Brisbane, Australia, Guide

Top 5 Can’t Miss

• Check in to The Calile Hotel and spend the day ping-ponging between its pool cabanas, Kailo Medispa, and lineup of standout restaurants—Hellenika, Sushi Room, and Same Same.
• Step inside Bluey’s World, the joyful, full-scale home of Australia’s favorite blue heeler family that’s as charming for adults as it is for kids.
• Island-hop to North Stradbroke or Moreton Island, where turquoise surf, wild dunes, and beach shacks feel untouched by time.
• Stroll down James Street, a palm-lined stretch of shopping where homegrown Australian labels, design stores, and all-day cafes spill out onto the street.
• Book a table at Supernormal, Andrew McConnell’s cult Melbourne import serving up lobster rolls and ice-cold martinis against views of the Story Bridge.

For years, Brisbane was the city you flew into on your way to somewhere else—a convenient layover before the Gold Coast’s beaches or the Sunshine Coast’s surf. Often referred to as Australia’s “biggest country town,” it’s home to just under three million people and still small enough that everyone seems to know someone you know. Locals have always had a knack for self-deprecation, calling it the “Brown Snake” (after the river’s snaking meander) or “Brisvegas,” a tongue-in-cheek swipe at its sleepy pace and perceived lack of glamour.

But those jokes don’t land like they used to. Recently, Australia’s third-largest city has been busy rewriting its reputation. What was once dismissed as a slow-burn subtropical capital now feels dynamic and self-assured—a city in its prime. Restaurants buzz with chefs who’ve cut their teeth in Sydney, Melbourne, or further afield and returned home to do things their own way. The global success of Bluey, Australia’s largest cultural export, has put Brisbane squarely on the family travel map, while the countdown to the 2032 Olympics is already reshaping the city’s skyline and psyche.

Then there’s The Calile Hotel, the pastel-toned, palm-fringed property that cracked redefined what an urban hotel could be in Australia. More than a place to stay, it’s an architectural statement and cultural touchstone. “There are no other hotels like it in Australia, despite many attempts to copy,” says Marie-Louise Theile, the former journalist turned creative force behind the James Street precinct. “Its visionary evolution is a testament to the owners and their commitment to not only lifting the bar, but doing it with intent and integrity.”

In many ways, The Calile Hotel embodies Brisbane’s coming-of-age—a symbol of how the city has shifted and how confidently it now looks outward. Add in a bold new wave of architecture, a thriving arts scene, and a restless creative undercurrent reshaping its identity, and you’ve got a city ready to step onto the world stage.

Whether it’s your first trip to Australia or a long-overdue rediscovery, here’s everything you need to know before planning a visit to Brisbane.

Best Hotels & Resorts

A guest room in The Calile Hotel.

Brock Beazley/The Calile

The Calile Hotel

Designed by acclaimed architects Richards and Spence, The Calile’s 175 rooms are framed by subtropical landscaping that blurs the line between indoors and out. The property is as much a lifestyle hub as it is a hotel; one elevator ride connects you to Brisbane’s best restaurants, bars, and boutiques, while a resort-style pool and world-class Kailo Medispa treatments await just beyond your door. “Apart from its incredible design and location, the key element of The Calile is its bold point of difference, which continues to resonate with locals and visitors alike,” says Theile.

Miss Midgley’s

Run by a local mother-daughter duo, Miss Midgley’s occupies a lovingly restored 1860s heritage brick schoolhouse that has served time as a home, a hospital, and an orphanage. Today, it’s a five-suite boutique stay with full kitchens, plunge pools, and salvaged school desks that nod to its past. Pet-friendly ground-floor rooms open onto peaceful gardens; upstairs suites are quieter, and accessed by stairs only. It’s deal for longer stays and travelers who prefer character over cookie-cutter.

Emporium Hotel South Bank

Rising above South Bank’s cultural precinct, Emporium combines Brisbane’s best views with easy access to its art, dining, and riverfront scene below. From its rooftop infinity pool to sunset cocktails at The Terrace bar, it’s a stay that feels both indulgent and unmistakably connected to the city. Its 143 suites are plush and theatrical, with oversized tubs, mirrored walls, and marble bathrooms.

Spicers Balfour Hotel

In New Farm, Spicers Balfour feels like the quintessential Queenslander stay—high ceilings, wraparound verandas, and that warm Brisbane hospitality. The nine rooms inside the heritage house blend 1940s elegance with contemporary polish, while the neighboring art deco Simla wing adds larger suites for longer stays. Evenings call for a drink on the rooftop bar, followed by dinner at the celebrated Balfour Kitchen & Bar, where modern Vietnamese dishes spotlight local produce.

