Is visiting Brisbane one of your Bucket List ideas? If it isn’t, then it should be! Who wouldn’t want to visit the Capital City of Queensland and gateway to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast?

Queensland, also known as the Sunshine State because of its amazing weather, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Australia. Queensland’s advertising slogan “Beautiful One Day, Perfect The Next” perfectly sums up our capital city Brisbane.

Whether you are visiting Brisbane on holiday or you are a local wanting to explore your hometown, ‘Brisbane Bucket List Ideas’ will provide you with travel tips on a list of things to do in Brisbane as well as the best places to explore Brisbane on a budget.

You can also read about the best Brisbane photography locations.

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”

Susan Sontag.

Parks and Green Spaces in Brisbane

Brisbane City Botanic Gardens

Address: 147 Alice St, Brisbane City QLD 4000

Opening hours: 24 hours

Cost: Free

Take a City Botanic Gardens self-guided walk.

More about Brisbane Botanic Gardens

Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
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Kangaroo Point Cliffs

Address: 29 River Terrace, Kangaroo Point QLD 4169

Opening hours: 24 hours

Cost: Free

More about Kangaroo Point Cliffs

Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens

Address: 152 Mount Coot-Tha Rd, Mount Coot-Tha QLD 4066

Opening hours: 8am – 5pm, 7 days a week

Cost: Free

Take a self-guided tour of Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha.

More about Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens

Mt Coot-tha Lookout

Address: 1012 Sir Samuel Griffith Dr, Mount Coot-Tha QLD 4066

Opening hours: 24 hours

Cost: Free

More about Mt Coot-tha Lookout

New Farm Park

Address: 1042 Brunswick St, New Farm QLD 4005

Opening hours: 24 hours

Cost: Free

More about New Farm Park

Roma Street Parklands

Address: 1 Parkland Blvd, Brisbane City QLD 4000

Opening hours: Open 24 hours

Cost: Free

More about Roma Street Parklands

South Bank Parklands

Address: Stanley St Plaza, South Brisbane QLD 4101

Opening Hours: 5am – 12am

Cost: Free

Lifeguards hours: vary from 9am-7pm in winter to 7am-8pm in summer holidays

More about South Bank: 20 Free Activities at South Bank, Brisbane

Streets Beach at South Bank Parklands is Australia’s only inner city beach.
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Click here for tips on the Best Picnic Spots in Brisbane and South East Queensland.

See Australian animals in Brisbane

Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area

Australian wildlife: Kangaroos and Koalas

Best time to visit: late afternoon

Opening hours: 6am – 6pm

Cost: Free

More about Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area

Kangaroos at Coombabah Lakeland Reserve
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Daisy Hill Koala Park

Australian wildlife: Kangaroos and Koalas

Address: 253 Daisy Hill Rd, Daisy Hill QLD 4127

Opening hours: 9am – 4pm

Cost: Free

More about Daisy Hill Koala Park

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Address: 708 Jesmond Rd, Fig Tree Pocket QLD 4069

Opening hours: 9am – 5pm

Cost: Free

More about Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Mt Coot-tha Walking Trails

Cost – Free

More about Mt Coot-tha walking trails

Nudgee Beach Wetlands Reserve

Australian wildlife: Native Birds

Address: 18 Fortitude Street, Boondall QLD 4034

Opening hours: 24 hours

Cost: Free

Experience Art, Culture, History & Music in Brisbane

Brisbane Powerhouse (free on Friday night)

City Sounds (free concerts)

QAGOMA  (some exhibitions may incur an entry fee)

Museum of Brisbane

Parliament House

Queensland Museum (some exhibitions may incur an entry fee)

Queensland Performing Arts Centre

State Library of Queensland

Street Art

Free Brisbane Transport

Free CityHopper Ferry

Explore Brisbane on a Budget with a Free Cityhopper Ferry
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Catch the Free CityHopper Ferry from South Bank 3 Ferry Terminal.

Click here to find out how to explore Brisbane on a budget with a free CityHopper ferry

Free City Centre Bus Loop

Free City Centre Loop Bus

Brisbane CityCycle

While hiring a Brisbane CityCycle isn’t quite free, you can have 24 hour access to a CityCycle for just $2 a day. Read how to hire a Brisbane City Cycle to make sure you avoid getting charged a $48 usage fee.

Other Brisbane Bucket List Ideas

Ride the Wheel of Brisbane

Address: South Bank Parklands, Russel Street, South Brisbane QLD 4101

Opening hours: 10am – 10pm

More about the Wheel of Brisbane

Howard Smith Wharves

Address: 5 Boundary St, Brisbane City QLD 4000

Opening hours: 24 hours

More about Howard Smith Wharves

Visit the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

Address: Mount Coot Tha Rd, Toowong QLD 4066

Opening hours: See website

More about the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

Photograph the Story Bridge

Tips on the best place to photograph the Story Bridge

About the Story Bridge

Brisbane City Hall Tour

Brisbane City Hall Clock Tower   – read about the Free Brisbane City Hall ‘Clock Tower’ Tour

Brisbane Mangrove Walk

About the Brisbane Mangrove Walk

Brisbane Riverwalk

About the Brisbane Riverwalk

Chinatown Mall

V2 Helicopter flight over Brisbane

Free Tours

Free Brisbane Greeters Tour

Free Self guided City Centre Heritage Trail

Free City Botanic Gardens self-guided walk.

Take a free self-guided tour of Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha.

Brisbane Day Tours

Best Brisbane Day Tours

Best Brisbane Wine Tours

Suggested Itineraries

24 hours in Brisbane

This list is constantly being updated so bookmark it and check back regularly for new travel tips.

Save Brisbane Bucket List Ideas: Fun things to do in Brisbane this weekend!

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Do you have any more Brisbane Bucket List Ideas or tips on fun things to do in Brisbane this weekend? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Share your ideas by leaving a comment below.

Are you planning on spending time exploring the rest of Queensland? If you are, check out our Queensland Bucket List or try a Sea Turtle encounter on the Great Barrier Reef or a Fraser Island self drive tour.