Top places to visit in Brisbane

• Brisbane City Hall & Museum of Brisbane

  Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1 h

  A grand 1930 sandstone civic building with a clock-tower viewing platform and the free Museum of Brisbane.

• Story Bridge

  Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1 h

  Brisbane's heritage steel cantilever bridge over the river — walk it, or take the summit adventure climb for city views.

• Fortitude Valley & Chinatown

  Nightlife · 3.6 rating · about 1.5 h

  Brisbane's entertainment quarter — the Chinatown Mall, live-music venues, laneway bars and a thriving dining scene.

• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

  Wildlife · 4.6 rating · about 3 h · entry AUD 55

  The world's first and largest koala sanctuary — hold a koala, hand-feed kangaroos and see platypus and Tasmanian devils.

• Queensland Museum

  Museum · 4.6 rating · about 2 h

  The state museum of natural history and culture, home to Muttaburrasaurus and the Sciencentre, in the Cultural Precinct.

• Mount Coot-tha Lookout

  Viewpoint · 4.7 rating · about 1 h

  A hilltop lookout with panoramic views over Brisbane to Moreton Bay, best at sunset, with a cafe and botanic gardens below.

• Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)

  Museum · 4.6 rating · about 2 h

  Australia's largest gallery of modern and contemporary art, part of the riverside Cultural Precinct — free entry.

• Howard Smith Wharves

  Nightlife · 4.6 rating · about 2 h

  A revived riverside precinct under the Story Bridge with a brewery, restaurants, bars and events on the water.

• New Farm Park

  Nature · 4.7 rating · about 1 h

  A riverside park famed for its jacaranda avenues and rose gardens, next to the Brisbane Powerhouse arts centre.

• City Botanic Gardens

  Nature · 4.7 rating · about 1.3 h

  Brisbane's oldest gardens on a river bend beside the CBD — subtropical plantings, ancient trees and riverside paths.

• South Bank Parklands

  Nature · 4.8 rating · about 2 h

  Riverfront parkland with rainforest boardwalks, the Wheel of Brisbane and the man-made Streets Beach lagoon.

• Streets Beach

  Beach · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h

  Australia's only inner-city, man-made swimming beach — a sandy lagoon fringed by palms in the heart of South Bank.

Things to do

• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary River Cruise Tour · 5 h · from AUD 99 per person
• Story Bridge Adventure Climb Adventure · 2.5 h · from AUD 139 per person
• Tangalooma Moreton Island Day Trip Tour · 10 h · from AUD 149 per person
• Brisbane River City Sightseeing Cruise Cruise · 1.5 h · from AUD 35 per person
• Wheel of Brisbane Ride Activity · 0.5 h · from AUD 22 per person
• North Stradbroke Island Day Tour Tour · 9 h · from AUD 135 per person

Day trips and tours

• Brisbane City & Lone Pine Koalas 6 h · from AUD 129

Where to stay in Brisbane

• South Bank about AUD 3,500 per night

  Cultural precinct with accommodation

• Fortitude Valley about AUD 195 per night

  Brisbane's nightlife and dining hub — Chinatown, live-music venues and boutique hotels.

Hotels

• Emporium Hotel South Bank 5-star · AUD 350 to AUD 850 per night
• The Fantauzzo 5-star · AUD 280 to AUD 600 per night
• Brisbane City YHA 3-star · AUD 40 to AUD 150 per night
• Ovolo The Valley 4-star · AUD 210 to AUD 420 per night
• ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street 3-star · AUD 140 to AUD 260 per night

Where to eat

• Otto Ristorante Brisbane Italian · about AUD 110 per person
• Gerard's Bistro Middle Eastern · about AUD 90 per person
• Felons Brewing Co. Australian, Pub · about AUD 55 per person
• Greca Greek · about AUD 80 per person
• Julius Pizzeria Italian, Pizza · about AUD 45 per person
• The Charming Squire Pub, Australian · about AUD 40 per person

Getting around

• Bus main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Ferry main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Train main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking

  Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.

Safety and scams to avoid

• Backpacker job-deposit

  Major tourist zones

  Online "casual work" offer demands $50–200 deposit for "uniform/training"; job doesn't exist.

  How to avoid it: Never pay deposit for a job before starting. Use official jobactive portal.

More in Australia

• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Perth
• Adelaide
• Gold Coast
• Cairns