I just love walking tours. I think it’s the best way to get your bearings, learn some of the history and get some local information all in one place. I almost always do one on the first day in any new place.
But I also like to do them in my home city, and I have recently tried out some of the tours from one of our new tour companies, Radelaide Tours.
Take a look at the Radelaide walking tours I’ve done, and learn about all the other tours they offer too.
TL;DR? Here's the outline
Hidden Adelaide: Laneways & Street Art Tour
I always love poking around in laneways and backstreets when I travel. There are always interesting things to see and find, and Adelaide is no exception.
I’ve been living here all my life and have spent thousands of hours in the city centre, so I was intrigued. Would I learn anything new on this tour, or would I just be along on this tour for the review I was planning to do?
It didn’t take me long to get my answer.
We met Dax, the guide behind Radelaide Tours, at the Tourist Information Centre on Pirie Street and immediately headed out into Paul Kelly Lane – and I learned that the combination of the two churches here was the start of the Uniting Church in Australia.
Then I learned about the artwork here dedicated to Paul Kelly – I had completely missed it in the past. We had moved maybe 200 metres by now, and I was already sold.
Yes, I was going to be learning things on this tour, even as a local who prides herself on knowing a fair bit about our city.
But rather than share everything with you, I’ll leave that up to the storyteller who runs this tour.
The tour continued around the East half of the city until we came to North Terrace, where we jumped on the tram and headed a couple of stops to the west and saw some of the laneways and artwork there too, ending up with the large Sia street art, 2.5 hours after we started.
The tour was leisurely, we never felt rushed and there was plenty of time to talk, discuss and ask questions.
We saw all sorts of street art, from some of the large murals that grace the Adelaide buildings to art work on the ground, even the smallest door in Adelaide – which I must have passed hundreds of times and I’ve never even noticed it!
We learned about the coins embedded in the footpaths and matchbox cars glued to the wall, and why so many places around Adelaide seem to have a musical theme.
This Hidden Adelaide tour is not so much about the history of the city but about some of the quirky and usual parts and it shows that there is so much more to see that the average visitor (and even resident!) misses.
Discover Glenelg Guided Walking Tour
After the fun tour in the city, I decided to also join Dax on a walking tour around Glenelg. This beachside suburb is popular with visitors and is also the place SAs first settlers landed.
In the years since it has been the summer home and playground of the Adelaide gentry, with the large historical mansions on the beachfront. Today there are modern apartments, expansive lawns and a marina where there once was sand hills and swamp.
So there’s a lot of history here, and most of the tour does show historical places and Dax tells great stories of things that have happened here in the past.
There is also an overview of some of the fun things you can do in Glenelg today, and great recommendations for restaurants, bakeries and cafes. Thankfully we both agreed that Bottega Gelato is the best ice cream shop in town.
This tour was shorter than the Hidden Adelaide tour at a little over 90 minutes, but I think that was about right here in Glenelg.
It’s a great extension to the Ultimate Adelaide Tour. Do that one in the morning, jump on the tram to Glenelg and spend the afternoon here.
Afterwards, enjoy a drink in one of the seaside venues as you watch the sun sink into the ocean, one of the few cities in Australia where this can be done.
Why I’d Recommend These Tours
I had a lot of fun doing these two tours. Dax is very knowledgeable and has clearly done his homework on each of the topics covered.
I learned a lot more than I expected, even about things I already thought I knew about. Visitors to Adelaide will find the tours interesting and informative.
I like that the tours are small groups, making plenty of space for discussion. While we had five and three on these tours respectively, the Ultimate Adelaide tour (see below) in the morning tends to have 10-15 people on it. More, but still a small enough number to feel intimate.
The tours were not rushed. I’ve done some in the past where so much was included that we would stand looking at something, hear a quick spiel, and it was immediately off to the next thing just to fit everything in.
Here there was room for discussion, sharing stories and asking questions.
There was not too much walking involved, nor too much standing in one place, which can be a challenging balance with a walking tour. Using the tram in the Hidden Adelaide tour is a great addition to cut down the distance.
The Other Radelaide Tours
While I chose to test out two of the tours, there are some more that Dax offers, including the most popular tour. Take a look at these tours too.
Ultimate Walking Tour
This is the signature Radelaide tour, offered most mornings. It’s the perfect introduction to Adelaide and a favourite with visitors.
Over three hours you will learn the basics of the history and important spots, get your bearings and learn about getting around, and pick up some tips about the places you hope to see during your stay.
After doing this tour, you may then like to expand your knowledge with one or two of the other tours on offer.
Discover Adelaide: City Walk & Popeye River Cruise
The Discover Adelaide tour includes a fabulous add-on/adjustment to the Ultimate Adelaide tour giving you a 2-in-1 experience.
You will begin the tour with everyone else doing the standard Ultimate Adelaide tour, enjoying the first two hours of the tour.
When you reach the River Torrens, you will board our beloved river boat, Popeye, for a 45-minute tour, giving you a different view of some SA icons.
Adelaide Food Odyssey
We have some really unique local foods that you should try while you are in South Australia and the Adelaide Food Odyssey tour will introduce some of them to you.
Now I can’t tell you too much about this tour because it is brand spanking new. So new, that it hasn’t quite started yet but should be up and running in June 2025 – just a few weeks away.
The plan is for it to be a progressive lunch, visiting various locations across the city to build the meal, but I can’t tell you more until it’s all confirmed.
If you’re interested in the details, keep an eye on the website – and I will update here as soon as I can.
Adelaide Hidden Bar Tour
Some of Adelaide’s best bars fall into this “hidden bar” category, the whole point of which is to be a little less easy to find. The best way to learn about these gems is to jump on a tour with someone who knows all the spots, and that’s Dax with his Adelaide Hidden Bar tour.
While I’ve not yet done this one, my plan is to do it soon because I love nothing more than enjoying a pub crawl to funky and interesting places.
I’m not giving anything away, but I have visited one of the bars before and the themed cocktails are so much fun!
You will visit four different hidden bars – including the one above – and learn some rollicking tales about alcohol in South Australia.
*You will need to pay for your drinks of choice at each bar during the tour.
