The Best Picnic Spots in Adelaide for Alfresco Eats

Picnic season is here! One of the most versatile dining options, the humble and wholesome picnic is perfect for any occasion, plus, it’s the best way to ensure you’ll never have to wait for a booking. Keep things simple with a fresh sando and coffee in the sun, or make it fancy with champagne, strawberries, freshly baked goods and a cheeseboard. You can ask everyone to bring a plate for an easy birthday party or celebration; all you need to bring is the picnic rug!

We’ve rounded up some of the best picnic spots in Adelaide to spend a splendid long and relaxing afternoon in the sun with friends and family.

Best Picnic Spots in Adelaide: CBD & Suburbs

Hazelwood Park

In the City of Burnside, Hazelwood Park is a tranquil reserve renowned for its towering gum trees and expansive lawns. The park offers family-friendly amenities, including an epic playground, picnic areas,  picturesque walking paths and an outdoor swimming pool for hot summer days.

A hub for relaxation and recreation, Hazelwood Park blends natural beauty with urban convenience, making it a favourite spot for locals and visitors seeking outdoor leisure. Perfect for a serene afternoon outing.

Sitchu tip: Stop by Hazel’s Poolside Cafe for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, or grab your coffee and treats to go before finding your spot in the shady park. 

Davenport Road, Hazelwood Park

Tusmore Park

Tusmore Park is a tranquil garden for the whole family to enjoy. Perhaps the most popular features are the wading pool – which gets a lot of attention from tiny tots during the summer months – the five tennis courts, or the cute cobblestone bridges crossing over The First Creek – all making this one of the best picnic spots in Adelaide. There are plenty of paths and playgrounds, plus bathroom and BBQ facilities – so pack accordingly as you can spend hours in this beautiful suburban garden.

Stirling Street, Tusmore

Belair National Park

Work up an appetite with a morning of mountain biking or hiking through the wonderful woodlands and lakes just 25 minutes from Adelaide. Then, choose from one of the many picnic tables (or BBQ spots if you’ve prepared accordingly) and refuel on hearty picnic fare. Belair National Park is South Australia’s oldest national park – with the oldest plant nursery in the state within it, so why not take home a little piece of nature to top your day off?

Upper Sturt Road & Queens Jubilee Drive, Belair

Red Gum Park (Karrawirra)

This is the perfect park to pay a visit to if you want to host a post-work picnic or find a centrally-located grassy bank. Red Gum Park (Karrawirra) isn’t far from the city centre, so it’s the go-to spot for anyone who works in the city and wants to catch up with friends after hours. And with the gorgeous river views, you’ll feel as though you’re miles away from Adelaide’s CBD.

Sir Edwin Smith Ave & War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide

Adelaide Botanic Garden

Located on the outskirts of the city and boasting a beautiful array of botanical plants, greenhouses, ponds, and quiet spots to sit with a book, Adelaide Botanic Garden never disappoints. When it comes to facilities, there are cafe stops if you fancy a cool or hot drink, toilet facilities, and easy walking paths to take you around the gardens. Take note of the garden’s regulations if you’re planning a picnic though – rules prohibit bringing in booze.

North Terrace, Adelaide

Carrick Hill

This 100-acre estate is a piece of history in the Adelaide foothills, spectacularly preserved for the public to continue to enjoy to this day. With breathtaking views out to the ocean, rolling lush green lawns to set up your picnic for the day, plus a historic mansion filled with artwork and displays, Carrick Hill is one of the best picnic spots in Adelaide. The manicured gardens are the perfect spot to meet with friends to be surrounded by colourful and blossoming blooms as you enjoy your snacks.

46 Carrick Hill Drive, Springfield

Himeji Garden

Neatly tucked away and hidden inside Adelaide’s Southern Park Lands with manicured greenery, ponds and beautiful botanicals, Himeji Gardens is a stunning little ‘pocket of Japan’. This tranquil paradise is an ideal option if you’re after a peaceful picnic away from life’s commotion, as you enjoy moments of peace and solitude just steps from the CBD.

