28 Best Sights in South Australia, Australia

These magnificent formal gardens include an international rose garden, giant Amazonian water lilies, an avenue of magnificent Moreton Bay fig trees, acres of green lawns, and a gorgeous Victorian palm house. The Bicentennial Conservatory—the largest single-span greenhouse in the southern hemisphere—provides an environment for lowland rain-forest species such as the cassowary palm and torch ginger. The Santos Museum of Economic Botany contains fascinating exhibits on the commercial use of some species, and on-site Restaurant Botanic utilizes many plants grown on-site in exquisite degustations. In summer the Moonlight Cinema series screens new, classic, and cult films in adjacent Botanic Park at sunset; if you forget a picnic blanket you can hire one as well as buy drinks and snacks. Tickets sell fast, so plan ahead. Check the website for workshops, events, and exhibitions in the park.

Many famous Australian painters, including Tom Robbins, Margaret Preston, and Sidney Nolan are represented alongside Renaissance and British artworks. But the real jewel is the collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works that showcases artists, including Albert Namatjira, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, and John Prince Siddon. There is also a café and bookshop on-site.

A short drive from Mt. Lofty Summit brings you to delightful Cleland Wildlife Park, where a range of native Australian animals roam free in three different forest habitats. Self-guided walking trails crisscross the park and its surroundings, and you're guaranteed to see emus and kangaroos in the grasslands and pelicans around the swampy billabongs. There are also enclosures for wombats and other less sociable animals. Koala cuddling is a highlight of the Meet A Koala Experience, while Breakfast with the Birds offers the chance to feed a variety of species before the park opens to the public, and the Echidna Encounter is a rare chance to get up close and personal with one of the planet’s two species of monotreme. The park is closed when there's a fire ban, which is most likely to occur between December and February.

The eminently approachable beach in this affluent coastal suburb offers white sand, gently lapping waves, summer entertainment, and a square known for popular dining spots. You'll find families spread out along the shore, and there's plenty of space on the wide lawns to enjoy a picnic or fish-and-chips. The jetty is perfect for walking or fishing—drop a line in the water and try your luck. During summer, Henley Beach Square comes alive with live music and festivals while eateries along Henley Beach Road bring the world to your plate—Asian, African, Mediterranean, and Indian mix with local cuisine and incredible gelato. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking.

Numerous trails, some of them quite steep, make the Flinders Ranges ideal for bushwalking even though the park has few amenities. Water in this region is scarce and should be carried at all times. The best time for walking is during the relatively cool months between April and October. This is also the wettest time of year, so you should be prepared for rain. Wildflowers, including the spectacular Stuart's desert pea, can sometimes be found in early spring when male emus look after clutches of cute striped chicks. 

At the center of the park is Wilpena Pound, a craterlike 80-square-km (31-square-mile) natural bowl ringed by hills that curve gently upward, only to fall away from the rims of sheer cliffs. Geologists will tell you that it is in fact a synclinal basin while for the Adnyamathanha traditional owners it was formed by two giant serpents who went to sleep. The only entrance to the Pound is a narrow cleft through which Wilpena Creek sometimes runs. The best way to see it is from above—scenic flights are available at Wilpena Pound Resort (from A$186) and are well worth the splurge.

The park's most spectacular (and strenuous) walking trail leads to the summit of 3,840-foot St. Mary's Peak, the highest point on the Pound's rim and South Australia's second-tallest peak. Visitors are asked not to climb all the way up because of its great spiritual significance to Adnyamathanha traditional owners; fortunately, the views from nearby Tanderra Saddle are just as spectacular, stretching far over the surrounding landscape toward vast glittering salt pans in the distance. Give yourself a full day to get up and back.

This top Kangaroo Island attraction gives you the chance to visit one of the state's largest Australian sea lion colonies. Several hundred animals usually lounge on the beach, except on stormy days when they shelter beneath the vegetation in the surrounding dunes. You can visit the beach and get surprisingly close to females, pups, and bulls on a 45-minute tour with an interpretive officer; otherwise, you can follow the self-guided boardwalk to a lookout over the sand. The park visitor center has fun and educational displays, and a touch table covered in sea-lion skins and bones. There is also a souvenir shop.

This is an enormous underground complex with an original mine, a noteworthy video on the history of opal mining, exhibits examining the Indigenous and European history of the region, and examples of underground bunk camping and cooking facilities. Learn about the story of opal, different types and qualities of opal, examples of hand-dug and modern dugouts, and the experience of living underground. Guided tours of the mine are available at 10, 2, and 4 daily. There is also an opal shop and museum with noteworthy opals and fossils that are free to view.

Australia's second-oldest zoo still retains much of its original architecture. Enter through the 1883 cast-iron gates to see giant pandas, Sumatran tigers, mischievous meerkats, and giant tortoises housed in modern, natural settings. The zoo is world-renowned for its captive breeding and release programs, and rare species including the red panda and South Australia's own yellow-footed rock wallaby are among its successes. In 2008, the Australian government and Adelaide Zoo signed a cooperative agreement to help secure the long-term survival of the giant panda, and in 2024 Xing Qiu and Yi Lan replaced the beloved Wang Wang and Fu Ni as the only giant pandas in the southern hemisphere. Special VIP panda tours are also available, as are Keeper For A Day tours that let you go behind the scenes and interact with a range of animals. Ask at the ticket office about feeding times, and consult the website for opening times for specific areas of the zoo.

