Brisbane Tourism is perhaps not as famous as other Australian cities such as Sydney and Melbourne but it has plenty to offer visitors to Brisbane.
Our Brisbane City Map will help you find the most important Brisbane Attractions and will help you plan some Brisbane Tours from a short walking tour in the city to a trip on the hop on hop off bus.
The Queensland Museum is located in Southbank just across the river from Brisbane City Centre. It is a huge place with some great permanent exhibits such as the wonderful Museum Zoo which is great for both kids and adults. They also have special displays which are temporary and last anytime from a week or two to a few months.
Southbank is home to quite a lot of Brisbane Tourism with the relatively new Wheel of Brisbane, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre or QPAC where you can see many shows, theatre productions and musicals and the Southbank Parklands which is a lovely area to relax in and have a picnic. You will also find the man made Brisbane City Beach here which is an experience not to be missed.
The Brisbane River is an integral part of Brisbane life with paths along both sides of it for pedestrians and cyclists and the City Cats and ferries carrying people along it.
There are a few companies offering Brisbane River Cruises ranging from a short morning cruise to Dinner Cruises. You can take a cruise on an old paddle wheeler or on a more modern boat if you prefer and travel along the Brisbane River relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Along the way you’ll see The Story Bridge, The Powerhouse Theatre, the newly developed Port of Brisbane and many more sights.
If you are looking for wildlife then the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is a great place to spend either a full or half day. It is just 11km from the city and has an amazing number of koalas, kangaroos and other Australian animals. We absolutely love this place and it is one of our favourite things to do in Australia.
A little farther afield, Australia Zoo is well known for being the home of the world famous Steve Irwin who unfortunately died in 2006. It is now run by his wife Terri. Located on the Sunshine Coast about 80km and a 1 hour drive from Brisbane you can easily spend the day there.
Just a few kilometres from Brisbane City Centre is Mount Coot-tha. It is home to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, the Planetarium and lots of lovely country walks. From the top you get great views over Brisbane City all the way to Stradbroke Island in Moreton Bay and there is a nice little cafe where you can get lovely hot chocolate and some delicious cakes.
The Perkins Castlemaine Brewery is just a kilometre or 2 from Brisbane City Centre and is a fully functioning brewery. The Castlemaine Brewery Tour runs from Monday till Friday and lasts about an hour and a half. You can then sample a few amber nectars in the Ale House and soak up the atmosphere in this historical building.
For shopping you may want to visit one of the Brisbane Markets which are on most weekends in Southbank, Brunswick Street Mall and other areas in the city. Queens Street Mall is the main shopping street in Brisbane City Centre and has lots of shopping centres lining both sides of it.