Things To Do In The Adelaide Hills

Top things not to miss in the Adelaide Hills

The Adelaide Hills has always known what it is. Cool air, deep soil and towns that have been quietly going about their business for the better part of two centuries. Cross the ranges just 20 minutes from Adelaide and the city falls away. The roads wind and the seasons show.

Trails move through national parks, where the wildlife don’t stay tucked away. Long lunches stretch at cellar doors, where the cool-climate wines are as good as the views. Markets and farm gates fill your arms before you've made it to the end of the street. Then there's Hahndorf — a town seemingly transported from Germany, that somehow ended up in the ranges and never left.

Whether you have a day or a long weekend, the Adelaide Hills has plenty of things to do and see.

Apple bags line wooden shelfs at an apple stand on the side of the road in Kenton Valley in the Adelaide Hills

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Tour local produce

The soil here has always been generous. Stone fruit, berries, cool-climate wines and artisan cheese are all grown here quietly and in abundance. At farm gates propped open with an honesty box, you'll find punnets of strawberries still warm from the morning. Pick-your-own orchards put the fruit in your hand before it ever sees a shelf. Adelaide Hills wineries pour cool-climate drops that taste exactly like the region they came from, while farmers markets spill across village greens on weekends, run by the people who grew everything on the table. It's that kind of place. With the city just over the ranges, it makes for an easy escape — though with this much to taste, you'll want to take your time.

Get a Taste of the Hills

Someone's hands are ready to grab the huge pretzel that sits on a plate in Hahndorf

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Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement

The Adelaide Hills has a way of surprising you. You round the bend and suddenly the street ahead looks unmistakably Bavarian — shopfronts, cobblestones and the smell of something slow-cooked drifting through an open door. Hahndorf, Australia's oldest surviving German settlement, has looked much the same since 1839. In autumn, the main street does something special: leaves turn, the air goes cool and damp, and the rows of European shopfronts glow in amber and rust. Wander the handmade shops, find a Hofbräu München (Munich's royal brewery) on tap and order the Schweinehaxe (roasted pork knuckle) at one of the cosy taverns lining the street. Then, hop aboard a 1970s steam locomotive back through the ranges, with a Bavarian souvenir in hand. Despite the Germanic roots, it somehow all still feels very South Australian.

Get a feel of Europe

There's a view of rolling hills and tree branches between two people rugged up for the winter chill

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Sports & Outdoors

The best days here start with nothing more than a trail, the sound of your own footsteps and the city already feeling further away than it is. There's a sprawling network of national parks and conservation areas, threaded with walking and hiking trails that range from an easy morning stroll to a full day in the ranges. Then things get interesting. The mountain biking here is world-class — the kind that draws serious riders from across the country. Cyclists find their rhythm on the rolling roads. Horse riders move through the bush at their own pace. Golfers have their pick of courses tucked into the landscape. It's a region that rewards simply being outside, and for those who want to take things even further, there's ziplining, obstacle courses or 4WD adventures.

Step in the hilly Outdoors

Places to experience in the Adelaide Hills

The best way to explore the Adelaide Hills is one town at a time. Wander Hahndorf’s heritage streets, browse local makers in Gumeracha and follow winding roads between them all. Along the way, roadside produce stalls appear without much warning, stacked with whatever’s in season. The hardest part is deciding where to pull over next. Explore the towns below.

Explore the Adelaide Hills, where the ranges roll out and the table is always set

From cellar doors to trail heads, long lunches to early mornings in the bush — it's all here and easier to find than you'd think. Just save the experiences that catch your eye, then create a free southaustralia.com account to build your getaway with the Trip Planner. The best part? You can take it all with you in your pocket. The Explore South Australia app brings your saved favourites together in one place, with personalised recommendations to help you discover what's nearby, what's open and what fits the day you're having.

How it works

Adelaide Hills Attractions

The Adelaide Hills attractions worth knowing about tend to share one thing in common — they don't let you stay a spectator for long. Pick fruit straight from the orchard, follow the scent of lavender across open fields or get nose-to-nose with native wildlife at one of the region's beloved sanctuaries. National parks stretch across the ranges while trails and botanic gardens spill colour across the hillsides. Take your pick.

Adelaide Hills Tours

The best way to know a place is to follow someone who already does. Adelaide Hills tours come in all shapes: wine trails with someone who can tell the story behind the glass, walking and biking routes led by locals who know every shortcut and viewpoint, cooking classes built around what's growing right now. The difference between passing through and really landing somewhere often comes down to who's showing you around.

Markets, shopping & galleries in the Adelaide Hills

Handmade caramels from Stirling, chocolate from Melba's factory floor, lavender from the farm still in the bag — the Adelaide Hills has a way of filling your arms before you've made it down the main street. In Hahndorf, candle shops, spice stores and Bavarian boutiques line the street, while Stirling's monthly market runs all year round. From art galleries to local studios, find something there that only this region could produce.

Vehicle and equipment hires

The Adelaide Hills is best explored at your own pace, and a bike is one of the best ways to do it. With great cycling routes and mountain bike trails threading through the region, two wheels make a lot of sense here. E-bikes are a particularly good call for the hillier stretches — it’s all the scenery with none of the suffering. Car hire is available from Adelaide's CBD and airport for those making the trip from further afield.

Things to do in the Adelaide Hills