The must-do highlights of Brisbane in three days

There's a lot to see and do in Brisbane from island hopping to cultural inner-city evenings; here's how you can try the best of what Brisbane offers in three days.

DAY ONE

Southbank Parklands offer Australia’s only inner-city man-made beaches.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Morning

Start your day at Southbank Parklands – 17 hectares of riverfront land just opposite Brisbane’s CBD. Take a ride on The Wheel Of Brisbane – a 60-metre-high Ferris wheel with gondolas for up to eight passengers that will give you a bird’s eye view over the city. Take a stroll beside the river along the Clem Jones Promenade which runs the length of the park to get a sweat going. Then cool off at Australia’s only inner-city, man-made beaches, Street’s Beach, a blue-water lagoon surrounded by white sandy beaches and patrolled by lifeguards. Kids might also like to try out the water park right next door, Aquativity. Or consider a pool crawl - there’s another, Boat Pool, next door.

Afternoon

Dry off and walk a few metres to Little Stanley Street for lunch. It's one of Brisbane's most popular eat-streets – and also one of its most multi-cultural - with over 30 cafes, bars and restaurants to choose between from around the world. If that's not enough, right next door you'll find Grey Street, another foodie haven. Dine al fresco beneath an umbrella shading you from non-stop Queensland sunshine. After lunch, stroll a block away to the Queensland Cultural Centre, the only place in Australia you'll find a collection of cultural institutions like this on the one site. Take in a touring exhibition at the combined Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery Of Modern Art, the leading institution for contemporary Australian, Asian and Pacific art with nearly 20 000 works. Kids aren't left out: visit the Children's Art Centre within the gallery. And don't forget the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre, the best place in Queensland for experiencing natural history, cultural heritage and science.

Evening

Toast your first day at Brisbane’s best new food and lifestyle precinct. It’s an easy walk across the Brisbane River and through The City Botanic Gardens – a 20 hectare heritage-listed park that’s home to trees and plants from Brisbane’s earliest colonial days, built right down to the river. Keep walking on a combined walking and cycling path to the Howard Smith Wharves, built on the river and nestled between soaring sandstone cliffs and the longest cantilever bridge in Australia, the Story Bridge. What was for decades an abandoned site was reopened (at a cost of $110 million) in 2018, and it now features some of the best bars and restaurants in Brisbane, built over the water with spectacular views of the city skyline. There’s everything here from bar/ restaurants that look like European beach clubs – Mr Percival’s – to breweries – Felons Brewing Company – to international restaurants (try a Tokyo-style Izakaya meal at Yoko Dining).

DAY TWO

James St in Fortitude Valley has high end boutiques, hotels, bars and restaurants.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Morning

Don’t miss one of the country’s friendliest inner-city hamlets, West End, four kilometres west of the city. If you’re here on the weekend, check out its iconic markets where everyone from organic grocers to aspiring grocers peddle their wares. Study the street art (murals and graffiti) in its funky alleyways as you stroll between its eclectic mix of cafes and designers. West End is a brunch lover’s Mecca, but you can’t go past The Gunshop Café, the best breakfast you’ll find in Brisbane. Try its infamous sweet potato and thyme rosti, washed down with their own blend of coffee. Uber or walk to the Cultural Centre Pontoon for a 10.30am River City Cruise. This river’s a central part of Brisbane, and you’ll see its best ‘bits’ on a 90 minute tour.

Afternoon

You’re in for a treat: come and meet Fortitude Valley. Few other suburbs in the Southern Hemisphere offer these sort of treats, all set in one of Queensland’s most culturally diverse community. Once famous as Australia’s first dedicated entertainment district, now night-time fun is only a part of its charms. Head to Australia’s prettiest shopping districts, James Street, where Beverly Hills meets Paris, though it’s gum trees lining Australia’s best fashion labels and boutiques. Stop for lunch at one of the numerous hatted restaurants on the street. But it’s not all fancy here, there’s as many indie cafes and eateries around: eat your heart out Portland.

Evening

You've had your inner-city fix, it's time to escape into nature. Take an Uber or drive six kilometres west of the city to Brisbane's tallest point, Mt Coot-Tha Lookout, 226 metres above sea level. Mt Coot-Tha is part of a 1600-hectare eucalypt and rainforest reserve and offers stunning views over the city and all the way to Moreton Bay and its islands. Catch a sunset, then take in dinner amongst manicured gardens at Summit Café with views over the CBD. Then head back to James Street in Fortitude Valley with fresh legs and sample its exciting nightlife. Order from over 450 wines, taking a seat at the onyx bar under an antique chandelier imported from Paris at Cru Bar, then finish the night with a charcuterie board sitting at a sleek concrete bar which runs across the entire venue at industrial-chic Gerard's Bar.

DAY THREE

Take a bike tour along the Brisbane River.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Morning

You're going to have to get up early – but it's worth it. Brisbane has many strings to its bows – but one that most people overlook is its island offerings. There's over 350 islands in an enormous bay to the city's east: Moreton Bay. Drive out to Cleveland to take a 7.30am half-day (five hour) sailing catamaran tour to one of the prettiest beaches in the bay, Horseshoe Bay. Cruise through waters home to the largest population of loggerhead turtles in Australia and one of the top-five dugong habitats in the world to Peel Island, an uninhabited island that was once a quarantine station. The water's clear as you snorkel, paddle-board and swim, before sailing back at lunch time.

Afternoon

Moreton Bay is a little-known secret of Brisbane… the city's bike paths are another. Hire a bike with Brisbane Bike Hire and discover hundreds of kilometres of routes along the river and through Brisbane's suburbs. If you have the stamina, the Brisbane River Loop is the perfect afternoon option: a 30 kilometre ride that takes you down both sides of the river, showing off some of the city's best sites. If you've still got the beans, try rock climbing the large expanse of volcanic rock hugging the river at Kangaroo Point, opposite the CBD. Try a two-hour climb, or just catch watch the sunset from a park at Kangaroo Point after your ride. The views across the river to Mt Coot-Tha on the horizon are legendary.

Evening

It's only a short trip across the river to the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm, the epicentre of Brisbane's contemporary cultural scene. A repurposed tram power station, it's now home to over 1250 performances and events a year in music, theatre, comedy, dance and digital arts, all playing out right beside the river. Start your evening with a meal downstairs at New Orleans-inspired restaurant, Mary Mae's Bar + Kitchen, eating outside on a terrace above the water - then catch a show upstairs. For more live music, take a five minute drive to one of the city's most popular live music venues, The Triffid, in neighbouring Newstead. Created by one of Brisbane's favourite sons, Powderfinger's John 'JC' Collins, The Triffid is a modified WW2 aircraft hangar with space for 800 fans.