South Australia's best tourism experiences for 2024

Discover the best tourism experiences in South Australia for 2024 and explore the full list of winners from the South Australian Tourism Awards.

Seeking out the best in our state? The South Australian tourism awards celebrate the very best of our world-famous offerings — from tours and experiences to festivals and products. Each year an independent judging panel weigh up South Australia's world-class attractions, dining experiences, festivals and accommodation offerings to select the crème de la crème, creating a benchmark for South Australia. Add these experiences to your South Australian adventure wishlist, knowing they come with one hefty tick of approval.

Major Tourist Attractions

Winner – Monarto Safari Park

Set off on a wild African safari (well, almost) and watch giraffes as they gather at watering holes, while lions roam freely across open plains — all from the comfort of a shuttle bus at Monarto Safari Park. Meet the curious characters going the extra mile to save species from extinction and take part in Australia’s only 360-degree lion encounter, giving you a thrilling prey’s-eye view of these awe-inspiring predators (which you can hand feed)! It's the perfect activity to add to your Murry River, Lakes and Coorong itinerary. 

Silver – Adelaide Festival Centre

Step inside Australia’s first capital city arts venue — the Adelaide Festival Centre. Each year the centre welcomes over a million visitors — everyone from toddlers to seasoned art aficionados — to explore its theatres, restaurants and gallery spaces. Home to the Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Ballet and Windmill Theatre (just to name a few), it’s no wonder Adelaide was crowned Australia’s first and only UNESCO City of Music in 2015. 

Bronze – Adelaide Botanic Garden 

What do you get when you mix an urban city with 50 hectares of historic gardens? The Adelaide Botanic Garden. Found within the city’s ring of parklands — part of what makes South Australia the world’s second National Park City after London — the gardens are home to stunning architecture, majestic avenues and its famous wisteria arbour. Explore the Palm House (a restored Victorian glasshouse imported from Germany in 1875, thought to be the only one left of its kind) and the Bicentennial Conservatory housing a magical rainforest canopy. If you’re visiting Adelaide Botanic Garden before April 2025, don’t miss Chihuly in the Botanic Garden — an exclusive Australian exhibition featuring 15 large-scale glass sculptures.

Tourist Attractions 

Winner – d’Arenberg Cube

Seemingly floating above the vines, this otherworldly Rubik’s cube-like cellar door is one of the most iconic and unique wine tasting destinations in Australia. Set among the rolling hills of McLaren Vale on the largest biodynamic winery in Australia, The Cube features a tasting room with 360-degree views over five levels, several bars, a casual dining restaurant, a museum and an art gallery.

Silver – Adelaide Gaol 

Step back in time and explore the haunting hallways and cells of one of South Australia's oldest landmarks: Adelaide Gaol. Roam at your leisure or join a guided ghost or history tour through the very gaol that housed some of the state's most notorious criminals for over 147 years. Discover the grim realities of life behind bars in one of Australia’s longest continuously operating prisons, which witnessed the stories of nearly 300,000 inmates.

Bronze – MOD. 

Want to help inform our future? Dive head-first into 'big picture' thinking at Australia’s boldest interactive public science and creativity space. At the University of South Australia, this free futuristic playground is an adventure zone for curious minds aged 15 and up! MOD. takes you on a journey through seven gallery spaces, exploring dynamic exhibitions that unite science, technology and inspiration. Each year they host a new exhibition, so you can keep your curiosity in overdrive. 

The full list of award winners

Major Festivals & Events

Winner – Adelaide Festival 

Silver – Illuminate Adelaide 

Bronze – WOMADelaide 

Festivals & Events

Winner – Sleep's Hill Tunnel

Silver – 2024 Glenelg Ice Cream Festival

Bronze – 2024 Let's Go Caravan, Camping and Outdoor Show

Ecotourism

Winner – The Big Duck Boat Tours

Silver – Nilpena Ediacara National Park

Cultural Tourism

Winner – Adelaide Zoo

Silver – Flamboyance Tours

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Tourism Experiences

Winner and Hall of Fame champion – Kool Tours

Tourism Retail, Hire & Services

Winner – Copper Trails Bike Hire

Silver – Adelaide Central Market 

Bronze – Bike About Mountain Bike Tours & Hire pty ltd

Visitor Information Services

Winner – Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre

Silver – Clare Valley Wine, Food and Tourism Centre

Bronze – Port Pirie Visitor Information Centre

Business Event Venues

Winner – Adelaide Convention Centre

Silver – Events at SkyCity

Bronze – Adelaide Oval 

Major Tour & Transport Operators

Winner – SeaLink Marine & Tourism - PS Murray Princess

Tour & Transport Operators 

Winner – Spirit of the Coorong

Silver – Juggle House Experiences

Bronze – Port River Cruises

Adventure Tourism

Winner – Bendleby Ranges

Silver – Woodhouse Adventure Park

Bronze – RoofClimb Adelaide Oval

Tourism Marketing & Campaigns

Winner – Barossa. Be Curious 

Silver – Station Stays SA Flinders Ranges & Outback

Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services

Winner – L'Anse French Cafe

Silver – The Currant Shed

Bronze –  Watervale Hotel

Tourism Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries

Winner – Seppeltsfield Barossa 

Silver – Pindarie Wines

Bronze – Dandelion Vineyards

Caravan & Holiday Parks

Winner – BIG4 West Beach Parks

Hosted Accommodation

Winner – Oceanview Eco Villas 

Unique Accommodation

Winner – Woodhouse Adventure Park

Silver – Mount Little Station

Bronze – Bukirk Glamping & Fancy Coops

Self-contained Accommodation

Winner – Old Coach Road Estate

Silver – Neagles Retreat Villas

Bronze – THE CHURCH' Gawler Barossa Region

3-3.5 Star Accommodation

Winner – ibis Adelaide

4-4.5 Star Deluxe Accommodation

Winner – Oval Hotel

Silver – Beach Huts Middleton

Bronze – Atura Hotel Adelaide Airport

5 Star Luxury Accommodation

Winner – Eos by SkyCity 

Silver – Le Mas Barossa 

Bronze – Mount Lofty House

New Tourism Business

Winner – Radelaide Tours

Silver – Little Blessings Brewing 

Bronze – Pod[e] 

Excellence in Food Tourism

Winner –  Watervale - Ethical Epicurean Experiences

Silver – Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market

Bronze – Anita Robin, The Foodbuilder

Excellence in Accessible Tourism

Winner – Adelaide Fringe

Silver – Adelaide Zoo

Bronze – Kimbolton Wines

Thank you...

From the ancient peaks of the Flinders Ranges and outback to the lush valleys of the Adelaide Hills, we thank our operators for showing South Australia to the world.