Family holidays

Plan your South Australian family holidays

Family holidays don’t need to be complicated. Sometimes all you want is a beach your kids can swim at, burning off energy in the outdoors, before drifting back to home base tired and content. By evening, everyone’s gathered around the barbecue or game board, conversation passing between generations.

Whether you’re planning around the South Australia school holidays or carving out a few days away together, we’ve gathered places to stay and things to do to help those days take shape.

Here are the 2026 South Australia school holiday dates to help you plan:

First day of school: Tuesday 27January
Autumn holidays: Saturday 11 April – Sunday 26 April
Winter holidays: Saturday 4 July – Sunday 19 July
Spring holidays: Saturday 26 September – Sunday 11 October
Summer holidays: Saturday 12 December – Tuesday 26 January 2027

Discover our Family Friendly Holiday Destinations

Each region in South Australia has its own way of welcoming you and your family in. It might be a beach day where towels and sandcastles slowly take over the shoreline, or a country town where the morning starts with hot chocolates and muddy boots. Take a look through the regions below and see which one feels like your kind of holiday.

Adelaide

Adelaide

An easy city for families. Beaches, parks and attractions sit close together, so days flow smoothly without long drives or too much planning.
Adelaide Hills

Adelaide Hills

The Hills are where kids get out of the car and head straight for a trail or paddock, muddy their boots and pick their own fruit.
Fleurieu Peninsula

Fleurieu Peninsula

A Fleurieu day often starts with a swim and stretches on from there, the hours passing easily while kids dart in and out of the water.
Barossa Valley

Barossa Valley

The Barossa suits families who like to graze and wander, stopping when something looks good and staying longer when everyone’s content.
Clare Valley

Clare Valley

Clare Valley is where you realise that the picnic is the plan. Spread out on the grass and let the kids make up their own games as you sip on local riesling.
Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island

On Kangaroo Island, the car slows often. Wildlife draws kids to the windows and plans gently bend to make room for watching.
Yorke Peninsula

Yorke Peninsula

The tide sets the agenda, with kids disappearing down the jetty ladder and coming back salty and hungry.
Eyre Peninsula

Eyre Peninsula

You’ll arrive with towels and snacks, choose a stretch of sand and happily stay right there for the whole day.
Limestone Coast

Limestone Coast

Every cave the kids peer up at and sinkhole they descend into, they’ll learn more about how the past shapes their future.
Murray River, Lakes & Coorong

Murray River, Lakes & Coorong

A Murray River holiday is built around the bank, feet dangling off the deck and swims filling the gaps.
Riverland

Riverland

In the Riverland, the heat decides the day — a swim when it peaks, followed by fresh fruit shared in the afternoon shade.
Flinders Ranges & Outback

Flinders Ranges & Outback

You wake up to quiet, spend the day outside and notice the kids looking up more than they do down at screens.

Popular things to do with Kids

Some days call for getting out and doing something that really sticks. These experiences give kids space to climb, explore, ask questions and burn off energy. From hands-on learning to wide-open adventures, they’re the kinds of outings that turn an ordinary day out into stories, drawings and tired, happy kids.

National Parks & Beaches loved by Families

These are the places families return to again and again. Beaches with gentle water for little legs, jetties that double as playgrounds for older kids and national parks where space and fresh air do most of the entertaining. Whether it’s a short walk or time spent poking around rockpools, these are the places where “five more minutes” keeps getting renegotiated.

Family friendly wineries

These wineries understand what a family day out actually looks like, offering the kind of setting where everyone can relax at the same time. While little ones stay busy running laps around the grass, you can settle in with a wine knowing its a shared experience rather than a compromise.

Popular family events & school holiday activities

These events are made with families in mind. The kids peel off toward whatever’s caught their eye, while you spread out a rug nearby. From festivals that welcome prams, to school holiday activities designed to fill long days - expect plenty of wandering, sitting, rejoining and wandering again.

Family Friendly Restaurants

Sometimes the win is simply staying seated. Restaurants that understand family pacing: meals that arrive before patience runs out, space that doesn’t feel too precious, and small details that make eating out feel manageable. Whether there’s room to move nearby, or just a genuinely welcoming feel, these spots take the pressure out of eating out with the little ones.

Best Accommodation for Families with Kids

The best family stays work like a good base camp. It’s the place you come back to with sandy feet or tired legs, where the day slows and everyone exhales at once. These are the kinds of accommodation that supports the day, rather than competing with it.

Large Group Accommodation in South Australia

Travelling with a bigger crew changes the brief. You’re looking for somewhere everyone fits, where mornings start together and no one’s juggling rooms or plans. These large group accommodations make that easier - places that hold the group comfortably and give you space to be together, whether it’s for a long weekend or a few slow days away.

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