Must Visit Places in Brisbane: The City Guide You Need!
Brisbane might not be as highly visited as Sydney or Melbourne, but this city in Queensland is actually one of the most populated cities in Australia. With a buzzing gastronomy scene, a beautiful city skyline and some fantastic museums for a cultured day out, there’s plenty for a visitor to discover in a few days.
With a subtropical climate and ample sunshine (unfortunately not during my visit as it was going through an unusual rainy spell), Brisbane is generally lovely to visit any time of the year.
Not to mention being just an hour away from the Gold Coast, you can easily combine a city break with a beachside vacation, as well as expand your options to two airports to fly into.
More Guides for Australia
Read: Places to Visit in Melbourne— The Ultimate Travel Guide
Read: Your Ultimate Guide to Melbourne’s Free Tram and Public Transport
Read: The Ultimate Guide to Sydney— A Complete Itinerary
Day 1
CBD
Brisbane City Markets
If you’re in town on a Wednesday or Thursday, head on over to the Brisbane City Markets, a little farmer’s market right in the heart of the city.
It features a few popular street food vendors as well as local produce like fruits and cheeses.
Do note though, that the Google Maps location lists it at Reddacliffe Place, which is certainly true… on Wednesdays. On Thursdays, that square is not where you’ll find the markets.
I made the mistake of following Google Maps only to find an empty square, which was highly confusing.
Instead, it’s located at Cathedral Square at 410 Ann Street, which is about 10 to 15 minutes away on foot.
The markets run from 8am to 6pm on Wednesday and 8am to 2pm on Thursday.
WHERE | REDDACLIFFE PLACE, 266 GEORGE STREET (WEDNESDAYS)
WHERE | CATHEDRAL STREET, 410 ANN STREET (THURSDAYS)
Brisbane City Hall
The Brisbane City Hall was built between 1920 and 1930, and today is a mixed-use building with frequent events and exhibitions.
It’s beautiful from the outside, and having undergone a $215 million restoration, this storied building looks properly well-maintained.
Step inside and the sweeping marble staircases and tiled mosaic floors are an absolute visual treat.
WHERE | 64 ADELAIDE STREET
Museum of Brisbane
Located on the third floor of the Brisbane City Hall, you’ll find a small but concise museum about the city’s history, aptly named the Museum of Brisbane.
You don’t have to dedicate too much time to it since it’s not a sprawling museum, and a leisurely visit will likely take you no more than an hour.
At the Museum of Brisbane though, definitely make time for the guided free clock tower tours.
It includes a ride in one of Brisbane’s oldest working cage lifts and a 360° view of the surrounding city.
Do note that tours need to be booked and the current capacity is 4 visitors per slot; you may pre-book tickets in advance here.
I showed up on the day of without knowing, and could only get a slot 45 minutes later, which worked fine for me, but if you’re running on a tight schedule, you should definitely book ahead.
WHERE | LEVEL 3, BRISBANE CITY HALL, 64 ADELAIDE ST
Queen Street Mall
If you came to Brisbane to shop, Queen Street Mall is where the hubbub is.
It’s not too dissimilar to other Australian CBDs, so you can expect the same crop of international brands and big name department stores.
Unlike the bigger Australian cities though, shops do close earlier.
By about 5pm on most days, most stores will shut.
WHERE | QUEEN ST
What to Eat Around CBD
You’ll never find a shortage of good cafes to start your day at in Australia, and Brisbane is no different.
Within CBD itself, some popular joints include Felix For Goodness, John Mills Himself and Coffee Anthology.
I stopped by Coffee Iconic for brunch, with a rustic alley that leads to an airy courtyard.
Seeing reviews of the cafe though, it seems the food menu changes pretty often, and I definitely noticed an Asian twist to many of the dishes on the menu during the time of my visit.
If you fancy Chinese, Donna Chang does upscale Cantonese and Sichuan fare in a posh locale.
