Ahhh Adelaide, the city of love, the city of romance. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about how you can sweep your lover off their feet or just let them know that you love their guts.
Valentine’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year… hump day. If all the stars align, hopefully it will be a hump day for you too ;) .
We’ve compiled a list of date ideas to get you all loved up in Adelaide:
A picnic in the Botanic Gardens
Fun fact; the Adelaide Botanic Garden is open till 8pm every night from December and March - and almost no one has cottoned on yet, so it’s super quiet! You don’t even need to pack a picnic these days either. Uber Eats and Menulog will deliver right to the North Terrace gate - you can literally select from hundreds of city-based restaurants.
A cheeky snog at the Windy Point lookout
Is there anything more romantic than driving your car up Belair Road with your significant other to enjoy the city lights through fogged up windows? We doubt it…
Chambers Gully hike
Think Mount Lofty with more wildlife and less activewear. The Chambers Gully hike is one of my favourite walks in the Adelaide Hills and is easily accessible from Waterfall Gully Road. You’ll never fail to see a koala or a mob of roos on this walk - and you may even run into an echidna. It’s the perfect place to spend time with your special someone in solitude.
The only downside to this walk is that I met a really grumpy roo there once who thought they owned the path (and he had the balls to prove it!). I’ve been a bit scared to go back ever since.
A glass of pinot gris in the garden
There’s not much better than a balmy February night in the Garden of Unearthly Delights. Simply pull up a chair, order a drink and sit back and enjoy the atmosphere. This year the garden opens on February 15 - making it the ideal location for belated Valentine’s Day celebrations.
River Torrens paddle boat ride
Check out Captain Jolleys paddleboats. Even if you’ve lived in Adelaide your whole life, I can just about guarantee that you have never done this. It’s a great way to see the city from a different perspective, and get up close and personal with the resident pelicans. Please note: they are only open on weekends and public holidays.
A day at the zoo
You don’t have to be a kid to have an absolute ball at Adelaide Zoo, you just need to be young at heart. There’s something special about spending time with animals - and I particularly adore the giraffes and the fairy penguins. Adelaide Zoo is also home to world famous lovers Wang Wang and Fu Ni who get to spend a whole 36 hours together each breeding season - a benchmark to aspire to.
Dolphin sanctuary kayak tour
This isn’t your average Port River dolphin cruise… The dolphin sanctuary kayak tour features the one thing that its Port River cousin often lacks - dolphins! Seriously, if you’ve never kayaked from Garden Island, you’re in for an absolute treat. You’ll paddle along 10,000 year old mangrove lined creeks to century old shipwrecks as you explore this intricate ecosystem. This is truly one of Adelaide’s hidden gems.
A night at the movies
There’s still something special about turning off the lights, pulling up the arm rest and having a snuggle alongside 300 others, right? Well maybe I’m not selling this well! Gold class and lux cinemas are a great way to feel like you are pampering yourself without breaking the bank. If you want an outdoor movie experience, check out the Moonlight Cinema in Botanic Park. They will be playing a week of romance movies leading up to the big day.
Ice cream at 48 flavours
I will fight anyone who tells me that this isn’t Adelaide’s best ice cream joint - and it has the bonus of being right outside the Adelaide Central Markets. There’s not much more romantic in life than going for a stroll while enjoying a couple of scoops of vanilla bean ice cream in a waffle cone. Perfection!
Axe throwing
If you’re dating a doer, someone who likes a challenge and a bit of healthy competition, consider a “forty-buck chuck” at MANIAX, nothing screams love more than having a beer and throwing axes for an hour.
A beachside stroll
Who doesn’t love long walks on the beach? It’s probably the only thing that is actually true in any of our dating profiles. In Adelaide we are blessed with some of the best beaches going round that are very easy to get to from the city. If you’ve spent the day at work and you wanna have an easy little evening date with your love accompanied by ice cream, head down to Henley Beach or Glenelg and hit up Bottega Gelateria. I’ll probably see you there!
Need a Valentine's Day card for your lover?
We’ve got you covered there too. We’ve got a wide range of cards to let your lover know just how much they mean to you, in the most Adelaide/South Australian way possible!
Check out our range of South Australian Valentine’s Day cards here.