Italian family or feast on chocolate to make the most of your visit. You can even take a food tour to one of the markets here. Given the 100 pubs in the city, the nightlife here is also very hip and happening.

Besides food, many even regard Adelaide as the wine capital of Australia. What could be better than sitting around a cosy dire on a vineyard and relishing on a superb glass of Australian Shiraz? You can locate wineries all round the country and near to the capital cities however, when it comes to Adelaide several wineries are located just within an hour’s drive. Several of the most recognizable brands like the Jacob’s Creek, Penfolds, Wolf Blass and Yalumba can also be found here. With a nation brimming with the finest wine growers and producers, wine tasting is the best thing to do here. You’ll be spoilt for choice at the Adelaide Hills, Mclaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Clare Valley. There’s probably no other capital city in the country that presents such easy access on the fine grade wine.     

If you head a short distance in just about any direction from the CBD you’ll come across a diversity of regions that can satiate any person’s interests with its historical towns, beautiful beaches, stunning landscapes, unusual villages in the hills, wine regions, and abundant wildlife. Most of the beaches of Adelaide are just a 30 minute drive from the city. The main tourist beach of Adelaide, Glenelg is just 12 km away from the town.

Adelaide is one city that you can actually explore on bike. The roads here are even and flat with beautiful biking trials that lead you through the magnificent parklands with well marked and safe bicycle lanes on the streets of the city. Rent a bike and ride along the Torrens River. There are abundant sightseeing attractions that will come along the way. You know what’s the best thing? Adelaide hires bikes out for FREE!

Adelaide has a long history. It was the first free settlement of Australia and is over brimming with multiculturalism. This is very well projected in the enormous food experiences, suburbs and festivals conducted here. German influence is deep-rooted here especially along the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley.