Things to Do in Adelaide

Known as the Festival City, South Australia’s capital earned its nickname through its color, culture, arts and music. In a single day ashore, you can feel a kangaroo nibbling from the palm of your hand or enjoy a glass of Barossa Shiraz beside rolling vineyards. Princess Cruises can even take you exploring Port River’s shipwrecks and maritime past.

On cruises to Adelaide, you arrive at Outer Harbor, about 14 miles (23 kilometers) from the city center, with a train into town and excursions into the surrounding countryside. These things to do in Adelaide help you choose how to spend your time ashore in the 20-Minute City, as Adelaide is often known.

Key takeaways

Cleland Wildlife Park offers close encounters with koalas and kangaroos on the slopes of Mount Lofty.
A North Terrace walking tour pairs Adelaide’s cultural landmarks with local treats such as Haigh’s chocolate and a frog cake.
A full-day Princess® shore excursion takes you into the Barossa Valley for guided wine tastings and lunch.

Wildlife encounters at Cleland Wildlife Park

Cleland Wildlife Park spreads across 86 acres (35 hectares) on Mount Lofty’s slopes, with more than 130 native species, including koalas and dingoes. Kangaroos, wallabies and emus roam spacious habitats. Where feeding is available, hold out a handful of park-approved feed and a kangaroo may come over for a closer introduction. These magical interactions are exciting for anyone, but it’s an especially appealing outing for families.

The park is a member of the South Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, but its most memorable moments happen with the animals themselves. During the mid-afternoon, it may be possible to have your photo taken with a koala at your own expense. Princess’s Cleland Wildlife Park excursion focuses your visit on these native wildlife encounters, with a drive of about one hour from the ship.

For a longer outing, the Best of Adelaide excursion pairs Cleland with Mount Lofty’s summit, more than 2,300 feet (about 700 meters) above sea level. Then pause for lunch at the summit restaurant, where the menu includes vegetarian quiche, garden salad and Australian cheese platters to enjoy with panoramic views. Koala hold sessions aren’t available on this excursion. Look across Adelaide and the coastline, with Kangaroo Island visible on a clear day.

Australian pelicans and water birds rest on a small island and swim in a sunlit green pond at Cleland Wildlife Park, surrounded by dense eucalyptus trees under a clear blue sky. — Encounter pelicans, ibises and waterfowl in tranquil wetland ponds inside Cleland Wildlife Park.

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Hahndorf, Australia's oldest German settlement

The scent of fresh baking has drawn all kinds of visitors to Hahndorf. Founded in 1839, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement retains its heritage in traditional bakeries and businesses run by descendants of the original pioneers. Century-old elm trees shade the main street as you take in the enticing aromas and some leisurely sightseeing.

More than 30 shops and galleries offer fashion and pottery alongside jewelry and leatherwork. Lunch isn’t included, so leave time at a local café, where menus include regional specialties like King George whiting and local sheep’s cheese.

Princess’s Hahndorf with Scenic Views excursion begins with a drive through the Adelaide Hills, passing orchards and vineyards. A brief Mount Lofty summit stop on the way gives you a first view of Adelaide and the coastline. Allow about two hours to reach Hahndorf and about 1.5 hours for the return. With transportation arranged, you can concentrate on immersing yourself in galleries or settling into a café rather than anticipating the journey back to the pier.

A paved brick pathway strewn with fallen autumn leaves leads directly toward a historic stone church featuring a tall pointed spire and stained-glass windows, flanked by colorful gold and orange trees under a lightly clouded sky. — Discover the rich heritage of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement.

Adelaide’s cultural heart on North Terrace

Explore central Adelaide on foot, with stops for famous chocolate and a few local specialties along the way. Princess’s The F Factor and North Terrace Walking Tour begins with the city’s architecture, including Adelaide Railway Station, Parliament House and the cultural precinct along North Terrace. Your guide introduces the landmarks before turning the focus to what South Australians like to eat.

Haigh’s Chocolates is the first food stop, followed by delicacies you may not be familiar with at first. Fritz is South Australia’s take on luncheon sausage. A frog cake takes its name more literally: sponge and cream covered in fondant icing, shaped into a frog’s head. These are local favorites you might otherwise pass without knowing what to order. The frog cake in particular is a South Australian original, so don’t miss the chance to try one.

