Brisbane to Adelaide road trip: Drive distance, hours & best stops
The best stops on a Brisbane to Adelaide road trip include Goondiwindi, Warrumbungle National Park, Hay and Murray Bridge. Expect a Brisbane to Adelaide driving time of 21h58m, and a distance of 2,010km.
The drive from Brisbane to Adelaide is a mammoth undertaking. If you take the quickest route, it’ll take you through four different Australian states – and not the parts that feature in the tourist brochures either.
However, this drive through idiosyncratic stretches of country Australia can be turned into a marvellous Brisbane to Adelaide road trip.
Recommendations in Brisbane include action and wildlife-packed Moreton Island tours, the Story Bridge Adventure Climb, river kayaking tours and cruising to the ultra-cute Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
To browse the collection of Brisbane tours and experiences, step this way. For the best value Brisbane hotels, pick here.
Adelaide brings food tours of the fabulous Central Market, Torrens River cruises, swimming with dolphins and the chance to walk across the roof of the Adelaide Oval. To book Adelaide accommodation, step this way. For a full range of Adelaide tours and experiences, explore here.
Pick your perfect Adelaide day trips
- Barossa Valley tours: 1. Wine-tasting with lunch 🍷. 2. Food and wine tour. 3. Small group wine tour with exclusive VIP tastings.
- Kangaroo Island in a day – including sea lions 🦭, koalas 🐨and national parks.
- Adelaide Hills tours: 1. Sights plus Murray River lunch cruise combo. 2. Small group cheese, chocolate & wine tour with Hahndorf German village.
- McLaren Vale tours: 1. Small group wine tour with lunch. 2. Hop-on hop-off wineries tour 🍷. 3. Food and wine indulgence tour, including the gloriously weird d’Arenberg Cube.
- Victor Harbor and southern highlights tour – including the Granite Island horse-drawn tram.
Quickest route from Brisbane to Adelaide
The first thing to say is that there are several different routes from Brisbane to Adelaide, with barely an hour or so’s difference in timing. There’s a strong argument for taking the Barrier Highway route via Broken Hill, for example.
This Brisbane to Adelaide road trip guide, however, focuses on the quickest route. The best overnight stops along the way depend on personal taste and how many days you set aside for the journey. In most of the towns along the way, Australia Travel Questions has recommended things to do and places to stay. For more detailed guides to the individual towns, click through on the relevant links to the town name.
6 supreme Brisbane day trips that will improve your holiday
- Moreton Island day trip – with kayaking, sandboarding and snorkelling or with dolphin-feeding and desert dunes adventure.
- Springbrook National Park glowworms and rainforest tour – including Tamborine Skywalk.
- Eumundi Markets day trip – Australia’s best markets, plus the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Noosa.
- North Stradbroke Island day tour – with cruise, wildlife spotting and guided walk.
- Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
- Maialia rainforest walking and wildlife tour – visit lesser-known D’Aguilar National Park.
Brisbane to Adelaide distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Brisbane to Adelaide is 2,010km. That makes for a driving time of around 21 hours and 58 minutes.
The first leg of that journey is the 353km drive from Brisbane to Goondiwindi, on the Queensland/ New South Wales border.
This starts by heading from Brisbane to Toowoomba, Queensland’s largest inland city. On the way, you’ll go past the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the Kholo Botanic Gardens and heritage town Laidley.
Suggested Toowoomba attractions: Japanese Garden, Botanic Gardens, Downssteam tourist railway and railway museum.
Toowoomba accommodation picks: For space, Oaks Toowoomba. For convenience and a pool, the Athena Motel.
Click through to the next section: Toowoomba to Goondiwindi.