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Discover the Top 10 Things to Do in the Adelaide Hills. The Adelaide Hills region is located in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges east of Adelaide and is home to South Australia’s best food, wine and scenery. Being so close to Adelaide, it's an excellent place for a day trip.
From country drives to charming historic villages, stunning views, curious wildlife, and excellent produce, the Adelaide Hills has something for everyone.
Top 10 Things to Do in the Adelaide Hills
Hahndorf is a lovely historic German village in the Adelaide Hills. Established in 1839, it is Australia’s oldest German settlement. As you wander along the charming tree-lined main street, you will see cafes, traditional German hotels, art galleries, shops and boutiques to browse in. Wander along the heritage trail, and you will see many interesting historic buildings dating back to the mid-1800s. Enjoy a traditional hot dog at the Wunderbar Dog Haus or lunch at the German Arms.
Get up close to wildlife
There are several wildlife parks in the Adelaide Hills where you can get up close to Australian native animals. The Cleland Wildlife Park is set in a beautiful bush setting. You will also see many native animals roaming around the 35-hectare park. The Gorge Wildlife Park is on 14 acres of land and is the country's largest privately owned collection of Australian and exotic animals, birds and reptiles. You can hold a koala and hand-feed the kangaroos at both parks. The Big Rocking Horse in Gumeracha has a small wildlife park with kangaroos, emus and wallabies that you can hand feed.
Eat Fresh Produce
Beerenberg Farm is the perfect place for breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea, and you will find a huge selection of jams, sauces and condiments in the farm shop. You can also pick your own delicious strawberries from the strawberry patch from November to April. The Adelaide Hills Farmers Market is every Saturday morning in Mount Barker, with stallholders offering fresh, seasonal, local products. Coffee, chocolates, homemade bread and sweets are also available.
Climb the Big Rocking Horse
The big Rocking Horse at Gumeracha is 18 metres high and is the largest rocking horse in the world. You can climb up to several lookouts, the highest being on top of the horse's head. There is also a small wildlife park and farm where you can hand-feed the animals. The fantastic toy shop has a wide range of wooden, educational, and Australian soft toys. Enjoy the cafe, picnic, and playground areas.
Enjoy Amazing Views
Mount Lofty Summit is Adelaide's highest peak, at 710 metres above sea level. From the summit, you can enjoy stunning panoramic views across Adelaide’s city skyline to the coast. At the top of the summit, there is a cafe, visitor centre, and several walking tracks. The Mount Barker Summit, at 517 metres above sea level, offers beautiful views over Mount Barker and its surroundings. It is a short, steep 250-metre walk from the carpark to the summit of Mount Barker.
This 1.3-kilometre walk starts from the Waterfall Gully carpark in the Cleland National Park and takes about 30 minutes. The First Fall cascades 30 metres into the large pool below, and the Second Fall cascades 10 metres. The Cleland National Park conserves an important area of bushland situated in the Adelaide Hills. There is a wonderful network of walking and cycling trails that introduces you to the diverse native wildlife, cultural heritage and spectacular views of the Adelaide Hills and surrounds.
Visit National Motor Museum
The National Motor Museum in Birdwood is Australia's largest motor museum, with more than 400 cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles on display. It is open daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. As an international centre for collecting, researching, preserving, educating and displaying Australian road transport history, the National Motor Museum is much more than a collection of vehicles. It is a social history of the way we were, the way we are now and the way of the future.
Indulge in Chocolate & Cheese at Woodside
Melba’s Chocolate Factory in Woodside is a working tourism factory that produces chocolates and old-fashioned confectionery. It is open every day from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm, and you can watch the chocolates being made and then try and choose from the huge selection of chocolates and confectionery available. Next door to Melba’s is Woodside Cheese Wrights, a fantastic cheese cellar door open from midday to 4.00 pm, where you can taste the high quality and award-winning Cheeses. They also have a range of local produce and gifts available.
The Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is 97 hectares of wonderful cool-climate gardens overlooking the picturesque Piccadilly Valley. Entry to the gardens is Free and open every day of the year. There are many walking trails through the gardens where you can enjoy the beauty and serenity of nature. You can even walk part of the iconic Heysen Trail, with one of the trail’s oldest sections passing through the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.
Wine Tasting
The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s largest wine regions and one of the coolest and most elevated. There are more than 50 wineries with cellar doors that you can visit in the region. The Adelaide Hills set the benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc in Australia, and the Chardonnay makes some of Australia’s best sparkling wines. This region is also a leader in Pinot Noir and cool climate Shiraz; these wines are elegant and lighter in style than other South Australian Shiraz.
A great range of interesting tours are available in and around the beautiful Adelaide Hills.