HOW TO SPEND A WEEKEND IN ADELAIDE

While the weekend might be short, it can still be sweet. You want to make the most of your time, but you also want to feel renewed and refreshed – making otherwise fleeting moments matter. Cue Adelaide—the heart of the south. Our food, wine and events culture are the lifeblood that makes this city beat – from the steady rhythm of the crowd at Adelaide Oval, to the lilting melody of wine freshly poured. Spend a weekend in Adelaide, and you’ll leave with a local story and a full stomach. 

We’ve compiled the best things to do, see and taste in the city and surrounds so you can have a good time, not a long one.

Friday - Arrive in Adelaide

Check-in to your accommodation

Fly or drive into Adelaide Friday afternoon and begin your weekend of frivolity. Make the most of your short stay with a city abode – it will place you walking distance from Adelaide’s dining and entertainment precincts like Leigh Street, Peel Street and East End.

• Eos by SkyCity
• The Sofitel Adelaide
• Mayfair Hotel
• The Watson Art Series
• Hotel Alba
• Oval Hotel

Pre-dinner drink

You’ll find some of the best views of the city from above. What better way to get a sense for your surroundings than with a birds-eye view? No matter your location in the city, you’ll be an easy stroll from one of Adelaide’s rooftop bars.  Each location offers a different view of Australia’s only national park city, from South Australian riverside icons like Adelaide Oval, to the lush parklands that wrap around the CBD grid like a ribbon.

Our top (literally) spots: 

• 2KW Bar and Restaurant
• Hennessy Rooftop Bar
• Merrymaker Rooftop Bar
• SOL Rooftop Bar 

If you’d prefer to keep your feet firmly on the ground, you’ll find plenty of alfresco bars and specialist spirit haunts at street level. You’ll find some of Australia’s most talented bartenders shaking and stirring down unassuming Adelaide alleys.

Meet them here:

• Paloma Bar & Pantry
• Maybe Mae
• Mothervine Wine Bar
• East End Cellars
• NOLA
• Smokelovers 

Whet your appetite

Walk past any restaurant in Adelaide and you’ll likely be met with an inviting nod, wave or hello from the waiter. We can’t help it, we love to host. So much so, that you’ll find most casual dining places will do their best to squeeze you in without a booking (although no guarantee). Some of our more popular restaurants or beloved local institutions you’ll need to call ahead, but the planning will pay off after that first bite.  

More casual: 

• Daughter in Law – unauthentic Australian Indian
• BRKLYN – New York style
• Part Time Lover – Asian inspired
• East End Cellars – local produce on high menu rotation 

More of a fine dine:

• Fugazzi Bar & Dining Room – New York inspired Italian
• Garçon Bleu – French
• Africola – African
• Shobosho – Japanese inspired Asian fusion
• Golden Boy – Contemporary Thai

Want to know more? Check out our guide to the best restaurants in Adelaide. 

Saturday - Vineyards and vistas 

Breakfast at the Adelaide Central Market

Want to taste test your way across the state without leaving the city? The Adelaide Central Market drives Adelaide’s foodie culture, supplying many of our local restaurants. The Adelaide Central Market ranks amongst the largest undercover fresh produce markets in the southern hemisphere; home to over 70 stalls. Meander the market aisles that unleash a feast for your senses. A constant hum of market-goers, clanging pots and grateful exchanges fills your ears. Breads baked daily that smell like nostalgia and fruit fresh from the farm that feels ripe to the touch. 

Embark on a winery tour

Imagine this: you wake up in a bustling city, your back melting into the plush hotel bed. You get ready for the day, head out the door and within 20 minutes, find yourself standing barefoot on freshly cut grass. Vast stretches of vineyards fill your peripherals. A full glass weighs heavy in hand. 