Seven kilometers (4½ miles) west of Victor Harbor, the Bluff is where whalers once stood lookout for their quarry. Today the granite outcrop, also known as Rosetta Head, serves the same purpose in very different circumstances. It's a steep, 1,400-foot climb to the top via a formed trail to enjoy the bluff views, or you can park near the summit.

This town full of character—and characters—about 44 km (27 miles) northeast of Clare is worth a detour. The discovery of copper in 1845 made Burra the country's largest inland town but the ore ran out quickly (the biggest mine closed after just 32 years) and Burra settled into a quiet existence. Today the 11 km (7 miles) Heritage Trail leads you to 49 sites related to Burra's rich mining past: the A$30 Heritage Passport (available from the visitor information center) includes a booklet with information about each of the sites on the trail and free entry to eight locked sites and museums—these include the massive open-cut Monster Mine; two "homes" dug into the banks of Burra Creek, where some 2,000 people lived before a flood in 1851; and colonial Redruth Gaol, which appeared in Australian film Breaker Morant. It includes a guidebook, map, and a key to eight locked historic sites and four museums.

Following the path of South Australia's first railway line—originally laid between Goolwa and Port Elliot, and extended to Victor Harbor in 1864—the Cockle Train traces the lovely Southern Ocean beaches on its 16-km (10-mile), half-hour journey. The vintage locomotive runs on Wednesday and Sunday year-round, with daily departures during school holidays (late December to late January, and for two weeks each in April, July, and October). The steam-powered train is subject to availability and weather conditions, with a diesel locomotive pulling the heritage passenger cars on Total Fire Ban days.

Located just 11 km (7 miles) from the Adelaide city center, palindromic Glenelg is a busy seaside suburb known for its sandy beach, historic jetty, volleyball courts, bustling shops, hotels, restaurants, bars, and The Beachouse entertainment complex. Trams lead the way to the beach, carrying passengers from the city along Jetty Road while pedestrians weave in and out of the various retail outlets that line the strip. A day trip to Glenelg is a summer tradition, but the easygoing beach vibe encourages everyone from backpackers to more discerning travelers to make it their Adelaide base. The beach is large and sandy with a very gentle slope, and the waters are calm. Expect to see large crowds on hotter days and, depending on the season, seaweed can be a problem. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking. 

Set sail from the Goolwa waterfront for thrice-weekly cruises upon the Spirit of the Coorong, a fully equipped motorboat that offers a 90-minute (A$60) cruise to the Murray Mouth and 3½-hour (A$120) or six-hour tours (A$165) that explore further into Coorong National Park. The six-hour tour runs from October to May only and both longer cruises include guided walks, lunch, and afternoon tea. Visitors can also enjoy locally brewed craft beer and whiskey at Fleurieu Distillery located in the old railway goods shed on the wharf or go shopping at the Goolwa Wharf Markets on the first and third Sunday of each month.

This island is linked to the mainland by a 650-yard causeway, along which Clydesdales pull a double-decker tram (you can also walk across). Once you arrive on Granite Island Recreation Park, the gentle 2-km (1-mile) Kaiki Walk follows a sculpture-lined path that offers lovely ocean views.

This sandy beach with a comically short jetty is enclosed by Freemans Knob and Commodore Point. The two prominent headlands ensure the bay is well protected and keep the waves relatively low, making this a great swimming destination for families. However, it’s worth noting that waves can be heavy during a high swell and surge up the steep beach. The safest swimming is at the western end near the Surf Life Saving Club and Flying Fish café. Fishing is popular around the jetty and boundary rocks. Amenities: parking; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The multifaceted Centre of Immersive Light and Art houses a restaurant, café, and live music venue, but the second-floor Light Room Studio is the beating heart of this high-tech complex. Accessed via a gallery that showcases works sitting at the intersection of art and technology, this one-of-a-kind venue is enclosed by 1,500 square feet of high-definition LED screens that serve as canvases for digital artists who create stunningly intricate digital gardens, rain forest, and aquaria. Exhibitions change regularly.

A family-friendly tribute to the purple flower that adorns the hills, Lyndoch Lavender Farm grows more than 80 varieties on 6 lush acres high above Lyndoch. Gourmet products infused with lavender are available for purchase, alongside essential oils, creams, and other products, including wine from the surrounding vineyards. The most spectacular time to visit is during flowering season from August to September.

Just outside the slate-mining hamlet of Mintaro, 10 km (6 miles) southeast of Sevenhill, wealthy bachelor Edmund Bowman built this gracious 32 room manor house in 1879—as legend has it, to lure his fiancée from England to the colonies. He failed, but continued to spend lavishly. In 1891 a near-bankrupt Bowman sold the grand house to the Mortlock family, who in 1965 willed it—and its contents—to the University of Adelaide. Now privately leased, Martindale Hall is a museum of late-19th- and early-20th-century rural life, filled with the Mortlocks' books, beds, furniture, crockery, glassware, and billiard table, The house, which is open for self-guided tours, was featured in director Peter Weir's first film, Picnic at Hanging Rock.

