Things to do · Brisbane · Australia
16 best things to do in Brisbane
16 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: MagpieShooter, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Brisbane are South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Story Bridge. Of the 16 picks below, 11 are free, 4 work on a rainy day and 11 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach
- Free sights
- 11
- Good on a rainy day
- Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach | South Bank | Half a day | Free |
| Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary | Fig Tree Pocket | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Story Bridge | Kangaroo Point | 30 minutes; 2.5 hours to climb | Free |
| CityCat river ferry | Brisbane River | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) | South Bank | 2 hours | Free |
| Queensland Art Gallery | South Bank | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Queensland Museum Kurilpa | South Bank | 2 hours | Free |
| Kangaroo Point Cliffs | Kangaroo Point | 1 hour | Free |
| Mount Coot-tha Lookout and Botanic Gardens | Mount Coot-tha | Half a day | Free |
| City Botanic Gardens | Brisbane CBD | 1 hour | Free |
| Howard Smith Wharves | Fortitude Valley | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Brisbane City Hall and Museum of Brisbane | Brisbane CBD | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Roma Street Parkland | Brisbane CBD | 1 hour | Free |
| New Farm Park and Brisbane Powerhouse | New Farm | 2 hours | Free |
| Eat Street Northshore | Hamilton | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Queensland Maritime Museum | South Bank | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
The 16 best things to do
Park · South Bank
1.South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach
Seventeen hectares of riverside parkland built on the World Expo 88 site, centred on Streets Beach, a free lifeguarded lagoon with sand and palm trees across the river from the skyline. A kilometre-long bougainvillea arbour, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda from Expo 88, playgrounds and barbecue areas fill the rest.
Swim in the lagoon on a weekday morning; on hot weekends it is crowded by mid-morning.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Iconic
- Outdoors
- Couples
Zoo · Fig Tree Pocket
2.Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Founded in 1927, Lone Pine is the world's oldest koala sanctuary, with well over 100 koalas, a free-roaming kangaroo reserve where you can hand-feed eastern grey kangaroos, platypus, wombats and birds of prey shows.
A river cruise from the city centre is a scenic way to arrive; otherwise take a bus from the CBD in about 40 minutes.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Iconic
- Nature
- Outdoors
Landmark · Kangaroo Point
3.Story Bridge
Opened in 1940, this steel cantilever bridge links Kangaroo Point with Fortitude Valley and is the city's signature landmark, lit in changing colours at night. Guided climbs take you over the top for views up and down the river, and its footpaths are free to walk.
Walk across at dusk from Kangaroo Point towards the Valley for skyline views, then descend to Howard Smith Wharves for dinner.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes; 2.5 hours to climb
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Iconic
- After dark
- Architecture
Experience · Brisbane River
4.CityCat river ferry
Sleek catamaran ferries run the length of the city's river reaches from the University of Queensland to Northshore Hamilton, passing South Bank, the CBD, the Story Bridge and New Farm. At public-transport fares it is the best-value sightseeing cruise in Brisbane.
Ride the whole route once, sitting on the outside deck at the front, and stop off at New Farm Park or Howard Smith Wharves.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
Gallery · South Bank
5.Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
Australia's largest gallery of modern and contemporary art sits on the river at Kurilpa Point, known for its large-scale installations, the Asia Pacific Triennial and a strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection. Its Children's Art Centre runs hands-on exhibitions for young visitors.
Check the programme for the Children's Art Centre and the cinémathèque, both included in or alongside the free collection displays.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
Gallery · South Bank
6.Queensland Art Gallery
The older half of QAGOMA displays Australian, European and Asian art from colonial landscapes to Indigenous works around a calm Watermall. It is a two-minute walk from GOMA, so the two are easily combined.
Start here, cross to GOMA, then have lunch at the riverside café between the two buildings.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Museum · South Bank
7.Queensland Museum Kurilpa
The state museum covers Queensland's dinosaurs, wildlife, the Great Barrier Reef and First Nations cultures, with the hands-on SparkLab science centre upstairs. Life-size whale models hang in the entrance area.
SparkLab charges separately; the main galleries are free and suit a hot or rainy afternoon.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Rainy day
- History
Viewpoint · Kangaroo Point
8.Kangaroo Point Cliffs
Old volcanic-rock quarry cliffs on the river's edge, floodlit until late and used by climbers and abseilers. The clifftop park has free barbecues and one of the best views of the CBD skyline, and the riverside boardwalk runs along the base.
