Kangaroo Island Tours & Experiences

Kangaroo Island tours from Adelaide take you to Australia's third-largest island, where wild Australian sea lions rest on the beach at Seal Bay and Flinders Chase National Park has its own rock formations. The journey starts with a coach to Cape Jervis and a 45-minute ferry crossing, so the choice mostly comes down to how many days you can give the island.

Getting from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island sits off the Fleurieu Peninsula, and the usual way across is the ferry from Cape Jervis. Cape Jervis is about a 1.5-hour drive from Adelaide, followed by a 45-minute ferry crossing. Tours that bundle the coach and ferry, like the full-day Kangaroo Island tour with lunch, leave Adelaide Central Bus Station on Franklin Street at 6.45am and look after the whole journey.

You can also drive yourself to Cape Jervis and take a car across, or hire a car on the island. There is no public transport, taxi or Uber service on Kangaroo Island, which is a good reason to book a guided tour if you'd rather not sort out the logistics.

What a day trip to Kangaroo Island covers

Day tours fit the main sights into one long day. Full-day tours usually take in a guided beach walk at Seal Bay Conservation Park, Flinders Chase National Park with Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, a two-course lunch at Vivonne Bay Bistro, and kangaroos and koalas at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park. The day returns to Adelaide at about 10.40pm.

Tours with a food and wine angle trade some park time for the table. The Sip and See day tour stops for a two-course lunch at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, a structured tasting at False Cape Wines, a free-flight birds of prey presentation and views over Pennington Bay.

Multi-day Kangaroo Island tours and camping

Staying overnight means less time on the coach and more on the ground. A 3-day eco-camping adventure from Adelaide sleeps in swags with camping facilities, adds hikes and swimming and snorkelling at secluded white sandy beaches, and walks among the fur seal colony at Seal Bay. You can stargaze from your swag, and the tour covers meals, a wine and honey tasting, national park fees and a small-group coaster bus.

Longer tours suit people who'd rather spend the time hiking and watching wildlife than racing the ferry timetable.

When to visit Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island works year-round, but each season has its own pull. Winter, from June to August, brings fur seals basking on the shore, joeys emerging from pouches and southern right whales off the coast, along with the heaviest rain and chilly winds. Spring, from September to November, adds native wildflowers. Autumn has warm days, cool nights and smaller crowds, which suits walking, and summer is the busiest season, with swimming beaches such as Emu Bay and Stokes Bay. Penguins come ashore to breed between March and December.

Choosing the right Kangaroo Island tour

Pick a day trip if you have one spare day and want the headline sights without arranging transport. Pick a multi-day tour if you'd rather walk, camp and see the island at a slower pace. For food and wine on dry land, compare the Barossa Valley tours and McLaren Vale tours from the city.

For the full range, see the Kangaroo Island tours page, or browse all of Adelaide's day trips on the Adelaide tours page.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide?

Getting to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide means a 1.5-hour drive to Cape Jervis plus a 45-minute ferry crossing. Kangaroo Island tours from Adelaide that include the coach and ferry cover both legs.

Can you drive to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide?

Adelaide to Cape Jervis is a 1.5-hour drive, but Kangaroo Island is an island, so the final leg is the ferry. You can take a car across, or leave it at Cape Jervis and hire one on the island.

Can you see Kangaroo Island in a day from Adelaide?

Yes. Full-day Kangaroo Island tours leave Adelaide Central Bus Station early in the morning, cross by ferry and return at about 10.40pm, covering Seal Bay, Flinders Chase National Park and a wildlife park. It's a long day, and multi-day tours leave more time at each stop.

What wildlife can you see on a Kangaroo Island tour?

Kangaroo Island tours visit Seal Bay Conservation Park, where Australian sea lions rest on the beach, and Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, where you can see kangaroos and koalas. Winter adds southern right whales off the coast and fur seals on the shore.

When is the best time to visit Kangaroo Island?

Kangaroo Island suits any season. Summer is the busiest and best for beaches, autumn is quieter and good for walking, winter brings whales and fur seals along with the most rain, and spring brings wildflowers.

What fitness level do multi-day Kangaroo Island camping tours need?

Multi-day Kangaroo Island camping tours need a moderate fitness level, with walks of 2 to 5 kilometres on some days over rough ground, and you should be comfortable with extreme weather. Swag camping and national park entry fees are included on the 3-day eco-camping tour from Adelaide.

Kangaroo Island tours from Adelaide range from a long day trip with the ferry sorted to several days camping on the island. Choose the length that suits the time you have, then book it here.