We have listed eight great ways to explore Brisbane without having to spend a single dollar. So once you have booked your hotel in Brisbane, it’s time to start exploring this beautiful city!
1. Go on a tour of the City Hall’s Clock Tower
Take a ride up to Brisbane City Hall’s Clock Tower and explore the most iconic feature of this much-loved, heritage-listed building. Built between 1920 and 1930, the heritage-listed Brisbane City Hall was the tallest building in the city until 1960.
You will enjoy heading up in a beautiful, old, hand-operated lift resulting in a spectacular 360-degree view over the top of Brisbane city. Besides, people can compare how the view may have changed over the years. During the descent, the lift is stopped at the exact time the bells toll so that people can view the mechanisms that work it in action as well as view the giant clock face from the inside.
The clock tower is open seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets are free and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Walk the South Bank Arbour
One of the most iconic parts of the South Bank precinct, the Arbour is colourful, beautiful, long and totally picturesque. Only 15 min walk from The Great Southern Hotel Brisbane, you will enjoy the creative design of the Arbour which connects the Griffith Film School on the corner of Dock Street and Vulture Street to the Cultural Forecourt adjacent to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, as well as the rest of the South Bank Parklands through which it runs.
3. Cruise the Brisbane River on a CityHopper
Brisbane City Council’s CityHopper is a free inner city ferry service for the Brisbane River. You can hop on and hop off the CityHopper every 30 minutes. The service runs between 6am and midnight, seven days a week. They travel between Sydney Street terminal in New Farm Park and North Quay in the CBD.
The CityHopper is supplemented by paid cross-river ferry services. These services run from Holman Street, Eagle Street Pier and Thornton Street every 10 to 15 minutes.
For up-to-date timetable information or to plan your journey, visit TransLink‘s website.
4. Listen to live music with City Sounds
City Sounds is Australia’s largest and longest-running free live music program. Each week a rolling line-up of local and touring bands and artists perform on the stages in the Queen Street Mall, Post Office Square, South Bank and other locations in Brisbane. Take a look to see what’s coming up.
5. Party on the street with Latin Friday Nights at Reddacliff Place
Only 5 min walk from The Great Southern Hotel Brisbane, every Friday night, join the passionate crowd of visitors and locals shaking their hips on Latin beats. It is a a great social event designed to get friends and strangers alike to mix and mingle. If you are a beginner and worried about your skill level, you can join the free dance classes beginning at 8:00 pm. Latin Fridays Nights are completely free and everyone is always welcome. Please note that no bookings are required.
6. Take a stroll through the Riverside Gardens Markets
Only 6 min walk from The Great Southern Hotel Brisbane, the Riverside Gardens Markets is a popular gathering place for locals and tourists. Enjoy a good coffee and grab something to eat in this eclectic little market held each Sunday from 8 am to 3 pm in Brisbane’s beautiful City Botanic Gardens.
The market offers a varied mix of stalls including arts and crafts, fashion, plants, skin care, hammocks, fruit and vegetables, opals, coffee, baskets, hats, cold drinks, jewellery, and multicultural food.
You will also enjoy live music every morning in the rotunda.
The market is located across the Alice Street forecourt and Albert Street.
7. Enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset at Mt Coot-tha 20min drive
Only 7kms from the CBD, the lookout is the perfect place to catch a sunrise or sunset. It offers spectacular panoramic views over the CBD all the way to Moreton Bay. Walking tracks are abundant through the National Park and the Lookout itself showcases a historical timeline of this iconic destination. Situated at 287m altitude, the Mount Coot-tha forest has more than 1500 hectares of open eucalypt forest waiting to be explored, with picnic areas, creeks, and waterfalls plus over 31 kilometres of tracks.
For the visitors who want to relax and enjoy the sensational views if Brisbane with a coffee or lazy lunch, you will find the bustling Kuta Cafe and award-winning Summit Restaurant.
Plan your trip to Mt Coot-the now.
8. Visit Daisy Hill Koala Centre
If you are looking for a fun family day out or just a peaceful hike through 1000 acres of tranquil bushland, Daisy Hill Koala Centre is the perfect place to be. You will enjoy seeing koalas in a natural outdoor setting and discovering more about their secret life.
Visit for free and enjoy the company of the adorable residents. If you want a guided tour and talk you have to book ahead to arrange for rangers to be available.
Please note that visitors are unable to handle or pat the koalas.
