Can I do a day trip to Adelaide Hills?
Written by: Cameron Ward
Published: 02/23/2024
Reading time: 3 mins
Adelaide Hills without a doubt is most known for its beautiful scenery, along with the food and wine.
Only a 20-minute drive from Adelaide City, you can spend a day exploring the scenic Adelaide Hills.
You can certainly do Adelaide Hills on a day when you’ll be wanting to come back for another day!
What to do
While you’re in Adelaide Hills for the day, here’s a selection of things you can do in the area!
Go to wineries
Most people recognise the Barossa Valley as having flavourful wines, but so does Adelaide Hills! In these wineries, you can sit down inside the cellar door and taste the local wines.
Some wineries to visit include Mt Bera Cella Door, Cobb’s Hill Estate, Kersbrook Hill Wines & Cider, and Tapanappa Wines.
Enjoy a meal
Adelaide Hills is known for having some pretty great food to eat in the area. From small cafes to fine dining restaurants, there is something for everyone to enjoy here.
Some notable places to try out include Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant, The Cudlee Cafe, and Lobethal Bierhaus. The wineries in the Hills that have restaurants are also a good option to go to.
See some animals at one of the wildlife parks
See a range of Australia’s favourite wildlife including kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and so much more. Check out to see if there are any upgrade options where you can have an encounter with some of these animals.
Wildlife parks to visit include Cleland Wildlife Park, Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary, and Gumeracha Wildlife Park.
Go for walks or hikes
Throughout Adelaide Hills there are plenty of hiking options available to do, suiting all different levels of fitness. Cleland Conservation Park has many tracks where you can see the amazing views of the Hills. Or you can do some self-guided town walks, including Stirling which has an app.
The most popular hiking trail within the Hills is the Mount Lofty Summit. The views are truly remarkable across the city and Adelaide Hills and is best to be at the summit at sunset.
Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens
Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens is a 97-hectare garden with a display of the world’s cool climate plants. You can spend an hour following the trail through the Garden to see the collection of plants and even some sculptures and artworks.
Big Rocking Horse
Ever wanted to see the biggest rocking horse in the world? Now you can in Adelaide Hills! The Big Rocking Horse is 18 metres tall and is in Gumeracha.
The Big Rocking Horse is open every day and you can have your little ones climb the rocking horse to receive a certificate!
When planning your one-day trip to Adelaide Hills, make sure you have a car to drive around! Public transport is very limited with some areas not having any available.
