Things to do in Adelaide: a student’s guide

The sun setting over the Adelaide Riverbank.

Looking for adventure in Adelaide? Few cities compare when it comes to sheer variety of things to do. Gold-sand beaches? Check. Delicious, locally produced foods? Absolutely. Festivals almost every other week? No sweat.

If you’re in need of some inspiration, we’ve compiled a list for students on the best things to do in Adelaide. From art galleries and museums to restaurants, shopping and nightlife, we have everything you need to make the most of your time at university.

Arts & culture

Adelaide is a real hub of arts and culture. The city has a packed events calendar with concerts, exhibitions and festivals (we’ll come to these later) along with a diverse range of galleries, art centres and design studios which you can visit year-round.

Art Gallery of South Australia

First up on the list is the Art Gallery of South Australia, which boasts the second-largest art collection in the country. Here you'll find over 45,000 works spanning different styles, periods and regions of the world.

The gallery houses one of the most nationally significant collections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and is also home to the only dedicated Islamic gallery space in Australia. Best of all, admission is completely free!

Adelaide Festival Centre

Dubbed the ‘Heart of the Arts’ in South Australia, Adelaide Festival Centre is the premier destination for live events in the state. Comedy, cabaret, opera and dance – you'll find all this and more at the venue.

With Adelaide Festival Centre hosting big-name acts, tickets can be pricy. But luckily, student discounts are offered on most shows – just make sure to take your student ID to the venue.

JamFactory

If you’re into your arts and crafts, JamFactory is definitely worth checking out. Based in the West End – Adelaide’s creative quarter – this non-for-profit organisation is made up of studios, galleries and retail spaces where local artists sell their wares.

You can easily spend an afternoon milling around the shops and browsing the quirky glassware, ceramics, jewellery and other items. Guided tours are also available and you can even take up training courses if you prefer to get hands-on.

Food & drink

Adelaide makes a strong case for being Australia’s foodie capital. Whether you’re looking for locally produced delights like wine and seafood or fusion dishes from around the world, the city’s vibrant culinary scene caters to all palates.

Adelaide Central Market

One of the largest food markets in the southern hemisphere, Adelaide Central Market is a foodie’s paradise and hive of activity with over 70 traders selling some of the finest fresh produce you’ll ever find.

It’s a great place to sample local delicacies like artisanal cheese and speciality gin, stock up on high-quality ingredients for your cooking or people-watch over a coffee at one of the cafes dotted around the market.

Restaurants

Adelaide has a thriving and diverse dining scene. Starting off at Adelaide Central Market, Lucia’s has long been famed for its authentic southern Italian food. Another student favourite is Sunny’s Pizza, where you can enjoy late-night pizza and plenty of drinks.

Asian cuisine is big in Australia and you can grab amazing sushi at Yuki in the Hills, delicious pad thai at Star of Siam and bao buns to die for at Sit Lo. Hungry for more inspiration? Head to Chinatown for some authentic dim sum.

Wine

If you’re into your wine, you’ll know that Australia produces some of the world’s finest wines. Many of its most coveted bottles come from South Australia, where around half of the nation’s vineyards are located.

If you want to see some of these for yourself, the renowned Barossa Valley is just a short drive from Adelaide. Closer to home is the National Wine Centre of Australia, where you can learn about the rapid rise of the country’s winemaking industry.

History

Nicknamed the ‘City of Churches’, Adelaide has an interesting history as a hub for religious freedom and a driving force for political reform across the country. Numerous sites throughout the city offer a peek into this past.

Prison grounds of the historic Adelaide Gaol.

South Australian Museum

The South Australian Museum is no doubt one of the best natural history museums in Australia. It's home to a huge range of galleries and exhibitions, including one of the world’s largest collections of Aboriginal artefacts.

Whether you’re into ancient fossils or polar expeditions, you can easily spend an afternoon wandering around the museum. It’s also free to enter, so there’s no reason not to give it a go!

