If you couldn’t tell by now, we are obsessed with the city of Brisbane. Great weather year round, clever transportation, great food and drinks, fun activities within easy distance, which all contribute to making this city one of our favourites. Transportation is a characteristic that most cities don’t use to their advantage, but Brisbane has absolutely nailed it, especially when it comes to the CBD and inner suburbs. With the Brisbane River running on the South side of the downtown core, Brisbane has cleverly taken that geographic uniqueness and implemented a ferry system that makes travelling that much more fun for locals and tourists alike.
Known as CityCats and KittyCats, the public transportation available on the Brisbane River consists of ferries that make their way up and down the river from the University of Queensland stop in St. Lucia all the way to the Northshore Hamilton stop. The network consists of 22 stops total, with the CityCats being the ones making their way up and down the river, while the KittyCats make their way across the river. CityCats consist of large catamarans that range in size from one deck to two decks, while the KittyCats are much smaller boats, given that they only go across the river. And the best part of all, because it is considered public transportation, its only 50 cents per journey! So here’s an example of how we spend a day in Brisbane and on the Brisbane River!
We usually stay in South Bank, which means we start our day with breakfast in this area. One of our favourites to grab is açai from Oakberry Açai. The bowls are fully customizable, piled high with açai, fresh fruit, and anything else your heart desires (that is on their menu). The bowls are so filling, and having a healthy start to the day makes for a great foundation to our day of exploration.
Estimated time at breakfast (less than 15 minutes) and price ($33.90 for one small and one regular with no extras beyond what is included in base price).
Now, its time to get the river adventure started. Hopping on the ferry at South Bank terminal 1 or 2, which is located on the Clem Jones Promenade, we will head down the river towards The University of Queensland. Our first stop happens to be North Quay aka the CBD, conveniently located just across the river from South Bank. We sometimes get off here and explore Queen Street Mall and the City Botanic Gardens, before hopping back on the ferry at QUT Gardens Point stop. Yes, you will stop at South Bank and North Quay again, but you will have gotten the chance to explore the CBD, which is a win in our books. Now, we head down to the University of Queensland stop (UQ St Lucia), with five stops along the way (South Bank, North Quay, Regatta, Guyana Park, West End).
Estimated time for the adventure down river from South Bank (approximately 30 minutes without exploring the CBD, 1 to 2 hours if exploring the CBD) and price (50 cents)
Once at the UQ St Lucia stop, we thoroughly recommend getting off the ferry and exploring the beautiful campus of the University of Queensland and the surrounding suburb of St. Lucia. If you are travelling from mid-October to early November, you will have the opportunity to see the marvellous jacaranda trees in full bloom, which is an absolutely amazing sight to behold. A couple of must-sees around the campus grounds include the Great Court, the lakes (where you might spot some turtles), and the Forgan Smith Building.
Estimated time to walk around campus (45 minutes to 1 hour) and price (free!)
Now, you’ll likely be a bit hungry after exploring the grounds, and lucky you there are plenty of lunch and quick snack options available. There’s a food court (building 63) to the left of the Great Court, a bit up from the Student Central and Faculty of Science Building, if you’re walking up from the river, that has quick-bite versions of everything from Mexican, to sandwiches, to coffee, and smoothies. If you’re craving a more substantial meal, Saint Lucy Caffe y Cucina, located near the Tennis Courts and past the Aquatic Centre, to the right of the Great Court if you’re walking up from the river, has pizzas, fish, pasta, and burgers.
Estimated time for lunch/snack (15 to 45 minutes) and price ($22.70 for iced matcha, iced chocolate milk, 3 tacos from GYG, and fries).
With our bellies filled, its time to head back up river and enjoy the breeze from the catamaran cruising along. About 30 minutes up the river, you’ll get back to South Bank where our journey started. We will walk along the Clem Jones Promenade, taking a left from our exit of the terminal. As you walk along the Promenade, you’ll pass the Queensland Maritime Museum and the Promenade will become the Cliffs Boardwalk, which is exactly where we are headed. This beautiful walk hugs the south side of the river and brings you from the South Bank Parklands all the way to Kangaroo Point, with views of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and the CBD, culminating at Captain Burke Park.
Estimated time (1.5 hours - 30 minutes ferry, 1 hour walking (just shy of 4 kms)) and price (50 cents).
Once done at the park, we’ll hop on a KittyCat at Holman Street Terminal to head across the river to Riverside Ferry Terminal. At Riverside, you’ll switch from the KittyCat service to the CityCat service, making sure you are heading up river towards Northshore Hamilton. Enjoy the rest as you cruise up river for the next hour towards maybe the best no longer hidden gem of Brisbane, Eat Street. Super duper important note, Eat Street is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so be diligent when booking your trip and following this itinerary that it is open before you commit. Eat Street is like a food truck meeting ground on steroids. Craving Mexican… they have you covered. Filipino, Australian, French, Dessert for dinner… check, check check and check. There are also a limited amount of home good stores among all the food, in case your full belly is telling you to just buy that “Live, Laugh, Love” sign you’ve been after. There are also live performances in each of the sections, which will get you dancing, signing and loving the atmosphere. We try something new every time we go here, and have yet to be disappointed by any picks. Our advice is to get a mix of items and share them. There is an entrance fee for adults ($6 in 2026), and they don’t accept cash once inside. Once your bellies are truly full, its time to head back to your home base, via CityCat (last one at 10:15pm, except for Friday and Saturday, which is at 11:15pm) or Uber, depending on where you are located.
Estimated time (1 hour ferry if heading back to South Bank, at least 2 hours to experience Eat Street) and price ($1 for ferry and $82.88 for our entry fee and food and drinks for which we got two souvlakis with chicken and lamb, lemonades, honey roasted macadamia nuts, and pofferties)
Need hotel recommendations to continue the adventure for multiple days? We’ve stayed at the Emporium Hotel (apartments via AirBnB), as well as the Courtyard Marriott and would recommend both of them. The Courtyard Marriott is a tiny bit more out of the way, but if you don’t mind an extra 5 minute walk (*uphill), we would recommend this hotel for the price you pay any day. The Emporium Hotel is a 5 star hotel so it is quite expensive if you book through the hotel, but do look on AirBnB for the apartments option as it was very reasonably priced and we got access to a pool.
- Total time: 7.25 hours to 9.5 hours
- Our personal totals (per person) from our last time in December 2025:
- Price per day without including accommodations : $70.74 AUD
- Price per day if including accommodation at Courtyard Marriott hotel: $228.24 AUD (we stayed during summer and on a concert night so rates were higher than usual)