Quick answer: If you’ve only got 24 hours in Brisbane, spend the morning at South Bank Parklands here’s what to do. Hop on a CityCat ferry to see the city from the river. Have lunch at a riverside spot like Medley in Kangaroo Point. After lunch wander the City Botanic Gardens and grab a beer at Felons Brewing Co under the Story Bridge. Then finish at Kangaroo Point Cliffs for sunset over the skyline. It’s an easy day to do without a car, and it hits the best of what Brisbane does well: river, food, and views.
Brisbane doesn’t try too hard, and that’s exactly why it works as a one-day stop on the East Coast. You won’t run yourself ragged ticking off a checklist. You’ll spend the day near the water, eat well, and watch the sun go down over a skyline that somehow still feels underrated. Here’s how to spend your 24 hours in Brisbane, backpacker-style.
South Bank is the obvious starting point and there’s a reason everyone begins here. It’s flat, walkable, and sits right on the river across from the CBD. Grab a coffee, take a lap of the Parklands, and if the weather’s playing nice, jump into Streets Beach, Australia’s only inner-city man-made beach. It’s free, it’s right in the middle of everything, and it’s the easiest way to cool off before the day gets going.
South Bank is also where you’ll find the Wheel of Brisbane if you want a birds-eye view of the city before you explore it at ground level, plus plenty of cafes if you need a proper breakfast before hitting the water.
Once you’ve had your coffee, head to the nearest CityCat terminal and get out on the water. The CityCat is Brisbane’s ferry service and it’s one of the best value things you’ll do all trip. It runs along the river connecting South Bank, the CBD, Kangaroo Point, New Farm, and beyond, and it’s a proper way to see the city rather than just walk past it.
You don’t need a destination in mind. Hop on, grab a seat on the open deck, and let the route do the work as you glide past the Story Bridge, the Botanic Gardens, and the CBD skyline. It’s an easy, breezy way to get your bearings and work out where you want to spend the rest of the day.
After lunch, head back across to the CBD side and take a walk through the City Botanic Gardens. It’s a proper green escape right on the doorstep of the city, with fig-lined avenues, a mangrove boardwalk, and enough shade to make it a good spot to slow down after a big lunch. It’s free to wander, easy to reach from the Gardens Point CityCat terminal, and a nice contrast to the river and skyline you’ve been looking at all morning.
Give yourself thirty to forty-five minutes here. It’s not a big park, but it’s a genuinely nice one to walk through slowly rather than rush.
From the Botanic Gardens, make your way to Howard Smith Wharves, either on foot along the river or back on the CityCat, for a beer at Felons Brewing Co. Felons sits right under the Story Bridge on the river, and it’s one of those rare venues that actually lives up to the hype. Grab a spot on the deck, order a cold one from the tap list, and take in the view down the river toward Kangaroo Point and New Farm.
It gets busy on weekends, so if you’re travelling as a group, get there earlier in the afternoon to lock in a table before the after-work crowd rolls in.
Save the best for last. Head over to Kangaroo Point Cliffs as the sun starts dropping and grab a spot along The Cliffs boardwalk. This is the single best free view in Brisbane, looking straight across the river at the CBD skyline as it lights up for the night. Bring a drink, sit on the grass, and watch the city change colour. It’s the kind of moment that sums up why Brisbane is worth the stop, even if you’ve only got a day.
Brisbane sits right on JOEY’s East Coast route, between Noosa and the Gold Coast, so it’s an easy stop to add to your trip without any extra planning. Grab a JOEY Route Pass and hop on and off between Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa, and Rainbow Beach whenever suits you. No fixed dates, no locked-in schedule, just book your next leg through the app when you’re ready to move on.
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Yes, if you plan it well. A single day is enough to cover South Bank, a CityCat ferry ride, a riverside lunch, the City Botanic Gardens, and sunset at Kangaroo Point Cliffs. You won’t see everything Brisbane has to offer, but you’ll get a proper feel for the city and hit its best free views.
See our Brisbane recommendations here.
No. Every stop on this itinerary is walkable or reachable by CityCat ferry, which is one of the cheapest and most scenic ways to get around Brisbane. You won’t need a car for any part of this day.
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Watching sunset from Kangaroo Point Cliffs is the best free thing to do in Brisbane. It looks straight across the river at the CBD skyline and costs nothing beyond getting yourself there.
JOEY Travel runs a daily hop-on hop-off bus service connecting Brisbane with Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Noosa, and Rainbow Beach. Grab a Route Pass and travel at your own pace, with no fixed dates required.
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