Carrick Hill

Prefer to soak up the past by strolling the grounds of an historic 100-acre estate? Set in the foothills of Adelaide with stunning ocean views, Carrick Hill is a perfectly preserved mansion from the 1930s that now serves as one of Australia’s top cultural attractions.

You can get there within 30 minutes from the city centre by hopping on a bus to Springfield and taking a short walk up to the estate. The grounds are free to explore at your leisure, but you can also pay to enter the house and browse its lavish art collection.

Adelaide Gaol

From the extravagance of Carrick Hill to the grisly history of a former prison – Adelaide does it all! If you’d rather immerse yourself in the city’s seedy side, Adelaide Gaol will be right up your street.

Around 300,000 inmates passed through the prison over the years, leaving behind countless tales of ghosts, executions and paranormal investigations. All of this can be experienced first-hand by joining one of the very reasonably priced tours that run daily.

Nightlife

Going out forms a key part of student life in Adelaide and whether you’re looking for live music, a few casual drinks or a big night out, there’s always something to do. The city’s nightlife centres around a few main streets, which we run through below.

Hindley Street

Hindley Street has long been the main hub for nightlife in the city and has a somewhat chaotic energy which may not be for everyone. It’s especially popular with younger crowds and you’ll definitely meet lots of fellow students on a night out.

Here you’ll find everything from pubs and music venues to wine bars and nightclubs that stay open until the early hours. There’s also lots of options for late-night food to help soak up that hangover!

Leigh Street

If you’re tired of Hindley Street and want to escape the crowds, take a wander down Leigh Street. This trendy, slightly more sophisticated street, which runs right off Hindley, is known for its vibrant bar scene.

Drop in at one of the venues and enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine along with a bite to eat. Later into the night, many of the bars will turn it up a notch with live music or a DJ set so you can really catch a vibe.

Peel Street

Adjacent to Leigh Street, Peel Street is another hotspot for student nightlife. The street is lined with pubs, bars and restaurants where you can easily spend an evening hopping from place to place.

Here you’ll be rubbing shoulders with locals from all over the city who flock to the street for its amazing wine, cocktails and food. In short, it’s a far cry from Hindley Street despite being just a block away!

Shopping

Prone to the occasional shopping spree? You better get used to its if you’re moving to Adelaide! With its mix of independent shops, sprawling shopping centres and stunning heritage arcades, the city is a retail paradise.

Rundle Mall

There’s only one place to start when it comes to Adelaide’s shopping scene: Rundle Mall. Based in the heart of the city, this pedestrian-only strip is home to over 1,000 retail stores, making it one of Australia’s biggest shopping districts.

The street really has everything: big-name brands from around the world, quirky local boutiques and several department stores – as well as buskers to keep you entertained as you move from shop to shop.

Need some extra cash to fund your shopping splurge? Check out our handy guide on the best student jobs in Adelaide!

Adelaide Arcade

The historic Adelaide Arcade forms a part of Rundle Mall but is well worth a visit in its own right. Opened in 1885, this heritage-listed building once served as the premier shopping destination in the southern hemisphere.

Today, the arcade is full of speciality shops selling jewellery, clothing, homeware, art supplies and much more. It even has its own museum with an interesting collection of artefacts showcasing its rich and colourful history.

Harbour Town Premium Outlets

Looking for something a little more budget-friendly? Based just outside the CBD, Harbour Town Premium Outlets offers amazing deals of up to 70% off on student favourites like Adidas, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren.

When you can shop no more, dive into one of the cafes or restaurants lining the shopping centre for a pick-me-up before heading home on the very convenient bus service that runs to and from the city.

Outdoors

We’ve already touched on the beauty of the Adelaide Hills. And while there’s no shortage of breathtaking scenery in the areas surrounding the city, you don’t need to travel far to get your taste of outdoor adventure.

A sweeping stretch of coastline at Port Noarlunga Beach.

Beaches

Like most cities in Australia, Adelaide has some incredibly pristine beaches. The most famous of these is Glenelg, which is easily accessible from the city centre and a hive of activity even of the quietest days.

If you’re willing to travel a little further, Brighton is another great option with sweeping gold sands and unbeatable views of the sunset. It’s also got a historic jetty, where you can walk out and meet the sea.

Gardens

Need a break from the beach? There are a couple of wonderfully manicured gardens in the parklands bordering the CBD. Your first stop should be Adelaide Botanic Gardens, where you can easily pass an afternoon admiring the scenery or just sitting quietly with a coffee.

Smaller but no less spectacular, Adelaide Himeji Garden is ‘a little pocket of Japan’ on the southern side of the parklands that celebrates the special bond between Adelaide and its sister city of Himeji.

Cleland Wildlife Park

Fancy feeding a kangaroo? At Cleland Wildlife Park, you can get up close and personal with Australia’s most iconic animal – along with over 120 other species native to the country. Think koalas, wallabies and emus!

Most animals are allowed to roam in open space with only a few enclosures at the park. It’s based around 20 twenty minutes from the city centre and is well served by public transport with its own metro station, making for a popular day out.

Festivals

Adelaide isn’t called the ‘Festival City’ for nothing! The state capital has a packed, year-round events calendar with millions of people flocking to the city each year to soak up its standout cultural offering.

A concert taking place at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Adelaide Fringe

The city comes alive in February and March when Adelaide Fringe – the biggest arts festival in the southern hemisphere – comes to town, bringing with it as many as 6,000 artists from around the world to perform over the course of four weeks.

From comedy and cabaret to dance and live music, there’s truly something for everyone. And with dozens of free shows held alongside ticketed events, you can get involved without paying a thing.

Adelaide Festival

The second of the city’s two flagship festivals, Adelaide Festival is another major arts festival that often overlaps with Adelaide Fringe. Held over two weeks, the schedule isn’t quite as crowded as Adelaide Fringe but still attracts world-renowned names.

Events cover a range of disciplines, including theatre, opera, music, dance and visual art, while Adelaide Writers' Week – Australia's largest free literary festival – also forms part of the proceedings.

Tasting Australia

One of Australia’s biggest food festivals, Tasting Australia is a fabulous showcase of South Australian cuisine. For 10 days in May, demonstrations, tastings and other events are held across the state – though most of the action centres on Victoria Square in Adelaide.

Here you can enjoy delicious local wine, craft cocktails and sizzling grills from food stalls, all in the company of the chefs and producers who shape South Australia’s thriving culinary scene.

Adelaide: a student city

With such a wealth of things to do in Adelaide, it’s easy to see why it’s a hit with students. Factor in the lower cost of living than other major Aussie cities, and you have one of the best study destinations around!

All set on the Festival City? Check out our Adelaide university guide to learn more about the different options for studying in the city. And if you’re ready to take the next step, take a look at our range of student accommodation in Adelaide.

Frequently asked questions

What is Adelaide known for?

Adelaide is best known for its packed festival calendar and award-winning foodie scene. Some of the world’s biggest arts festivals take place in the city, while its surrounding areas lead the way when it comes to Aussie wine. With stunning beaches, lush parklands and rolling hills, it’s also a nature lover’s paradise.

What are some cheap things to do in Adelaide?

Many of Adelaide’s top-rated attractions are completely free. There are no admission fees at the Art Gallery of Australia and the South Australian Museum, while you can also enjoy visits to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Adelaide Himeji Garden and the city’s many beaches without spending a dollar.

Where are the best places to eat in Adelaide?

Adelaide Central Market is a great place to start exploring the local food and drink scene. The bustling Rundle Street has plenty of international options and is also worth visiting, while Leigh Street and Peel Street are home to some of the city’s best up-and-coming restaurants.

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