An Adventurous guide to exploring Adelaide!

Adelaide, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated cities in Australia. As it is the capital of South Australia, the city offers a great variety of culture and entertainment. It is a food lover’s paradise with plenty of award-winning restaurants and is the gateway to some of the best wines in the country. But, the city has a lot more than that to offer for any traveller. Entertainment is never far away and is quickly supplied for every interest. Furthermore, when you come to South Australia, make sure you explore the rest of this vast and stunning state. I can promise you that you will adore your time here. This adventurous guide to exploring Adelaide has some great experiences in and around the city that we believe every traveller should try. 

This guide offers more than just the basics and is for travellers willing to spend a little more of their budget. It is a comprehensive guide and offers adventures for adrenaline-junkies, children, and more sophisticated travellers. If you are looking for a guide on Adelaide on a low budget, check out my other post! Moreover, I hope you will find my guides helpful in planning your next trip. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave me a comment or send a message!

The Adelaide Oval Roof Top walk. 

The Adelaide Oval is hard to miss. It locates just over the River Torrens heading towards North Adelaide, and you will undoubtedly run into it. Besides, you are not just seeing the Oval itself. One of the best ways to see the Oval, and an essential to do on this adventurous guide to exploring Adelaide, is doing a RoofClimb! This climb will give you magnificent views over the entire city. You can choose between the day, twilight or nighttime climb. Each of them is unique, offering a different, fantastic and unforgettable view of Adelaide City.

Moreover, there is even a RoofClimb yoga package! There aren’t many people that can say they have done yoga on top of the Adelaide oval! To book, follow this link.

Catch an AFL game

Seeing an AFL game is always an experience and adventure. It is the best way to experience some authentic Australian culture. If climbing the roof of the Oval is just too much, this is an excellent way of experiencing the Adelaide Oval. The atmosphere walking over to the game is electric enough. If you are looking for an even bigger adventure, try walking against the massive crowd across the bridge on game day! To see the game dates, click the link.

The Handle Bar.

Exactly as it sounds, the first Australian Pedal Pub gives you a unique experience like no other. Offering two-hour food and drink tours around the Adelaide CBD. You can choose three tour options; pub crawl, brunch, or a progressive dinner. With 16 seats around the pedal-powered bike, this is the perfect adventure for any group. Click here to book.

Wine tours around Adelaide 

If you think that wine tours aren’t adventurous, you haven’t drank enough wine yet. As Adelaide is the gateway to some of the best wine countries in Australia, you cannot skip heading out for some wine tours. The Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are popular among tourists and are well-known regions. It is pretty hard to say which are the best ones as there are plenty of excursions to choose from. If you are looking for more than wine, I can recommend the Down the Rabbit Hole Cellar Door in McLaren Vale. This Cellar Door is a very aesthetic place for a lovely afternoon. It combines enjoying wine, great food and the possibility of live music. 

Penfolds Magill estate

For most people, when you think of the best Australian wine, Penfolds usually comes to mind. Established in 1844 at the Magill Estate in the Adelaide Hills, the world-renown Penfolds was born. It is only 15 minutes from the Adelaide CBD, and you cannot visit Adelaide and miss this if you are a true wine lover. Furthermore, Penfolds also has a Cellar Door in the Barossa Valley, so you can be excused for missing the Magill Estate if you pass through here.

Exploring Adelaide from above – skydiving!

There is no better way to see a city in all its glory than from above. Not to mention this will give you the ultimate adrenaline rush. There are many companies to choose from for this experience, so do some research to find the best experience for you. Many of them leave from a short drive from the CBD (approx. 45 minutes), so make sure you also figure out how to get there. If you are looking for a beautiful coastal view skydive, you are also covered, with many companies offering this experience. SA Skydiving is a well-known company, but again, shop around for the perfect experience for you.

Temptation Sailing, Glenelg.

Temptation Sailing is 15 minutes from the Adelaide CBD and offers a variety of experiences. Operating on a 58-foot-sailing catamaran and licensed to hold 50 passengers, you can choose from 5 different packages for your memorable trip. One of the most popular is the Wild Dolphin Tour, hosted by marine biologists who will educate you while on tour. From private charters to wild dolphin swims, this is about as luxurious as it gets on the water at Glenelg. With prices starting at $29 for a 90-minute cruise, you have no excuse to miss this. 

Shark Cage diving.

