Roavina

City guide · Australia

Brisbane

A photograph of Brisbane
Photograph · Chris Olszewski · CC BY-SA 4.0

Brisbane bends around its river, so places that look close on a map may sit on opposite banks or around a long curve. The city centre faces South Bank across the water, while Fortitude Valley and New Farm extend northeast along different corridors. Moreton Bay and its islands lie beyond the urban river network. Sightseeing works best when each bank and river reach is treated as a deliberate sequence.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Practical information
Language spoken
English is the principal language; no federal official language
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+61
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
000
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type I · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from treated public supplies
Follow local notices in remote communities and after disruptions

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Brisbane

Planning a visit

Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Walking, bus, train and ferry
  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  3. March: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  4. April: best time to visit
  5. May: good time to visit
  6. June: good time to visit
  7. July: best time to visit
  8. August: best time to visit
  9. September: best time to visit — current month
  10. October: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  • Best time
  • Good time
  • Viable with trade-offs
  • Difficult conditions

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

Filter the list

40 places match
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Category

Historic monuments 11 Museums 0 Places of worship 1 Nature sites 23 Viewpoints 0 Food and drink 0 Markets and shopping 0 Entertainment 0 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 0 Art and culture 5 Activities 0

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 40 1 to 2 hours 16

Interests

History 1 Art 0 Museums 0 Nature 1 Sea and beach 1 Viewpoints 0
  1. South Bank Parklands South Bank Parklands
    01 1 hour

    South Bank Parklands

    South Bank Parklands is Brisbane’s riverside public parkland on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, beside the city’s cultural precinct.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  2. Gallery of Modern Art Gallery of Modern Art
    02 1 hour

    Gallery of Modern Art

    Gallery of Modern Art, known as GOMA, is Brisbane's modern and contemporary art museum within the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art complex.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
  3. City Botanic Gardens City Botanic Gardens
    03 1 hour

    City Botanic Gardens

    Brisbane City Botanic Gardens

    City Botanic Gardens is a historic riverside botanic garden in Brisbane. The current curated ranking identifies the exact production place and prioritises it for garden paths, mature planting, lawns, and a river-edge setting beside central Brisbane.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  4. Mount Coot-tha Lookout Mount Coot-tha Lookout
    04 1 hour

    Mount Coot-tha Lookout

    Mount Coot-tha Lookout is a prominent elevated viewing platform situated in the western suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  5. Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha
    05 1 hour

    Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha

    Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens

    Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha is a major botanical garden located in the western suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland. It serves as Brisbane's premier botanical collection and is distinct from the city's other green spaces.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  6. Story Bridge Story Bridge
    06 45 min

    Story Bridge

    Story Bridge is Brisbane’s 1,072-metre steel road bridge across the Brisbane River, linking the central city side with Kangaroo Point.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  7. Roma Street Parkland Roma Street Parkland
    07 1 hour

    Roma Street Parkland

    Roma Street Parklands

    Roma Street Parklands is a landscaped urban parkland in central Brisbane, immediately beside Roma Street station and the Brisbane Coach Terminal. Its character comes from connected planted areas, lawns, paths, hillside levels, the Spectacle Garden and the Rainforest Walk.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  8. Queensland Art Gallery Queensland Art Gallery
    08 1 hour

    Queensland Art Gallery

    Queensland Art Gallery is a public art gallery in Brisbane. The current curated ranking identifies the exact production place and prioritises it for art collections and exhibitions within Brisbane's South Bank cultural precinct.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
  9. Kangaroo Point Cliffs Kangaroo Point Cliffs
    09 1 hour

    Kangaroo Point Cliffs

    Kangaroo Point Cliffs is Brisbane’s distinctive river-edge recreation landscape: a band of red-brown cliffs rising beside the Brisbane River, with the city centre spread across the water.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  10. Wheel of Brisbane Wheel of Brisbane
    10 45 min

    Wheel of Brisbane

    The Wheel of Brisbane

    The Wheel of Brisbane is a prominent observation wheel situated in the South Bank Parklands area of Brisbane, Queensland.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  11. New Farm Park New Farm Park
    11 1 hour

    New Farm Park

    New Farm Park is a public park in Brisbane, situated in the inner suburb of New Farm. The park occupies a prominent riverside position along the Brisbane River, making it one of the city's more notable green spaces.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  12. ANZAC Square ANZAC Square
    12 1 hour

    ANZAC Square

    Anzac Square

    ANZAC Square is a war memorial and public park in central Brisbane, Queensland. It commemorates Australian and New Zealand Army Corps personnel who served in conflicts.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  13. St John's Cathedral St John's Cathedral
    13 1 hour