If you’d rather have Italian, try Coppa Spuntino or Olive & Angelo.
Day 2
South Bank and West End
Gallery of Modern Art
South Bank is known as Brisbane’s cultural centre, chiefly because many of the city’s art galleries and other cultural attractions are all located in this precinct.
If you’re short on time though, at the very least, you should absolutely make it to the Gallery of Modern Art, a sprawling multi-storey gallery which holds a significant collection of art.
What stood out on my visit was also the large showcase of indigenous art.
You can easily spend 2 hours here.
WHERE | STANLEY PLACE
Streets Beach
Unlike many other Australian cities, Brisbane isn’t right on the coast.
With that being said, it’s not that far from the shoreline either, being about 25 minutes away by car, but the only beach you’ll find in the city itself is Streets Beach, an inner-city manmade beach with a lagoon.
It’s an interesting sight, but naturally not a patch on some of the best beaches Queensland (you’d be better off driving up to Sunshine Coast or Noosa) has to offer.
If you’re around from Friday to Sunday, be sure to check out The Collective Markets, where you can pick up local craft goods like jewellery, art and homeware.
WHERE | STANLEY ST PLAZA
Nepalese Peace Pagoda
Walk along the riverfront to get to the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, a global exhibit from the 1988 World Expo.
With intricate carvings and beautiful architecture, it’s a unique sight as there are only about 80 peace pagodas around the world.
WHERE | CLEM JONES PROMENADE
Fish Ln
Brisbane is also known for it’s laneways, essentially lovely street lanes that are home to some of the city’s best dining options and the trendiest bars, and are often not far from buzzing hotels. A popular street in South Bank is Fish Ln.
For Italian, Julius Pizzeria is one of the city’s premier dining spots, and you can easily satisfy your sweet tooth with Gelato Messina just minutes away on foot.
They have a whole range of flavours and are constantly busy.
WHERE | FISH LN, SOUTH BRISBANE
Thrift Shopping at West End
There are quite a few thrift stores in West End, and some popular ones to check out include Neo-Generalist, Serendipity Op Shop, LOCAL OPY and Yesterdays Thrift Shop.
WHERE | BOUNDARY ST
Cafe Hopping at West End
Aside from thrift stores, West End is also home to quite a number of cafes.
Check out Morning After. at Cambridge St, Lokal + Co along O’Connell St, Superthing on Montague Rd, and of course Picnic Cafe at Boundary St.
Picnic Cafe is a huge and airy space where natural light pours in through the expansive glass windows.
The high ceiling, calming shades of turquoise and wooden furniture all add to the vibe here.
Food was pretty good too.
WHERE | 89-91 BOUNDARY ST
Day 3
Fortitude Valley and New Farm
Grab breakfast at one of the many cafes
This is Brisbane City’s hottest postal code, and it’s where you’ll find a lot of upmarket townhouses, an obvious sign that you’re in a sought after suburb.
As one of the most gentrified neighbourhoods, you’ll nevertheless find a crop of new wave coffeehouses.
Try Miss Jones Cafe, Sprout Artisan Bakery, Nodo Newstead, Halo Ground Coffee and Food, Bellissimo Coffee Fortitude Valley, Plant Vibes, Dicki’s New Farm, or MYLK + KO.
WHERE | VARIOUS LOCATIONS
Brunch at Industry Beans Newstead
Singling this cafe out and for good reason— this is Brisbane’s most aesthetically pleasing spot for brunch, and according to a friend who lives here, it’s definitely one of the most buzzed about places.
If you could have brunch in an Apple Store, this is what I imagine it would look like.
Step into an expansive space with natural light pouring in from overhead, with additional seating options upstairs.
Recommended by our waiter was the Porcini Nest and Chilli Barramundi Folded Eggs, which is what we had, with good coffee to boot.
WHERE | 18 PROE ST, NEWSTEAD
James St
This is the heart of life in The Valley for sure.
