Interesting Tourist Places to Visit and Things to Do in Brisbane

October 14, 2020 Mustafa Natalwala 4144 Views

Brisbane is the capital of Queensland State of Australia. The city is located on that west coast of Australia facing the Coral Sea. All the best things to do in Brisbane, Australia are near the coast. Though there are several other sights and attraction in the city, the beaches is what attractions most people to visit Brisbane. The city is close to several small and large islands in the Coral Sea. Some of the places to visit in Brisbane are located on these islands, including some of the most amazing beaches.

The Bribie Island is especially known for its Woorim Beach, Sylvan Beach, Bongaree Beach, and Red Beach. Other Brisbane tourist attractions to visit among islands include Strandbroke Island, Moreton Island, Coochiemudlo Island, Karragarra Island and Peel Island. Moreton Island is also popular for offload riding among sand dunes. It’s a really cool thing to do in Brisbane to surf the third largest sand dunes in the world.

The beaches in Brisbane are particularly popular among surfers. It is one of the most popular among Brisbane activities. Even if you don’t know how to surf, don’t worry. There are several clubs and coaching centers at several beaches to help you ride those waves. There are also still water beaches among Brisbane attractions which are great for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Besides these are lots of Watersport and other fun things to do in Brisbane, Australia along the coast.

It is not just beaches and buildings you should expect from the capital of Queensland. Aside from the beaches, nature and wildlife are also among top things to do in Brisbane, Australia. It city is surrounded by subtropical paradise of forests and mountains. Among Brisbane points of interest is the best koala sanctuary in the state. You will get to see incredibly adorable koala bears in their natural habitat at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

Again moving towards the ocean, there are two particular animals to include in Brisbane sightseeing at the ocean: Whales & Dolphins. You can take boat rides to watch dolphins and whales in the coral sea. There are also half day and full day cruises with variety of fun things to do in Brisbane which include this spectacle in their itinerary.

Below is a 4 day itinerary covering the most popular places to go in Brisbane.

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Table of Contents

Explore the Best Places in Brisbane in 4 Days (4 Days Travel Itinerary)

Day 1

1. Roma Street Parkland

Exploring the park is among free things to do in Brisbane. You can actually explore the park in 30 minutes, but if you plan on walking the entire park exploring every corner you will need an hour.

2. St. John’s Cathedral

The anglican church is known for its unique architecture and beautiful interior. It should take an hour to explore this church.

3. Story Bridge

The story bridge is the most iconic landmark among things to see in Brisbane. You need 15 to 20 minutes for this bridge, as there is not much to see or do here except the bridge itself and the city’s skyline.

If you are a thrill seeker then you must do an adventure of climbing the Story Bridge.

4. Anzac Square

Anzac Square is located at the city’s center. This Brisbane attraction is also the city’s primary war memorial. You will need 30 to 45 minutes for Anzac Square.

5. Brisbane City Hall & Clock Tower

The city hall and the adjoining clock tower are again major landmarks among places to visit in Brisbane. You will need 2 hours to explore the 3 tourist attractions within the city halls’ proximity.

6. Queensland Art Gallery

After spending all day admiring history, you can visit Queensland Art Gallery to admire incredible works of art. You will need about 2 hours at max to explore this art gallery.

7. South Banks Parklands

You would definitely want to relax after all day of Brisbane sightseeing. South Banks Parklands is a beach within the city offering some of the best things to do in Brisbane city. You can relax here for 2 hours or more. As much as you desire.

Day 2

1. Queensland State Library

The Library building is known for its wonderful architecture. It is also a museum of sorts. You will need an hour for this Brisbane attraction.

2. Queensland Museum

This Museum tells about the history of the state of Queensland. You will need about 2 hours for this place.

3. Wheel of Brisbane

Wheel of Brisbane is a part of South Bank Parklands. You can also enjoy several other Brisbane activities while you are these. Keep aside an hour and a half for the amusement park.

4. Queen Street Mall

This open air pedestrian mall is a delight for shoppers. Keep aside at least an hour for this market.

5. Museum of Brisbane

Here you will learn about the city’s history and encounter several artifacts from the region. You will need an hour for this Brisbane tourist attractions.

Day 3

1. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

This koala sanctuary is the first and largest of its kind in the country. It is the best place to go in Brisbane to meet cute and cuddle koalas. You are likely to spend 2 hours at this place.

You can combine your visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary with River Cruise in Brisbane.

2. Brisbane River Cruise

The river cruise lasts about an hour and a half and involves sightseeing of several Brisbane points of interest.

You can experience the following types of sightseeing boat cruises in Brisbane.

3. Queensland Maritime Museum

After cruising in a boat you will get to learn about the history of various naval vessels at this museum. It takes about an hour and a half to explore this museum.

Day 4

1. Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

You will be exploring the universe from the planetarium. There are so many exhibits, shows and other things at this place that you will end up spending 2 hours here.

2. Brisbane Botanic Gardens

It’s a very relaxing and beautiful place among things to see in Brisbane. You would need 2 hours for this garden.

3. Mount Coot

The mountain is especially known for its observation deck which offers great view of the city. Keep aside 1 to 2 hours for this place. You will need to relax after the climb.

All the time in the middle of these itinerary can be used for shopping, dining, and enjoying the beaches. We have listed several other places to visit in Brisbane in the article below if you wish to explore the city more. You will also find several top things to do in Brisbane, Australia in this article ranging from leisure and fun to outdoor adventures and watersports.

Things to do in Brisbane

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Brisbane

Museum of Brisbane
Saint John’s Cathedral
Boggo Road Gaol Prison
Queensland Maritime Museum
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries
Customs House
Workshops Rail Museum
Newstead House Museum
Old Government House
Bee Gees Way Memorial
Nepalese Peace Pagoda
North Strandbroke Island Historical Museum
Caboolture Historical Village
Old Cleveland Lighthouse
Cathedral of St. Stephen
Abbey Museum of Art & Archeology
Queensland Police Museum
Wolston Farmhouse

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Brisbane

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Glass House Mountains National Park
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park
Mount Coot
Mount Tibrogargan
Brown Lake
St. Helena Island National Park
J.C. Slaughter Falls
Brisbane Forest Park
Blue Lake
Mount Glorious
Boondall Wetlands Environment Center
Daisy Hill Conservation Park
Bunyaville Conservation Park
Ipswich Nature Center
Whites Hill Reserve
Fort Lytton National Park
Karawatha Forest
Mount Gravatt
Toohey Forest Park

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Brisbane

Sea World
South Bank Visitor Center
The City Botanic Garden
Wheel of Brisbane
Brisbane Botanic Gardens
Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
State Library of Queensland
Brisbane Brewery Tours
Sirromet Wines
Brisbane Cultural Precinct
Howard Smith Wharves
Diasy Hill Koala Center
Robelle Domain
Rocks Riverside Park
Ipswich Art Gallery
Dreamworks Experience
Yatala Drive In
Kingston Park Raceway
Penguin Encounter

Shopping in Brisbane

Queen Street Mall
James Street
Davies Park Market
Woolloongabba Market
The Collective Market
Riverside Markets
Oxford Street
James Street
Paddington
Fortitude Valley
West End Market

Beaches & Islands in Brisbane

Coochiemudlo Island
Karragarra Island
Peel Island
Suttons Beach
Lamb Island Queensland
Shorncliffe Pier
Redcliffe Jetty
Redlands Coast
Bribie Island
Red Beach
Sylvan Beach
Woorim Beach
Suttons Beach Park
Banksia Beach
Adams Beach
Moreton Bay
Nudgee Beach
Cylinder Beach
North Strandbroke Island
Moreton Island
Surfside Beach
Cowan Beach
Honeymoon Bay beach
Bongaree Beach
Bulwer Beach
Tangalooma Beach
Amity Enclosure
Streets Beach
Settlement Cove
Orion lagoon

Offbeat Places & Adventure Things to Do in Brisbane

Walkabout Creek Discovery Center
Stradbroke Ferries
Brisbane Whale Watching
Karawatha Forest Discovery Center
Hiking
Watersports
Mountain Climbing
Swimming
Surfing
Scuba Diving
Snorkeling
Cave Exploration
Kayaking
Island Ferry Ride

Sightseeing in Brisbane

Story Bridge
Roma Street Parklands
City Hall
New Farm Park
Queensland Parliament
Victoria Park
Somerset Dam
Wyaralong Dam
Captain Burke Park
Fish Lane
Brisbane Cruise Terminal
Sherwood Arboretum Park
Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges
Kalinga Park
Aurora Building

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Brisbane

Eat Street Northshore
Beccofino
La Macelleria
Julius Pizzeria
Flour & Chocolate
Hop & Pickle
I heart Brownies
Happy Boy
Felix for Goodness
Little Persian Cafe
Botanica
Fat Noodle
Stokehouse Q
Little Greek Taverna
Hello Please
Brisbane German Club
Kettle & Tin
Italian Street Kitchen
E’cco Bistro
Verve
Cinco Bistro
The Fishery
Yum Yum Pecking Duck
Fishmonger’s Wife
Billykart Westend
George’s Paragon

Where to Stay in Brisbane?

Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-Range and Budget Hotels in Brisbane. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Brisbane.

Luxurious Hotels

Mid-Range Hotels

Budget Hotels

Custom Tours Package in Brisbane

How to Reach Brisbane?

By Air

Brisbane airport is the city’s main airport, located about 20 km away from the city center. You can get direct flights from Brisbane travel from several cities in Europe, Canada, Asia, the U.S.A, the Middle East, and the Far East. You can use train, bus, and cab to visit Brisbane from the airport. Airtrain connects the airport with 4 stations in the city. It is the fastest way to reach the places to visit in Brisbane from the airport. Airtrain will get you to the city in a matter of 30 minutes. You second option for reaching places to go in Brisbane is by shuttle bus and public buses. Shuttle buses need to be pre-booked otherwise you will have to wait in a long line. This line sometimes takes away an hour of your time. Public buses are perhaps the cheapest alternative to visit Brisbane from the airport, costing as low as 4 dollars. Finally, you have the option of taking a cab. It is an expensive alternative, but if your hotel is closer to the airport or you directly want to go for Brisbane sightseeing, taxi won’t cost you that much.

By Road

You can get direct train for Brisbane travel from Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and several other cities in Australia. You will get direct bus to visit Brisbane from major cities in the country.

If you are traveling by car, you can use A1, M1, M2, A2 or A15 to reach the places to go in Brisbane.

By Water

Brisbane’s Portside Wharf hosts several cruise ships which take one or more days of stop at the port. Itinerary of these ships include several fun things to do in Brisbane, Australia. Some of the ships have guided tours of Brisbane tourist attractions as well, while others have you explore the city by yourself.

Image Reference

Roma Street Parkland – bertknot / Flickr
St. John’s Cathedral – John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Story Bridge – Kate McDonald, CC BY-SA 1.0 / Wikmedia Commons
Anzac Square – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Brisbane City Hall & Clock Tower – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Queensland Art Gallery – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
South Banks Parklands – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Queensland State Library – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Queensland Museum – GordonMakryllos, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Wheel of Brisbane – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Queen Street Mall – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Museum of Brisbane – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary – Andy Leung / PixaBay
Brisbane River Cruise – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Queensland Maritime Museum – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Brisbane Botanic Gardens – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Mount Coot – Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons