While many think a city stay in Melbourne or a beach break in Byron is about the limits of a weekend away from Sydney by plane, we thing Adelaide is a solid contender for one of the best destinations to escape from Sydney for 48 hours.

Grabbing an after-work flight over from Sydney, we landed in South Australia around 7pm, grabbed our hire car from East Coast and headed toward the city. We booked two nights at Hotel Motel, a boutique stay on South Terrace, and the base for our weekend in the South Australian capital.

Here’s everything we’d recommend doing for a weekend in Adelaide.

Day 1:

Morning: Adelaide Central Market for breakfast and takeaways for lunch

Wanting to squeeze in as much as we can into our weekend in Adelaide, we got up early to check out Adelaide Central Market. At more than 150 years old, this 70-stall market is one of the best place to get a true taste of South Australia.

From fresh produce to seafood, baked goods to sugary treats , there’s probably more here than you can eat in a weekend let alone breakfast.

So we also got lunch. Oops.

After doing a few laps, and following friends’ recommendations, we grabbed breakfast at Lucia’s. While it was good, we probably should have opted for this spot a bit later in the day. It specialises in Italian goods, and had plenty of pastas, pizzas and sandwiches on the menu.

For lunch, we grabbed a few things from various stalls. Mouthwatering artichokes, grilled eggplant and a sun-dried tomato pesto from Jagger Fine Foods, a pretzel bagel and cheese stick from Say Cheese and a selection of charcuterie from Marino Meat and Food Store.

Did we get too much? Maybe. Do we regret it? No. It was nothing a later-in-the-day walk along the River Torrens wouldn’t fix.

Afternoon: Hop in and out of museums along North Terrace

Now, when you think of great Australian museums, most people think of the NGV in Melbourne, or GOMA in Brisbane, or the Powerhouse in Sydney. But, after spending the afternoon exploring Adelaide’s museums along North Terrace, we beg to differ.

Situated right next to each other, the South Australian Museum and Art Gallery of South Australia are both perfectly size and perfectly curated.

South Australian Museum

As soon as we heard there was a squid in an elevator shaft here we knew we had to visit.

Featuring the perfect mix of facts and exhibits about indigenous culture, local flora and fauna, the state’s mining history and museum staples like an Egyptian section and palaeontology, the museum keeps things interesting and informative. The sections aren’t too large to feel overwhelming and are kid-friendly without being childish.

The piece de resistance, of course, is the 11-metre model of a giant squid made inside the museum’s old elevator shaft. Surrounded by sea life, each level you ascend gives you a new glimpse of the massive sea creature.

Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA)

Having visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Queensland Art Gallery many times, we were expecting the Art Gallery of South Australia to offer the typical combination of religious art, Australian landscapes, East Asian pottery and a few modern pieces. But, that’s not at all what we got.

AGSA, it turns out, is an incredibly well-curated museum, where everything seems to come with a bit of a quirky twist. Religious pieces sit next to modern sculptures in front of upside-down horses.

While the gallery is home to somewhere around 47,000 pieces, it’s not as overwhelming as other big-city galleries can be. It’s easy to explore in about 1.5 to two hours.

Evening: Head to Vardon Avenue and bar hop before dining at Africola

Having wanted to check out the hatted Africola for many years, we made a reservation for 8:15 and found ourselves with a couple hours to kill beforehand.

A sunny walk along the River Torrens and a swing by the bat hangout at First Creek Garden Botanic Park later, we found ourselves getting a bit thirsty so headed to Vardon Avenue. Just around the corner from Africola and packed with bars, the street ended up offering up more than we expected.

Little did we know, but our visit was in mid-November, which was right in the heart of Vardon Avenue’s street party season. In 2025, on Fridays and Saturdays from 7 November until 20 December, the street closes off to traffic and the street fills up with tables and chairs. Making the most of the warm summer nights, bars like East End Cellars, NOLA and El Cheeky Flamingo serve cool drinks right to patrons on the street.

After a few southern-US-inspired cocktails at NOLA, we headed to the restaurant. From the moment we were seated, we were treated with what we soon discovered was typical South Australian hospitality. Friendly, but not overtly so, from taking our orders to asking how our meal was, every interaction with staff here was wonderful.

But, not nearly as wonderful as the food. We indulged in oysters topped with granita, kohlrabi cakes topped with avocado and lobster, roasted pumpkin, a kale and buckwheat salad and the acclaimed peri-peri chicken. Everything was delicious and well worth the years-long wait .

Day 2:

Morning: Explore the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and window shop along Rundle Mall

Adelaide is surrounded by parkland, but the northeastern tip of it surely is the most beautiful. Where the River Torrens meets the botanic garden, a stroll along here is the perfect way to start your day.

With 50 hectares of gardens to explore, it’s easy to spend much more than just an hour or two here, but with only a weekend in town, we didn’t have the luxury unfortunately.

But if there’s one spot you need to see while you’re here, it’s the Palm House. Imported from Germany about 150 years ago, it’s home to tropical plants and a stunning blue, glass chandelier.

From here, it’s not too long of a stroll to Rundle Mall where window shopping awaits. It’s home to more than 700 stores and is the largest outdoor mall in the entire Southern Hemisphere. Yep, that’s right, and it’s in Adelaide of all places.

Even if you’re not a shopper, it’s well worth a stroll. With sculptures along the pedestrian-only street and occasional market stalls, it’s sure to impress even those who aren’t tempted by retail therapy.

Afternoon: Hop on a free tram to Glenelg

Similar to Melbourne, Adelaide offers a zone where all tram rides are free, making it super easy and affordable to get around the city.

Fortunately, there is one line that extends far away too and lets you visit one of South Australia’s beautiful beaches without spending a cent.

The Glenelg line extends from the city right to the sands of Adelaide’s acclaimed beach suburb. Whether you’re wanting to swim or just walk along the lengthy jetty, it’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon.

While we’ve not been ourselves, Glenelg is also home to the Moseley Beach Club. Unlike any bars or restaurants in our hometown Sydney, this club sits right on the sands offering unrivalled views come sunset.

It’s the perfect place for a sundowner before catching a flight home after a weekend in Adelaide.

Where to go next…