Adelaide’s beauty lies in its accessibility – some of the best wine regions are just moments from the CBD. Don’t have a car? Taxis and Ubers will take you to a number of  Adelaide wine regions. Hiring a car or driving to Adelaide? Then our part of the world is your oyster: 

• Adelaide Hills – 20 minutes drive from Adelaide. The cooler climate here makes for excellent Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wines.
• McLaren Vale – 45 minutes drive from Adelaide. Known for signature pours including Nero d'Avola, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and Tempranillo.
• Barossa Valley – 1 hours drive from Adelaide. Known for its historic vineyards, popular for full bodied flavours like Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Catch the sunset over the ocean

Adelaide is one of few cities in Australia where you can watch the sun melt into the ocean’s horizon. If you stay in the CBD, it’s as easy as hopping on the regular Glenelg tram line (there are stops throughout the city grid) and tapping any bankcard or Apple Pay at the meter. Stay on to the end of the line and you’ll find yourself with a front-row seat to Mother Nature’s nightly light show. If you want to feel as though you are floating within the sunset itself, hop on a twilight cruise from Glenelg with Temptation Sailing and watch on as the water beneath you begins to glow.  

Writers tip: Feel part of the pod when you book a daytime dolphin swim tour with Temptation Sailing. You could always reverse the day, starting with a morning spent swimming with these playful creatures in their natural habitat, before spending the afternoon exploring some of Adelaide’s best cellar doors.

Hit up a beach bar before settling in for dinner

What do you get when you mix three of our state’s best assets? Beachfront bars and restaurants. You’ll sip cocktails from the comfort of your sun lounge at Australia’s only beach club (if you’re traveling in summer), or  gaze out the window of a seaside restaurant, taking in the uninterrupted view of the big blue. The only thing left to ask is, do you have room for dessert?  

Writers tip: If you’ve taken the tram to Glenelg, you can easily venture a little further with a walk along the foreshore to neighbouring beaches like Brighton or Henley.  

Sunday - a slow day for culture 

Taste the best breakfast in Adelaide

If you can skip the sleep-in, leave your bags with reception and check out of your accommodation early. Hint: you’ll want to wear your sneakers today! Kick off your final morning in Adelaide with a caffeine hit and all the local trimmings, when you order breakfast at one of our favourite city haunts. Think award-winning coffee and blooming garden views at hole-in-the-wall hideaways.

Dig in:  

• My Grandma Ben
• Bloom
• Part Time Lover
• Exchange Coffee
• Peter Rabbit
• My Kingdom For A Horse

Visit Adelaide Botanic Garden

After fuelling up at breakfast, lace up your runners and head for a stroll through Adelaide Botanic Garden.

Here you’ll walk through the Palm House, a restored Victorian glasshouse that was imported from Bremen, Germany in 1875. Experts believe it is the only glasshouse of its kind left in the world. Also worth a walk-through is the Bicentennial Conservatory. Picture stepping into a bubble that transports you to a tropical climate. Housed within a semicircle-shaped glasshouse, ramble along the walkway with a towering rainforest canopy above. 

Stroll down North Terrace

North Terrace is arguably the most beautiful city street in Adelaide – and one of the most historic in Australia. Exit the Botanic Gardens via North Terrace and take your time trotting up our ‘cultural boulevard’, admiring the historic facades that frame the terrace on either side. If time permits, you could spend hours ducking in and out of Adelaide’s cultural houses – but we suggest stopping in at the South Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of South Australia, before continuing down to MOD (a future-focused museum of science, art, and innovation).  

Writers tip: Don’t have time to walk the full stretch of the terrace? Stick to the cultural plaza home to both the museum and art gallery. Here you’ll find the most comprehensive collection of Australian Aboriginal artifacts in the world, making it must-see. 

The last long lunch 

If you’ve booked an evening flight home (which you did, right?) you’ll have time to squeeze in one more bite. Follow North Terrace down to the Riverbank Promenade and toast to a weekend of simple pleasures. For a final hoorah, we suggest checking out the lunch options around the River Torrens, so you can soak up some of our favourite city views while savouring your last taste of the state (for now): 

• Home Ground – Dishes up midday favourites like pizza, burgers, salads and sandwiches
• iTL – Italian
• Jolleys Boathouse – Modern Australian 

Start Planning

Ready to make plans? Cherry pick your favourite tips from above and save them with a southaustralia.com account, an easy way to save your favourite suggestions and build your own itinerary with restaurants, tours and accommodation all searchable.  Once you are done, you can save your personalised trip and download it as a PDF before departure. We’ll see you when you get here!