Brisbane Travel Attractions
Brisbane, the capital of Queensland state in eastern Australia, is a large and interesting city built along the winding Brisbane River, which adds much charm with its beautiful bridges stretched between its banks and well-maintained promenades along it. In the following article, a description of a tour is given, mainly along the river, accompanied by pictures that will give you a general impression of this city's landscape.
Recommended Hotels in Brisbane:
5-star hotels in the city center:
Hilton Brisbane
A 5-star level hotel, located in the heart of downtown.
Brisbane Marriott
A 5-star level hotel in the city center near the central train station. Gym, indoor pool, and sauna.
More affordable hotel:
Mercure Brisbane King George Square
A 4.5-star hotel in the city center opposite Town Hall. On the roof: pool, sauna, and gym.
Apartment Hotels
Arena Apartments
An apartment hotel in West End with a 4-star standard. Gym and outdoor pool. Equipped apartments with full kitchen, free Wi-Fi, and free parking.
Meriton Serviced Apartments Adelaide Street
A high-rise apartment hotel at a 5-star level in central Brisbane, a 10-minute walk from the central train station. Equipped kitchen, washing machine, 1GB free Wi-Fi per day. Heated indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, gym.
Mantra on Queen
A high-rise apartment hotel at a 4.5-star level in central Brisbane, a 10-minute walk from the central train station. Outdoor pool and gym. Fridge and microwave in the apartment.
Toowong Villas
Located in Toowong. Two outdoor pools. Free parking, free Wi-Fi. Apartments with kitchen or kitchenette.
Book recommended tours in Brisbane from Viator:
Recommended Travel Itinerary in Brisbane
The following tour in Brisbane began in South Bank, located adjacent to the Brisbane River in the southern part of the city center. In South Bank, there is a beautiful promenade along the river, restaurants, gardens, a Ferris wheel, and a large pool with a sandy beach open free to the public.
In South Bank, there are docks for two ferry lines: the "CityCat"—a fast, large catamaran—and a smaller ferry sailing on the Brisbane River, offering beautiful views of the city with its skyscrapers and large bridges over the river. The ferries serve as an efficient and convenient mode of transportation reaching many parts of the city, but a cruise on them is a must for any tourist at the start of their visit to the city.
On this tour, you depart South Bank on a boat that sails southeast and circles downtown Brisbane as it passes under two bridges: one called the Goodwill Bridge
and the second bridge is the M1 highway bridge that leads right into the heart of Brisbane. The bridge is named after the famous explorer Captain Cook. The boat stops along the way at Thornton St. station, from which you can look out at the beautiful skyscrapers of downtown located opposite this station across the river.
♦ Car rental from the reliable and convenient Booking website: Booking.com
At the next stop at Eagle St., you can get off and head out on foot for a tour into the heart of downtown Brisbane among its bustling streets, as well as tour the Botanic Gardens in its southern part, where you can also rent bicycles and ride them for many kilometers on the dedicated riverbank promenades. Another option is to continue from the Eagle St. station on foot along the riverbank to the park at New Farm, and from there travel along Brunswick Street to the pedestrian mall in the Valley and to Chinatown.
The Brisbane River winds between the city's neighborhoods and streets, and the city planners wisely built an excellent, continuous promenade along the riverbank for many kilometers, designed for both pedestrians and cyclists. Along the promenade, there are sitting benches, drinking fountains, public restrooms, sports facilities, and most importantly: the beautiful and diverse landscape of the city and the river with its impressive bridges and vessels.
Walking along the river from the Eagle St. station, you see the city's beautiful skyscrapers on one side, and from the river side, you see the huge old bridge called the Story Bridge, which connects the Kangaroo Point neighborhood with the Valley.
The bridge is made of metal and was built in an era before welding was known, connecting metal plates using rivets! There are guided (expensive) tours for climbing on foot up to the top of the tall pillars supporting the bridge. In the following picture, you can see brave travelers at the top of the bridge.
You pass under this bridge and reach an area where the riverbank is steep and high like a wall, but despite this, to maintain the continuity of the promenade, they built a promenade on pillars inside the river for hundreds of meters!
You can stop at one of the seating areas along the promenade to rest and have a small picnic while enjoying the beautiful view. Here is a picture of part of the tour route along the riverbanks. In the upper half of the picture, you see the downtown skyscrapers, and on the right side, you see the Story Bridge.
Further along the promenade, you reach the park in New Farm, which is a fairly large green lung within the urban metropolis for anyone wishing to see some greenery and have a picnic on the grass. From the park, you can continue towards an area called "The Valley" along Brunswick Street, which is the main street in the area. On this street, it is hard to ignore the beautiful paintings on all the electrical boxes on the street corners. Here are a few examples.
This is Brisbane's main entertainment area, packed with restaurants, cafes, and pubs. On weekends, a nice market takes place here.
The end of Brunswick Street is a pedestrian mall with many restaurants and bars. The area is called "The Valley." If you continue a bit further, you reach Chinatown street, located right nearby on a parallel street. Here you can buy various souvenirs or eat at one of the many Chinese restaurants, and those who prefer Thai food will find plenty in the area as well.
A bird's-eye view gives a general impression of the city's appearance with the winding river inside it, and the red line in the photo indicates the tour route described earlier.
Trips Outside Brisbane
Near Brisbane, there are many travel destinations such as North Stradbroke Island and Moreton Island. There are also wineries you can visit on a day trip.
♦ Booking guided tours outside Brisbane: