In a city as vibrant and busy as Brisbane, trying to decide what are the best ways to spend your time here can be difficult, especially if you are on a time limit. With its rich outdoors lifestyle, historical landmarks, spacious parklands, and abundant wildlife experiences, finding a way to explore it all can be a challenge. For a taste of what makes our city what it is, and to have the most fun doing so, below is our pick of the top 10 things to do in Brisbane.
Explore Brisbane – from the river
Brisbane is not known as the ‘River City’ for nothing. In so many ways, the Brisbane River that snakes its way through its centre is the heart and soul of the city and, therefore, a magnificent way to explore it. Killing so many birds with one stone, a ride up and down the river on one of the many City Cats that zig-zag over it daily will not only give you a unique vantage point of Brisbane but also drop you off to explore the many popular riverside suburbs and attractions that line it too.
If you are chasing a more peaceful ride on the river, hiring a kayak or joining a cruise are also memorable ways to glide over its surface.
Climb the Story Bridge
It is one of our most iconic landmarks, and if you want something notable to do while visiting Brisbane, climbing the Story Bridge should probably be high on your list. Steeped in history, the bridge climb is also one of only three such climbs in the world, which also makes it a pretty unique experience to have while in the city.
Taking about 2 hours to complete, the climb over the Story Bridge is just over 1km long and has a summit viewing platform 80m above the Brisbane River. An achievement in itself, climbing the bridge will also gift you with uninterrupted 360° views of Brisbane, its river and surrounding hills and mountains.
Unwind in the Brisbane City and Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens
Brisbane is well-known for its extensive parks and gardens, with two of its most impressive being the Brisbane City and Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. The Brisbane City Botanic Gardens has the unique location of being both right in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD, but also comprising of 49 acres of prime riverside parkland. A trip to this inner-city oasis will gift you endless manicured gardens, picnic spaces, a playground, walk and bike paths, duck ponds, cafes, towering trees, and uninterrupted views of the river and Kangaroo Point Cliffs.
Meanwhile, what the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens lacks in riverside real estate, it more than makes up for in its sweeping mountain views and attractions. Set on 56 hectares and featuring over 20,000 plants and 5,000 plant species, the park features a Japanese and Sensory Garden, a Children’s Trail, a Bamboo Grove, and an Exotic Rainforest. There is also a Tropical Display Dome, Melaleuca Lake and Eucalypt Woodland to discover. (The Brisbane Planetarium is located in the same precinct).
Explore Southbank Parklands
Southbank Parklands has quickly become one of Brisbane’s most popular attractions, and its not hard to see why. A visit to the parklands will spoil you with choices of things to do with the kids, although the man-made riverside Streets Beach is usually where most families start. Once you tire of its sandy shore, though, there is also a lagoon pool, splash play area, playgrounds, shops, cafes, rainforest, and plenty of cycle and walking paths to enjoy.
Visit the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre
To delve into Brisbane (and Queensland’s) rich history and ecology, visiting the Queensland Museum Kurilpa is one of the best things you can do while in the city. Far from being a building filled with old artefacts and fossils (although it has these, too), the museum has three levels of engaging exhibits, interactive displays and impressive collections.
Come face-to-face with our native wildlife, learn all about our history, and discover new feature exhibitions. The Sciencentre, a place where children can engage in STEM projects, conduct experiments and challenge their knowledge, is also housed in the museum. Note: the Queensland Museum is a free museum like the vast majority of Australian Museums. All exhibitions are free to enter except for the special one off exhibits that sometimes have a fee for entry. The sciencentre is also a ticketed fee for entry venue.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
They are a national treasure, our most well-known and beloved native species, and a visit to Brisbane would not be complete without a trip to visit the resident koalas at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. The largest koala sanctuary in the world, it was also the first to establish an environment especially catering for the welfare of koalas. Although there are well over 130 koalas in their care, the sanctuary is also home to many other much-loved and unique Australian wildlife, including kangaroos, platypus, emus, wombats, dingoes, and more.
Visitors especially love the open fenced area where emu and kangaroo roam – if you have been wanting to get up close to these animals, this is the best place to do i. We recommend getting their early, purchasing some special wildlife food and hand feeding them (before they get too full!)
Roma Street Parklands
Yes, it is another parkland, but Brisbane is an outdoor lifestyle and the greenspaces offer up so much more than just tranquil picnic grounds, that Roma Street Parklands need to be on this list too. Sure, there are incredible manicured lawns, rainforest walks, a lake, waterfall wall, and amphitheatre on the grounds, but that is still not even half of the things to discover at this expansive inner-city haven.
Families will appreciate the trackless train that can drop you off at each attraction, a couple of delightful children’s playgrounds, guided tours, flower gardens, worm and compost gardens and, if you are there in December, even an enchanted fairy-lit garden to be mesmerised by.
Indulge your tastebuds at Eat Street Markets
Brisbane’s food scene is alive and kicking, with an impressive array of restaurants and cafes dotted in and around the city and surrounding suburbs. If you want to experience a little bit of everything, get entertained by live music and performances, and do a touch of shopping simultaneously, you can’t beat the Eat Street Markets at Northshore.
With over 70 speciality mini restaurants, bars, produce stores and two stages for live entertainment, this dazzling riverside space is full of photo opportunities with towering desserts, bright neon signs and even angel wings, giving it a real festival feel.
Abseil down Kangaroo Point Cliffs
The iconic heritage-listed cliff face towers 20m from the ground and lines the river opposite Brisbane city. Kangaroo Point Cliffs is also renowned for the fantastic abseiling and rock climbing opportunities it offers locals and visitors. If you have never abseiled before, don’t worry. The groups that do this are run by qualified instructors with high-grade safety briefings and equipment, so you can let all your worries go and just enjoy the views. Afterwards, you can stroll along the boardwalk at the base of the cliffs, enjoy a BBQ, and enjoy the riverside art installations found here.
Visit the Islands
Brisbane is an incredible city, with its natural greenspaces, host of attractions, and incredible wildlife. What also makes it unique is its proximity to so many stunning local islands. Whether that is Stradbroke Island and its impressive surf breaks, Moreton Island with its dolphin feeding, or the laidback Bribie Island with its mesmerising Butterfly House, the opportunity to travel a small distance and spend the day on any one of these is what makes us so lucky.
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