    St John's Cathedral

    St John's Cathedral is a Gothic Revival cathedral in Brisbane, Queensland. It serves as the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane and stands as a prominent religious and architectural landmark in the city.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  14. Parliament House Queensland Parliament House Queensland
    14 1 hour

    Parliament House Queensland

    Parliament House Queensland is the meeting place of the Parliament of Queensland, located in Brisbane. The building occupies a prominent position on the corner of George and Alice Streets in the CBD, overlooking the Brisbane River.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  15. D'Aguilar National Park D'Aguilar National Park
    15 1 hour

    D'Aguilar National Park

    D'Aguilar National Park is a protected natural area situated in the vicinity of Brisbane, Queensland.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  16. Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
    16 45 min

    Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

    Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is a public astronomy education facility located within the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha. Named after the astronomer governor of New South Wales, it serves as a cultural and scientific institution for the metropolitan area.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  17. Streets Beach Streets Beach
    17 45 min

    Streets Beach

    Streets Beach is an artificial swimming beach in South Bank Parklands, a rare city-centre lagoon where sand, water and Brisbane’s urban skyline meet.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  18. Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane
    18 45 min

    Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane

    Shrine of Remembrance

    The Shrine of Remembrance is a war memorial located in Brisbane, Queensland. It stands as a commemorative structure dedicated to honoring military personnel who served and sacrificed in armed conflicts.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  19. Enoggera Reservoir Enoggera Reservoir
    19 1 hour

    Enoggera Reservoir

    Enoggera Reservoir is a heritage-listed water supply reservoir located in Brisbane's north-western suburbs. Constructed in the 1860s, it represents one of Queensland's earliest major public water infrastructure projects.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  20. Northshore Riverside Park Northshore Riverside Park
    20 1 hour

    Northshore Riverside Park

    Northshore Riverside Park is a public riverside green space located along the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Queensland.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  21. Newstead House Board of Trustees Newstead House Board of Trustees
    21 45 min

    Newstead House Board of Trustees

    Newstead House

    Newstead House is a heritage property situated in the Brisbane suburb of Newstead. It stands as one of Queensland's surviving nineteenth-century residences, positioned on the Brisbane River with grounds that form part of the broader riverside parkland.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  22. Davies Park Davies Park
    22 1 hour

    Davies Park

    Davies Park is a public park in Brisbane, Queensland, managed by Brisbane City Council. It serves as recreational green space within the metropolitan area and is included in curated visitor rankings for the city.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  23. Orleigh Park Orleigh Park
    23 1 hour

    Orleigh Park

    Orleigh Park is a public park situated in the inner-western suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland. It occupies a riverside position along the Brisbane River within the West End locality.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  24. Fort Lytton National Park Fort Lytton National Park
    24 1 hour

    Fort Lytton National Park

    Fort Lytton National Park is a heritage-listed military precinct located at the mouth of the Brisbane River. Established in 1881, the site served as Brisbane's principal coastal defence fortification until the end of World War II.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  25. QUT Art Museum QUT Art Museum
    25 1 hour

    QUT Art Museum

    QUT Art Museum is a contemporary art museum located in Brisbane, Queensland. It forms part of the Queensland University of Technology's cultural precinct at Gardens Point campus.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
  26. Institute of Modern Art Institute of Modern Art
    26 1 hour

    Institute of Modern Art

    The Institute of Modern Art is a contemporary art institution located in Brisbane. It serves as a venue for the exhibition and promotion of modern and contemporary art practices.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
  27. Rocks Riverside Park Rocks Riverside Park
    27 1 hour

    Rocks Riverside Park

    Rocks Riverside Park is a public park in Brisbane, Queensland. The park sits along the Brisbane River and provides open space for recreation and leisure.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  28. Sherwood Arboretum Sherwood Arboretum
    28 1 hour

    Sherwood Arboretum

    Sherwood Arboretum is a public park and botanical collection in the Sherwood suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Established in the 1920s, it occupies riverside land along the Brisbane River.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  29. Minnippi Parklands Minnippi Parklands
    29 1 hour

    Minnippi Parklands

    Minnippi Parklands is a public park area in Brisbane, included in curated metropolitan visitor rankings as a notable green space. The parklands form part of Brisbane's broader network of recreational areas accessible to residents and visitors.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  30. Seven Hills Bushland Reserve Seven Hills Bushland Reserve
    30 1 hour

