Glenelg Tram

Adelaide metro tram services run three color-coded routes: Adelaide Entertainment Centre to Adelaide Botanic Gardens (yellow), Festival Plaza to Glenelg (blue), and Royal Adelaide Hospital to Glenelg (red). Services are free within Adelaide city center as far as South Terrace and again between Brighton Road and Glenelg. Between those points, use an Adelaide Metro ticket, rechargeable Metrocard, or the 3-day unlimited travel Visitor Pass. Buying tickets from the onboard vending machine requires exact change, so it’s generally easier to purchase them in advance.

• A must for transport geeks, the Glenelg Tram is a great way for anyone to get around the city and Glenelg.

• Younger children will love the tram ride to Glenelg as much as they enjoy the sandy beach. Under-5s ride free.

• All Adelaide tram stops apart from City South are wheelchair-accessible. Wait for assistance on the boarding patch with the white-on-blue access symbol, then board either directly or via the access ramp.

Pick up the Glenelg Tram at stops throughout the city center and beyond, including Adelaide Railway Station and Rundle Mall, as well as along Jetty Road in Glenelg. The red and blue lines run all the way through to Glenelg. The yellow line runs between Botanic Gardens and Entertainment Centre only: Change at Royal Adelaide Hospital.

The main Glenelg tram lines operate from early morning until around midnight seven days a week. Over the Australian summer (roughly December through February), particularly during the summer school vacation, they can get very busy, especially on weekends. Travel during the week for a more tranquil experience, avoiding the morning and afternoon peaks (7am–9am and 4pm–7pm).

Today a seaside suburb of Adelaide known for its golden sands, Glenelg was the first settlement in all of South Australia. Founded in 1836, it functioned as Adelaide’s main port until Port Adelaide was built. By the late 19th century it was established as a tourist resort, with the first amusement park opening in 1930.