Travel with You, Me, Away

Brisbane travel guide: South Bank river walks, Kangaroo Point cliffs and Mt Coot-tha

Winding around broad serpentine bends of the Brisbane River between the sandstone cliffs of Kangaroo Point and the eucalypt ridges of Mt Coot-tha, Queensland's capital is designed for outdoor riverfront walking and CityCat ferry hopping. Linking the pedestrian bridges between the CBD, South Bank and New Farm lets you cover the entire inner river loop on foot and by boat.

Reviewed

Explore the map

Destinations on the map

The map shows selected approximate city locations. Individual hotels and restaurants are not mapped.

Dot: one place · Number: multiple places

On the mapApproximate locationBrisbaneApproximate city locationView itinerary

Map data: Natural Earth · Place data: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0, modified

Map markers are for orientation.

1 place

All places
  1. Brisbane (Approximate city location)

Location coordinates: Brisbane.

Arrival and getting around in Brisbane

Brisbane Airport (BNE) sits 15 kilometres northeast of the CBD and connects directly to Central, Roma Street and South Brisbane stations in 20 to 25 minutes via the Brisbane Airtrain. Across the city, Translink's blue CityCat ferries, buses and suburban trains accept contactless Visa, Mastercard and American Express tap-on payments under Queensland's low flat-fare system.

  • Take the Brisbane Airtrain from BNE Domestic or International Terminal directly into Central or South Brisbane Station (20 to 25 minutes; discounted when booked online ahead).
  • Tap on and off blue CityCat river ferries with a contactless credit card or Go Card to cruise between Northshore Hamilton, New Farm Park, Riverside, South Bank and UQ.
  • Use the pedestrian Neville Bonner Bridge, Goodwill Bridge and new Kangaroo Point Bridge to cross the river without waiting for traffic lights.

Sources: Wilson Outlook Reserve | Brisbane City Council, Kangaroo Point parks | Brisbane City Council

Where to stay in Brisbane

Brisbane's river bends divide accommodation into the cultural parklands on the southern bank, the central business peninsula and the cliff-base dining precinct below the Story Bridge.

  • South Bank and Cultural Precinct: steps from the South Bank Promenade, Streets Beach lagoon, QAGOMA galleries and South Brisbane Airtrain station.
  • New Farm, Howard Smith Wharves and northern CBD: riverfront hotels beneath the Story Bridge within an easy walk of Wilson Outlook Reserve and the City Botanic Gardens.
  • Avoid staying far along the Lutwyche or Gympie Road bus corridors if you want effortless evening river walks.

Sources: Kangaroo Point parks | Brisbane City Council, Where to go walking and hiking in Brisbane | Brisbane City Council

Two-day route for Brisbane

Spend day one walking the inner river loop from the civic square across to South Bank and the Kangaroo Point cliffs, then dedicate day two to the western botanic gardens and mountain lookout.

  • Day 1: start at Brisbane City Hall and King George Square (book the free clock-tower lift tour at the Museum of Brisbane), cross the river to walk the bougainvillea-draped arbour along the South Bank Promenade, continue east along the riverfront to the rhyolite rock face of Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park, and finish at dusk on the lawn of Wilson Outlook Reserve in New Farm watching the Story Bridge and CBD skyline light up.
  • Day 2: ride Translink bus 471 or drive 15 minutes west to the foothills of Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha to explore the tranquil ponds and bamboo of the Japanese Garden at Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha and the Tropical Display Dome, then head up the winding summit drive to Mt Coot-tha Lookout for a sweeping view from the city skyscrapers across to Moreton Bay.
  • River extension: hop aboard a CityCat ferry at sunset from Riverside Terminal downstream to New Farm Park and back.

Sources: Wilson Outlook Reserve | Brisbane City Council, Kangaroo Point parks | Brisbane City Council, Where to go walking and hiking in Brisbane | Brisbane City Council, Brisbane City Hall and King George Square | Brisbane City Council

Seasonal timing and practical rhythm

Brisbane has a humid subtropical climate with over 280 sunny days a year: winters from June to August are dry, crisp and crystal-clear (21 °C to 23 °C by day, 10 °C at night), while summers from December to February bring warm humidity (29 °C to 32 °C) and late-afternoon thunderstorms.

  • April to October offers low humidity, blue skies and purple jacaranda blooms across New Farm and UQ in October.
  • Between December and February, walk the exposed Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park and Mt Coot-tha trails before 10:00, and step inside QAGOMA at South Bank if a brief late-afternoon summer storm rolls through.

Sources