Brisbane has shed its "big country town" tag for good. In the lead-up to the 2032 Olympics, Australia's third-largest city is buzzing with world-class food, revitalised neighbourhoods, spectacular riverside parks, and one of the sunniest dispositions of any city on earth. Whether you're here for a weekend or a week, this guide covers everything worth doing — from the free and iconic to the hidden and unforgettable.
📋 Table of Contents
- South Bank Parklands
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
- Story Bridge Climb
- GOMA & Cultural Precinct
- Moreton Island Day Trip
- Mt Coot-tha & Lookout
- City Botanic Gardens
- New Farm & Teneriffe
- Wine Country Day Trip
- Fortitude Valley Food Scene
- Kangaroo Point Cliffs
- Brisbane River Cruise
- West End Markets
- Brisbane Powerhouse
- Stradbroke Island
- Queen's Wharf & Star Casino
- Springbrook National Park
- James Street Precinct
- Suncorp Stadium Live Event
- Queensland Museum
- Boundary Street Festival Strip
- Howard Smith Wharves
- The Gabba & Cricket
- Day Spa in the Rainforest
- Sunset Cocktail Cruise
1. South Bank Parklands — The City's Backyard
No trip to Brisbane is complete without time at South Bank Parklands — arguably the finest inner-city riverside precinct in Australia. Stretching 17 hectares along the south bank of the Brisbane River, this former World Expo site (1988) has been transformed into a lush urban escape that's free to enter and open every single day of the year.
The centrepiece is Streets Beach — a genuine man-made white sand beach with a lagoon-style pool, right in the heart of the city. Families flock here in summer, but it's surprisingly peaceful on weekday mornings. Grab a coffee from one of the many cafés, stroll the Arbour (a bougainvillea-draped archway path running the full length of the park), and watch the kookaburras steal chips from unsuspecting tourists.
Beyond the beach, South Bank offers riverside dining, the Nepal Peace Pagoda, weekend farmers' markets (Saturday mornings), buskers, and direct ferry access to the CBD. It also connects seamlessly to the Cultural Precinct, making it easy to combine with a visit to GOMA or the Queensland Museum.
Local tip: Visit at sunset on a Friday — the parklands glow golden and the après-work crowd makes for a wonderfully convivial atmosphere. The Good Night Markets run on select Friday and Saturday evenings and are not to be missed.
2. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary — Hold a Koala
Established in 1927, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the world's first and largest koala sanctuary, and it remains one of the most genuinely special wildlife experiences in all of Australia. With over 130 koalas, plus kangaroos, wombats, Tasmanian devils, platypus, and dingoes, a morning here is among the most memorable things you can do in Brisbane — especially if you're visiting from overseas.
Unlike most sanctuaries, Lone Pine allows you to actually hold a koala for a photo — a bucket-list moment that draws visitors from around the globe. Koalas only need to be held for a limited number of minutes per day, so this is strictly managed and entirely ethical. You'll also get to hand-feed free-roaming kangaroos and wallabies, which is an experience that somehow never gets old no matter how many times you do it.
The sanctuary sits about 12km southwest of the CBD in Fig Tree Pocket, making it an easy half-day excursion. You can drive, catch a direct bus, or — best of all — arrive by boat on the Mirimar River Cruise, a scenic 75-minute journey up the Brisbane River that passes mangroves, historic sites, and riverside suburbs.
Cooee Tours offers a combined Lone Pine + Mirimar River Cruise package that's one of our most popular bookings for visiting families and international guests. The river journey alone is worth the trip.
3. Story Bridge Adventure Climb
Brisbane's iconic Story Bridge is more than just a traffic crossing — it's a genuine adventure. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb takes you along the steel girders and up to the summit, 80 metres above the river, for 360-degree views of Brisbane's spectacular skyline, Moreton Bay, the Glass House Mountains, and — on a clear day — the peaks of the Gold Coast hinterland.
The climb takes about 2.5 hours and is suitable for most fitness levels — you'll be harnessed in and guided the entire way. Choose from four sessions: Dawn (worth every early alarm for the golden light), Day, Twilight, or Night (the city sparkling below is genuinely magical). The twilight climb is particularly popular for couples and milestone celebrations.
The bridge itself was completed in 1940 and is one of only four cantilever truss bridges in Australia. Your guide will weave stories of its construction into the climb, including the remarkable tale of the workers who lived in an on-site camp for years during the Great Depression.
4. GOMA & Brisbane's Cultural Precinct
The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) is the largest modern art museum in Australia outside of Melbourne, and it consistently punches above its weight with world-class international exhibitions. Admission to the permanent collection is free, and blockbuster touring shows (think major Monet retrospectives, fashion exhibitions, immersive digital art) attract visitors from across the country.
