Ten Tips for Travelling to Adelaide on a Budget

Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Adelaide tours and experiences. You can browse the options here.

OK, cheap travel in Oz; do you want the good news or the bad news?

Let’s get the Debbie downer out of the way first: Australia is an exxy travel destination at the best of times. Period. We sit just shy of the ten most expensive countries on the planet in terms of our cost of living. The good news, however, is that Adelaide is consistently ranked as Australia’s cheapest major city to live in. So, travelling to the fabulous South Australian capital will automatically drive your holiday dollar further. A lot further in fact. For a start, with four world-famous wine regions on the doorstep, you can get a good glass of wine in a restaurant or pub in Adelaide for under $10. Try pulling that off in Sydney or Melbourne!

But the allure doesn’t end there. Adelaide offers a cutting edge cultural scene, a CBD bursting at the seams with heritage architecture and popping street art, and lots of gorgeous green spaces. And most of it is free to enjoy!

If you’re considering a permanent move to Adelaide based on the cheaper cost of living, there are around 400 suburbs to choose from. Give yourself plenty of time to explore by utilising self storage in Seaford. It will keep your possessions safe and secure while you get to know the city.

Here are ten practical ways to see the best of Adelaide on a budget.

Watch our video of ten ways to save money on travel to Adelaide:

How to TRAVEL to ADELAIDE on a BUDGET, South Australia, 2023 | 10 Money Saving Travel Tips

Rising interest rates and the cost of living mean that most of us will have less to spend on travel in 2023. However, there are ways to keep your reduced holiday budget in the black. In the first of a new series of videos on Australia’s capital cities and key regional destinations, we bring you ten tips for saving money on travel to Adelaide.

1. Take the bus

As in most Aussie cities, buses are the cheapest form of transport in Adelaide — along with the light rail service, which is free of charge in the CBD (note: you’ll need a ticket to travel beyond the free tram zone). There are two buses you should be aware of. The first is the free city connector service. Route 99, which operates from Monday to Friday, does a loop of the city that links most key attractions. Route 98 runs seven days a week and does an extended loop around the city and North Adelaide. The services are, understandably, just as popular with locals as they are with tourists. So, if you don’t want to make like a sardine, try and travel outside peak hours.

Finally, if you plan to visit the popular village of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills sans car, the 864 bus from Currie Street in the city centre is far and away the cheapest way to get there ($4 each way at the time of writing). The trip takes around 50 minutes.

2. Sleep cheap…

According to Trivago, the cheapest months to book a hotel in Adelaide are July and August, while the most expensive months are February and March (unsurprisingly, as ‘Mad March’ sees the city host no less than three major arts festivals at the same time).

Hostels are the cheapest accommodation option and my first stay with YHA Australia a few years ago in Sydney was a complete revelation. I’ve since stayed in others around the country, and they always offer unbeatable value. They’re fun, funky, clean, and comfortable, but what will come as the biggest surprise are the range of room options. Yes, you can channel your inner backpacker and book a dorm room for around $40 a night. Alternatively, opt for a private room with a shared bathroom, or in many instances, a private room with an ensuite bathroom — just as you would see in any standard hotel. But the rate is still likely to be well under the $100-a-night mark.

Adelaide Central YHA offers ensuite rooms and is ideally located on Waymouth Street on the northern side of the city. It’s a short walk from there to cultural hub North Terrace, Rundle Mall, nightlife mecca Hindley Street and the Adelaide Central Market. The hostel is packed with amenities, including a fully equipped shared kitchen, dining and recreation room, laundry, free Wi-Fi, and affordable onsite parking. Linen and towels are provided. The one quirk is that you’re requested to strip the bed when you leave. But hey, it’s only a few steps to the nearest laundry cart and the savings are there.

3. …and eat cheap

Adelaide’s food scene is mind-blowing, and while the sky’s the limit on fine dining, eating well on a budget is entirely doable. Firstly, get amongst the CBD’s plethora of pubs, most of which offer well priced tucker and daily specials. Special mention to the Union Hotel on Waymouth Street (just a hop, skip and jump from the YHA), which offers an upscale menu of pub classics and some great weeknight meal deals.

Cheap eats abound in the Chinatown precinct adjacent to the Adelaide Central Market. It’s also worth checking out Groupon’s Adelaide dining deals, which will save you a motza at eateries across the city and suburbs.

4. Shop fresh for less

If you plan to self-cater (and why wouldn’t you with access to a full kitchen at the YHA), become acquainted with the perennial Adelaide Central Market. This is one of the largest undercover produce markets in the Southern Hemisphere and showcases the wares of growers and gourmet artisans from across South Australia. Fresh fruit and vegies, meat and fish, smallgoods and cheese, bread and pastries; if you can eat it, you can buy it here. Go an hour or two before closing time and cash in on marked down products and run-out specials. The market is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so the bargains come thick and fast on Saturday afternoons from around 1pm as vendors attempt to clear all their remaining stock.

5. Connect for free

While many travellers now have access to their own data, free Wi-Fi is widely available in Adelaide for those who need it/want it. Just look for the ‘Adelaide Free WiFI’ network in the CBD — a joint initiative of the City of Adelaide, South Australian Government and Internode. Super-fast free Wi-Fi is also offered at the State Library of South Australia on North Terrace — and there’s no finer setting in which to sit and surf the net than the library’s epic Mortlock Building.