The walk continues to Adelaide Central Market for a bakery lunch, then you return to the pier by local train. For guests who enjoy exploring with a local guide, this outing combines the city’s landmark buildings with food stops that give you a taste of everyday Adelaide. Princess rates this excursion as strenuous, with about two hours of walking.

A low-angle interior view of fluid, undulating concrete columns and vaulted ceiling bays softly illuminated by golden LED cove lighting, framing warm backlit glass wall panels. — Experience the striking modern design of the entrance to the Adelaide Railway Station precinct.

A day in the Barossa Valley

One of Australia’s premier wine regions, Barossa Valley spans 559 square miles (about 1,450 square kilometers) with around 150 wineries. Princess offers two ways to explore: an outing centered on winemaking or a tasting trail with more emphasis on regional food. Each is an eight-hour excursion with about 1.5 hours of driving each way.

The Barossa Valley and Wine Tasting excursion starts at historic Seppeltsfield Wines. A guided tasting introduces you to five wines drawn from its table and fortified ranges. You’ll feel like a sommelier as you compare styles while experts explain just what’s in the glass. A second winery visit follows, along with a main-course lunch served with a glass of local wine, then a final guided tasting of about five wines. Wineries may be substituted on the day. Guests under 18 can join the tour but can’t drink alcohol. Choose this route if you’re keen to spend your day exploring the region through its wines, with views of rolling, pastoral hills.

If you’re more in it for the food selection, the Ultimate Barossa Valley Tasting Trail excursion visits Barossa Valley Cheese Co before continuing to Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop. A seasonal cooking demonstration puts local ingredients to work, followed by a grazing lunch. The day closes with a wine-and-chocolate pairing, adding a sweet finish to the regional tasting experience.

Two wild kangaroos stand alert on a green grassy patch in front of lush, leafy grapevines at a Barossa Valley vineyard in soft afternoon light. — Journey through the renowned Barossa Valley wine region near Adelaide, South Australia, where native wildlife like kangaroos roam through scenic, sunlit vineyard rows.

A day trip to the Fleurieu Peninsula

Swap city streets for a coastal drive on Princess’s Exploring the Fleurieu Peninsula excursion. This eight-hour outing begins at Silver Sands Beach, with time for photos of the cliffs and sandy shoreline before continuing toward Victor Harbor. About four hours of the day is spent traveling, including a sightseeing drive through Victor Harbor on the return. It’s a way to see South Australia beyond Adelaide, with wildlife encounters breaking up the journey.

At Urimbirra Wildlife Park, kangaroos and emus roam an open-range setting. Guests can feed them and pet the koalas during supervised encounters, which run at set times.

Lunch is served at Victor Harbor’s award-winning Hotel Crown, which dates to the 1860s. Afterward, a tour introduces the historic seaside town before the return to Outer Harbor. Choose this excursion if you’d like coastal scenery and native wildlife in one arranged outing, with a proper lunch stop rather than a rushed bite between sights.

A scenic coastal view looking along dramatic, eroded red and orange earth cliffs rising above calm turquoise ocean water, backed by rolling green hills under a bright blue sky. — Take in the dramatic coastal landscapes of the Fleurieu Peninsula near Adelaide, South Australia, where rugged red clay cliffs contrast with rolling green hills and the deep blue expanse of the Gulf St Vincent.

Port Adelaide’s maritime heritage

Some of Adelaide’s maritime history is still sitting in the river. At Garden Island’s Ships’ Graveyard, you’ll find abandoned vessels like the iron-hulled Santiago, which is believed to be the oldest iron-hulled sailing ship in existence, built in Scotland in 1856. Princess’s Dolphins, Shipwrecks and Maritime History Tour takes you past these remains by boat, with a guide explaining their place in the port’s working past.

Keep your eyes on the water between wrecks, too. Wild dolphins live in the Port River, so you may spot a fin breaking the surface during the cruise. Near Garden Island, migratory shorebirds give you another reason to have your camera ready. Sightings vary, but the combination of wildlife and shipwrecks will have you glued to the water.

The excursion also includes entry to the South Australian Maritime Museum, followed by free time in Port Adelaide. Back on land, explore South Australia’s first State Heritage Area, where preserved commercial buildings reflect the district’s long history as a major port.

Whether you yearn for a full-day outing where you linger over lunch in the countryside, or prefer a guided food walk through the city, there are always things to do in Adelaide. Explore Princess’s Adelaide excursions and choose the opportunities that suit your dream day ashore.

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