GOMA sits within Brisbane's remarkable Cultural Precinct — a concentration of major institutions along Grey Street in South Brisbane that includes the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), and the State Library of Queensland. You could genuinely spend a full day here without spending a single dollar on admission to the permanent collections.
The GOMA building itself is an architectural statement, with an enormous Children's Art Centre that makes it family-friendly, an excellent cinema program, and a fantastic rooftop café with river views. Don't miss the outdoor sculpture garden that connects the two art gallery buildings.
5. Moreton Island Day Trip
Just 75 minutes by fast ferry from Brisbane lies one of the great day-trip secrets of South East Queensland. Moreton Island is the world's third-largest sand island — a place of towering sand dunes, crystal-clear freshwater lakes, spectacular snorkelling over an artificial reef, and nightly dolphin feeding at the iconic Tangalooma Resort.
The Tangalooma Wrecks — a collection of 15 deliberately sunk ships just off the beach — form an extraordinary artificial reef that teems with marine life. Snorkelling here with turtles, rays, and hundreds of colourful fish is absolutely world-class, and the crystal visibility in Moreton Bay makes this one of the easiest and most rewarding snorkelling spots in Queensland.
Beyond the wrecks, the island offers towering sand dunes that you can toboggan down (sand boarding equipment is available to hire), the spectacular Champagne Pools on the island's ocean side, 4WD beach drives, whale watching during season (August–October), and the famous evening dolphin feeding where wild dolphins come into the shallows at sunset.
Cooee Tours tip: Our Moreton Island day tours depart Brisbane early and combine snorkelling, sand boarding, and a dolphin interaction into a single spectacular day. This is consistently our highest-rated experience of any tour we run.
6. Mt Coot-tha Lookout & Botanic Gardens
The Mt Coot-tha precinct sits just 8km from the CBD but feels worlds away. The summit lookout offers one of the finest city panoramas in Australia — a sweeping 180-degree view across Brisbane's skyline, the river snaking its way to Moreton Bay, and on a clear day the ocean glittering in the distance.
The view at sunrise is spectacular, but most visitors prefer the evening when the city lights come alive below. The Summit Café and Restaurant at the top does excellent wood-fired pizza and has a terrace from which you can watch the sun set behind the D'Aguilar Range.
At the base of Mt Coot-tha, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens are among the finest in Australia. Free to enter, they cover 52 hectares and include a Japanese Garden, an arid zone garden, a tropical display dome, a labyrinth, and extensive walking trails. The planetarium on site is worth a visit for families and astronomy buffs alike.
7. City Botanic Gardens & Riverside Walk
Brisbane's City Botanic Gardens predate European settlement in many ways — they've been a cultivated site since 1828, making them the oldest botanic gardens in Queensland. Sitting on the eastern edge of the CBD on a gentle bend of the Brisbane River, they're a perfect morning walk or afternoon respite.
The gardens are home to some remarkable heritage trees, including massive Moreton Bay fig trees with buttressed roots that look like they belong in a fantasy novel. Flying foxes roost here in their thousands at dusk, and the spectacle of thousands of black fruit bats taking to the sky as the sun sets is genuinely one of Brisbane's most extraordinary wildlife moments — totally free to witness.
From the gardens, the Riverwalk extends north along the river to New Farm Park — a flat, pleasant 4km walk that passes houseboats, the Powerhouse, and beautiful riverside parkland.
8. New Farm & Teneriffe — Brisbane's Most Beautiful Suburbs
The inner suburbs of New Farm and Teneriffe are perhaps Brisbane's most picturesque — a loop of the Brisbane River lined with spectacular jacaranda-draped streets, heritage wool stores converted into apartments and galleries, independent cafés, and the city's most beloved farmers' market.
Start at the Jan Powers Farmers Market (every Saturday morning at New Farm Park) where local producers, artisan bakers, cheese makers, and coffee roasters set up in a riverside park with enormous Moreton Bay fig trees as a canopy. This market is a genuine institution and worth planning your itinerary around.
From there, walk through the heritage wool stores along Macquarie Street in Teneriffe — these enormous red-brick industrial buildings from the 1890s have been beautifully restored and now house boutique shopping, art galleries, and excellent restaurants. The area during jacaranda season (October–November) is genuinely one of the most beautiful urban streetscapes in Australia.
9. South East Queensland Wine Country
Brisbane is uniquely positioned within easy reach of three distinct wine regions — the Granite Belt (3 hours southwest), the Scenic Rim (1.5 hours south), and the Sunshine Coast hinterland (1 hour north). For wine lovers, a guided wine tour from Brisbane is one of the finest ways to spend a day.
The Scenic Rim around Tamborine Mountain and the Canungra Valley is the most accessible wine day trip from Brisbane, combining cellar doors with gorgeous Gold Coast hinterland scenery, artisan food producers, and the dramatic scenery of Lamington National Park. The region specialises in alternative varietals — Verdelho, Viognier, and Chambourcin — that thrive in the subtropical climate.
Cooee Tours runs a dedicated Tamborine Mountain wine tour that visits three to four boutique cellar doors, includes a long lunch at a winery restaurant, and weaves through the spectacular hinterland scenery that most Brisbane visitors never discover. This is consistently one of the most booked tours we offer — and for good reason.
10. Fortitude Valley — The Food & Culture Hub
Known simply as "the Valley," Fortitude Valley is Brisbane's most culturally rich neighbourhood — a compact, walkable grid of streets that transitions from the buzzing Chinatown Mall to the boutique bars of the Brunswick Street strip, the independent retailers of Winn Lane, and the heritage buildings of the James Street fashion precinct.
The Valley's dining scene is genuinely world-class. Chinatown remains one of Australia's most authentic, with excellent yum cha at a handful of long-established Cantonese restaurants. The surrounding streets have developed into a creative dining hub — you'll find everything from acclaimed modern Australian restaurants to natural wine bars, Vietnamese street food, and some of the best specialty coffee roasters in the city.
Top spots to know: Longtime (modern Southeast Asian), Agnes Restaurant (wood-fire cooking), Supermild (natural wine bar), Elbow Room (specialty coffee), and the Emporium Hotel rooftop for a signature cocktail with city views.
11. Kangaroo Point Cliffs & Free Rock Climbing
The Kangaroo Point Cliffs rise dramatically from the south bank of the Brisbane River, offering one of the most distinctive urban landscapes in Australia. These 20-metre volcanic rock faces are a major rock climbing destination (there are free climbing walls with bolted routes), and the clifftop promenade offers spectacular views of the CBD just across the river.
Brisbane City Council has installed free public rock climbing equipment at the cliffs, making this a surprisingly accessible adventure for visitors. The views from the top stretch across the full Brisbane skyline — particularly spectacular at night. The new Kangaroo Point Green Bridge (opened 2023) connects the cliffs directly to the CBD and the City Botanic Gardens, creating a wonderful urban walking loop.
The clifftop itself is lined with picnic areas, BBQ facilities, and the excellent Cliffs Café. It's also home to one of Brisbane's most beloved sunrise yoga spots.
12. Brisbane River Cruise
Seeing Brisbane from the water is an entirely different experience to exploring it on foot. The city's meandering river — brown and wide, framed by mangroves and sweeping parklands — tells the story of the city's development in a way no land-based tour can match.
Multiple cruise options depart from South Bank and Eagle Street Pier daily. The most popular are the City Sights hop-on hop-off ferry service (a glorified but scenic way to get around), the Kookaburra Queens lunch and dinner cruises (white tablecloth dining on the river), and the morning Mirimar River Cruise to Lone Pine. For something more intimate, River Cruise Brisbane's small-group sunset cocktail cruises carry just 12 passengers and include local beers, wine, and canapés.
13. West End Weekend Markets
West End is Brisbane's most eclectic inner suburb — a bohemian, multicultural neighbourhood of independent bookshops, Vietnamese grocers, vintage clothing stores, and some of the city's best coffee. On Saturdays, the Boundary Street Markets transform a riverside park into Brisbane's best street food experience.
The markets run every Saturday morning at Davies Park — a sprawling grassy riverfront setting with massive fig trees for shade. You'll find organic produce, artisan bread, freshly roasted coffee, empanadas, Japanese street food, homemade preserves, and an ever-rotating cast of street musicians. It's a genuine community gathering rather than a tourist market, which makes it all the more appealing.
After the markets, walk along Boundary Street for excellent brunch options — try Café Nube for a long black under a Moreton Bay fig, or head to the iconic Gunshop Café for one of Brisbane's most acclaimed brunches.
14. Brisbane Powerhouse
The heritage-listed Powerhouse on the New Farm riverbank is Brisbane's most atmospheric arts venue — a cavernous former electricity generating station transformed into a festival, theatre, and events hub. Even if you're not attending a performance, it's worth visiting for the riverside bar and restaurant, and to admire the raw industrial architecture. The Powerhouse hosts the hugely popular Eat Local Week farmers' markets and the massive New Year's Eve celebrations.
15. North Stradbroke Island — The Perfect Beach Escape
"Straddie," as locals call it, is just 30 minutes by ferry from Cleveland (about 45 minutes from Brisbane CBD), yet it feels like a proper island holiday. The second-largest sand island in the world after Fraser Island, Stradbroke offers three main townships, spectacular beaches, excellent surf, snorkelling with turtles and manta rays, and one of Queensland's best coastal hiking trails along the Gorge Walk. This is where Brisbane families escape for long weekends — and rightly so.
16. Queen's Wharf Brisbane
The newly opened Queen's Wharf precinct (2024) has transformed Brisbane's riverfront between the CBD and South Bank. This AU$3.6 billion integrated resort development includes The Star Casino, five hotels, an extraordinary sky deck with a glass-floored observation platform, and 50+ restaurants and bars — all connected to the heritage-listed Treasury Building and surrounding historic sites. Even if gambling isn't your thing, the architecture, food scene, and views from the Sky Deck make this worth an evening visit.
17. Springbrook National Park
One of Queensland's most spectacular national parks sits just 1.5 hours south of Brisbane in the McPherson Range. Springbrook National Park is ancient volcanic landscape draped in temperate rainforest — ancient Antarctic beech trees, thundering waterfalls, and extraordinary geological formations. The best walks include Purling Brook Falls (a 4km circuit past a 109-metre waterfall), the Twin Falls circuit, and the Best of All Lookout, which on a clear day surveys the entire Gold Coast coastline from high above.
18. James Street Precinct
James Street in Fortitude Valley is Brisbane's answer to Sydney's Paddington or Melbourne's Fitzroy — a single tree-lined street of heritage buildings housing independent fashion boutiques, design homewares stores, acclaimed restaurants, and the stunning James Street Market deli and providore. This is where Brisbane's creative class shops and eats. Don't miss Greca (modern Greek), Gauge (seasonal tasting menus), or The Calile Hotel — a design masterpiece worth visiting even just for a swim in their iconic pool bar.
19. Live Sport at Suncorp Stadium
Suncorp Stadium — officially Lang Park — is regularly voted one of the world's great sports venues. The atmosphere for NRL (rugby league) matches, especially State of Origin games between Queensland and NSW, is unlike anything else in Australian sport. Brisbane has a passionate sporting culture, and attending a live game at Suncorp is a genuine cultural experience. During the 2032 Olympics, this stadium will host football (soccer) — but right now it's the fortress of Queensland rugby league.
20. Queensland Museum
Alongside GOMA in the Cultural Precinct, the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre is particularly excellent for families. The natural history collection covers Queensland's extraordinary biodiversity and the state's dinosaur discoveries (Queensland has produced some of Australia's most significant dinosaur fossil finds). Admission to the museum is free, with ticketed entry to special exhibitions.
21. Boundary Street Food Strip, West End
This strip is Brisbane's most multicultural dining corridor — Vietnamese pho restaurants, Ethiopian injera, Lebanese mezze, Japanese izakayas, Mexican taquerias, and a handful of celebrated contemporary Australian restaurants all within walking distance. The Gun Shop Café for brunch and Winn Lane for craft cocktails are must-visits.
22. Howard Smith Wharves
Tucked beneath the Story Bridge in a dramatic river gorge setting, Howard Smith Wharves is Brisbane's most spectacular bar and dining precinct. The heritage wharves — restored beautifully — house a rotating collection of pop-up bars, the excellent Mr Percival's waterfront bar, a boutique hotel, and Joe's Dining (exceptional wood-fired cooking). The setting, particularly at night with the lit-up Story Bridge overhead and river reflections below, is the most cinematic in Brisbane.
23. The Gabba — Queensland Cricket & Football
The Gabba (Brisbane Cricket Ground) in Woolloongabba is one of cricket's great Test match grounds — the venue of the famous 2021 Ashes Test where Australia famously defeated England after fans had queued overnight. During summer, Test cricket, Sheffield Shield, and BBL Big Bash matches make for a brilliant day out. The neighbouring Woolloongabba dining precinct has exploded in the last few years with excellent restaurants and bars.
24. Rainforest Day Spa Experience
The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast hinterlands around Brisbane are dotted with spectacular day spas embedded in subtropical rainforest. Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat on the Gold Coast hinterland and Endota Spa Montville in the Sunshine Coast hinterland both offer day packages combining organic treatments, rainforest settings, and healthy lunches. These make exceptional additions to a wine country day trip.
25. Sunset Cocktail Cruise on the Brisbane River
We've saved the most romantic for last. A small-group sunset cocktail cruise is, in our experience as tour operators, the single most universally loved Brisbane experience across all demographics — couples, families, groups, solo travellers. The Brisbane River catches fire at sunset in a way that's hard to believe — the water turns molten orange, the Story Bridge is silhouetted against a purple sky, and the city skyline glows. With a glass of Queensland wine in hand, it's the perfect way to end any Brisbane visit.