Adelaide loves a rooftop view – you can see both the coastline and the Adelaide Hills from the CBD if you get high enough. Three spots to take it all in: Sol Bar on the top of SkyCity building, which turns up the outdoor firepits when temperatures drop, 2K.W. Bar – the sights up here are further enhanced by Executive Chef Sam Christopher’s stylish bar-food menu – and the vibrant, open air Merry Maker, a buzzy little place atop the Adelaide Central Markets.

Think Melburnians are mad about AFL? You probably haven’t met an Adelaide Crows fan. Actually, Adelaidians are mad for just about any match. Witness them at their wildest at a Showdown at the Adelaide Oval; that’s when bitter rivals Adelaide and Port Adelaide go head to head. To see it in panorama, book a RoofClimb experience and watch the game from on high.

Adelaide is proud of its designation as a UNESCO City of Music and has plenty of live-music places to watch local performers. NOLA is a New Orleans-inspired craft beer pub that hosts jazz, blues and folk artists, or book in for a show at the 1920s Thebarton Theatre, which has seen everyone from Paul Kelly to the Stone Roses on its stage.

Penfolds Grange needs no introduction but the story behind it might. And that’s exactly what guests get on the Magill Estate Iconic Penfolds Experience, a short drive from the CBD. The tour includes a visit to the estate’s 177-year-old underground cellars (where winemakers once created Grange in secret) and a three-course lunch. And yes, you’ll taste the real deal: the famed Grange red itself.

Adelaide is fringed by west-facing beaches that catch the peachy-pink final rays of the sun as it disappears behind the horizon. Locals know the best spot is at the rooftop bar on Henley Beach – specifically the corner booth that looks straight across the jetty. Sip a glass of pet-nat as the evening sets in.

When you call Danny Goodwin at Door To Door Chauffeurs and say you want to do the Barossa Valley, he’ll send you a questionnaire to design a bespoke experience. Maybe it’s a chopper ride to St Hugo’s for a tasting, followed by lunch at the boutique Alkina Wine Estates and ending with a trip to Barossa Gin, with a photo stop at the famous palm-lined Seppeltsfield Road.

Ex-Universal chef Christine Manfield took guests to Parwana Afghan Kitchen as part of a taste safari and Tasmanian chef Analiese Gregory is a known fan of the fried leek dumplings of its second location, Kutchi Deli Parwana. The reason? This friendly, family-run South Australian eatery is all about flavour-stuffed, warm-hearted cooking for everyone.

Every capital city has a botanical garden but Adelaide Botanic Garden is packed with surprises, like trees full of slumbering flying foxes and lovely walkways beside the River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri. Botanic Park sits at its centre and is the place for your picnic. Fill up your basket beforehand with freshly made panini from Lucia’s in the Adelaide Central Market.

The University of South Australia’s MOD. describes itself as a “future-focused museum”, aimed at teens and young adults. Its exhibits challenge visitors to contemplate what tomorrow might look like. The FLEX exhibit, which runs until November 2023, explores the concepts of pain and risk in a space "where your body and the rules of the space it inhabits are different than here on Earth."

What makes a visit to JamFactory unique is that you can stand back and watch the glass-blowing artists create glassware and shop for other high-end crafts by established and emerging artists. For a less interactive but just as spectacular art experience, the Art Gallery of South Australia’s 38,000 permanent works are one of the most robust collections in the country, with current and upcoming exhibitions spanning Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol and Yayoi Kusama.

Stalls piled with meats, vegetables, baked goods, jams, chutneys, sauces and wines. Vans and holes-in-the-wall selling porchetta, doughnuts, soup and curries. Adelaide Central Market is food heaven and fresh produce is brought in five days a week from the Barossa, Fleurieu Peninsula and beyond. If you lived here, it’s where you’d shop every day. Go for lunch, ingredients for accommodation cook-ups or delicious souvenirs.

Adelaide does a great trade in atmospheric small bars, many of which are centred around two laneways in the West End: Peel Street and Leigh Street. The list of Spanish-style pintxos – like the little banderilla of olives and anchovies – match perfectly with the local and Spanish wines at Leigh Street’s Udaberri. On Peel Street, Clever Little Tailor attracts an after-work clientele; sit at the timber-lined windows to watch the passing crowds.

While you’re in the Adelaide Hills, tackle the much-loved Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Summit trail. This 3.8-kilometre walk is packed with waterfalls, gorges and fern gullies. It’s also quite steep but the path is well-paved and there’s plenty of seating along the way.

The Hallett Cove Boardwalk, also known as the Marion Coastal Walkway, is 30 minutes south of the CBD but worth the expedition. The path winds for 5 kilometres alongside the clifftop and is great for spotting seals and dolphins, as well as views of Sugarloaf Rock (which looks like a pile of crumbly white sugar).