Book a guided climbing or abseiling session for a first try, or come after dark to see the city lights reflected in the river.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- After dark
- Active
- Photo spot
.jpg){kind=link}
Viewpoint · Mount Coot-tha
1.Mount Coot-tha Lookout and Botanic Gardens
The lookout at 287 metres, about 15 minutes' drive west of the CBD, gives the widest view of the city, river and Moreton Bay islands. Below it, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha have a Japanese garden, a tropical display dome and the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, and bushwalking tracks thread the surrounding forest.
Visit the lookout at sunset, then walk the short trails in the gardens earlier in the day when it is cooler.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
Garden · Brisbane CBD
2.City Botanic Gardens
Brisbane's original botanic garden fills the tip of the CBD peninsula next to Parliament House and QUT, with huge Moreton Bay figs, bamboo groves, a mangrove boardwalk along the river and resident water dragons.
Follow the riverside boardwalk from the gardens to Eagle Street Pier and the Riverwalk at New Farm.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Kids
Waterfront · Fortitude Valley
3.Howard Smith Wharves
Restored heritage wharf sheds beneath the Story Bridge now hold restaurants, a riverside brewery, bars and lawns facing Kangaroo Point. A lift and stairs connect it with the city above, and the Riverwalk path leads on to New Farm.
Book a riverside table for sunset, when the Story Bridge lights come on overhead.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
- Couples
- Views
Architecture · Brisbane CBD
4.Brisbane City Hall and Museum of Brisbane
The sandstone City Hall on King George Square opened in 1930 with a clock tower that was once the tallest point in the city. Free tours ride the old lift up the clock tower, and the free Museum of Brisbane on the third floor tells the city's stories through changing exhibitions.
Book the free clock-tower tour on arrival at the museum desk; places are limited.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
.jpg){kind=link}
Garden · Brisbane CBD
5.Roma Street Parkland
A large subtropical garden on the edge of the CBD with lakes, rainforest walks, themed garden beds, a playground and lawns. It is a calm green walk between Roma Street station and Spring Hill.
Bring lunch; the barbecues and lawns by the lake are rarely crowded on weekdays.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Park · New Farm
6.New Farm Park and Brisbane Powerhouse
A riverside park famous for its jacaranda trees, which turn purple from about late October, with rose gardens, a large fig-tree playground and its own CityCat stop. Next door, the Brisbane Powerhouse converts an old power station into theatres, bars and a Saturday farmers' market.
Time a visit to the Saturday market and stay for a picnic under the jacarandas in spring.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Food
- Outdoors
- Couples
Market · Hamilton
7.Eat Street Northshore
A night market built from shipping containers on the riverside wharves at Hamilton, with dozens of food stalls from dumplings to churros, bars and live music. It operates on weekend evenings and charges a small entry fee.
Take the CityCat to the Northshore Hamilton terminus and arrive early before the queues build.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
- Kids
Museum · South Bank
8.Queensland Maritime Museum
At the southern end of South Bank, beside an old dry dock, the museum lets you board HMAS Diamantina, a Second World War frigate, and see displays on Queensland's shipwrecks, lighthouses and pearling history.
Combine it with the Goodwill Bridge walk back to the City Botanic Gardens.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum Kurilpa and Queensland Maritime Museum |
| History | Queensland Museum Kurilpa, Brisbane City Hall and Museum of Brisbane and Queensland Maritime Museum |
| Views | Story Bridge, Kangaroo Point Cliffs, CityCat river ferry and Mount Coot-tha Lookout and Botanic Gardens |
| Outdoors and nature | South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Mount Coot-tha Lookout and Botanic Gardens and City Botanic Gardens |
| Food and markets | Howard Smith Wharves, New Farm Park and Brisbane Powerhouse and Eat Street Northshore |
| After dark | Story Bridge, Kangaroo Point Cliffs, Howard Smith Wharves and Eat Street Northshore |
| With children | South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach, Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Queensland Museum Kurilpa and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary |
| On a rainy day | Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum Kurilpa and Brisbane City Hall and Museum of Brisbane |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Brisbane?
South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach. Seventeen hectares of riverside parkland built on the World Expo 88 site, centred on Streets Beach, a free lifeguarded lagoon with sand and palm trees across the river from the skyline.
+What can you do for free in Brisbane?
South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach, Story Bridge, Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Queensland Art Gallery and Queensland Museum Kurilpa. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Brisbane when it rains?
Head indoors to Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum Kurilpa and Brisbane City Hall and Museum of Brisbane.
+What is there to do in Brisbane at night?
Story Bridge, Kangaroo Point Cliffs, Howard Smith Wharves and Eat Street Northshore are best after dark.