Adelaide Tour Map: Where Every Tour Starts

Tours from Adelaide start anywhere from a stall in the Central Market to a boat club on Garden Island or a bus station before dawn. A tour that looks close can start a drive away from your hotel. Choosing between guided tours from Adelaide? Find the start before you book.

There are three kinds of start. Walks and the Popeye meet you at a fixed point in the city centre. Most day trips collect you from your hotel or from Stamford Plaza. The Port River trips and the Kangaroo Island days ask you to get yourself somewhere, often early.

City centre start points — on foot from your hotel

If you are staying in the grid, you can walk to all of these. Check the second column against your map app the night before.

The market has more than one door, and the walks use different ones. The discovery walk meets inside, at the SiSea stall in the north-west corner. The Taste of the Central Market walk meets at the Grote Street entrance, by Saudade Portuguese Tarts. If you are late, you will be waiting at the wrong side of the building.

The history walks meet outside the Visitor Information Centre on Pirie Street, and the Ultimate walking tour finishes at a pub or bar near the Central Market. You end the day a short walk from where the food walks begin, so you can pair them across two mornings.

Hotel pickups for day tours — what to check

A pickup is only as good as the address you give. Enter the name of your hotel exactly as it appears on your booking, and give the operator a mobile number that works in Australia. If you are staying in an apartment or with friends, ask where the nearest listed stop is.

• Is your hotel on the list? The premium Barossa day collects from more than 50 points in the city and Glenelg. Others collect from a set list, or from Stamford Plaza.
• What time? Most coach days start between 8:30 and 9:30. The Highlights and McLaren Vale day collects from seven city points between 8:45 and 9:05.
• Glenelg: some days collect from the Oaks Glenelg Plaza Pier. Staying at the beach adds time on the road, so ask for your pickup time.
• The return: the Barossa hop-on bus is back about 17:30; ask your operator for the others. The Kangaroo Island days are back late at night.

Port Adelaide and Garden Island — the Port River starts

The dolphin trips start outside the city centre, on the Port River at Port Adelaide. The cruise leaves from the old port itself, while the kayaks launch further up the river on Garden Island, among the mangroves.

1. The dolphin cruise leaves Port Adelaide wharf in front of the red-and-white lighthouse, at 1 McLaren Parade. It is near public transport.
2. The kayak tours start at Lot 204 Garden Island Road, a 10-minute drive from central Port Adelaide. Look for the Adventure Kayaking vehicles, or the Angas Inlet Boat Club on the small-group tour.
3. Arrive early: the small-group kayak tour asks you to be there 15 minutes before the start. It has locked parking, toilets and shade.
4. No pickup: the listings offer none, so you need a car or a taxi for the kayaks.

Kangaroo Island: 6:30 at the Central Bus Station

The coach runs to Cape Jervis for the 45-minute ferry. What you see on the other side is on Kangaroo Island from Adelaide.

Starting in the Barossa or Hahndorf

If you are staying out of town, you can join some days where you are. The Barossa hop-on hop-off bus boards at the Barossa Visitor Centre, 66–68 Murray Street, Tanunda, at 10:50. The Hills bus boards at Hahndorf Academy, 68 Main Street, Hahndorf, also at 10:50.

The small-group day from your Barossa stay collects you from your accommodation and starts at 10:00 in Tanunda. Where the Barossa and Hills cellar doors sit is on Adelaide's wine regions.

The map — Adelaide and its day-trip regions

The map loads only when you ask for it. Zoom out to see the Barossa to the north-east, the Hills to the east and the Fleurieu Peninsula running south to the ferry.

Use the distances to set your expectations. Hahndorf is 28 km from the city and Mount Lofty Summit 15 km east. McLaren Vale is 45 minutes south and the Barossa about an hour north-east. Flinders Chase, at the far end of Kangaroo Island, is 266 km from Adelaide by road and sea, which is why that day starts in the dark.

Start points: your questions