Known for
Brisbane River, koala encounters and subtropical outdoor culture
Must-see landmarks
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the Story Bridge and South Bank Parklands
Days needed
2 to 3 days
Free to visit
South Bank Parklands, City Botanic Gardens and CityHopper ferries
South Bank Parklands opened over the former World Expo 88 site beside the river, its almost 15 hectares of lawns backing onto Streets Beach, a swimming lagoon the parklands describe as having unrivalled skyline views. The Queensland Cultural Centre's galleries are a 12 minute walk north.
The Queensland Cultural Centre gathers the Queensland Art Gallery, founded in 1895 and rehoused here in 1982, its Gallery of Modern Art wing that opened in 2006, plus the state museum, library and performing arts centre, all with free general admission. City Botanic Gardens is a 30 minute walk east, or a shorter hop on the free CityHopper ferry.
Queensland's oldest heritage garden began in 1855, when the site was declared a botanic reserve and Walter Hill became its first curator; earlier still, part of the land grew crops for the early penal colony. Fig trees and bunya pines Hill planted still stand among the riverside paths. Brisbane City Hall is a 17 minute walk north.
Brisbane City Hall's council offices opened in 1928, its clock tower rising 92 metres with an observation platform at 76 metres; when built, the tower held Australia's largest public clock. Free guided tours run at 10:30 and 11:30 daily, and the clock tower is free to visit with a booking. Queen Street Mall is a 3 minute walk away.
Queen Elizabeth II opened this pedestrian mall on 9 August 1982 for the Commonwealth Games, extended in 1988 for World Expo 88. Department stores and arcades line the strip from George to Edward streets. Story Bridge and Kangaroo Point Cliffs lie a 29 minute walk east, or a stretch of the free City Loop bus (weekdays) toward Eagle Street.
Story Bridge opened on 6 July 1940, heritage-listed as the largest steel bridge designed, fabricated and built in Australia by Australians; its pedestrian path crosses free, with the summit climb sold separately. Below it, Kangaroo Point's cliffs, quarried from 1826 in the convict settlement, now form a clifftop park with skyline views.
Ash mark the 30th anniversary of 1977 at the Tivoli on 10 September at 19:00.
Electric Callboy bring the TANZNEID World Tour to Riverstage on 12 September at 17:00.
Dara O Briain brings Re:Creation to the Fortitude Music Hall on 10 November at 20:00.
The Rugby League World Cup finals come to Suncorp Stadium on 15 November at 15:10.
South Bank Parklands costs nothing to wander, its riverside lawns leading to Streets Beach, a free swimming lagoon with skyline views; paid activities within the precinct, such as the Wheel of Brisbane, set their own admission.
Queensland's oldest heritage garden is free to enter at any hour; the café and organised guided walks are the parts of a visit that come with a price tag.
QAGOMA's two riverside buildings never charge for the permanent collection, and neither does the Children's Art Centre inside GOMA; a paying queue only forms for blockbuster touring shows and select evening film screenings.
Brisbane City Hall's guided tours run free twice each morning and its clock tower is free to ascend with a booking; Museum of Brisbane, on the level above, adds free galleries on the city's history.
Story Bridge's pedestrian and cycle path crosses the river without charge, and the clifftop park on the far side is free to wander too; the operator-run summit climb and any abseiling gear hire are what visitors pay for here.
Wander Queensland Museum Kurilpa's galleries without paying a cent, any day it opens; the hands-on SparkLab and the occasional touring blockbuster are the exhibits that come with a ticket.
Tucked inside Brisbane City Hall, Museum of Brisbane's exhibitions on the city's stories and history are entirely free to enter, with no ticket needed.
Anyone can sit down and read inside State Library of Queensland's riverside halls without a card or a fee, and its maker space, The Edge, is free to explore too.
Admission to Anzac Square Memorial Galleries is free; it closes on Saturdays and some public holidays, so it is worth checking the calendar before a weekend visit.
Roma Street Parkland never charges admission, day or night; even its volunteer-led guided walk costs nothing, though a booking is needed to join one.
The lookout at the top of Mount Coot-tha is free to visit day or night, with free parking, looking out over the city and Moreton Bay.
Brisbane sits on a looping bend of its namesake river, built where an 1823 penal settlement replaced an earlier, failed outpost at Redcliffe; explorer John Oxley named the new site after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the New South Wales governor who ordered it. The Turrbal and Jagera peoples who lived here first knew the area as Mian-jin. A subtropical climate and an outdoor river culture set the city apart, and Brisbane is due to host the 2032 Summer Olympics.
The compact CBD sits across the river from South Bank's parklands and galleries, linked by pedestrian bridges and a free ferry loop. New Farm, a short walk or ferry ride east, holds a riverside park and a converted power station turned arts venue. Kangaroo Point's cliffs and Fortitude Valley's nightlife lie further round the river's bend, and Mount Coot-tha rises over the western suburbs with the city's botanic gardens and best free lookout.
Brisbane's dry season runs roughly May to October, with August and September usually the driest and mildest months, while summer brings heat and humidity. Two to three days cover the CBD and South Bank itinerary and a handful of nearby sights, and a further day suits an excursion to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary or Mount Coot-tha.
Translink runs Brisbane's trains, buses and ferries, including the free City Loop bus around downtown and the free CityHopper ferry across the river; a touch-on card covers the rest of the network. The CBD, South Bank and New Farm are all walkable in daylight hours, with the CityCat ferry linking them along the river for longer hops. North of here the Queensland coast holds two of the biggest places to visit in Australia, the Great Barrier Reef reached from Cairns and the sand tracks of K'gari.