One of South Australia's most popular beaches for beginner and intermediate surfers, Middleton is known for waves that roll in gently rather than breaking violently. As a result it’s perfect for those still honing their technique, and several companies offer surf lessons here year-round. The entire beach is composed of fine sand that slopes down very gently and creates predictable, even sets that also suit bodyboarding. Thanks to the very wide surf zone, it is moderately safe to swim in the inner surf zone on the bar, but swimmers are advised not to venture beyond the first line of breakers as strong currents occupy the trough between the sand bars. Amenities: parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: surfing; walking.

This futuristic “museum of discovery” is aimed at young adults, but the rotating exhibitions that tackle surprisingly ambitious themes are designed to appeal to all ages. Interactivity is at the heart of the displays, which incorporate technology in a range of innovative ways and encourage guests to explore often complex themes and question what their impact on (and in) the future will be. In addition to Australia’s first Science on a Sphere, a giant globe that projects a range of data onto a 6-foot diameter globe, the Museum includes a café.

Steam-train buffs will love this collection of locomotives and rolling stock in the former Port Adelaide railway yard. The largest of its kind in Australia, the collection includes enormous "mountain"-class engines and the "Tea and Sugar" train, once the lifeline for camps scattered across the deserts of South and Western Australia. For an additional cost take a ride on the historic Semaphore to Fort Glanville Tourist Railway; it runs every Sunday and public holiday from October to end of April and more frequently during school holidays. There are covered outdoor eating areas with tables and chairs at the museum, where visitors may bring their own food and drink.

This is a genuine opal mine turned into a museum. Two fully-furnished underground houses give some idea of what an opal miner’s life must have been like, while mining memorabilia is exhibited in an extensive network of hand-dug tunnels and shafts. Self-guided tours include the chance to noodle (search for opals) in nearby pits and see a selection of valuable opals under natural and UV light.

Goolwa is the home port of paddle-steamer Oscar W. Built in 1908, it's one of the few remaining wood-fired boiler ships and after plying the river as a trading boat was converted into a tourist attraction in the 1960s. When not participating in commemorative cruises and paddleboat races, the boat is open for inspection and, in warmer weather, one-hour cruises and longer trips that include a lunch stop—check the website for upcoming dates.

There are now only around 15 breeding pairs of the delightful little (formerly called fairy) penguins in the colony here at Penneshaw. From the indoor interpretive center, where you can read about bird activity—including mating, nesting, and feeding—a boardwalk leads to a viewing platform above rocks and sand riddled with burrows. Because the penguins spend most of the day fishing at sea or inside their burrows, the best viewing is after sunset. The informative hour-long guided tours leave from the center after sunset daily except Wednesday and Thursday. You might see penguins waddling ashore, chicks emerging from their burrows to feed, or scruffy adults molting—although sometimes you may not see any at all. Bookings essential.

The area's first winery, Sevenhill Cellars was founded by the Jesuits, and they still run the show, with all profits going to education, mission work, and helping the needy within Australia. In the 1940s the winery branched out from altar wine to commercial production, and today makes a variety of styles including Riesling, Viognier, Touriga, and fortified wines. Enjoy a tasting, then head on a self-guided tour of the grounds that takes in the cellars, the cemetery, and the church crypt where Jesuits have been interred since 1865.

Inside a restored stone warehouse, this museum in Port Adelaide, a 20-minute drive from central Adelaide, brings maritime history vividly to life with ships' figureheads, shipwreck relics, and intricate scale models including a ketch you can walk through. In the basement you can see a bunk bed aboard an 1840s immigrant ship and hear passengers telling of life and death on their journeys to South Australia. In addition to the warehouse displays, tours of the historic quarantine station are sometimes available (if that's not too real). The surrounding suburb of Port Adelaide has plenty of antiques shops to visit, and nearby Semaphore has a street lined with cafés leading to a lovely beach.

This museum's Aboriginal Cultures Gallery houses the largest collection of Indigenous Australian cultural material in the world. Old black-and-white films show traditional dancing, and touch screens convey a sense of desert life. Also in the museum are an exhibit commemorating renowned Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, after whom Australia's main Antarctic research station is named; an Opal Fossils Gallery housing the world's most expensive opal collection and the fantastic opalized partial skeleton of a 19-foot-long plesiosaur; and a biodiversity gallery. There's also a café overlooking a grassy lawn. If you are traveling during local school holidays, there are fantastic interactive craft and education activities for children for a small fee.

The center tells the often graphic story of the whaling industry along South Australia's coast, particularly in Encounter Bay. Excellent interpretive displays spread over three floors focus on dolphins, seals, penguins, and whales—all of which can be seen in these waters. In whale-watching season the center has a 24-hour information hotline on sightings.