Brisbane Half Day Itinerary
View of Brisbane skyline from Story Bridge
Brisbane is Australia’s third most populated city and is full of things to do. Do you only have less than a day to explore Brisbane? We’ll break down the best things to do in this Brisbane Half Day Itinerary.
Brisbane Sign in Brisbane City
The good news is that most of this itinerary can be done within 4-5 hours, and it’s all pretty much walkable. The bad news is that it’s quite a lot of walking and Brisbane can get quite hot, so you may want to consider taking public transport to some of these spots, or catching an Uber or Taxi.
RELATED: 5-Day Gold Coast Itinerary, The Prefect Great Ocean Road One Day Itinerary and Mornington Peninsula Day Trip Itinerary.
1. Story Bridge
The first thing you’ll want to do to quick off your half-day in Brisbane is walk the length of Brisbane’s most iconic bridge, Story Bridge.
Story Bridge, Brisbane
A stunning bridge made out of steel, Story Bridge’s total length is 77m and is a great place to take in views of the Brisbane skyline and the Brisbane River.
Stunning views of Brisbane city from Story Bridge
2. Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park is a popular recreation spot with locals in Brisbane
At the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park, you’ll witness more great views of the Brisbane skyline, as well as getting to be up-close with Brisbane’s magnificent point cliffs. A popular recreation spot, locals use this park to go climbing, running and to spend time with family and friends.
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park, Brisbane
‘Love Sign’ at Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park, Brisbane
After sunset, the cliffs are lit up and make for a magnificent sight. If you have time, I would recommend coming back here at night.
View from Kanagaroo Point Cliffs Park in Brisbane
Ralph by the ‘Love’ Sign
3. South Bank Parklands
South Bank Parklands, Brisbane
The South Bank Parklands is one of Brisbane’s most popular attractions, and with good reason. Located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River and directly opposite to Brisbane CBD, the South Bank Parklands are home to several dining and shopping options, as well as some of Brisbane’s most unique sights.
Public swimming pools of South Bank Parklands in Brisbane
It’s here that you’ll find Brisbane’s famous public swimming pools, and the stunning manmade Streets Beach – an oasis in the middle of hustle and bustle of the city.
Streets Beach, Brisbane
4. Nepalese Peace Pagoda
One perspective of the Nepalese Peace Pagoda
The Nepalese Peace Pagoda was part of World Expo 88
Also located within the South Bank Parklands, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda is a stunning, ornate pagoda, built in the style of traditional Nepali architecture. This peace pagoda was originally built for the World Expo 88, a large international fair that was held in Brisbane in 1988.
Intricate detail of Nepalese Peace Pagoda
Golden bell at Nepalese Peace Pagoda in Brisbane
The exterior of the Nepalese Peace Pagoda doesn’t look like anything around it. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find many structures like this in the whole of Australia.
Ralph at the Nepalese Peace Pagoda
5. Wheel of Brisbane
The Wheel of Brisbane is a huge 60m tall Ferris wheel that was built to celebrate the 20th anniversary of World Expo 88, and the 150th anniversary of the state of Queensland. If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you would know that I have an affinity towards Ferris wheels – so I couldn’t wait to try this one!
Wheel of Brisbane in Brisbane City
Riding on the Ferris wheel, I found the experience to be very smooth and comfortable. All the cabins are air conditioned, which is great because on a sunny day, being inside a small cabin could be excruciatingly hot.
View of Brisbane skyline from the Wheel of Brisbane
The tickets to ride the Wheel of Brisbane are $19.95AUD for Adults and $15.20 for Children. We did find this to be a little expensive, but thought it was worth it as the Ferris wheel ride actually goes for quite a long amount of time.
Another view from the Wheel of Brisbane
6. Brisbane Sign
Ralph in front of the Brisbane sign
No visit to Brisbane is complete without taking a photo by the colourful Brisbane Sign! The Brisbane Sign is quite the star on social media, as I always see my friends and followers taking snaps in front of it. It’s only a few minutes’ walk away from the Wheel of Brisbane, so you should definitely see it.
7. Queen Street Mall
Queen Street Mall, Brisbane City
Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall is the main shopping street of Brisbane City. It’s where you’ll find Brisbane’s most popular shops, restaurants, café’s and more!
Queen Street Mall is Brisbane’s main shopping street in the city
During the day, Queen Street Mall is very busy, but it does end up being quiet after about 6pm. Usually, the nightlife buzz moves towards Brisbane’s nightlife district in Fortitude Valley.
8. Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
The last ‘real’ attraction on your half-day Brisbane Itinerary is a relaxing walk through the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.
A green oasis in the middle of busy Brisbane city
Not to be confused with the Botanic Garden in Mt Coot-tha, the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens offer a peaceful getaway in the middle of an otherwise busy city.
9. Eat Something!
If you’ve got any spare time up your sleeve, then you should find something to eat around Brisbane city. I was pleasantly surprised at how good Brisbane’s food was, and the range of choice that was available. There were so many cool places!
So much good food in Brisbane everywhere!
I’m a bubble tea lover, so I went on a mini bubble tea tour and tried out some of Brisbane’s finest, which includes stores such as Ying Cha No. 9 and Hype Tea.
Treated myself to some Taro and pork floss cheesecake.
Bubble tea from Ying Cha No. 9.
Bubble tea from Hype Tea.
What else?
There are a lot of things to Brisbane and its surrounds, so naturally you won’t get to cover it all. If you have time to take a day trip somewhere, we would recommend going to the Gold Coast or checking out some of the nearby theme parks, such as Movie World.
Movie World entrance
The Green Lantern ride at Movie World