Shark Cage diving is for the daredevil inside you. This adventure has become reasonably popular in the last few years, but it only appeals to a particular type of person. Most companies operate in Port Lincoln – an approx. Seven to 8-hour drive from Adelaide CBD. However, you can also fly there in under 50 minutes if that is more appropriate. I know this is a fair bit out of Adelaide, but this experience is unique!

You will find various companies offering this experience, so please shop around. This way you will find the best tour that suits you, and hopefully the best price. Prices usually start from around the $500 mark, so this will not be a cheap experience. But oh my, this will be an experience you will never forget.

Try out the escape rooms.

A sure way to give you an entertaining night! If you are stuck for ideas and looking for a thrilling adventure, and enjoy a challenge, look no further than one of these! Again, there are a few different companies to choose between. However, most of them are within walking distance, located in the Adelaide CBD, so that you can do all of them!

BBQ Buoys on the River Torrens

The BBQ Buoys are the perfect adventurous place to enjoy a meal with friends or family. If you walk along the river often, you will surely see these. The buoys have either a BBQ or table in the middle (depending on whether you want to cook). They seat up to 10 people per buoy and are a recipe for a great time. With bookings starting at $170 for two people for two hours, it will be money well spent. Moreover, you can drive it yourself! No boat license is required, and it sure looks like much fun to drive.

Exploring Adelaide zoo.

The iconic Adelaide Zoo is probably the mildest adventure on this list. However, it is the perfect day trip for anyone travelling with children or animal lovers! The zoo, which opened in 1883, is home to more than 2,500 animals and 250 species of exotic and native mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. There are eight hectares of green oasis and magnificent botanic surroundings. Walking into this sanctuary makes you feel like you have stepped into a different world.

On top of everything, the Adelaide zoo is easily accessible. It is located on Frome Road, a five-minute walk from the city’s centre. The zoo is open seven days a week, including all public holidays, and even on Christmas day from 9:30 am until 6 pm. This flexibility makes it a great last-minute option to fill a day quickly. One of the zoo’s highlights is the unique panda exhibit, open from 9:45 am until 4:45 pm each day. You can purchase tickets online here. 

Garden Island – Ships Graveyard Kayak tour of Dolphin Sanctuary and shipwreck 

This one is perfect for lovers of marine life and or shipwrecks. Explore part of the Adelaide Heritage Shipwrecks Trial where around 25 ships are laid to rest. You can also embark on a 3-hour leisurely kayaking tour here! You may even be lucky to spot some dolphins while exploring the old Dolphin Sanctuary.

Rock climbing, bouldering and abseiling

Indoor or outdoor, this is a fantastic way to spend a day or afternoon. Head to an indoor facility to give it a try yourself, or adventure out on a guided tour. This is the perfect way to sneak some exercise into your holiday!

Head over to Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island is an entire adventure by itself, but it deserves a place on this list. With stunning natural beauty and wildlife, it’s an experience like no other. If you have a few days, or a week, spare, you cannot pass up the opportunity to explore a place like this.

Exploring Adelaide with Bar Boy – the ultimate bar tour.

If you want to experience the best bars Adelaide offers, but do not feel like doing all the research, then the Adelaide Bar Boys have you covered! You can choose from cocktail tours, Adelaide regional wine tours, whisky tours and more. Further, you can also ask for a custom private tour. To book, follow the link.

Exploring Adelaide wildlife in Gorge Wildlife Park.

Located in the Adelaide Hills, the Gorge Wildlife Park consists of the largest privately owned collection of animals, both Australian and exotic. Here, you will be able to get right up close with some of these animals, setting the experience apart from other parks or zoos. Perfect for a trip with the family or any animal lover. 

Port River Ship Cruise – One and All.

This gives you the sailing experience of a lifetime! Onboard the STV One and All, you can choose from full-day, twilight or an 18-day sailing experience. You will be sailing on a ship not too dissimilar from vessels used throughout the ages in style. During the trip, you have the opportunity to climb the bow nets, be at the wheel with the captain, or sit back and relax. To book, follow the link.

Flight Simulator 

For the aviation lover. Get a real-life flying experience in the centre of Adelaide! Companies providing this experience include Flight Experience Adelaide, Adrenaline and Jet Flight Simulator Adelaide. Choosing between companies is more like choosing between planes, as each offers different simulator experiences. Choose from a Boeing 737 to a fighter jet and more. 

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