Family Activities
For Kids & Parents
The best family activities in McLaren Vale
The horse-drawn tram at Victor Harbor, steam trains at Goolwa, calm bays for swimming, farm animal experiences and playgrounds - the Fleurieu is a family holiday legend.
The Fleurieu Peninsula is a brilliant place to travel with children, with a stack of things to do that work for all ages and most weather. The classic family day out is at Victor Harbor: ride the heritage horse-drawn tram across the causeway to Granite Island, then hop aboard the Cockle Train, a historic steam-and-heritage railway that runs along the coast to Goolwa.
There's plenty more to keep kids busy. Think mini golf and foreshore playgrounds, the trout farm at Tooperang where you can catch your own, wildlife parks, and gentle, swimmable beaches up and down the Gulf St Vincent coast. Markets, farm gates and pick-your-own orchards turn a simple drive into an adventure, and the region's many short, flat walks and rail trails are easy going for little legs and prams.
Rainy days are well covered too, with museums, galleries, indoor play and family-friendly cafés in the larger towns. Most attractions are close together and easy to string into a single outing, and lots of beaches, walks and parks are free. For the most popular activities and the Cockle Train, check seasonal timetables and book ahead during school holidays.
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17 places
Adelaide's Top Food & Wine Tours
Personalised small-group food and wine tours showcasing McLaren Vale's signature producers - Adelaide pickup with a focus on long lunches and multiple cellar doors.
Down The Rabbit Hole Wines
Alice in Wonderland meets McLaren Vale
A whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-themed cellar door and restaurant on Binney Road, with vineyard gardens, long lunches and estate wines.
Fleurieu Cherries
A family cherry orchard in The Range hinterland offering pick-your-own cherries each summer (early December to January).
Fleurieu Food & Wine Cooking School
Hands-on cooking classes at McLaren Vale wineries - pasta, cheese, spice masterclasses and native food, suited to beginners and confident cooks.
FoodBuilder Bread Class
A 4-hour hands-on bread-making class in McLaren Vale - take home a sourdough starter and fresh-baked loaves, with wine and light lunch included.
Fork in the Road Wines
A relaxed bring-your-own-picnic-style cellar door on the heritage cricket oval site at Sand Road, McLaren Vale.
Helivista
Scenic helicopter flights over McLaren Vale - 30-minute scenic loops, wine flights to remote cellar doors and lunch flight packages.
McCarthy's Orchard Cellar Door
A family-friendly McLaren Flat cellar door where kids meet a pony, donkeys and free-range chickens while parents taste wine and cider in the orchard.
McLaren Vale Retreat
A husband-and-wife day spa in McLaren Vale offering therapeutic and remedial massage and relaxation treatments in a calm country setting.
My McLaren Vale
Private guided wine tours run by McLaren Vale local Jon, visiting four to five wineries, breweries or distilleries per day with tailored itineraries.
Penny Red Beer Co
A vineyard-set craft brewery and dog-friendly taphouse in The Range, with 13 taps of beers brewed onsite and a wood-fired pizza kitchen.
Small Batch Wine Tours
Sommelier-led intimate wine tours into McLaren Vale, the Barossa and the Adelaide Hills - all-inclusive small groups led by Matthew Kurko.
The Almond Train
An iconic 1920s train carriage on Main Road McLaren Vale that has been a roadside almond, olive oil and pantry-goods stop for more than 25 years.
The Menz FruChocs Shop
A shopfront dedicated to South Australia's beloved chocolate-coated apricot and peach lolly, with tastings, gift packs and the full Menz range.
The Vine Shed (Conte Estate)
An Italian-heritage family cellar door on Sand Road with regular live music, a kids play area and a big deck overlooking the vineyards.
TrailHopper Hop-on Hop-off Wine Bus
Adelaide's only hop-on hop-off wine bus, looping a North and South route across 15+ McLaren Vale cellar doors with flexible all-day boarding.
Woodstock Wildlife Sanctuary
A 3-hectare wildlife sanctuary on the Woodstock Wine Estate at McLaren Flat, with rescued kangaroos, wallabies and an emu, and a daily 11:30am feeding session.
Family Activities in Fleurieu Peninsula - frequently asked questions
What is the Fleurieu Peninsula best known for as a family destination?
The signature family day out is at Victor Harbor, where a Clydesdale horse pulls the heritage tram across the 630-metre causeway to Granite Island - the only horse-drawn tram of its kind running year-round in the Southern Hemisphere. The other classic is the Cockle Train, a heritage steam and rail service that runs along the coast between Goolwa, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor on one of Australia's oldest railway lines.
Which beaches are best for families with young children?
Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot is a sheltered, crescent-shaped bay with calm water, a grassy foreshore and cafes right behind the sand, making it ideal for easy beach days. Carrickalinga and Normanville on the western coast also offer calm, shallow turquoise water and soft sand, with Carrickalinga's rock pools popular for little ones to explore safely.
Where can kids get up close to animals on the Fleurieu?
Urimbirra Wildlife Park, about five minutes from Victor Harbor in Hindmarsh Valley, is an open-range park home to kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, emus, wombats and dingoes. It is open daily, animal feed is available on site, and there are scheduled koala and snake-handling experiences, plus free barbecues and picnic areas for a family lunch.
Do you need to book the tram and the Cockle Train, and what days do they run?
The Victor Harbor horse-drawn tram runs to Granite Island every day of the year, with tickets bought on the day. The Cockle Train operates on a heritage timetable - typically Sundays, Wednesdays, school holidays and daily through the summer holiday season - so check the SteamRanger timetable before you go; tickets can be purchased on the day at the Goolwa, Port Elliot or Victor Harbor station offices.
Is winter still a good time for a family trip to the Fleurieu?
Yes - winter is whale season, when southern right whales gather close to the Encounter Coast off Victor Harbor, generally from May to October with the best viewing from June through September. The South Australian Whale Centre in the heart of Victor Harbor has interactive exhibits for kids, and June's Winter Whale Fest brings family events along the coast, so the colder months are far from quiet.