How to Spend a Quality Winter in Adelaide - Tips on Enjoying a Merry Winter Getaway in Adelaide

 Tipped to be one of Australia's most underrated holiday hotspots, Adelaide is especially enchanting during the winter season. Hosting countless winter-themed events and festivals, Adelaide provides the perfect home away from home to spend your Christmas holidays in with its own activity calendar. From making the most of your visit to the area to experiencing some of the winter-related pursuits available for tourists, here are some tips on spending a glorious winter holiday in Adelaide.

Wanderer at the English Wikipedia, Mt Lofty Botanic Garden Lake, CC BY-SA 3.0

1. Enjoy Some Local Culture

No trip to Adelaide would be complete without touring its finest cultural attractions and wintertime is the perfect time to head indoors for engaging exhibitions. Start with a tour of the South Australian Museum, which is a world-class natural history museum with a truly impressive collection of artefacts. Those who are artistically inclined must spend an afternoon at the Art Gallery of South Australia or the Samstag Museum of Art display at the University of South Australia where one can delve into everything from contemporary works to bark paintings made by ancient Aboriginal communities. The MOD, on the other hand, is a science and tech museum that's perfect for families.

 2. Dig into a Winter Feast

Winter feasts are part and parcel of Adelaide's Christmas festivities that extend from the holidays and beyond. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Lost in a Forest, a restaurant that's located deep in the Adelaide Hills and housed within a centuries-old church. Serving up everything from local wines and beers to wood-fired pizzas and other delicacies, the winter feasts at this eclectic dining venue is simply out of this world. The forest location of the restaurant also lends to the winter atmosphere while the historic structure in which it is contained and the fireplaces located within the establishment make it the gourmet restaurant of choice for many tourists in the area.

 3. Go Bar Hopping

Staying warm with a pint or a glass of wine is a winter ritual one need not forgo during a getaway in Adelaide as even venues that are not ranked the best hotel in Adelaide boast a decent bar. Those who wish to explore the city's top drinking holes, however, must head to the Suzie Wong Bar or other local bars such as The Sorcerer's Bar, which is located close to Avani Adelaide Residences and serves its famous Harry Potter Moaning Murtle cocktail.  The sheer number of cosy bars in the city might feel overwhelming but the creative cocktails and extensive list of spirits served at these venues make it a welcome recreational activity for tourists.

4. Explore Adelaide's Winter Wonderland in the Fleurieu Peninsula

Holidaymakers who wish to go totally off-grid during their vacation in Adelaide should head down to the Fleurieu Peninsula where there are charming cabins surrounded by vineyards, mountains and natural wonders. The area is also known as the region where the renowned McLaren Vale wines are produced and the popular McLaren Vale shiraz, in particular, is made.

 5. Spend Time at Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens

Spread out across a whopping 97 hectares, winter wonderlands do not get as lush as they do at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden. Laden with streams, brooks, waterfalls and local wildlife, the venue is just thirty minutes away from the heart of Adelaide. Spend time soaking up the wintery atmosphere of this mammoth botanical space where the diversity of local plant life can be experienced firsthand and the scent of camellias is inescapable.

6. Cellar Doors During Winter

Those based in Adelaide for the winter can also drive over to Barossa wine region and explore the many vineyards and cellar doors offering wine tasting tours. The Hentley Farm cellar door is arguably the best place to enjoy fine wines and learn about the art of producing delicious vintages.