Brisbane: a one day itinerary

Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia, and the capital city of the state of Queensland. While often overlooked by tourists in favour of Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane is a beautiful riverside city that is well worth visiting. Its also in close proximity to the Gold Coast, southern Queensland’s tourist hub. Brisbane is an easy city to visit in a short period of time, with the bulk of its main attractions located in an easily walkable central area. While there may not be as many historical sites and things to do as the aforementioned cities, there’s still plenty to do to have a fun filled day before heading out to other parts of Australia’s sunshine state.

Where to Stay

Having visited Brisbane a few times, there’s really two districts that I’d recommend for a short stay in the city. Those are the Central Business District (CBD) and South Bank respectively. Lining both sides of the Brisbane River, you’ll be visiting both of these neighbourhoods during your tour of Brisbane. On one of my recent trips, I stayed at the Oaks Lexicon Apartments. I highly recommend it, as its a short walk from the CBD and has great balconies attached to the rooms.

Brisbane Itinerary – Morning

Wake up bright and early to get the most out of your day in Brisbane. There’s no better way to start exploring than heading into the CBD. On your way, take a quick stroll through Anzac Square to see the Greek Revival style cenotaph which pays tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives at war. It is a beautiful commemorative display that you should take a quick stop to see. From there, its off to Queen Street Mall to find a cafe to grab a big breakfast. This outdoor shopping precinct covers over 40,000 square metres of retail space and countless spots to get your caffeine dose for the day ahead. I really liked Jimmy’s at the Mall. While it is relatively pricey, they do an amazing big breakfast while you sit on an upper level in the middle of the pedestrian street.

Once you’re fuelled up and ready to go, take the short walk to Brisbane City Hall. The iconic clock tower of this Neo-Classical building dates back to 1930. Today the building serves as the offices for the Brisbane City Council. Try to arrive around opening time so that you can take a guided tour (they run every 15 minutes throughout the day and are free) and you’ll be able to ascend the tower for views across the city from the tower. Also in the City Hall building you’ll find the Museum of Brisbane which provides an overview of the city’s history through various artefacts and treasures.

Having taken in a bit of history, continue your tour of the city by heading to the nearby Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. Don’t confuse them with the similarly named Brisbane Botanic Gardens which are actually located some way out of the city centre though. Located on the bank of the Brisbane River, the City Botanic Gardens are the second oldest gardens of their kind in Australia, dating back to 1855 in their current form. Spend a bit of time strolling through nature here for a respite from the city blocks. There’s a lot of ground to cover, but if you’ve only got a short amount of time, make sure you head out to the mangrove boardwalk right on the river.

When you’re finished exploring the gardens, it might be time to grab a quick lunch before heading to the other side of the river. If you’re hungry, grab a bite at one of the countless options in the Queen Street Mall precinct.

Brisbane Itinerary – Afternoon

Make your way back along the river to Victoria Bridge crossing to South Bank, another waterfront district that prides itself as the cultural hub of Brisbane – it actually served as the site of the 1988 World Expo. Take in the views while you cross the Brisbane River, but watch your step as the pedestrian walkway is shared by cyclists and can be packed depending on the time of day.

Across the bridge, you’ll have easy access to the Queensland Cultural Precinct. This area is home to three of Brisbane’s finest museums and galleries and is a great place to get out of the early afternoon heat. If you didn’t eat on the other side of the river, there’s also some cafes around here when you can grab a bite before exploring. While you probably won’t have time to see all of the attractions here in a single day tour of Brisbane, take your pick and see at least one of the following:

• Queensland Art Gallery: Brisbane’s main art collection, containing an impressive array of Australian and Indigenous art, while also housing works from overseas.
• Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA): Filled with regularly changing exhibits, Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary art focuses on works from Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
• Queensland Museum and Sciencentre: This museum explores the natural history of Queensland with exhibits focusing on the region’s dinosaurs as well as the flora and fauna of today. A highlight of the museum is a scale model of Queensland’s native dinosaur, the Muttaburraurus, in the foyer.

If you only have time to visit one of these, I’d make it the Gallery of Modern Art, but you really can’t go wrong with choosing any. The museums are relatively small by global standards, but you can probably spend about an hour in each. The best part is that admission is free to all of them.

There’s more to see and do in South Bank beyond the Cultural Precinct, which is why you need to keep moving if you’ve only got the one day to experience Brisbane. The most famous attraction is Streets Beach. Being built on the river, Brisbane doesn’t have any naturally occurring beaches, so instead this man made lagoon by the river gives residents and tourists alike the chance to cool off. It can get packed on hot summer days, but depending on the weather you may want to take an afternoon dip.

If you’d rather stay dry, keep exploring South Bank. There’s countless cafes and bars for dinner when you’re ready, but until then take a ride on the Wheel of Brisbane for stunning views of the riverside city. The beauty of South Bank is reinforced by the bougainvillea flowers that hang overhead as you continue along the riverside pathway. You could also spend your afternoon just taking a relaxing wander to the Epicurious Garden, or stroll through through the recreated rainforest surrounding the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, a remnant of the aforementioned World Expo. There’s a lot to take in as you explore this gorgeous part of the city.

If you want to head back to the CBD for dinner, take the Goodwill Bridge back across the river, which connects you back to the City Botanic Gardens. No matter which side of the water you choose to spend your evening you’ll have countless options to eat, drink and celebrate your night away. If you’re interested, Brisbane is home to the Treasury Casino on the north bank of the river. Depending on the night you’re visiting, there’s also a good chance you may find some live music and entertainment if you stay on the South Bank side.

Spending more than one day in Brisbane?

If you’ve got more than a day in Brisbane, you’ll be able to see more of the surrounding area beyond the city centre. A popular day trip is the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. About 35 minutes out of the city, this is the oldest Koala Sanctuary in the world and gives guests the chance to see over 130 species of Australian animals. Its a great addition to your itinerary if you won’t be going to other places where you can see Australian wildlife given its close proximity to the city. For a different experience, you might want to visit Mount Coot-tha to the city’s east for hiking trails and stunning views over Brisbane.

If you’ve got more time in the area, you might consider making an hour’s trip south to the Gold Coast, where you’ll find beautiful beaches, party central and theme parks galore. With that said, its a destination all to itself and you’ll want to spend at least a few days down there.

So that’s your one day itinerary for Brisbane. It might not have as much to do as larger Australian cities but the capital of Queensland is still worth seeing if you’re headed up to the northern state. Is there anything you’d change on this itinerary? Any Brisbane must-dos? Let me know in the comments below.