Highlights
Dolphin swim, local produce and wine
Duration
3 days
Regions
Adelaide, Adelaide Hills
After a day exploring Adelaide, swimming with wild dolphins at Glenelg and eating out in one of the many great restaurants, head to the Adelaide Hills for some local art, cool climate wines and scenic drives through farmland and the Australian bush.
Shop for fresh produce, taste locally made delicacies, dine in a chocolate café or stop for a beer and a traditional German food at the Hahndorf Inn or The Haus.
Visit the Hahndorf Academy, once a boarding school and maternity hospital is now a fantastic museum, gallery and shop for local art and craft.
Day 1
Adelaide
Adelaide is known as a 20-minute city because its shape and lack of congestion mean you can get to beaches and foothills in a 20-minute drive, or if you’re on foot, the city’s attractions are within walking distance. Adelaide’s restaurants and cafés are among the best in the country; while a new breed of renovated pubs, small bars and pop-up eateries have added a new dimension to the city’s food and wine scene. Laneways such as Leigh Street and Peel Street, feature coffee shops, restaurants and wine bars. For more ideas, please refer to the The Coolest Boutique Capital itinerary.
Overnight: Adelaide
Day 2
Adelaide - Adelaide Hills
This morning, take the tram to the seaside suburb of Glenelg, only a 30-minute ride from the centre of the city. Walk along the Esplanade, explore the shops of Jetty Road, and stop for a coffee break at the beachside hotels or Holdfast Shores Marina complex, with its variety of cafés and restaurants. Take a cruise to swim with dolphins with Temptation Dolphin Swim. Return to the city this afternoon to collect a rental car for the 30-minute drive to the Adelaide Hills. Accommodation in the hills includes five-star heritage guesthouses, luxury bed and breakfasts and quaint self-contained cottages.
Overnight: Adelaide Hills
Adelaide to Stirling: 30-minute drive, 16km/10miles
Day 3
Adelaide Hills - Adelaide
Today, explore the beautiful Adelaide Hills. Follow Old Mount Barker Road to Aldgate and Bridgewater. Stop and stroll through these pretty towns. Hahndorf is where German heritage mixes well with modern cafés and fresh, local food. You could also pick strawberries at Beerenberg Farm. Some of the best wineries include Shaw + Smith, Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard, Golding Wines, The Lane Vineyard or blend your gin at Ambleside Distillers. Be sure to visit some cellar doors before returning to Adelaide on the scenic route through Ashton and Norton Summit. For a close encounter with koalas and other Australian wildlife, stop at Cleland Wildlife Park or Warrawong Sanctuary.
Stirling to Lobethal: 35km/22miles, 40-minute drive
Lobethal to Adelaide: 36km/22miles, 40-minute drive