At a glance
- Free buses
- City connector 98A and 98C (every day, including North Adelaide) and 99A and 99C (inner city, Monday to Friday)
- Bus hours
- Start just before 7:00am and finish at 7:15pm; Friday buses finish at 9:15pm
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes: 98A and 98C on weekdays, 99A and 99C on weekdays
- Free city tram
- Between the South Terrace stop, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Festival Plaza and the Botanic Gardens
- Free Jetty Road tram
- Between the Brighton Road and Moseley Square stops in Glenelg
- Ticket needed
- No metroCARD for free services; a normal fare if you ride past the free zone
- Help
- Adelaide Metro journey planner
Adelaide has free buses and trams in the city centre: the city connector buses 98A, 98C, 99A and 99C, the CBD trams, and the Jetty Road tram in Glenelg. Adelaide Metro says you do not need a metroCARD to use free services, and the connector buses start just before 7:00am and finish at 7:15pm, or 9:15pm on Fridays.
This guide covers the free services described on Adelaide Metro’s free and special services page and its city connector page, as checked on Tuesday 20 October 2026, plus the after midnight buses and on-demand buses listed with them.
Is there a free bus in Adelaide?
Yes. The Adelaide city connector is a free loop bus service across two loops, an inner city loop and an extended loop around North Adelaide. Adelaide Metro describes it as a collaboration between the Department for Infrastructure and Transport and the City of Adelaide, linking popular destinations and attractions. Both loops run clockwise and anticlockwise.
| Routes | Loop | Days | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98A and 98C | Large loop through the city and North Adelaide | 7 days a week | Every 15 minutes on weekdays throughout the city |
| 99A and 99C | Small loop through the inner city only | Weekdays only | Every 15 minutes |
The free city connector also stops next to multiple tram stops, so you can change to the free city tram. Adelaide Metro has a city and North Adelaide map to help you plan.
Where can I go on the free city connector?
- Adelaide Botanic Gardens
- Adelaide Festival Plaza
- Adelaide Oval
- Adelaide Zoo
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- Adelaide Central Market
- Melbourne Street
- Hutt Street
- Rundle Mall
- O’Connell Street
Adelaide Metro says Adelaide does not have a tourist bus, and that the free city connector visits popular destinations and attractions in the city and North Adelaide instead. The 98A and 98C are the free buses to use between North Adelaide and the city.
Which trams are free?
Tram routes around the CBD are free. The free zone is the area between the South Terrace stop, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Festival Plaza and the Botanic Gardens. If you travel from the city towards Glenelg and stay on the tram past the South Terrace stop, you need to pay an Adelaide Metro fare.
In Glenelg, the Jetty Road tram is free between the Brighton Road and Moseley Square stops. If you go from Moseley Square towards the city and stay on the tram past the Brighton Road stop, you need to pay a fare. The current fares are on our Adelaide Metro fares guide.
How do the free buses and trams fit together?
The two services connect. The city connector stops next to multiple tram stops, so you can ride a free bus loop to the edge of the CBD and finish on the free tram, or the reverse. Festival Plaza and the Botanic Gardens appear both on the connector’s list of destinations and in the free city tram zone, so either service reaches them.
Several destinations are named only for the connector: Adelaide Zoo, the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide Central Market, Melbourne Street, Hutt Street, Rundle Mall and O’Connell Street. The tram zone is described by its boundary stops instead. If your destination is not on either list, use the journey planner to check what you would pay.
The free services have one rule in common: you only pay when you stay on past the edge of the free zone. Adelaide Metro words it the same way for both trams, once for the South Terrace stop towards Glenelg and once for the Brighton Road stop towards the city.
What are the after midnight buses?
After midnight buses run on Saturday nights, between midnight and 6:00am on Sunday morning. Adelaide Metro lists five routes to the east and hills, one to the west, four to the north and three to the south. They all pass through the home zone, serving stops E1, V2, X2 and C2.
As well as stopping at bus stops, drivers may be able to drop you off at well-lit locations on the route if you need it, such as service stations or fast-food outlets. To see the times, enter a time between midnight Saturday and 6:00am Sunday in the journey planner.
Are there on-demand buses outside the city?
Adelaide Metro lists door-to-door on-demand buses in Gawler, the Barossa, Mount Barker, Littlehampton and Nairne. Passengers book in advance by phone or app and are collected and dropped off anywhere within the service area.
| Area | Route and hours | Booking and price |
|---|---|---|
| Gawler and surrounds | Route 495. Monday to Thursday 6:00am to 7:00pm, Friday 6:00am to 10:00pm, Saturday 9:00am to 10:00pm, Sunday 9:00am to 3:00pm | Book at least one hour before pick-up with Torrens Transit on 1300 022 942. Same price as Adelaide Metro fares; pay on board with a metroCARD |
| Barossa Valley (Keoride) | Weekdays 8:30am to 4:00pm, around Angaston, Nuriootpa, Light Pass and Tanunda | Keoride app, website or 1300 642 604. $6.10 for adults, $3.05 for concessions |
| Mount Barker, Littlehampton and Nairne (Keoride) | Route 840. Weekdays 6:00am to 9:00pm; weekends and public holidays 9:00am to 7:00pm | Keoride app, website or 1300 642 604. Same price as Adelaide Metro fares |
The Gawler on-demand service area covers Evanston Gardens, Evanston South, Evanston Park, Gawler East, Gawler West, Gawler South, Gawler Belt and Roseworthy, and it runs in addition to the fixed-route buses 491, 492A, 492C, 493 and 494. People who live more than 500m from a fixed-route service can book an on-demand bus at any time during its operating hours. People within 500m can book only with a medical exemption from their doctor, or for a trip outside the normal operating hours of the fixed-route services.
How do I use the free services with a game or an event?
Adelaide Oval is on the free city connector list, so a free bus reaches the stadium. Event days have their own travel arrangements, including Footy Express buses during the AFL season; our Adelaide Oval event-day guide covers them. If you drive into the city instead, our UPark car park guide lists the rates and hours.
Quick plan
- Inside the free tram zone, hop on any tram, with no ticket needed.
- Past South Terrace towards Glenelg, or past Brighton Road towards the city, buy a fare.
- For North Adelaide, use the 98A or 98C, which run every day.
- For the inner city on a weekday, use the 99A or 99C, every 15 minutes.
- Check the finishing time: 7:15pm on most days and 9:15pm on Fridays.
- For late Saturday nights, use the after midnight buses and check the journey planner.
Sources
- Adelaide Metro — Free and special services (checked 20 October 2026)
- Adelaide Metro — City connector (checked 20 October 2026)
Featured image: Jetty Road, Glenelg (photo: RegionVisitor90 / CC BY 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Adelaide Metro or the City of Adelaide. Routes, hours and free zones can change; check the Adelaide Metro pages above before you travel.