Adelaide boat tours run on three waters: the Torrens in the city, the Port River at Port Adelaide, and the River Murray inland. You can sit on a Popeye, cruise past the ships' graveyard, paddle a kayak or take a lunch cruise.
The shortest time on the water: 40 to 50 minutes on the Torrens from Elder Park, with live commentary and first-come seating. Food and drinks are not included, and you are offered another date if weather cancels.
From $21 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Ninety minutes on the Port River from the wharf by the red-and-white lighthouse, looking for dolphins and passing the ships' graveyard, with the skipper's commentary. There is a toilet on board.
From $63 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three hours paddling the dolphin sanctuary and past the wrecks of the ships' graveyard from Garden Island. Kayak, paddle, life vest, a jacket if needed and a waterproof box are supplied; ages 8 and up.
From $56 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three hours on the water from the Angas Inlet Boat Club on Garden Island, sixteen paddlers at most. Kayak, life jacket, dry bag, sunscreen and water top-ups are supplied, with toilets and a locked car park. From age 10.
From $57 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Two hours on foot through the city first, then 45 minutes on the Torrens aboard a Popeye to finish. Snacks and a drink are in the fare, the group is twelve at most, and walkers must be 13 or older.
From $73 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The long boat day: three hours on the Captain Proud paddle boat on the River Murray with lunch on board, inside a Hills day with Mount Lofty Summit and Hahndorf. Pickup in Adelaide at 8:30.
From $136 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three hours on the Captain Proud paddle boat with a two-course meal, inside a Hills day with pickup from the Adelaide address you request. About an hour in Hahndorf follows the river.
From $134 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Ninety minutes on the Port River from the lighthouse wharf at Port Adelaide, with the skipper's commentary.
Check availabilityAdelaide's boat tours run on three waters. The Torrens flows through the city, and a Popeye leaves Elder Park for a short cruise. The Port River, north-west of the city, holds the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and the hulks of the ships' graveyard, reached by cruise from Port Adelaide or by kayak from Garden Island. The River Murray lies inland, beyond the Hills.
They range from 40 minutes to a full day. Per-person fares run from $21 for the Popeye to $134 to $136 for the Hills day with the paddle boat lunch cruise. None goes out to open sea: every trip here stays on a river or its backwaters.
Dolphins swim in the Port River, and the cruise and the kayak tours head into the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary to look for them.
Old hulks lie abandoned in the Port River's backwaters. The cruise passes them, and one kayak tour paddles right beside them.
The Popeye is the cheapest way onto the water, and it shows you the river and Elder Park from the boat.
The Captain Proud paddle boat serves lunch over three hours on the River Murray, with Mount Lofty Summit and Hahndorf on the same day.
Sitting on a boat or paddling your own: here is how the options compare.
| Popeye | Port River cruise | Kayak tour | Murray lunch cruise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | The Torrens | The Port River | The Port River | The River Murray |
| Time on the water | 40 to 50 minutes | 1 hour 30 | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Starts | Elder Park | Port Adelaide wharf | Garden Island | Hotel pickup |
| Effort | None | None | You paddle | None |
| Ages | No minimum listed | No minimum listed | From 8 or 10 | From 3 |
| Fares | $21 a person | $63 a person | $56 to $57 a person | $134 to $136 a person |
The cruise suits anyone who wants the dolphins without the effort. A kayak puts you low on the water in the sanctuary and in the mangroves, for a little less, if you are happy to paddle for three hours.
Three hours in the dolphin sanctuary and the ships' graveyard from Garden Island, with kayak, jacket and guide supplied, from age 8.
Check availabilityCompare the boats with every other tour on Adelaide Australia Tours.