South Terrace & Glen Osmond Road, Adelaide

Rymill Park, East Terrace

An oasis in the East End, Rymill Park has everything one could need for an afternoon of laidback leisure. Walking trails, city views, lawn bowls, a lake, BBQ facilities, a kiosk, a playground and even a rose garden that smells as delightful as you’d imagine. A short stroll from Rundle Street, you will find yourself on an expanse of soft green manicured lawn with plenty of room for everyone. If your picnic happens to continue into the night, you’re a hop skip and a jump away from some of the best bars in Adelaide!

East Terrace, Adelaide

Best Picnic Spots in Adelaide: Adelaide Hills & Fleurieu Peninsula

Morialta Conservation Park

Morialta Conservation Park is perfect for days of adventure and laidback hangs, with easy strolls, tougher terrain for seasoned hikers, climbing for experienced rock climbers and mountain biking paths for thrill seekers. Explore its dazzling waterfalls and lush green foliage before heading down to the BBQs and designated picnic areas if you prefer a more relaxed approach to the park. A must-see is the famous Giant’s Cave, a huge opening with impressive views across the park.

Morialta Falls Road, Woodforde

Hastwell and Lightfoot

While the majority of this list is a DIY picnic vibe in public spaces, we can’t leave out the fact that many of Adelaide’s wineries offer picnics by the vines. For example – take a scenic drive 45 minutes out of the CBD to McLaren Vale and allow the friendly staff at Hastwell and Lightfoot to put together a fabulous lunch spread for you on their lawn.

Your picnic experience includes everything for a boho – and very aesthetic – picnic, plus lawn games and delicious wines to seal the deal. A fuss-free way to spend an afternoon, and one of our personal favourite spots for a picnic with the girls!

301 Fogo Road, McLaren Vale

Mount Lofty Botanic Garden

Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is a beautiful stretch of nature with long walks, a huge lake and amazing wildlife waiting to be discovered over 72 hectares of lush land. Refreshments available on site include an afternoon tea from Bracegirlde’s, which you can enjoy stretched out on your picnic rug under the sun. This oasis-like garden is a stone’s throw away from the city, yet it feels like you’re a million miles away. Talk about a blissful escape!

16 Lampert Road, Crafers

Port Willunga Beach

South Australia is home to a beautiful range of beaches perfect for a picnic by the ocean. So why not go for the best of the best? Port Willunga Beach features fascinating caves originally carved out by fishermen to store boats in, plus remnants of the old Port Willunga Jetty. So whether you prefer a sunny picnic on the sand or want to retreat into the shade, the choice is yours! Set up a blanket, enjoy the shade from the sun and dry off after a nice dip in the sea.

Port Willunga Beach, Port Willunga

Stangate House and Garden

This National Trust area is a special part of Adelaide’s history, landscaped with a unique sense of colour and composition by renowned designer Elsie Cornish. Open to the public on certain days, guests are welcome to bring along provisions and a blanket to bask in the bright blooms of spring and summer. Check out the National Trust website for information as to when the gardens of Stangate House are open as well as up-to-date pricing.

3 Edgeware Road, Aldgate

Continental Park

Take a short walk up from Port Elliot’s main street and you’ll find Continental Park’s gorgeous green space which overlooks Lady Bay and Horseshoe Bay. This is the perfect place for picnicking if you want to enjoy the benefits of fresh air and the sea breeze, but don’t want to get sand in your sandwich from the bays below. The best part? Port Elliot Bakery’s famous baked goodies are available to pick up just around the corner – what more could you need?

5A The Strand, Port Elliot

Ready to explore more of SA after discovering the best picnic spots in Adelaide? Why not check out the picture-perfect National Parks in South Australia or our curated list of things to do on Kangaroo Island?