    Seven Hills Bushland Reserve

    Seven Hills Bushland Reserve is a protected natural area within the Brisbane metropolitan region. It forms part of the city's network of bushland reserves managed for conservation and passive recreation.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  31. Bunyaville Conservation Park Bunyaville Conservation Park
    31 1 hour

    Bunyaville Conservation Park

    Bunyaville Conservation Park is a protected natural area located within the Greater Brisbane metropolitan region. The park preserves remnant bushland and provides habitat for native flora and fauna.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  32. Nudgee Beach Nudgee Beach
    32 1 hour

    Nudgee Beach

    Nudgee Beach is a coastal locality and beach area within the greater Brisbane metropolitan region in Queensland, Australia. It sits on the shores of Moreton Bay, forming part of the city's north-eastern coastline.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  33. Cleveland Point Light Cleveland Point Light
    33 45 min

    Cleveland Point Light

    Cleveland Point Lighthouse

    Cleveland Point Lighthouse is a navigational aid structure located at Cleveland Point in the Brisbane metropolitan area. The lighthouse sits within the broader network of parks and gardens that characterise Brisbane's coastal and riverside landscape.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  34. Cylinder Beach Cylinder Beach
    34 1 hour

    Cylinder Beach

    Cylinder Beach is a coastal locality on North Stradbroke Island, part of the Moreton Bay region associated with Brisbane. The beach lies within a recognised natural coastal environment that forms part of the broader Stradbroke Island landscape.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  35. Tangalooma Wrecks Tangalooma Wrecks
    35 45 min

    Tangalooma Wrecks

    Tangalooma Wrecks is a collection of deliberately sunk vessels located off the coast of Moreton Island, near Brisbane. These shipwrecks were scuttled to create a breakwall for small boats and have since become a significant marine attraction.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  36. Scarborough Beach Park Scarborough Beach Park
    36 1 hour

    Scarborough Beach Park

    Scarborough Beach Park is a coastal parkland in the Brisbane metropolitan area, situated within the Moreton Bay Region. The park takes its name from Scarborough Beach, a sandy foreshore on the Redcliffe Peninsula facing Moreton Bay.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  37. Ipswich Art Gallery Ipswich Art Gallery
    37 1 hour

    Ipswich Art Gallery

    Ipswich Art Gallery is a public art museum in the centre of Ipswich, about 40 kilometres west of Brisbane's central business district.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
  38. Nerima Gardens
    38 1 hour

    Nerima Gardens

    Nerima Gardens is a Japanese-style garden located in Brisbane, Queensland. It forms part of the broader network of parks and gardens across the Brisbane metropolitan area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  39. Old Petrie Town Old Petrie Town
    39 45 min

    Old Petrie Town

    Old Petrie Town is a heritage precinct in Brisbane's northern suburbs, preserving historical buildings and rural Queensland character. The site functions as an open-air museum and community gathering place, showcasing relocated and restored structures from the region's pioneering era.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Pair the city centre with its nearest river stops, then cross once for South Bank's museums and parkland. Fortitude Valley and New Farm can form a second inner-city route ending beside the river. Moreton Bay islands require an outward connection and ferry timetable, while hinterland trips use another direction entirely. Avoid crossing the river repeatedly simply to follow a numerical attraction list.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Translink combines buses, trains and ferries in one metropolitan network. River ferries can be useful transport rather than a sightseeing extra, particularly when the next stop is on another reach of the Brisbane River. Walk along one bank or within one precinct, then consult Translink for the connecting leg. Island ferries and hinterland routes sit outside a simple central loop and need separate return checks.

Checked 2026-08-26

Nearby districts and related places

Nearby places

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Brisbane?

No official stay length is recorded for Brisbane. Start with the city centre and South Bank, add Fortitude Valley or New Farm as an inner-city route, and allow a separate day when Moreton Bay is part of the visit.

How should I organise sightseeing in Brisbane?

Follow the river rather than jumping between distant map points. Keep central Brisbane on one side of a crossing, group South Bank's institutions, and connect Fortitude Valley with New Farm on another route.

How do I get around Brisbane?

Use Translink buses and trains for land corridors and ferries for suitable river crossings. The official journey planner and service notices show which combination works for the chosen bank and time of day.

Can I explore Brisbane mainly on foot?

The city centre, South Bank and individual riverside precincts reward walking, but the river's bends lengthen cross-city routes. Use a bridge, ferry or other Translink service when moving between separate reaches.

Which Brisbane trips need separate planning?

Moreton Bay islands need a dedicated outward-and-return plan. Hinterland destinations also leave the river network, so verify both legs before sacrificing a central Brisbane day to the excursion.