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50 Things to Do in Brisbane Australia

Sherianne Higgins·
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Top Things to Do in Brisbane Australia

If you are planning a trip to Brisbane Australia and looking for the best things to do, see, and eat while visiting, you are in the right place. Brisbane is located in Queensland along the gorgeous Gold Coast. Brisbane is the third-largest city in Australia. It is known for its picture-perfect bridge, manmade lagoon, pedestrian-only shopping street, and koala bears. Browse the list of must-see attractions, off-the-beaten-path experiences, outdoor activities, and museums to create your personal Brisbane bucket list. Then, plan the itinerary for your Brisbane trip with these top things to do, see, and eat. Enjoy your time out of the office!

READ Complete Australia Travel Guide, What You Need to Know
READ Feeding Wild Dolphin at Tangalooma Island Resort

Waterfront Cruise Brisbane River Brisbane Australia
Brisbane River Waterfront

Things to Do in and Around Brisbane Australia

Climb the Story Bridge

Go for a swim in the Southbank Lagoon

Take a photo with a koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Shop for souvenirs at Queen Street Mall

Check out the view from the top of Mount Coot-Tha

Cruise down the Brisbane River and enjoy the city views

Enjoy high tea at the Brisbane Parliament House

Ride a bike along the city river loop

Enjoy rooftop cocktails with a view at Elixir Rooftop Bar, The Pullman, or Eleven

Take a walk on the promenade and take a selfie with the Brisbane sign

Shop the boutiques of the Valley Laneways (Winn Lane, California Lane, and Bakery Lane)

Learn about Queensland at the Queensland Museum

Look down on King George Square from the City Hall Tower

Head to Eagle Street Pier for happy hour

Check out the city view from Kangaroo Point

Have a picnic and play croquet at New Farm Park

Read the quotes about Brisbane on the Albert Street Literary Trail

Take the XXXX Beer Brewery Tour

Spend a day sipping wine on the Somerset Valley Wine Trail

Stroll through the City Botanic Gardens

Photograph the Nepalese Peace Pagoda

Check out the street art in Fortitude Valley (Brunswick Street to James Street)

Go for a swim in the Wynnum Wading Pool

Check out the Brisbane Arcade’s glass roof

Grab dinner at the Eat Streets Market

Wander through the South Bank Rainforest Walk boardwalks

Photograph the Story Bridge from the Eagle Street Pier

Spend the day at the Australia Zoo, made famous by Steve Irwin

Ride the Brisbane Wheel

Explore Brisbane’s Public Art Trail

Kayak on the Brisbane River or Manly Harbour

Watch a rugby match then have dinner on Caxton Street

Browse the local crafts at the Southbank Collective Markets

Check out the contemporary Asian and Pacific art at the Gallery of Modern Art

Watch the sunset over the city from Wilson’s Lookout

Enjoy panoramic city views from above at Skypoint Observation Deck

Book SkyClimb, Australia’s highest external building climb

Abseil down the cliffs of Kangaroo Point or in the Glass Mountains

Eat prawns and Moreton Bay Bug (similar to lobster)

Experience Aboriginal culture at Spirits of the Red Sand

Drive the scenic rim and enjoy the views

Spend a night out on Brunswick Street, Brisbane’s entertainment district

Explore the history of Brisbane on the City Centre Heritage Trail

Take a walk through the fern gully at Roma Street Parkland

Visit the historic village of Old Petrie Town

Scuba dive the HMAS Brisbane wreck

Check out the Queenslander homes in Paddington

Go for a laneway bar crawl through the city

Take the treetop walk at Mount Tamborine

Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, Tamborine Mountain

Check the Brisbane Australia Tourism Board website for upcoming festivals, special events, and what’s happening during your stay.

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My Favorite Booking Resources

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  • Hostelworld Hostelworld has great inexpensive options.
  • Get Your Guide Don’t chance it, the best attractions sell out.
  • Tiqets Get your tickets now, relax when you arrive.
  • Big Bus Tours Hop-on Hop-off at all the iconic landmarks.
  • Go City Card Save up to 50% on attractions, tours and activities.
  • Welcome Pickups Airport and port transfers.
  • Visitors Coverage Pick the right travel insurance for you.
  • Use code SAVE10 to pick up a travel guide from Lonely Planet to browse on the plane.
  • Shop my Amazon travel essentials and have them delivered to your home. 

Have a great vacation!

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16 Responses

  1. Aboriginal culture is definitely on my cards. And I have always wanted to go to Australia for the Koala and the Kangaroos. Promenade cannot be missed for sure. I would love to walk around and explore the history of Brisbane and the historic village of Old Petrie Town sounds very interesting. I am sure a day or two for guided trips in and around the city would be a good idea.

  2. Wow there are so many things to do at Brisbane. Climbing the Story bridge would be really interesting here. As I love local crafts so looking out authentic local crafts at Southbank Collective market would interest me a lot. Watching sunset over the city from Wilson’s Outlook is a beautiful idea.

  3. The first thing that cut my eye was to go kayaking on Brisbane river. That will definitely feed my adventurous side. I love the list.

  4. Wow, those are quite a lot of things to do in Brisbane. I want to visit Australia and had Sydney and Melbourne in mind. Brisbane too seems like a great place to visit. I would love to go for the Heritage Trail and the Art Trail and visit the old parts of the city. Cruising down the river also looks like an interesting option.

  5. I’d love to get to Australia and Brisbane one day. I’d most like to cruise down the Brisbane River as I’ve seen photos online and it looks spectacular. I’d also like to have dinner at the Eats Streets Market; it sounds like my kind of place 🙂

  6. I could not visit Brisbane when I was in Gold Coast. The closest I came to it is a quick stop-over on the way to Lady Elliot island. From the looks of it, there seems to be a lot of similar things to do – like cuddling the Koala. And a visit to the Springbrooks park. Now that was something amazing that I managed to do and I highly recommend it too!

  7. We were so sad we had to cancel our trip to Australia this year. We definitely would have visited Brisbane. We would definitely want to stroll in the streets. And maybe take a river cruise. But those kaolas would be a big draw for sure! Hubby would take photos of the Story Bridge from all angles and at all times of day! Good to know that Wilson’s Lookout is a great spot for sunsets. The Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk also sounds like fun. A good list we will keep for when this gets on the planning board again.

  8. Taking a walk along the promenade in Brisbane is what I would like to do the most apart from enjoying a high tea at parliament house . Brisbane sounds so fun. Would love to visit soon

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