6. Walk the walk

Pounding the pavement is a breeze in Adelaide’s compact and completely flat CBD, and a walking tour is a great way to get your bearings. Flamboyance Tours’ ‘Welcome to Adelaide’ tour will set you back the princely sum of $44 (at the time of writing) and may even pay for itself in tips from your guide for cost effective things to see and do during the rest of your stay.

If things are really tight, download the free self-guided walking tour of your choice from the City of Adelaide website. There are CBD trails devoted to history, art and culture, and the market precinct.

7. Indulge in sugary samples and seconds

Adelaide has a decidedly sweet tooth and is home to Haigh’s Chocolates — Australia’s oldest family-owned chocolate company. The company’s visitor centre and factory on Greenhill Road, adjacent to the parklands on the southern side of the CBD, offers free guided tours at various times from Monday through to Saturday. Learn the history of this cocoa-fuelled success story and sample some sweet treats as part of the deal. Take time afterwards to browse in the shop, which often offers end-of-line specials.

Fru Chocs are another sweet Adelaide institution, and the factory outlet at Glynde clears out bags of odd-shaped seconds at bargain prices. Tip: Sign up for the Fru Chocs newsletter on their website homepage and get 10% off your purchases.

8. Enjoy free priceless culture

Culture vultures and history buffs can revel in Adelaide’s world-class cultural credentials without spending a cent. The Art Gallery of South Australia, South Australian Museum, State Library, Samstag Museum of Art, MOD (Museum of Discovery), and Migration Museum all offer free general entry (note: special events and exhibitions are sometimes ticketed). If you’re into sporting culture, don’t miss seeing the Bradman Collection at Adelaide Oval. It houses The Don’s priceless collection of cricketing memorabilia and is free to enter; just check in with the concierge desk at the Riverbank Stand.

9. Get back to nature for nix

One thing you’ll quickly clock about Adelaide is that it has a lot of green space. The city is framed on all sides by parkland and is home to no less than four official Botanic Gardens. The closest to the CBD are the Adelaide Botanic Garden and neighbouring Botanic Park, while the Mount Lofty and Wittunga Botanic Gardens are located further afield. They’re all free to enter, and all offer at least one free guided walking tour every week (the Adelaide Botanic Garden walk operates daily). The walks take around 1.5 hours and are hosted by specially trained volunteers.

10. Do a discount wine tour

Coming to Adelaide and not visiting a wine region does not compute. However, with all-inclusive wine tours costing anywhere from $150 to $200 per person, those on a tight budget will need to get creative. You have to get to your region of choice to begin with (the Barossa Valley, for example, is 70-or-so kilometres from the city), then get around from cellar door to cellar door, and cover the cost of tastings and lunch. If you have a car, great. You can drive yourself, visit a winery or two for tastings (usually around $10 per person, per venue), and enjoy a cafe lunch — all without breaking the bank.

If you don’t have wheels and you’re happy to do one or two wine tastings and spend the rest of the day soaking up the setting, Trailhoppers’ hop on hop off wine buses make good fiscal sense. Services operate from the city to the Barossa and Adelaide Hills, and you can just about get away with a day amongst the vines for $150 per person (including transport, one or two tastings, and the purchase of a cafe lunch).

It’s also possible to have a wine tasting experience without leaving the city, and the best part of that scenario is the price. The National Wine Centre of Australia is located on the edge of the CBD (adjacent to the Adelaide Botanic Garden), and offers a combined tour of the facility and guided tasting of five vintages for $89 per person at the time of writing. They even have an onsite vineyard to set the scene.

This post was published thanks to Roomia Self Storage.

The writer travelled as a guest of YHA Australia.

Browse our full range of Adelaide tours and experiences here. We offer a Best Price Guarantee.

Do you have any tips for ways to travel to Adelaide on a budget? We would love to hear from you. Join the conversation on our Facebook page.

Cover image: South Australian Tourism Commission. Additional images: Bigstock

Travel essentials

You can book many aspects of your holiday on the Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas website, including flights, hotels, car hire, travel insurance, and more. When you purchase a product or service using the following links from our partners, we receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay, and it enables us to continue to provide readers with amazing travel inspiration.

Flights

Compare airlines, flights, and fares in one place with Booking.com. They don’t charge any credit card fees and you can always see exactly what you’re paying for in the price breakdown. Search for flights with Booking.com

Hotels

If you’re looking for a great deal on your next hotel or homestay, look no further than Booking.com. Their mission is to make travel affordable and accessible to more people, and to deliver seamless accommodation experiences that complement your holiday. Search for hotels and homestays with Booking.com

Car hire

Discover Cars is an award-winning (World Travel Awards) car rental comparison website, which helps customers find, compare, and hire cars at the most competitive prices globally. Search for hire cars with Discover Cars

Day tours & experiences

Search and book day tours, guided experiences, and attraction tickets and passes worldwide with Top Oz Tours and Viator. There are no booking or credit card fees when you book through us, and you’ll have access to the widest choice of activities and most competitive prices. Browse day tours and experiences

Multi-day tours & trips

Top Oz Tours has joined forced with Tour Radar to bring you a fabulous range of multi-day tours and trips from the world’s leading operators. Travel with like minded people and get the best possible price on the holiday of your dreams. Browse multi-day tours and trips

Travel insurance

World Nomads aims to be a part of every traveller’s journey by providing a reassuring range of travel insurance services. Benefits include coverage for emergency medical and evacuation or repatriation, lost baggage, trip cancellation, and more than 150 adventure activities. Get an insurance costing