A beautiful street with many local boutiques and restaurants, each corner seems to lead to a more photogenic square of shops.
James St was designed to please, and you can easily spend a couple hours just browsing all the stores around.
Don’t forget to get yourself some gelato from Gelato Messina amidst all the shopping.
Another store worth checking out is the Aesop at 1/46 James St. Aesop’s stores around the world are generally incredibly aesthetically pleasing, and the James St one is no different. Since you’re here, pick up some skincare products from the Australian brand while you’re in town.
WHERE | JAMES ST
The Calile Hotel
If you’re wondering what’s a popular hotel in Brisbane, it truly doesn’t get more topical than The Calile Hotel. This upscale 5-star locale is where people go to see and be seen.
The impossibly Instagram-ready aesthetics have skyrocketed this hotel to every influencer’s list of places to stay in Brisbane.
The pool is incredibly photogenic too, and even if you’re not splashing out to stay here, you can always dine at Hellenika at The Calile for Greek food.
WHERE | 48 JAMES ST
Brisbane Powerhouse
If you’re visiting on a Saturday, head to Brisbane Powerhouse from 6am to 12pm for the Jan Powers Farmers Markets where you’ll find a classic myriad of local produce as well as artisanal crafts and goods sitting alongside street food vendors. Farmers markets are always a good place to spend time in Australia, and this one’s no different.
Otherwise, check out what’s going on at Brisbane Powerhouse, a former tram power station that has been converted into a performing arts venue. In fact, the Powerhouse supplied electricity to the largest tram network in the southern hemisphere at the peak of it’s post-war years.
Buses eventually replaced the tram network, and the Powerhouse was officially decommissioned in 1971.
Check out what’s on here.
WHERE | 119 LAMINGTON ST, NEW FARM
Dine Out Riverside at Howard Smith Wharves
The city has a few nightlife hotspots; James St is definitely one of them, and so is Howard Smith Wharves.
Dining out culture is real in Brisbane, particularly as most things close by the evening.
Nestled at the bend of the Brisbane River underneath the iconic Story Bridge is a quarter of restaurants with stunning views of the river and city skyline.
Japanese restaurant Yoko Dining and Greek outpost GRECA are two highly rated restaurants along the river well worth checking out.
WHERE | 5 BOUNDARY ST
Kangaroo Point
Can’t get enough of the city skyline in all it’s splendour when the buildings come to light at night?
Head over to Kangaroo Point to get a sweeping view of the scene.
On a clear day, this is also a decent place to catch the sunset.
WHERE | 29 RIVER TERRACE, KANGAROO POINT
DAY 4 (AND BEYOND…)
If you have more time to spend, there are more sights beyond Brisbane’s inner city for sure.
You know how Melbournians often say it’s better in ‘burbs?
Brisbane’s Paddington suburb might be testament to that here. With loads of indie labels to shop from, lazy brunch options, as well as bars to get your drink on, Paddington’s considered the perfect place to experience a slice of ‘village life’ as they call it. Definitely go thrifting at Retro Metro at the very least, and you can check out a whole list of things to do here.
Need an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life? Head over to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, a truly huge and sprawling park you could easily spend a few hours in if you choose to explore everything. There’s the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, a Japanese Garden, and a Tropical Display Dome for starters.
By far Brisbane’s most popular mountain lookout is Mount Coot-Tha, an easy 15 minute drive or so from the city. The highway does get quite jammed during rush hour though, something to take into account if you’re heading up to see the sunset.
If you’re an animal lover, not to be missed is the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the world’s largest koala sanctuary.
While The Valley supposedly houses Chinatown, any local will tell you the authentic Asian suburb is at Sunnybank, where you’ll find lots of Asian specialty stores and grocers, as well as some of the best Asian food in the city. If you fancy Korean, Choi Korean Cuisine is highly rated. Meanwhile if you’re after a more bistro-style affair there’s Southside Bistro serving fusion Asian-Australian.
