Visiting Brisbane Queensland

Tips for visiting Brisbane in one day

Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, a.k.a. the Sunshine State, is often overlooked by international travellers who prefer heading to nearby attractions: the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast or Fraser Island. With over 300 days of sunshine every year and a wealth of outdoor activities in its surrounds it’s no wonder why people regard Brisbane as a gateway city and spend a short time there for visiting.

On my solo travels around Australia I had the opportunity to stop over in Brisbane a few times.

These are my tips for visiting Brisbane in one day.

Take a stroll at South Bank Brisbane

South Bank is of the major point of interest in Brisbane. And it’s the ideal place to start touring Brisbane. The South Bank Parklands emcopass a haven of natural beauty and the distinctive cultural flair of the city. Cycling and walking paths skirt the majestic Brisbane River through lush gardens.

The Arbour, the heart of the Parklands, with its beautiful architectural design and the colourful bourgainvillea makes it to a uniquely picturesque promenade. The Southbank Parklands is a beloved spot by runners and bikers. A very creative place that celebrates outdoor lifestyle at its best by offering a variety of leisure activities.  On weekends do not miss out on the Soutbank Lifestyle Markets, held at Street Plaza.

These are the highlights of the South Bank Walk in Brisbane.

Visit GOMA and Queensland Museum

Start visiting South Bank at the cultural centre. Stop at Queensland Museum of Art for visiting GOMA the Gallery of Modern Art. At Goma you can see beautiful contemporary australian art. From there keep walking to South Bank’s main attraction, the City Beach, at Streets Beach, the artificial tropical lagoon and and the nearby Botanic City Gardens, if you want to marvel at spectacular tropical trees, plants and flowers.

Take a cruise on Brisbane River

To enjoy the city from a different perspective there is no better way than going on a river cruise. The City Cat service rides often during the day it is a great way for visiting Brisbane, if you have only a few hours. There are several stops along the river and you can get off and on as much as you like to continue visiting other corners of the city.

Jump on the Brisbane Wheel

From the beautiful bridges the Brisbane Wheel stands out as a magnificient eye-catching piece of architecture. This is a must-do thing to get a superb 360-degree view over Brisbane and beyond. I love Brisbane at sunset, when evening lights add the colour and the special atmosphere to the place.

Brisbane Shopping in Queen Street Mall

After a stroll along the Brisbane River at South Bank cross over the Goodwill Bridge and continue your stroll into the Brisbane CBD. Queen Street Mall is where the city buzz is with its lively shopping malls. Brisbane is a great place if you like fashion, with a thriving community of local fashion designers. In the Street Mall there are also good dining places and if you need a break from the malls frantic rhythm, walk a little bit further to the Roma Street Parklands, to get a break in the nature, really worth visiting.

If you have more time to spend visiting Brisbane consider these other fabulous attractions.

Go to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

If you crave seeing the australian wildlife and want to have a close-up encounter this is the place in Brisbane worth visiting. At Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary you can see all Australian native animals. Koalas, Kangaroos and more. It’s one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world and one of the few in Australia where you can feed and touch the animals. It is located only 10 minutes bus ride from CBD this is a great way for visiting in half-day. This is the website for more information about the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

Enjoy Brisbane from Mt. Coot-tha Lookout

A great way to to enjoy Brisbane from the hill is to take a bus to Mt Coot-tha Reserve. It takes only 8 minutes from Brisbane to get there and you can take in a spectacular view of the city; by good weather even a bit further to Moreton Bay. In this huge wilderness reserve you can visit Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens and Brisbane’s Planetarium which is the largest in Australia. A great place if you want to get a taste of the wildnerness.

How to get to Brisbane

As an international airport Brisbane is well connected both within Australia through domestic flights as well as from international destinations. However most of international flights to Brisbane include a stop-over in a South-East Asian airport, like Singapore, Bangkok,

Flying to Brisbane

Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and all major destinations are well connected to Brisbane. You can fly with as cheap as 50-100 AUD to Sydney. If you book online I can recommend using my preferred Australian comparison site for flight deals: Zuji Flights.

On this page you can keep reading on hw to find domestic flights within Australia.

Getting around Brisbane

Getting around Brisbane is easy with pubs, metro and local trains. You can however walk pretty much anywhere from Southbank to CBD it takes 20 minutes on foot. Public transport is great and if you plan to go to the Gold Coast or Byron Bay, you can save money with the GO-CARD for touring Brisbane and its sourrounding by public transport.

Day Trips from Brisbane

If you plan more time than just one day for visiting Brisbane, there are many interesting places to visit around Brisbane. With a short drive of 1-2 hours you can explore the Gold Coast, visit Byron Bay for a beach stroll, or go on a day trip to the Australia Zoo.

For hiring a car in Brisbane check out DriveNow

On this post you find details about more easy day-trips from Brisbane.