Sydney to Adelaide road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops
The direct drive from Sydney to Adelaide by car is 1,375km long. That makes for a Sydney to Adelaide driving time of around 14 hours and 25 minutes. Frankly, the Sydney to Adelaide road trip offers slim pickings in terms of tourist attractions along the way.
For most visitors to Australia, a Sydney to Adelaide road trip will be broken down into chunks. Chances are, they’ll drive to Melbourne via Albury and Glenrowan first. Then they’ll drive from Melbourne to Adelaide along the Great Ocean Road coastal route.
That particular Sydney to Adelaide road trip has the makings of a great two to three week Australian holiday. The distance and driving time will depend on precisely which route you take, but the Sydney to Adelaide drive is about 1,800km and should take about 19 hours.
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.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
But what if you want to go from Sydney to Adelaide direct, without flying? Well, it’s not the most exciting road trip in Australia. The drive from Sydney to Adelaide by car passes through largely uninteresting stretches of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Special occasion? Here’s how to do Sydney in style!
- A private sunset cruise on Sydney Harbour with bubbly.
- Dodge the tour buses on a private, personalised Blue Mountains day tour.
- See the harbour, beaches and city skyline from a bird’s eye view on a helicopter tour.
There are also dozens more private Sydney tours, tailorable to your tastes.
Quickest Sydney to Adelaide drive
The quickest possible route for a Sydney to Adelaide drive passes through the Southern Highlands, home of the Bradman Museum in Bowral and Morton National Park.
5 great Southern Highlands experiences to boost your visit
- Personalised private Southern Highlands wine and attractions tours – tailored to your tastes.
- Tutored wine-tasting and canapes experience.
- Beekeeping experience – learn how honey is made.
- Guided wine-tasting at the Mill – with tasting notes procided.
- Behind the scenes tour of a sustainable winery in Berrima.
It then hits medium-sized country towns Goulburn, Jugiong, Wagga Wagga, Narrandera and Darlington Point. This Sydney to Adelaide drive then gets increasingly dry and underwhelming, hitting Hay and Balranald. Here, the Yanga National Park makes for a welcome diversion before turning south. Stop at the hugely atmospheric Yanga Homestead and Woolshed, which are a few kilometres apart. Historic Moulamein, a short diversion off the Sturt Highway.
After crossing the Murray River into Victoria, the Sydney to Adelaide drive goes through Tooleybuc and Ouyen, skirting the southern edge of the Murray Sunset National Park.
Click through to the next section: South Australian leg.