brisbane city australia

Itinerary: 3 Days in Brisbane For First Time Visitors (2024)

If you’re planning a trip for 3 days in Brisbane for first time visitors, you’re in the right place! I grew up in Brisbane and return several times a year, and have used this experience to design a 3 day itinerary for Brisbane that includes a balance of the best things to do in Brisbane, the best sights & activities, and some of Brisbane’s best restaurants and bars.

This 3 day itinerary for Brisbane includes exploring South Bank Parklands, shopping and dining in trendy James Street in New Farm, catching a City Cat on the Brisbane River, waterfront dining at Howard Smith Wharves, and visiting GoMa. On the final day of this itinerary for 3 days in Brisbane, I’ve suggested three options for a day trip from Brisbane – to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, or one of Brisbane’s two beautiful islands, Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island.

southbank brisbane
brisbane

Where to stay in Brisbane

The best areas to stay in Brisbane, especially for first time visitors, are the Brisbane CBD, Southbank or New Farm. Here are a few of my favourite hotels in Brisbane that I’ve stayed at:

Calile Hotel – An internationally recognised design hotel, the Calile is the stylish hotel stay in Brisbane and perfectly located in the heart of James Street in New Farm.

Calile hotel brisbane
Calile Hotel

Hotel X – A luxury hotel located just minutes’ from Howard Smith Wharves, between the Brisbane CBD and the Valley, Hotel X has a great location, stylish rooms and a stunning rooftop pool and restaurant.

Voco – Slightly more affordable than the Calile and Hotel X, Voco is a stylish hotel in Brisbane’s CBD

Hotel X Brisbane Rooftop Pool
The rooftop pool at Hotel X

Day 1 Brisbane: Mt Coot-tha to CBD

Mt Coot-tha Lookout

Start your itinerary for 3 days in Brisbane, with the best view of Brisbane at the Mt Coot-tha Lookout. Mt Coot-tha is the highest point in Brisbane, and is a popular spot with visitors and locals alike. Get a bus or an Uber to the lookout, and enjoy a view over coffee while you’re up there.

At the base of Mt Coot-tha, you’ll find the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens which is one of the best collections of sub tropical gardens in Australia and is home to a planetarium.

PS. Mt Coot-tha is pronounced “Koo-tha’

mt coot-tha brisbane

Paddington

It’s a 10 minute Uber from the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens to Paddington, a quaint neighbourhood on Brisbane’s city fringe. Start by getting brunch at Naim, one of the best cafes in Brisbane, before browsing Latrobe Terrace, Paddington’s famous cafe & shopping street. 

The best place to start is Empire Revival (formerly Paddington Antique Centre), a market of more than 50 merchants housed in heritage-listed former cinema from the 1920s. It’s one of the best places in Brisbane to shop for antiques, and impossible to walk away empty handed! Walk east along Latrobe, so that you’re walking in the direction of the city (and mostly downhill – Paddington is very hilly!).

When you’re ready to move along to the city, hop onto the bus (Route 61, 385 or 375) which all travel along Latrobe Terrace, to Brisbane CBD.

Queenslander houses in Paddington Brisbane
Paddington

Brisbane CBD

Spend the afternoon exploring Brisbane CBD. Brisbane’s CBD doesn’t have the sights of Sydney or Melbourne, but is still a pleasant place for visitors to wander, at least once. You’ll find Brisbane City Hall, which is the largest in Australia, an outpost of the famous Lune Croissanterie, which doesn’t have the permanent queue of its original, Melbourne counterpart, and leafy Queen Street Mall.

brisbane cbd

On the top floor of Queens Plaza, Stanton Brasserie & Bar is a great spot for another coffee, or for lunch, with a leafy outlook over the mall.

stanton brisbane

Howard Smith Wharves

Howard Smith Wharves is a waterfront dining precinct on the fringe of the Brisbane CBD, and one of the most exciting developments in Brisbane this century. Right on the river’s edge and underneath the Story Bridge, the views at Howard Smith Wharves are uniquely Brisbane – and make the most of Brisbane’s enviable climate.

My favourite restaurant on Howard Smith Wharves is Greca, a Greek restaurant, but for something more casual you could go to Felon’s Brewing Co, an enormous beer hall.

howard smith wharves

Day 2 Brisbane: South Bank & New Farm

South Bank Parklands

In the morning, start by exploring the beautiful South Bank Parklands, which is one of Brisbane’s most popular tourist precincts. Directly across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane CBD, South Bank is best known for its curving pathway covered by an arbour dripping with bougainvillaea, and the manmade Streets Beach, Brisbane’s very own city beach.

Photo of South Bank Brisbane Queensland
South Bank, Brisbane
southbank brisbane
South Bank Arbour

GoMa

Later in the morning, escape the heat by visiting the Gallery of Moden Art (GoMa), which is Queensland’s premier art gallery and one of the most popular art galleries in Australia. There are often major exhibitions at GoMa, but you’ll always find something interesting to look at in their permanent collection, which is free to visit. 

