The wide sweeping streets, city squares and lush green boundaries make Adelaide an enchanting city to explore. And if you think that’s all there is to it, think again. You only need scratch the surface of the quiet achiever of Australian cities to tap into its pleasure-seeking vein. This gourmet playground boasts world-renown major events, spanning the cultured and cerebral, artistic and gastronomic, petrol-burning and sports crazed. The
hedonistic spirit flows from varied cuisines and magnificent wines through to the healthy live music and bar scene and numerous galas that celebrate a thriving arts community.
In fact, you’ll find entire streets devoted to dining:
About 2 minutes from your door is part of the vibrant café strip that is Adelaide’s East End. Hutt Street has plenty of night life and even more style, having some of Adelaide most up market cafés, bars and pubs. This really is the true heart of Adelaide.
Stylish Rundle Street, also in Adelaide’s East End, is home to more than 50 cafés, restaurants, wine bars and pubs as well as some of the best shopping in town. The stretch of retail and culinary bliss is the bustling centre of funky up town style.
Set alongside the Central Market, Gouger Street’s restaurants and cafés can’t help but be some of the best in Adelaide – it has been described as Adelaide’s United Nations of food.
Across the River Torrens in North Adelaide, O’Connell and Melbourne Streets ‘do’ fine dining and café society side by side, interspersed with good shopping. Melbourne Street’s weekend breakfast crowd affords great people watching. It’s just a short drive from the city centre.
Only 20 minutes away by tram always-buzzy Glenelg covers everything from five star dining with ocean views to quality take-away to enjoy on the jetty.
Australia's only Pandas - Wang Wang and Funi are the only Giant Pandas in the Southern Hemisphere and the first to live permanently in Australia.
Adelaide Zoo is home to over 1,800 animals and almost 300 species of exotic and native mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. We have a focus on endangered and rare animals
Just a stone's throw from the Adelaide Zoo is the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and although the zoo itself is a part of the gardens the stunningly beautiful landscape and duck filled lakes are a tranquil escape from the bustle of the city. It also makes the perfect shortcut on the 10 minute walk from your door to the Adelaide Zoo.
Coming to Adelaide for an event?
All of Adelaide's major event centers are conveniently located in the city or just a short tram, bus or taxi away.
The largest of these venues being the Adelaide Convention Centre is just a 10 minutes away on Adelaide's free tram service.
The historic Adelaide show grounds is just 10 minutes in the other direction on the same tram line .
Enjoy a good drop? - The McLaren Vale Wine region is only thirty minutes away.
Head to the very sleek, very stylish, very sophisticated Primo Estate Cellar Door in McLaren Vale. Inside, visitors are invited to sip and savour the Primo selection. An opportunity to taste the finest Primo wines in one sitting with the ‘Joseph experience’ you will encounter the very best this region has to offer with local breads, cheeses and fresh Primo olive oil.
Once there you might as well enjoy the rest of the great vineyards this region has with producers such as Chapel Hill, Hugh Hamilton, Noon and Penny’s Hill to name a few. There is at least 50 vineyards all within minutes of each other check out our Luxury Extras to see our wine region tour packages on offer.
Live music, festivals, theater, culture...
Adelaide rich music and arts heritage is bursting at the seems with live music held at venues across the city and bay almost every night of the week. During the months of February, March and April Adelaide really turns up the heat with a plethora of events including:
The internationally renowned Adelaide Fringe Festival, open-access, three week arts festival for artists to present their work and audiences to engage and interact with the arts. Artists from across the globe participate alongside home-grown talent, in all artforms. For independent artists, it’s an inspirational environment. For audiences, it’s an atmosphere that encourages taking a chance on something new.
Tropfest, is Australia’s most prestigious short film festival and one of its most iconic cultural events. It is also the largest short film festival in the world. At home, Tropfest is recognised for its enormous contribution to the development of the Australian film industry by providing unique platforms for emerging filmmakers through its events and initiatives, and new and expanded audiences for their work. Tropfest is simulcast right around Australia and presented in Adelaide in cooperation with the Adelaide Fringe Festival.
The Adelaide Festival of the Arts, Since its launch in 1960, it has created a strong tradition of innovation and inspirational performances drawing on selections of very diverse art forms from across Australia and around the world.
Held in the warm South Australian autumn in every 'even' year, this is a large-scale multi-arts event of extraordinary richness and diversity.
Each Festival program includes opera, theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, cabaret, new media events, Adelaide Writers' Week (the largest literary festival in the world), outdoor entertainment, visual arts exhibitions, master classes, forums, a late night club and much more.
WOMADelaide, is an annual world music and dance festival, which is held in Botanic Park, as part of the Womad series of music festivals. Womad events are a showcase of different sorts of music, arts and dance from around the globe.
The Clipsal 500 Adelaide, is round one of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, Australia's largest domestic motor sport event. The 2010 event was attended by a massive crowd of 278,000 patrons over the four days.
The Adelaide Cup, This exceptional day of racing now takes place on the second Monday of March, which is a public holiday for the state ensuring the crowds are large and the atmosphere thrilling!
Tour Down Under, is the first stop on the world cycling calendar, the Santos Tour Down Under kicks off the cycling year in exhilarating style. It has now become the biggest cycling race in the southern hemisphere. The week-long event brings the top ProTour professional cycling teams to race on the streets of Adelaide and regional South Australia each January.