Best Things to Do

An interactive experience in Bluey’s World.

Bluey’s World

Play make-believe at Bluey’s World.

Australia’s most beloved family gets the full-scale treatment at the immersive Bluey’s World. The Heeler family home is recreated in uncanny detail—from Bandit’s armchair to the backyard barbecue—with interactive games (led by a cheeky garden gnome named Rhonda), music, and secret nooks that delight kids and grown-ups.

Meet a koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

Just 20 minutes from the city, Lone Pine is the world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuary—a 90-plus-year-old celebration of Australia’s wildlife. Hold a koala, hand-feed kangaroos, or catch the sheepdog and free-flight raptor shows. It’s lo-fi, educational, and about as Australian as it gets.

Wander South Bank and QAGOMA.

Cross the river and you’ll find Brisbane at its most photogenic: jacaranda-lined promenades, open-air pubs, and locals sunbathing at the kitschy but charming Streets Beach, the city’s own inner-city lagoon. This is South Bank, a cultural hub home to QAGOMA (Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art), where blockbuster international shows share walls with some of the country’s most compelling collections of Indigenous art.

Catch a rugby game.

Brisbanites are sports-obsessed, their loyalty split between the Broncos (rugby league), Reds (rugby union), and Lions (AFL). On game day, the city comes alive—pints in hand, jerseys on backs, and chants rolling down Caxton Street on the march to Suncorp Stadium. Even without knowing the rules of the game, you’ll get the spirit within minutes.

Best Shopping

Stores along James Street.

Cieran Murphy/James Street

James Street

James Street is home to a curated mix of independent boutiques and homegrown heavyweights—from Sir, P. Johnson, and Venroy to Zimmermann, Mud Australia, and Dinosaur Designs—alongside multibrand destinations like Camargue and Samantha Ogilvie, known for their sharp edits and impeccable curation. Some of the city’s most exciting restaurants call this strip home, too; Gerard’s Bistro, Same Same, and Biànca make it dangerously easy to lose an afternoon here.

The success of James Street is no happy accident. Over decades, the Malouf family has transformed this once-industrial pocket into Brisbane’s most dynamic shopping and dining precinct, a place that’s as much about creativity and collaboration as it is commerce. “What gives James Street its power is the way it reflects, and even shapes, the city’s creative direction,” says Theile. “It has always been about building meaningful collaborations and never following predictable retail formulas.”

Best Restaurants

Dining room in Supernormal.

Earl Carter/Supernormal

Golden Avenue

If it’s a vibe you’re chasing, you’ll find it at Golden Avenue. Set in a tropics-meets-industrial space, this newcomer is a vibrant, open-armed take on Middle Eastern flavor. The Levantine-inspired menu leans bright and herbaceous: Still-warm bread and addictive dips arrive straight from the wood-fired oven, followed by fragrant, herb-laced plates—grilled swordfish, slow-cooked lamb, crisp falafel.

Supernormal

Andrew McConnell’s famed Melbourne institution has found its groove on the Brisbane River. Supernormal is lighter and looser here—all blond timber, terrazzo, and floor-to-ceiling views—while chef Jason Barratt’s menu celebrates the best of Queensland’s coastline: Szechuan-poached Moreton Bay bugs, whole coral trout, and those cult-favorite lobster rolls.

Essa

Led by chef Phil Marchant, Essa is pushing Brisbane’s fine-dining scene forward. It’s haute cuisine with a sense of humor, where a signature spanner crab beignet and a 15-year-old sourdough starter (some of the best bread you’ll ever taste) set the tone for a menu that’s both expressive and inventive.

Mosconi

Mosconi serves solid, beautifully executed Italian cuisine in a character-filled dining room set within a converted wartime warehouse. Handmade pastas, local seafood, and seasonal Mediterranean-leaning dishes pair with a smart wine list and warm, unpretentious service. Many locals will tell you it’s their favorite table in town.

August

Set inside a century-old church, August is reverent about food without taking itself too seriously. Chef Brad Cooper gives classic European dishes a playful edge with silky risottos and a show-stealing mud crab omelet. The space is relaxed and beautiful, hung with works by local artists. Much like the city itself, it’s ambitious without ego.

Nightlife

The Brisbane skyline at night.

