20 Must-Visit Attractions in Brisbane, Australia

Hugging the southern bank of the Brisbane River, South Bank is Brisbane’s favourite urban playground, with lush green spaces, Australia’s only man-made inner-city beach (Streets Beach), oodles of eateries and river views galore. There are also several walks and cycleways in the Parklands, including the lush Rainforest Walk located in its heart, and the riverside Clem Jones Promenade spanning the length of the Parklands.

Just north of South Bank, the Queensland Cultural Centre encompasses a cluster of the city’s top cultural institutions including the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), the Queensland Museum and the State Library of Brisbane. Spend a morning exploring the museum and galleries before catching an afternoon performance at QPAC, with South Bank’s restaurants offering plenty of lunch options.

Located inside Australia’s largest city hall, which is an attraction in itself, the progressive Museum of Brisbane is dedicated to supporting the city’s many creatives, with exhibitions ranging from contemporary Brisbane fashion to an exploration of the city’s food culture. Free tours of the building’s 85m-high (280ft) clock tower, which has been in operation since the opening of City Hall in 1930, run every 15 minutes from 10.15am until 4.45pm Saturday to Thursday, and until 6.45pm on Fridays.

It might not be as dramatic at Sydney Harbour Bridge, but the heritage-listed bridge connecting Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point is a Brisbane landmark, best admired at night when the bridge is lit up for special occasions. You can also opt to climb the southern half of the structure, 80m (262ft) above the Brisbane River. Tucked beneath the northern end of the bridge, Howard Smith Wharves is Brisbane’s newest lifestyle and entertainment precinct, with nearly a dozen eateries and bars to choose from within its revived wharf buildings. It’s also the jumping-off point for the Riverwalk, an 870m-long (1/2mi) elevated boardwalk connecting the wharves to the suburb of New Farm.

A 25-minute walk from the city along Ann Street, or a short train ride from Central Station, Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley is home to alfresco cafes, exclusive boutiques, bars and restaurants, and the weekly Valley Markets, where up-and-coming designers mingle with vintage fashion and art. Take a stroll down the leafy James Street, home to the city’s chicest shops, before stopping for a coffee or a cocktail and some of the best people-watching in the city. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

If climbing Story Bridge is a bit ambitious for you, then the Wheel of Brisbane also offers epic 360-degree views over the metropolitan city and the hinterland, but from the relative luxury of an air-conditioned pod. Soaring over the skyline, you can choose to take a ride on this iconic Brisbane landmark during the day, at dusk, when the sun is setting, or at night with all the city lights. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

Take a stroll through Brisbane’s original riverside botanic gardens with its bamboo grove and ornamental ponds to Old Government House on Gardens Point Road. Built in 1862 as a residence for Sir George Bowen, Queensland’s first governor, Brisbane’s most important heritage building was restored in 2009, and offers free podcast tours led by the ghost of Governor Musgrave, who died in the house in 1888.

Along with New Farm’s endless cafés, bars and boutique shops, New Farm Park has long been considered a must-visit in this trendy suburb. Worth visiting for the park alone, with its beautiful rose gardens on the banks of the river, lovers of old buildings also won’t want to miss the Brisbane Powerhouse — a 1920s power station turned arts and culture hub. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

Housed in a formerly derelict New Farm power station dating from the 1920s, Brisbane Powerhouse is an edgy arts and cultural hub that hosts a range of events including art exhibitions, theatre, live music and comedy. Take a behind-the-scenes tour to learn more about the history of the building, the innards of which are plastered in graffiti art created when underground artists and homeless inhabited the building from the 1970s until the turn of the 21st century.

Considered one of Australia’s finest art galleries, QAGOMA came about in 2006, with the merging of the history Queensland Art Gallery (established in 1895), with the Gallery of Modern Art. Located in an architecturally significant building on Brisbane’s South Bank, the two galleries are home to some incredible visual art from around the world, along with work by Indigenous artists and interactive exhibits. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

You don’t have to go to a gallery to find great art in Brisbane – the streets themselves are home to some incredible pieces, including one of the largest collections of Aboriginal public artwork in Australia. Take an Aboriginal Art Tour through the city, or go on a self-guided exploration and marvel at murals and sculptures dotted around the streets and alleyways. While South Bank is a great place to begin your quest for street art, you can also find some of our favourites down Burnett Lane – Brisbane’s oldest laneway – which is incidentally also home to some of the city’s best bars, in case you needed an excuse to stop for a drink. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

Located in the heart of the CBD, Birrunga Gallery & Dining is a Wiradjuri-owned gallery, restaurant and bar that celebrates First Nations culture in all forms – from art, music and dance, to food, workshops, classes and monthly markets. From the hand-picked Indigenous art that lines the walls to the artisan products in the shop, Aboriginal ancestry art classes, and the bush tucker/native-inspired menu in the café, Birrunga is a long-overdue nod to Brisbane’s Indigenous history. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

Brisbane’s South Bank may be known for its thriving cultural scene, but it’s a great place to unwind and connect with nature. A serene oasis of calm in the middle of the city, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda is hidden away in the tropical greenery of Rainforest Walk, making it the perfect place to escape the metropolis and enjoy a moment of tranquility. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

A little way outside of the city, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is one of Brisbane’s best attractions, and for good reason. Founded in 1927, the animal sanctuary is not only home to famously cute and cuddly koalas, but also kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and Tasmanian devils. You can also visit the Brisbane Koala Science Institute and learn about how researching and studying these fascinating creatures can help us to ensure their future. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

A little way outside of the city, Mount Coot-tha is famous for its panoramic vistas of Brisbane and Moreton Bay, as well as the beautiful Queensland Hinterland. Whether you choose to brave the hike to the lookout or take the easy route and drive up to the top, the views are incredible. Make a day of it and swing by the Mount Coot-tha Brisbane Botanic Gardens and J C Slaughter Falls. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

Move over Fraser Island, there’s a new contender in town — and it’s much closer to Queensland’s capital. Just a 70-minute ferry ride from Brisbane, Moreton Island is home to lagoons, untouched beaches, coral reefs, historic shipwrecks and tropical forests. The third-largest sand island in the world, Moreton Island is great for a day trip or an extended getaway. Between June and November, you can also catch a glimpse of migrating whales as they make the long journey back to Antarctica. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

The cutest way to escape Brisbane’s summer heat, Spring Hill Baths are not only the southern hemisphere’s oldest surviving public pool – dating back to 1886 – but they also look like a scene from a real-life Wes Anderson movie. Encircled by brightly coloured wooden doors, steeped bleachers and a perfectly preserved Victorian symmetry, the Spring Hill baths exude whimsical joy. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

Easily accessible from the city via public transport, Brisbane’s beach-side suburbs were once the playground of holidaymakers seeking sun, sand and sea. While there are a few different beaches to choose from, we love Shorncliffe, with its historic timber pier stretching out into the sea. Surrounded by pristine examples of stilted wooden houses and early Queenslander architecture, as well as the beginning point of the Lovers Walk coastal trail to Sandgate, Shorncliffe is a great place to spend an afternoon. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

OK, so technically this may not be one of the must-visit places IN Brisbane, but the capital of Queensland is the perfect jumping-off point for exploring some of the other magical places just a short drive away. From the Glasshouse Mountains to Noosa, and the Natural Bridge at Springbrook National Park to Cedar Creek and Surfers Paradise or Burleigh Heads, there is as much to see and do just outside of Brisbane as there is to see and do in the city. Recommended by Kelly Hawke

Eat Street Markets is where the best culinary geniuses around Brisbane get together on Friday and Saturday nights and sell their delicious creations out of the back of vans. There are oodles of different cuisines and kitchens on offer, coming from places all around the world; from Japanese to donuts to kale salads done in the vein of healthy vegetarianism. It’s a wonderful, wonderful place for any budding foodie! Recommended by Laura Walkley