New Farm

In the afternoon, head to New Farm, a leafy suburb on Brisbane’s city fringe. New Farm Park is one of oldest and grandest parks in Brisbane, and is wedged in a crook of the Brisbane River.

Catch a show or an exhibition at Brisbane Powerhouse, or simply drop in to the on-site bar and restaurant, Mary Mae’s, to enjoy a meal or a drink on the deck, which has the best river views. Spend the rest of the afternoon shopping on James Street, where you’ll find Australian brands like Zimmerman, Aje, Lee Matthews, Bec & Bridge, Dion Lee and more. I love the jewellery at Molten Store!

james street newfarm brisbane_1
shops in james st new farm
james street new farm brisbane
James Street in New Farm

There are two excellent bakeries on James Street, Sprout Artisan Bakery and Agnes Bakery, which are opposite each other. You can also stop at for a light meal at the Lobby Bar at the Calile Hotel.

Scout Patisserie New Farm Brisbane
Scout Artisan Bakery

Stay close by for dinner, at SK Steak & Oyster. There are lots of excellent restaurants in James St, like Hellenika, Bianca and Same Same, but SK Steak & Oyster is my favourite – I’ve been here twice, including for my most recent birthday lunch. Reservations are essential.

SK Steak & Oyster
Birthday lunch at SK Steak & Oyster

Eat Street Northshore

Alternatively, for a more casual dinner, head to Eat Street Northshore, in Hamilton. A purpose-built market, with more than 180 shipping containers converted into mini restaurants & street food stalls from more than 70 vendors.

With flavours from around the world, the Eat Street Markets remains one of the most popular things to do in Brisbane.

Better yet, you can catch one of Brisbane’s iconic City Cats (ferries) from New Farm to North Shore to reach the Eat Street Markets, which is another quintessential Brisbane experience!

Day 3: Day Trip from Brisbane

For the last day of your 3 days in Brisbane, choose a day trip depending on your travel style. International visitors will probably want the chance to cuddle a koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which will take most of the day.

If you’re not fussed on the koalas, then take a day trip to one of Brisbane’s beautiful islands in Moreton Bay. 

Option 1: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary in the world, and is the number one wildlife attraction in Brisbane. Queensland is one of the only states in Australia where guests are permitted to cuddle a koala, which makes it a must-visit for many international visitors! Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is home to more than 100 koalas and 75 other species of wildlife, and is accredited by the Zoo & Aquarium Association for maintaining positive animal welfare.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is in Fig Tree Pocket, 12km from the Brisbane CBD. You could get an Uber to Lone Pine, or you can take a river cruise to Lone Pine as part of a day tour.

Option 2: North Stradbroke Island

North Stradbroke Island (or “Straddie”) is the second largest sand island in the world, and a very popular day trip and holiday destination for Brisbane locals. On Stradbroke Island, check out Cylinder Beach and Main Beach. There are a handful of places to eat on the island, including the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel (Straddie Pub) and the Point Lookout Surf Lifesaving Club.

As a visitor to Brisbane, the easiest way to visit is to take a guided day trip to Stradbroke Island. 

Cylinder Beach Stradbroke Island Australia_1
Cylinder Beach, Stradbroke Island

You can take a Sealink Ferry from the southern suburb of Cleveland in Brisbane to Stradbroke Island, which takes 45 minutes on the car ferries, or 25 minutes on the Fast Ferry (no cars allowed). If you’re taking a car, you need to reserve in advance. Walk-on passengers are welcome on the car ferries, but the Fast Ferry meets the Stradbroke local bus, which is more convenient.

Stradbroke island
Stradbroke Island

Option 3: Moreton Island

Moreton Island is the third largest sand island in the world, and has some of the most pristine coastal environment in southeast Queensland. Moreton Island is famous for its beautiful beaches, the dolphins that approach the beach at Tangalooma, for snorkelling around the shipwrecks, and for being home to the highest coastal sand dune in the world, Mt Tempest. To stay overnight, stay at Tangalooma Resort.

To get to Moreton Island, you can take a ferry from Pinkenba to Tangalooma, on Moreton Island. The ferry runs four times per day and takes 75 minutes.

Moreton Island is only open to 4WDs, because there are no paved roads – they are all soft sand, and getting bogged is a frequent issue! When I’ve visited with my family, we’ve gone with friends – which makes it a bit easier as you’ve got someone to help tow your car out of the sand when you get bogged.

Like with Stradbroke, because the ferry terminal is not close to the Brisbane CBD, the easiest way to visit Moreton Island as a visitor to Brisbane is to take a guided day trip to Moreton Island.

Moreton island Queensland-1
Moreton Island

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