Maria Ligaya/Travel + Leisure

Howard Smith Wharves

Once an underused stretch of industrial wharf, Howard Smith Wharves is now Brisbane’s liveliest nightlife destination. Sip a local pale ale at Felons Brewing Co., then drift over to Mr. Percival’s, a circular overwater bar with a Mediterranean vibe and strong cocktails.

Winnifred’s

“Winnifred’s is a beautiful spot to have a drink,” says Theile. “It houses the largest Champagne collection in the Southern Hemisphere—around 14,000 bottles—showcasing more than 360 cuvées from over 60 growers and Grandes Marques houses.”

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane is a multibillion-dollar riverside precinct shaking up the city’s nightlife. The sprawling new development pairs high-end restaurants and rooftop bars with a bustling casino floor—a bold, big-ticket addition to the city’s after-dark scene.

Places to Visit

An aerial view of the shipwrecks and ferry on Moreton Island.

Zstock/Adobe Stock

Moreton Island

A 75-minute ferry from Brisbane, Moreton is the world’s third-largest sand island—a playground of turquoise lagoons, rolling dunes, and off-grid adventures for the picking. Home to just one hotel, Tangalooma Island Resort, it’s where you can hand-feed wild dolphins at sunset, snorkel around shipwrecks, and toboggan down sand hills. From June to October, humpback whales cruise past in spectacular numbers, often visible right from the beach.

North Stradbroke Island

Affectionately known as “Straddie,” many Queenslanders will tell you this is their happy place—wild, nostalgic, and blissfully unchanged. A short ferry ride from the mainland delivers you to surf breaks at Point Lookout and tea-tree-stained freshwater lakes perfect for floating. Grab a beer at the pub or an ice cream from the shop; locals keep this one close to the chest.

Gold Coast

An hour south, the Gold Coast is all contrasts—a skyline of high-rises scraping the sand of some of the world’s best surf breaks. A wave of luxury hotels is reshaping the shoreline, with the Mondrian and Andaz now open, and a Ritz-Carlton on the horizon. Dining is serious here, too, from the legendary Rick Shores to the critically acclaimed Labart.

Noosa

“If time permits, a day trip to Noosa is highly recommended,” says Theile. “The national park walk is spectacular, one of the most dramatic coastal outlooks in Australia.” For a deeper adventure, she suggests a Double Island Point day drive—a journey past Noosa North Shore and Teewah Village to the kaleidoscopic Cooloola Coloured Sands.

Best Time to Visit

People running along the water in Brisbane.

Maria Ligaya/Travel + Leisure

Brisbane thrives outdoors, but in the height of summer (December to February), heat and humidity can be intense. The sweet spot is April to October, when the weather hits its stride and the city truly comes alive. “Brisbane winters are the best time to be here,” says Theile. “There’s an energy, with cultural festivals like the Ekka in August and Brisbane Festival in September, major sporting events, visiting artists, and a vibrant shift in seasonal fashion—all while beaches remain just as inviting.”

How to Get There

The Brisbane skyline.

Maria Ligaya/Travel + Leisure

Brisbane is the gateway to Queensland’s coast and is easiest to reach via Brisbane Airport (BNE), located just 20 minutes from the city center. There are nonstop flights from several U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. Travelers from the East Coast might like to consider flying nonstop to Auckland, New Zealand, and then hopping on a short flight to Brisbane, or transiting through Japan. And with Qantas set to debut its nonstop New York–Sydney route in 2026 (one of the world’s longest flights), getting to Australia is becoming even easier.

How to Get Around

A ferry boat in Brisbane.

Maria Ligaya/Travel + Leisure

CityCat Ferry

Brisbane’s river is its lifeblood, and the CityCat is the best way to see it. Catamarans glide from St. Lucia to Northshore Hamilton, stopping at vibrant precincts along the way. Fares are just 50 cents (AUD) with a go card or tap-on payment.

Train

Queensland Rail’s network is fast, clean, and reliable, linking the city to the airport, suburbs, and coastal escapes like the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. Tickets are a flat 50 cents (AUD), and the Translink app keeps schedules at your fingertips.

Bus & Metro

Buses cover nearly every suburb, with high-frequency CityGlider routes and new electric Brisbane Metro services now running through the city every few minutes. All services share the same 50-cent fare.

Car & Ride-share Services

Within the inner city, skip the hassle and call a car; ride-share services like Ola and DiDi are everywhere. For exploring beyond, rent a car from Brisbane Airport or downtown. Roads are well-maintained, and parking is generally easier than in Sydney or Melbourne; just brace for the price tag.