The best day trips from Adelaide

Close enough for a day but far enough to feel hours away, the Clare Valley is one of our top day-trip destinations from Adelaide. It’s just a relaxed two-hour drive north of the CBD, meaning you don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to get there in time for brunch. If a late-morning meal is on the cards, we recommend swinging by The Little Red Grape Bakery for an award-winning sausage roll and organising a gourmet picnic hamper to enjoy in the native bushlands at Skillogalee Estate. The Clare Valley boasts more than 30 cellar doors, so spend the rest of your day cycling along the Riesling Trail or following the self-guided Auburn Wine Walk. 

How far? 142 kilometres

How to get there? 2-hour drive

Best things to do in Clare Valley: Riesling Trail, Sevenhill Cellars, Skillogalee, Pikes Wines

Just a quick bop from the city, Morialta is here to provide respite when the daily grind gets a bit much. It takes only 20 minutes by car to reach the park, meaning you could theoretically squeeze in a ‘day trip’ before the rest of the world even wakes up. But definitely don’t rush it. Morialta Conservation Park boasts three dramatic waterfalls, including the majestic First Falls, which drops 30 metres over sheer quartzite cliffs. You can tick them all off on the 7.5-kilometre Three Falls Grand Hike, pausing for a creekside picnic and looking out for native wildlife like koalas and kangaroos.

How far? 10 kilometres

How to get there? 20-minute drive or 45-minute bus ride

Best things to do in Morialta Conservation Park: Three Falls Grand Hike, First Falls Walk, rock climbing with Earth Adventure, Deep View Lookout, Mukanthi Nature Play Space

Visible from the city centre, Adelaidians are blessed to be neighboured by the vast Adelaide Hills. In as little as a 20-minute drive from the CBD, you can splendour in the greenery of award-winning wineries and restaurants, get cuddly with native animals at Cleland Wildlife Park, frolick through Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, wander townships like Hahndorf for artisan wares, pick your own strawberries at Beerenberg Farm, and even marvel in Gumeracha at the biggest rocking horse in the world. The region is brimming with picturesque sights and immersive activities – figuring out where to start is the toughest part.

How far? Between 10 and 40 kilometres

How to get there? 20-40 minute drive 

Best things to do in the Adelaide Hills: Hahndorf, Jurlique Farm, The Lane Vineyard, Beerenberg Farm, Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, Mount Lofty Summit, Cleland Wildlife Park

If coastlines and beachside towns are right up your alley, pop Victor Harbor and Granite Island on your to-visit list indubitably. Located just a tad over an hour's drive south of Adelaide, you’ll be welcomed by sweeping marine views across the Southern Ocean – a prime spot for whale watching from late May to October. Once you’ve nabbed yourself a classic Aussie pie from one of the town’s bakeries, jump on Victor Harbor’s old-timey, horse-drawn tram that’ll pull you across the 632-metre jetty to Granite Island, where wild penguins are aplenty. But if that’s not your thing, how about: riding on The Cockle Steam Train, trying your hand at The Dunes Mini Golf, browsing local produce at the Victor Harbor Farmers Market, or sussing out Urimbirra Wildlife Park. It’s a crowd-favourite day trip from Adelaide. 

How far? 84 kilometres

How to get there? 1-hour and 10-minute drive

Best things to do in Victor Harbor: Granite Island, The Bluff Lookout, Cockle Train, Encounter Bikeway, The Big Duck boat tour, Lost Phoenix Farm

Turn your compass north-eastward and set off to the world-renowned wine region that is the Barossa Valley. A mere 50 minutes in the car will get you between the seemingly endless meandering hills that are peppered with more than 150 wineries and 80 cellar doors waiting to tingle your taste buds. The Barossa is internationally acclaimed for its shiraz, grenache, mataro, cabernet sauvignon and semillon vines – they’re some of the world's oldest continuously producing vines. But hey, it’s not all about the boozy stuff. Go full birdseye with a hot air balloon tour, get your hands sticky at the Barossa Valley Chocolate Company, take things slow along the Barossa Goldfields Walking Trail, or enjoy the finer things at a top-tier restaurant – we can vouch for Fino Seppeltsfield, Harvest Kitchen, The Farm Eatery and Appellation at The Louise – it’s a foodie’s haven out there.

How far? From 60 kilometres

How to get there? 1-hour drive 

Best things to do in Barossa Valley: Wine tour, Lyndoch Lavender Farm, Barossa Trail, Barossa Valley Cheese Company, Seppeltsfield, JamFactory, Maggie Beer's Farm Shop, Mengler Hill Lookout and Sculpture Park

When inland calls, it’s the peaceful town of Mannum that answers. Situated along the banks of Australia’s longest river, The Murray, Mannum is the place for soaking up all that rural bliss in just over an hour’s drive east of Adelaide. Float upstream and take in the wilderness aboard a river cruise or in the comfort of a kayak, unwind waterside and experience country hospitality at the Pretoria Hotel, gaze upon our feathery friends at the Hermann Gass Bird Sanctuary, or navigate your way down Reedy Creek’s walking trail to the scenic Mannum Waterfalls.

How far? 98km

How to get there? 1-hour and 10-minute drive

Best things to do in Mannum: Murray Princess paddle steamer, Mannum Hotel, Mannum Waterfalls, Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park

We have to give an honourable mention to the heritage-listed town of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. As Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, the influence of 19th-century Lutheran migrants is ever-present, with Hahndorf attracting visitors from far and wide to witness the charm of its original German-style architecture. The tree-lined main street is home to specialty stores like the famed German Village Shop with its year-long Bavarian Christmas wares, yesteryear pubs where lederhosens and accordions are the norm, traditional German bakeries and restaurants galore, as well as op shops, galleries, and gift stores of handmade goods. Pretzels should be a priority too, just sayin’.

How far? 26 kilometres

How to get there? 20-minute drive or 1-hour bus ride

Best things to do in Hahndorf: Beerenberg Farm, Hans Heysen – The Cedars, The Haus Restaurant, Udder Delights, The German Village Shop, Hahndorf Hill Winery

If hills of green and coastlines of blue are your thing, McLaren Vale (and the Fleurieu Peninsula in general) is your Adelaide day trip destination. The southern region is championed for its internationally acclaimed wineries – more than 80 of them – and sensational eateries with a focus on local produce from around the Fleurieu. However, the immense Peninsula offers a whole heap more than just culinary delights. Explore the Mediterranean-like coves of Second Valley, lap up the rugged cliffs of Port Willunga, trail around Myponga Reservoir, or perhaps sneak down to Maslin Nudist Beach for a full-bore dose of Vitamin D. 

How far? From 40 kilometres

How to get there? Within a 35 to 80-minute drive

Best things to do in McLaren Vale: Shiraz Trail, d'Arenberg and The Cube, Willunga Farmers Market, Red Poles Gallery, Sellicks Beach, Port Willunga

A day trip for some, and just down the road for others – it’s Port Adelaide. While the harbour town may be frequented on foot for its eccentric stores and museums, it’s less explored atop the water. Get your wet-wear on and join a kayak tour of Port Adelaide’s Dolphin Sanctuary and Ships’ Graveyard. Mosey through lush mangrove creeks while eyeing the brine for marine life and paddle within arms' reach of up to 40 rusty ol’ shipwrecks.

How far? 14 kilometres

How to get there? 20-minute drive or 45-minute bus ride

Best things to do in Port Adelaide: Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, Ships’ Graveyard, National Railway Museum, South Australian Maritime and Aviation Museums, Pirate Life Brewing

Add a splash of colour to your life at South Australia’s famed salt flat, Lake Bumbunga, in the township of Lochiel. Depending on the time of year, the lake works its saline magic and transforms from white to blue and pink – reeling in amateur and professional photographers for the perfect snap. Keep your eyes peeled for the Lochiel Monster, it’s said to keep to the surface and isn’t camera-shy. 

How far? 132 kilometres

How to get there? 1-hour and 30-minute drive

Best things to do in Lake Bumbunga: Lochiel Monster